Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Saturday his Wagner fighters had completed the capture of Bakhmut – the eastern Ukrainian town of little strategic importance but great symbolic significance. Ukraine, however, rejected the claim, saying fighting was still going on. Read our live blog below to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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10:35pm: F-16s 'most significant weapons announcement' since tanks
US President Joe Biden backing on Friday the Western allies' plan to train Ukrainian fighter pilots on F-16 fighter jets is "the most significant weapons announcement [...] since the tanks were promised in February; arguably more significant, because while it doesn't represent a step change in capability; what it does do is that it extends that asssistance into the air domain directly," said Frank Ledwidge, a senior lecturer in military strategy at the University of Portsmouth.
"It's also interesting that the means by which this was leveraged to the United States was very similar; in other words, the British and one or two other powers in Europe got together in February and donated modern NATO tanks; much the same happened in terms of training promises and Prime Minister Sunak's mention of a coalition for jets, which also pressured the US at this time as well,” Ledwidge. "Although I suspect it wasn't quite one following the other; I suspect there was a bit more co-operation than we're led to believe."
6:55pm: Pope asks Italian cardinal to carry out peace 'mission' on Ukraine war
Pope Francis has asked Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops conference, to carry out a peace mission to try to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine, the Vatican said on Saturday.
Francis first spoke cryptically of his intention to launch a mission when he was returning from a trip to Hungary last month but he gave no details.
6pm: ICC 'undeterred' after Russia puts prosecutor on wanted list
The International Criminal Court said Saturday that it was "undeterred" by Russia putting prosecutor Karim Khan on a wanted list over his issuance of an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin.
"The ICC finds these measures unacceptable. The court will remain undeterred in the conduct of its lawful mandate to ensure accountability for the gravest crimes," the Hague-based tribunal said in a statement.
5:42pm: Ukraine NGO provides searchlights to detect Russian missile attacks
The Ukrainian army says it has intercepted over a thousand Russian missiles and nearly 2800 drones since the beginning of the year – but keeping Ukraine's civilians safe from air strikes is still an immense challenge. FRANCE 24's Emmanuelle Chaze met the volunteers who provide the searchlights supporting Ukraine's air defence.
5:40pm: G7 communiqué asks China to put pressure on Russia
"Today Japan announced the final communiqué from the G7 summit, something that would normally be done at the end of the summit, but with Zelensky coming the timetables have shifted," journalist Jake Adelstein reported from the meeting in Hiroshima. "The declaration was surprisingly straightforward, making sure that everyone understood that the G7 nations would support Ukraine as long as Russia continued its illegal war of aggression [...] And, surprisingly, it asked China to urge Russia to completely and totally withdraw from their presence in Ukraine."
5:38pm: Fighter jets will be 'very useful' for Ukraine
The F-16 fighter jets the West promised this week to send Ukraine will likely be "very useful" for Kyiv, but will "probably" arrive after the counter-offensive, with "at least four months" until Ukraine takes possession of them, said Dominique Trinquand, the former head of the French military mission to the UN.
5:59pm: Ukraine deputy defence minister says 'situation is critical' in Bakhmut areas still held
Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Saturday the situation in Bakhmut was critical, with the Ukrainian troops maintaining a defence in the southwestern part of the city.
>> Read more: Key battles in the Ukraine war: From Kyiv’s stand to the Kharkiv counterattack
"Heavy fighting in Bakhmut. The situation is critical," she said on the Telegram messaging app. She said Ukrainian troops were "holding the defence" in the city's "Airplane area".
"As of now, our defenders control some industrial and infrastructure facilities in the area and the private sector."
3:28pm: Ukraine denies Russia's Wagner has captured Bakhmut
Ukraine's military denied on Saturday that Russia's Wagner private military unit had taken full control of the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut and said its troops were continuing to fight there.
>> Read more: Wagner Group’s bloody year in Ukraine: From murder squad to cannon fodder
"This is not true. Our units are fighting in Bakhmut," military spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi told Reuters news agency after the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group said his forces had taken full control of the city.
2:54pm: Wagner's Prigozhin claims full control of Bakhmut
The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on Saturday claimed full control of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the focus of the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.
FRANCE 24 could not independently confirm the claim. Prigozhin made it in a video in which he appeared in combat fatigues in front of a line of fighters holding Russian flags and Wagner banners.
1:44pm: Zelensky presence at G7 a potential 'game changer', says Macron
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's presence at the G7 summit "can be a game changer", French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday as the two leaders met in Hiroshima.
>> Read more: France ‘not getting the credit it should’ for Ukraine support
Zelensky's surprise trip to meet G7 allies is a "unique opportunity" to "express your situation, convey your message and share your view", said Macron. "I do believe that it can be a game changer."
1:38pm: Zelensky invites India PM Modi to join Ukraine's peace formula
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he invited India to join Ukraine's peace formula during his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit on Saturday in Japan.
>> Read more: Ukraine war exposes splits between Global North and South
Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app that they also discussed Ukraine's needs in demining and mobile hospitals during their first face-to-face meeting since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Indian PM Modi reportedly told Zelensky that India will 'do whatever it can' to resolve Ukraine crisis.
12:25pm: Indian PM Modi says met Zelensky in Hiroshima
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of a G7 summit in Hiroshima on Friday, the Indian leader said in a tweet.
