Grain Initiative does not achieve full operation despite Russia's claims

Despite the Russian Federation's declaration of readiness to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative, its full operation has not yet been ensured.

Reuters noted that the UN and Türkiye "are working closely with the rest of the parties with the aim to resume full operations... and lift all impediments that obstruct operations and limit the scope of the Initiative".

Earlier, Ukraine accused Russia of effectively removing the Pivdennyi port from the grain initiative since no ships have been allowed to enter the port since 29 April.

Instead, Russia complained that they could not export ammonia through the pipeline to the Pivdennyi port in accordance with the agreement. The UN said that the grain initiative also provides for the export of fertilisers, including ammonia, but "there have been no such exports so far".

Reuters added that 54 ships were waiting to enter Ukrainian ports as of Friday, 26 May. Eleven applications out of these were submitted for registration.

The report also said that the average number of daily entry and exit checks in May fell to 3.2, the lowest level since the initiative began in August.

Russia is currently trying to implement two of its demands, Reuters explains. Firstly, it seeks to launch the pipeline for the transportation of ammonia to the Ukrainian Pivdennyi port for further export to world markets. Secondly, it demands to connect Rosselkhozbank [Russian Agricultural Bank – ed.], disconnected from it as part of sanctions, to the SWIFT international payment network.

Russia starts implementation of provocation with chemical weapons – interception

Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence has noticed the beginning of Russian provocation in the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast using chemical weapons.

Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence emphasizes that in order to disrupt the counteroffensive actions of Ukraine, the Russian occupiers began to implement a provocation with the use of chemical weapons in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast on 27 May.

According to intelligence, soldiers of the Russian army will be the real victims of Russian provocation. The aggressor state plans to use the traces of injuries from chemical weapons on their bodies as fake evidence to accuse Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence emphasises that the Security and Defence Forces of Ukraine use only conventional weapons during hostilities with Russian troops, and other fakes made by Russian special services are unable to influence the further course of events at the front line.

Russians shelled Kharkiv Oblast

On Saturday, a woman was killed and a man was wounded as a result of shelling in the village of Shypuvate in the Kupiansk district of Kharkiv Oblast. In addition, a 60-year-old man suffered shrapnel injuries and was hospitalised. Currently, doctors are providing assistance to the victim."

Russians shelled Zaporizhzhia Oblast

As a result of the shelling carried out by the Russians, two men were injured in the settlement of Stepnohirsk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and one of them is in serious condition. A 65-year-old man was injured while walking down the street. Another 60-year-old man is now in serious condition. All necessary assistance is provided to the injured.

Poll: two thirds of Ukrainians oppose negotiations with Russia

A new poll has found that 64% of Ukrainians oppose direct talks with Russia before the war ends, while 23.1% are in favor of negotiations.

The poll was conducted by the Razumkov Center, questioning 2020 Ukrainians aged over 18 between April 28 and May 3.

Furthermore, 67% of respondents refused to accept returning to the pre-Feb. 24, 2022 boundary of Russian-occupied territories in return for peace.

Instead, they think Ukraine's borders and territory must return to their 1991 appearance, when Ukraine declared independence.

Just 17.2% of Ukrainians said they would agree to return to Feb. 24, 2022 occupation lines for the sake of peace, while 16% more found it challenging to answer.

In all, 84% of respondents think negatively about Russian citizens, with over a third believing that all Russians bear collective responsibility for the war, regardless of their politics.

More than 40 Russian drones were shot down over Kyiv overnight

Kyiv's air defenses shot down over 40 drones Russia launched at the capital overnight on May 28, in what the Kyiv City Military Administration says was the largest drone attack on the city since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The administration wrote on Telegram that the drones were mostly Iranian-made Shahed drones and that the attack occurred in several waves.

The first explosions in the capital were reported after 1 a.m. local time.  Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko wrote on Telegram after 3:00 a.m. local time that the city's air defenses were once again at work to shoot down aerial targets above Kyiv.

According to local authorities, one person was killed and at least one was injured as a result of debris caused by drones that were shot down.

The drone attack is the 14th mass assault on Kyiv since the start of May.

Russian attacks kill 2 in Kharkiv Oblast, hit infrastructure in Zhytomyr Oblast

ussian shelling and airstrike killed two civilians and injured three others in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast over the past day, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 28.

A 61-year-old woman and A 60-year-old man were killed in the Kupiansk community, according to the report.

The governor said Russian forces attacked 12 settlements across the region, damaging houses and a cultural facility. Russian forces have been constantly attacking Kharkiv Oblast since the start of the full-sclae invasion last year due to its proximity to the Russian border.

In an overnight kamikaze drone attack, the infrastructure site was hit in central Zhytomyr Oblast, Governor Vitalii Bunechko said in a Telegram post.

Bunechko hasn’t provided other details of the attack. No casualties were reported.

Explosions were heard in the city of Zhytomyr early in the morning of May 28, the Suspilne news outlet reported at around 5:30 a.m. local time. Zhytomyr is located 140 kilometers west of Kyiv.

Russia launched its 14th aerial attack across Ukraine since the beginning of the month, launching at least 54 Iranian-made kamikaze drones overnight on May 28.

The Air Force reported that Ukraine’s air defense downed 52 drones, including over 40 in Kyiv, in what the Kyiv City Military Administration described as the largest drone attack on Ukraine’s capital since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Debris of downed drones fell to a gas station, killing one civilian and injuring two others in Kyiv, the Kyiv police department reported on the morning of May 28.