• 6:01 a.m.: Last ship to leave Ukrainian port before Black Sea grain deal ends

As part of the agreement to allow the safe export of Ukrainian grain to the Black Sea, one last vessel is due to leave Ukraine today.

Uncertainty still hangs over the future of this agreement, which has already allowed the export of more than 30 million tons of seeds from Ukraine since its opening on August 1, 2022. Initially negotiated by the UN and Turkey with Russia for 120 days, it was extended for another 120 days in November with Moscow's agreement, then again until May 18.

  • 5:03 a.m.: Patriot missile defense system damaged, but not destroyed

The United States reacted after statements by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Russian military claimed Tuesday that a Russian Kinzhal missile launched at Ukraine destroyed a U.S. Patriot missile defense system during an air offensive on Kiev.

U.S. officials told Reuters that the Patriot missile shield likely suffered damage but was not destroyed. One added that discussions about its reparation were ongoing.

  • 0:07: War in Ukraine can serve as a lesson for Taiwan, says Pentagon chief

The war in Ukraine against Russian forces brings lessons for Taiwan, showing how a smaller military can withstand a larger force, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday.

"We learned a number of important lessons with the war in Ukraine ... against Russia," the Pentagon chief said when asked during a parliamentary hearing about Taiwan's defense strategies in the event of a possible Chinese invasion. "One of those lessons is that with asymmetric resources and asymmetric tactics and techniques, a smaller force can really defend itself against a more powerful force," he said.

Trained, armed and equipped by a US-led international coalition, Ukrainian forces not only withstood Russia's onslaught but recaptured swathes of territory captured by the Russians.

The Pentagon chief said, in this sense, that the authority he has to draw on US stockpiles and supply weapons to Taiwan was "crucial to our efforts to provide Taiwan with what it needs" to defend itself, as is the case for Ukraine. "We are working on this initiative and hope to have something to announce in the near future," he said, without specifying what or setting a date.

  • The essentials of the day of May 16

The United Kingdom wants to build an "international coalition" to help Ukraine obtain F-16 fighter jets, Downing Street said Tuesday after a meeting between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte.

Ukraine said Tuesday it had retaken 20 km2 from Russian forces in recent days around the devastated city of Bakhmut, the epicenter of fighting for months in the east of its territory, where it has put Russia in trouble.

With AFP and Reuters

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