Putin: ‘We Have to Be One Step Ahead’ – Ukraine at War Update for May 16

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China early Thursday morning to meet with President Xi Jinping.

“By picking China for his first foreign trip since being sworn in for a six-year term that will keep him in power until at least 2030, Putin is sending a message to the world about his priorities and the depth of his personal relationship with Xi,” Reuters news agency wrote.

Ironically, the Russian president arrived in Beijing at roughly the same time that President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he himself was putting off any foreign visits until the Russian incursion into the northeastern Ukrainian border had been brought under control.

Moscow and Beijing have held what has been called a “no limits” partnership since the months leading up to Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

“We will try to establish closer cooperation in the field of industry and high technology, space and peaceful nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, renewable energy sources and other innovative sectors,” Putin said about his China trip.

US and Germany indicate more Patriot missiles en route to Ukraine

On his visit to Kyiv on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the imminent release of $2 billion in military aid for Ukraine, as part of the $61 billion package that Washington approved several weeks ago following months of delays. Blinken said the idea was “to provide weapons today” as well as invest in Ukrainian infrastructure now, and to help Ukraine purchase military equipment from other countries.

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Russian Attacks on Ukraine Energy Could Trigger ’Tipping Point’: UN

With Russia’s full-scale invasion approaching the 1,000-day mark, 3.7 million people have already been displaced inside Ukraine and around 6.7 million have fled as refugees, according to UN figures.

The top US diplomat was speaking alongside his Ukrainian counterpart, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who repeated that Ukraine “urgently” needs seven more air defense systems and specified that the northeastern border region of Kharkiv, under Russian attacks for the past week, needs two of those systems.

Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that the Biden administration is contemplating the deployment of an additional battery of Patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine, responding to such calls.

Germany also announced on Wednesday that it was sending Ukraine another such Patriot battery. In March, the system’s makers, Raytheon, announced a $1.2 billion contract with Germany to refresh their systems.

“The Patriot can reach a top speed of Mach 5, approximately 6,173 kph, enabling it to quickly respond to airborne threats,” according to ArmyRecognition.com. “Due to these characteristics, the Patriot air defense system is a key element of missile defense,” for Ukraine, the analysts said.

Meanwhile, cyberspace has been buzzing with unverified reports that Russian missiles have recently destroyed two Patriots missile systems in Ukraine, which cost an estimated $1 billion each, according to Bloomberg News. Some sources are saying they were decoys.

Putin calls for newer weapons now, and the need to “double and triple our efforts”

In a televised meeting with Kremlin leaders on Wednesday, including new Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Putin called for more innovation in domestic weapons production and said it needed to happen fast.

“We have said many times that whoever is quicker to master the newest means of armed combat wins. We have to be one step ahead,” Putin told the group. “We have everything we need for this, and much has been done, but we need to double and triple our efforts in this area.”

This was the first public meeting between Putin and Belousov, an economist with no military experience but, according to the Kremlin, a reputation for innovation. The televised talks also included the replaced Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in his new role as Security Council chief.

“We need, without any exaggeration, to do even more. Although a lot has been done, even more needs to be done in the defense production sector,” Putin said. “The more effective the means of destruction, the more accurate they are, the more powerful they are, the fewer losses we have. This is a key issue in armed combat,” he said.

Russian advances in the northeast have not been without casualties, AFU stresses

As reports mount of Moscow’s gains along the northeastern Ukrainian border in its latest offensive, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) countered on Wednesday that Russia’s forces have lost more than 700 soldiers from their ranks (both killed and wounded) on the front lines and border areas near Kharkiv and have seen 125 pieces of military equipment destroyed on those battlefields since May 10.

“On the Kharkiv front, our units have successfully repelled four Russian attacks on the Pylna-Lyptsi, Lukiantsi-Slobozhanske, Pylna-Slobozhanske and Murom-Starytsia axes since the beginning of the day,” the General Staff claimed in a post.

“Fighting is still ongoing on the Hlyboke-Lyptsi, Lukiantsi-Slobozhanske, Pylna-Slobozhanske, Murom-Starytsia and Pletenivka-Vovchansk axes. The Ukrainian units have not lost their positions.  

“Ukrainian troops continue to perform defensive and stabilization measures in the city of Vovchansk, keeping the situation under control. The occupiers’ losses on the Kharkiv front have amounted to 95 troops and 27 units of weaponry and military equipment since the beginning of the day.”

In total, the AFU spokespersons concluded, invading forces had suffered 710 casualties.