A photo showed the two leaders shaking hands, in their first meeting since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which India has declined to condemn.
12:10pm: Zelensky attempting to convince Modi, Lula on sidelines of G7 summit
Zelensky has arrived at the G7 summit where he will not only have the chance to thank G7 leaders, who are overwhelmingly behind the Ukrainians' efforts in their battle against Russia, but also have the opportunity to try to convince leaders reluctant to join the Ukrainian side, especially India's PM Narendra Modi and Brazil's President Lula da Silva. FRANCE 24 correspondent Jake Adelstein reports from Hiroshima, Japan.
11:22am: Ukraine's Zelensky meets UK's Sunak on sidelines of G7 summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima on Saturday.
They embraced each other warmly upon meeting and sat side by side to engage in discussions before media was ushered out. Zelensky met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier in the day.
11:19am: Russia says F-16 supplies to Ukraine would carry 'colossal' risks for West
Western countries will be running "colossal risks" if they supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, TASS news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Saturday.
>> Read more: ‘Birds in a cage’? Logistical challenges on cards when Ukraine gets F-16s
US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders on Friday that Washington supports joint allied training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters, senior US officials said.
10:45am: G7 urges China to press Russia to end war in Ukraine
The Group of Seven wealthy democracies united Saturday in urging China to pressure its strategic partner Russia to end its war on Ukraine.
In a joint statement issued Saturday, the G7 leaders emphasized they did not want to harm China and were seeking “constructive and stable relations” with Beijing, “recognising the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China.”
10:26am: G7 calls for continuation, full implementation of Black Sea grain deal
The Group of Seven rich nations on Friday called on all participants of the Black Sea Grain deal "to continue and fully implement its smooth operation at its maximum potential and for as long as necessary," it said in a statement.
The Ukraine Black Sea grain deal was extended for two more months earlier this week, in an agreement reached a day before Russia could have quit the pact over obstacles to its grain and fertiliser exports.
On Friday, G7's statement on the global food security also stressed "the importance of allowing grains to continue to reach those most in need".
9:02am: Zelensky says G7 summit meetings will bring peace 'closer'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said via Twitter that "peace will be closer" as a result of meetings at the G7 summit, after a diplomatic source said he had arrived in the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
8:45am: Ukraine's Zelensky arrives in Japan for G7 Summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Hiroshima, Japan, on Saturday, to attend the Group of Seven (G7) leaders' summit in the city.
Live footage broadcast by multiple media outlets showed Zelensky disembark from a French government aircraft. Japan, this year's G7 chair, earlier on Saturday announced Zelensky's in-person attendance at the meeting in the world's first city attacked by an atomic bomb, as nuclear threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin have unsettled the West.
5:33am: Kyiv says repelled new drone attack on Ukraine capital
Kyiv's air defences successfully repelled a new Russian drone attack overnight but falling debris caused some damage in the Ukrainian capital, the military said Saturday. "This night, the aggressor again carried out a massive drone attack," the head of Kyiv's civil and military administration, Serhiy Popko, said in an update on Telegram.
"All detected air targets were destroyed by the forces and means of our air defence. No strikes on Kyiv were performed!"
Falling debris caused a fire in a residential building in Darnytskyi district but it was extinguished without casualties, he said. Debris also caused some damage in three other districts, he said, but there was no immediate report of casualties. Popko said it was the 11th air attack on Kyiv since the start of May. At 12:45am Saturday (2145 GMT Friday), the Ukrainian army said drones were heading towards the Kyiv region. Explosions were reported there by authorities and also in the city of Chernihiv, northeast of Kyiv.
5:29am: Zelensky heads to G7 as Ukraine wins access to F-16s
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in Hiroshima on Saturday to join G7 talks, after winning long-sought US support for access to advanced fighter jets and training for Kyiv's pilots. The rare long-haul trip is a chance to confer with allies like US President Joe Biden, but also to woo key unaligned powers at the summit, including India and Brazil.
Zelensky's surprise appearance – he had previously been expected to appear by video – comes after a stop in Jeddah to address the Arab League. He will arrive Saturday afternoon on a French plane, a diplomatic source told AFP. He arrives fresh off a breakthrough in his long-running campaign to convince Washington of Ukraine's need for F-16s.
Momentum had been building for providing the planes, but Washington's support is key because its approval is legally required for the re-export of US equipment purchased by allies. The United States had previously cited long pilot training times and high costs as a reason not to supply the jets, with officials insisting there were more cost-effective ways to boost Kyiv's air defences. But F-16s now appear likely to join the list of advanced systems, including Western tanks and long-range weaponry, that Ukraine's supporters have agreed to provide after initial reluctance.
Key developments from Friday, May 19:
Russia on Friday said it banned entry to 500 Americans, including former President Barack Obama, in response to sanctions imposed by Washington.
The US on Friday announced sanctions on more than 300 targets as G7 leaders met in Japan, aiming to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and intensifying one of the harshest sanctions efforts ever implemented.
US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders that Washington will support training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets that could be supplied to Kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and thanked him for backing Ukraine's sovereignty, a statement from the presidency said.
Read yesterday's live blog to see how the day's events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)
