(.)
May 13 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskiy asked Pope Francis on Saturday to back Kyiv’s peace
plan, and the pope indicated the Vatican would help in the
repatriation of Ukrainian children taken by Russians.
The Ukrainian leader, on a visit to Rome, also met Italy’s
leaders, who promised full military and financial backing for
Ukraine and reiterated support for its EU membership bid.
Zelenskiy will be received in Berlin on Sunday, German
government sources said on Saturday
BATTLE FOR BAKHMUT
* Ukrainian troops are advancing in two directions in the
eastern city of Bakhmut but the situation in the city centre is
more complicated, deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said on
Saturday.
* Moscow acknowledged on Friday that its forces had fallen
back north of Bakhmut after a new offensive, in a retreat that
the head of Russia’s Wagner private army called a rout. The city
has been the focus of a bloody battle for months,
* Russian forces have likely withdrawn from their positions
on the southern flank of Bakhmut operations in bad order over
the last four days, Britain’s defence ministry said in its daily
intelligence update on Saturday.
CONFLICT
* The Russian news outlet Kommersant reported that two
Russian fighter jets and two military helicopters had been shot
down on Saturday close to the Ukrainian border, in what would be
a spectacular coup for Kyiv if confirmed.
* Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Saturday that Ukrainian
aircraft had struck two industrial sites in the Russian-held
city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine with Storm Shadow long-range
cruise missiles supplied by Britain.
* Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.
DIPLOMACY AND WEAPONS
* Germany on Saturday announced 2.7 billion euro ($3.0
billion) of military aid to Ukraine, its biggest such package
yet since Russia’s invasion, and pledged further support for
Kyiv for as long as necessary.
* The European Union must speed up the supply of ammunition
to Ukraine as the country’s forces need 1,000 artillery shells
every day in the Bakhmut area alone, EU foreign policy chief
Josep Borrell said on Saturday.
* South Africa’s presidential security advisor said on
Saturday the country was “actively non-aligned” in Russia’s war
against Ukraine, after U.S. allegations that it had supplied
weapons to Moscow led to a diplomatic crisis this week.
* A draft communique from a meeting of Group of Seven
finance chiefs reiterated the group’s condemnation of Russia’s
“illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression”
against Ukraine.
* U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi plans to present
an agreement with Russia and Ukraine on protecting the
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the U.N. Security Council
this month, indicating a deal is close, four diplomats told
Reuters.
INSIDE RUSSIA
* The head of Russia’s federal crime agency suggested on
Saturday that key sectors of the economy should be returned to
state ownership to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
* Police in the Russian city of St. Petersburg said on
Friday they have created an anti-drone unit to detect unmanned
aerial vehicles following a purported drone attack on the
Kremlin this month.
IN-DEPTH STORIES
* INSIGHT-Communities torn as Ukraine turns its back on
Moscow-linked church.
* INSIGHT-How Russians end up in a far-right militia
fighting in Ukraine.
* EXCLUSIVE-Turkey defers $600 mln Russian energy payment
-sources
* EXCLUSIVE-Oilfield firm SLB retrenches as Russia sanctions
squeeze
* FOCUS-Why eastern Europe’s grain producers face a perfect
storm
(Compiled by Reuters editors)
