(CNN Spanish) — The Ukrainian army reported that it has advanced its counteroffensive in the south of the country and continues its efforts to contain the advance of Russian troops in the eastern Donbas region. Meanwhile, Russian pressure on Severodonetsk continues.
Meanwhile, the European Council will meet on Monday with the aim of reaching a political agreement on an embargo on Russian oil, a European Union official told CNN.
For his part, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, assured that he does not plan to send any missiles to Ukraine that might reach Russian territory.
In Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces said Russian troops used artillery, airstrikes and missiles to degrade Ukrainian defenses in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Also in Luhansk, French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was shot dead, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed. The journalist was being evacuated with others when the vehicle they were traveling in was attacked, the head of the region’s military administration said.
In addition, some families of the hundreds of Ukrainian fighters who were defending the Azovstal steel plant two weeks ago say they have little or no information regarding their whereregardings.
Look at the latest news of the war this Monday, May 30:
The Ukrainian army reports advances in the south and intense fighting in the eastern region of Donbas
Smoke rises in the city of Severodonetsk during heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on May 30. (Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images)
The Ukrainian army reported progress during its counteroffensive in the south and continued efforts to contain the Russian advance in the eastern region of Donbás.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Monday additional efforts by Russia to degrade Ukrainian defenses in Luhansk and Donetsk, saying they had used artillery, airstrikes and missiles in several places, including Lysychansk and Soledar.
Russian pressure on Severodonetsk, a city where two-thirds of property is reported to have been destroyed, continues, with the General Staff saying hostilities persist in and around the city.
As the Russians attack the Ukrainian lines in Donbas from the south, east and north, there are conflicting claims regarding their progress.
The General Staff says fighting continues around the village of Komyshuvakha, southwest of Severodonetsk. Social media video geolocated by CNN appears to show a Chechen unit in the village, with drone footage suggesting Ukrainian soldiers withdrawing from the area. A Chechen commander says: “This town is now under our control, and we will start assaulting all fronts. We have completely taken over, you might say, Komyshuvakha.”
Ukraine has claimed some success in its offensive in the south, which began over the weekend. The General Staff said that “the enemy suffered losses and withdrew from the village of Mykolaivka, Kherson region, causing panic among the servicemen of other units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”
If the Russian forces have withdrawn from Mykolaivka, it would represent a gain of several kilometers for the Ukrainian units.
The General Staff reported that cross-border shelling of settlements in the northern Chernihiv and Sumy regions continued, as well as the shelling of territory north of the city of Kharkiv, which was recently retaken by Ukrainian forces.
Europe seeks to reach an agreement on the embargo on Russian oil
The PCK oil refinery, which is majority owned by the Russian energy company Rosneft, is located in Schwedt, Germany. (Hannibal Hanschke/Getty Images/File)
The European Council aims to reach a political agreement on an embargo on Russian oil on Monday, a European Union official told CNN.
This embargo will cover more than two-thirds of Russia’s oil imports, which covers all oil transported by sea from Russia, the official said.
Diplomats from the European Union failed to reach a consensus Sunday on the terms of the embargo, but held more talks on Monday in a bid to present a deal for approval by EU leaders at a summit later this week. the same day.
Some temporary exceptions have been granted to ensure security of supply for certain member states, the official said, adding that the council will revert to these exceptions “as soon as possible”.
In addition to the oil embargo, the new sanctions package once morest Russia will include other substantial measures, including the removal of SWIFT from the largest Russian bank, Sberbank, the banning of three other Russian state broadcasters and a list of people who have committed war crimes in Russia. Ukraine, according to the official.
No news of missing Azovstal defenders in Ukraine
Two weeks ago, hundreds of Ukrainian fighters ended their defense of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, and now some families say they still have little or no information regarding his whereregardings.
“I have not contacted my husband or received any information regarding him recently,” said Anna Ivleva, the wife of Anton, a Ukrainian marine who was seriously injured during the Russian siege of the factory in Mariupol.
She hasn’t spoken to him in over a month. Although Ukrainian government officials have been in contact, she has “no information” regarding where the Azovstal fighters are and in what condition, she told CNN.
After a long siege, the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol fell under full Russian control earlier this month with the surrender of Azovstal, the last bastion of Ukrainian defense of the city.
It is unclear how many Ukrainian servicemen are now in Russian custody, but the Russian military has claimed that more than 2,000 members of the Ukrainian forces surrendered there.
Russian state propaganda has demonized Azovstal’s defenders as “Nazis”, raising fears for their treatment in captivity.
Biden says he won’t send missiles to Ukraine that might hit Russia
President Joe Biden speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden has said he does not plan to send any missiles to Ukraine that might reach Russian territory.
“I will not send anything that can shoot Russia,” Biden said at the White House on Monday when asked if he planned to send long-range rockets to Ukraine.
CNN reported last week that the Biden administration is preparing to increase the type of weaponry it offers Ukraine by sending advanced long-range missile systems that are now the top request of Ukrainian officials.
The administration is leaning toward sending the systems as part of a larger package of military and security assistance to Ukraine, which might be announced as early as next week.
The administration has hesitated over whether to send the systems amid concerns raised within the National Security Council that Ukraine might use the new weapons to carry out offensive strikes inside Russia, according to the officials.
On Friday, following CNN first reported the news, the Russians warned that the United States will “cross a red line” if it supplies the systems to Ukraine.
French journalist killed in Ukraine
A French journalist has been shot dead in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted.
“The journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was in Ukraine to show the reality of the war. Aboard a humanitarian bus, along with civilians forced to flee to escape Russian bombs, he was fatally shot,” the French president wrote.
“I share the pain of the family, friends and colleagues of Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, to whom I send my condolences. To those who carry out the difficult mission of providing information in the areas of operations, I want to reiterate France’s unconditional support,” Macron said on Twitter.
BFM TV, a CNN affiliate, said Leclerc-Imhoff was one of its reporters. On air, the outlet said he was 32 years old and had worked for BFM for six years.
Serhiy Hayday, head of the military administration of the Luhansk region, spoke on Monday night regarding the death of the French journalist killed in the area. He said Leclerc-Imhoff was being evacuated with others when the vehicle they were traveling in was attacked.
“I don’t know if it was an aerial bomb or a large projectile that pierced the armored glass with a fragment and the French journalist died. And he was wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest, but a piece hit him in the neck,” he said.
Turkey offers to host Russia-Ukraine-UN talks
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives for a ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, on May 16. (Burhan Ozbilici/AP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has offered to host talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations in Istanbul, according to a Turkish readout of Monday’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Erdogan emphasized to Putin the “need to take measures that will minimize the negative effects of the war” and restore peace between Russia and Ukraine “as soon as possible,” according to the reading.
“President Erdoğan expressed that they are ready to meet with Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations in Istanbul and play a role in a possible observation mechanism, if both sides agree in principle,” the readout read.
The Russian and Ukrainian delegations last met for talks in Istanbul on March 29.
Car bomb in Melitopol
Russian state media reported that a car bomb detonated in the occupied city of Melitopol on Monday, claiming the blast occurred near the House of Culture where Russian officials operate. According to reports, three people were injured in the explosion.
Donbas, the “priority”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow’s “absolute priority” is what he called the “liberation” of Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine’s two eastern regions that make up Donbas. Russia’s offensive has focused on the region since its troops failed to take Kyiv and other parts of central Ukraine, and fighting has intensified in recent days.
James Frater, Kevin Liptak, Tim Lister, Pierre Bairin, Isil Sariyuce, Niamh Kennedy, all of CNN, contributed to this report.
