First trial of Russian military and blocked U.S. assistance: Highlights on war in Ukraine as of May 13

Author

Yulia Ustymovych

The 79th day of the war against the Russian occupiers continues in Ukraine. On May 13, the court opened the first trial in the case of the Russian military over the war crimes, the Ukrainian military damaged the Russian ship Vsevolod Bobrov, the European Union plans to additionally allocate 500 million euros for military assistance to Ukraine. has compiled business, political and economic news that will help you learn more about the situation in the country that has been fighting for its right to exist for more than two months.

Top news on the war as of May 13:

A trial has been opened in Solomianskyi District Court of Kyiv in the case of Russian military Vadim Shyshymarin on charges of murdering an unarmed 62-year-old resident in the village of Chupakhivka, Sumy region, who was riding a bicycle. The defendant is a 21-year-old commander of one of the units of the Kantemirovskaya tank division. The accused will be tried under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Violation of the laws and customs of war." He faces 10 to 15 years in prison or life imprisonment.
Ukrainian sailors damaged the Russian combat logistics ship Vsevolod Bobrov, which was located near the occupied Zmiinyi Island, the representative of the Odesa Regional Military Administration Serhiyi Bratchuk reported. "Thanks to the actions of our military sailors, the Vsevolod Bobrov combat logistics ship, one of the newest in the Russian fleet, inflamed. They say that it is dragging itself to Sevastopol. Currently, the information needs to be clarified, but the fact that it was given a dusting near Zmiinyi Island, is true," Bratchuk wrote.
French President Emmanuel Macron offered Ukraine to cede some of its sovereignty so that Vladimir Putin could "save his face." President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in an interview with the Italian TV channel Rai 1.

Top news on politics as of May 13

If not for the blocking by Senator Rand Paul, Ukraine could already use the new U.S. aid package, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. "We could have already started using the new U.S. assistance package to more effectively save the lives of Ukrainians defending the democratic world. The U.S. President, U.S. Secretary of State, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, and the American people were in strong support, and Rand Paul delayed much needed support," Kuleba tweeted.
Discussions on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, which should include an oil embargo, continue, and whether a decision will be made by the foreign ministers on Monday is unknown. This was announced by a high-ranking European diplomat before the meeting on Friday in Brussels, Bloomberg reports. "The discussion continues, I cannot foresee whether it will end before Monday or not," he said. At the same time, the European diplomat expressed confidence that the decision would be made.

Top news on economy as of May 13

The European Union plans to allocate an additional 500 million euros for military assistance to Ukraine. This was stated by the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell. According to him, additional funds from the European Peace Fund will be used to purchase tanks and artillery. Thus, the EU assistance to Ukraine will amount to 2 billion euros.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale aggression, Ukraine has spent 245.1 billion UAH ($8.3 billion) from the state budget on military needs. Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko stated this in a commentary to Reuters. According to the official, the money pledged for other state development programs is now being spent on everything related to the war: from purchasing weapons to social support for internally displaced persons.
During the sowing campaign 2022, Ukraine sowed 9.9 million hectares of land with the main agricultural crops, which is 68.7% of the 14.4 million hectares planned for the current season, including 2.8 million hectares that were sown during the week (May 5-12). This was reported by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.

Top news on business as of May 13

Micro- and small enterprises in nine regions of Ukraine affected by Russia's military aggression can apply for micro-grants in the amount of 125,000 UAH (4 thousand euros) through the state portal Diia, according to the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. According to the report, enterprises can apply for microgrants: those registered no later than December 31, 2021 in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kyiv regions; those temporarily relocated from these areas; those who suffered as a result of hostilities, but continue to work and can confirm this.
Zaporizhzhia Metallurgical Plant Zaporizhstal has mastered the production of double-mass cold-rolled coil without a welded seam. The enterprise has already shipped 3,600 tons of a new type of rolled metal for the construction industry. The enterprise clarified that a request had been received from potential consumers from Europe, according to the company’s press release.
The Cabinet of Ministers transfers 172 filling stations of Glusco to the management of the state company NJSC Naftogaz, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. "Today, the government will adopt a document by which we are transferring 172 filling stations of the company Glusco to the management of the state company NJSC Naftogaz," Shmyhal said at a government meeting on Wednesday. According to the Prime Minister, this decision will help to overcome the fuel shortage.

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