The latest on the Russia–Ukraine crisis, May 21. Click here for updates from May 20.
Russia Intensifies Push for Donbas
Russia intensified an offensive in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on Saturday.
After ending weeks of resistance by the last Ukrainian fighters in the strategic southeastern city of Mariupol, Russia is waging what appears to be a major offensive in Luhansk, one of two provinces in Donbas.
Russian-backed separatists already controlled swathes of territory in Luhansk and the neighboring Donetsk province before the Feb. 24 invasion, but Moscow wants to seize the last remaining Ukrainian-held territory in Donbas.
Ukrainian forces in those eastern separatist-controlled regions said on Saturday they had repelled nine attacks and destroyed five tanks and 10 other armored vehicles in the previous 24 hours. They said that as of 9 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), there was still fighting in four unspecified locations….