May 21, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of the war in Ukraine has moved here.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is a man on a mission.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, he has imposed sanctions on Moscow, agreed to pursue a nuclear-free world with the Pope and taken a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia and Europe to rally world leaders to protect democracy.

But it's not just democracy in Ukraine that he's trying to protect -- Kishida sees parallels between Russia's actions in Europe and China's expansion in the Indo-Pacific, a region stretching from America's Pacific coastline to the Indian Ocean.

"We strongly oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force, regardless of the location," said Kishida, in a joint statement with European Union leaders in May. The same statement included a clause expressing "serious concern about reports of militarization, coercion and intimidation in the South China Sea," though it didn't name China as the aggressor.

Japan's location places it in an increasingly volatile security environment -- flanked by China to its south, nuclear-armed North Korea to the west and Russia to its north. As a result, the war in Ukraine has catalyzed debates on Japan's national security like never before.

Read the full story here:

A topless protester with blue and yellow paint across her chest and stomach ran onto the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival to protest sexual violence in Ukraine, video taken at the festival shows.

The unidentified woman is seen emerging from behind photographers and quickly removing her dress before making her way onto the carpet and shouting at cameras.

The activist had the colors of the Ukrainian flag painted on her upper body, as well as the words "stop raping us" painted on her chest and abdomen. She was also wearing white underwear covered by red paint that resembled blood.

Security guards circled the woman and wrapped her in a jacket, before removing her from the event.

The French feminist group SCUM said on Instagram one of its members had been behind the protest, understood to have taken place on Friday.

Read more here: Ukraine protester storms Cannes red carpet

In the early morning hours on Sunday in Ukraine, these are the latest developments in the war:

Russia bans more than 900 Americans from entering the country, including President Biden and Secretary Blinken: Russia published its updated "stop list" on Saturday, banning a total of 963 American officials and figures from entering the country.

The updated list included the majority of US senators and members of the House of Representatives, former and current government officials, journalists, military personnel, advocates, citizens, CEOs — and even a few deceased individuals.

Longtime Arizona. Sen. John McCain and Defense Intelligence Agency Deputy Director Melissa Drisko, who both died in 2018, were included on the list, as well as Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State under President Donald Trump.

Russians destroy Pavlograd bridge between Severodonetsk and Lysychansk: Russians destroyed the bridge between Severodonetsk and Lysychansk in Ukraine's Luhansk region, according to Serhiy Hayday, the head of the regional military administration, in a post on his Telegram page on Saturday.

Hayday said this will "greatly complicate the evacuation and delivery of humanitarian aid," but right now, "there is a connection between the cities."
Hayday also reported 57 people were evacuated on Saturday from the Luhansk region. 

More than a thousand apartments and 11 educational institutions are damaged in Lozova: A Russian missile strike on Lozova in the Kharkiv region on Friday damaged more than a thousand apartments and eleven educational institutions, according to Mayor Serhiy Zelensky in a video statement posted on Telegram Saturday. 

"The figures are shocking: 11 educational institutions, including five schools. There are questions about the amount of damage suffered by a hospital and a clinic. Our Palace of Culture was completely destroyed too," said Zelensky. 

More than 1,000 educational institutions destroyed by Russian Army since the start of the war: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 1,000 educational institutions have been destroyed by the Russian Army since the start of the war.

The figure includes primary schools, universities, kindergartens, and other institutes impacted by Russian shelling since the war began last February.

'The situation in Donbas is extremely difficult,': Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Saturday "the situation in Donbas is extremely difficult," as the Russian army has been escalating the attacks on Slovyansk and Severodonetsk over the past few days.

"The Armed Forces of Ukraine are deterring this offensive. Every day that our defenders take away from these offensive plans of Russia, disrupting them, is a concrete contribution to the approach of the main day. The desired day that we are all looking forward to and fighting for: Victory Day," Zelensky said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Saturday "the situation in Donbas is extremely difficult," as the Russian army has been escalating the attacks on Slovyansk and Severodonetsk over the past few days.

"No Russian strikes; neither by missiles in the Rivne region, nor by artillery in the Kharkiv or Sumy region, nor by all possible weapons in Donbas, will give Russia any result," Zelensky added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 1,000 educational institutions have been destroyed by the Russian Army since the start of the war.

The figure includes primary schools, universities, kindergartens, and other institutes impacted by Russian shelling since the war began last February.

Zelensky said Portugal had offered to help rebuild Ukrainian schools and kindergartens during his meeting with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa in Kyiv.

Zelensky also spoke with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi over the phone on Saturday, during which the president thanked Italy for supporting Ukraine’s path to the European Union. Zelensky said both leaders agreed the sixth package of sanctions against Russia should be “accelerated.”

A Russian missile strike on Lozova in the Kharkiv region on Friday damaged more than a thousand apartments and eleven educational institutions, according to Mayor Serhiy Zelensky in a video statement posted on Telegram Saturday. 

"The figures are shocking: 11 educational institutions, including five schools. There are questions about the amount of damage suffered by a hospital and a clinic. Our Palace of Culture was completely destroyed too," said Zelensky. 
"Among the damaged educational facilities is the Lozova branch of the Kharkiv Automobile and Road College. Educational building number 1, training and production workshops, and a dormitory that are located on the territory of the college suffered damage as well," Mayor Zelensky added.

CNN reported Friday a Russian missile destroyed the House of Culture in Lozova, injuring seven, including an 11-year-old child, according to Ukraine's Office of the President.

Lozova is located roughly 73 kilometers, or 45 miles, southwest of Izium, a Russian-occupied city in the Kharkiv oblast. 

Russians destroyed the bridge between Severodonetsk and Lysychansk in Ukraine's Luhansk region, according to Serhiy Hayday, the head of the regional military administration, in a post on his Telegram page on Saturday.

This is the second time it happened, Hayday added. 

According to Hayday, in July 2014, during the liberation of Lysychansk, militants blew up the span of the bridge during the enemy retreat. Since then, communication between the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk -- both of which have a population of roughly a hundred thousand people -- has been difficult. The bridge was rebuilt in 2016. 

Hayday also reported 57 people were evacuated on Saturday from the Luhansk region. 

"It is very hot in Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Belogorovka right now. The shelling does not stop even for an hour. The Russians use artillery day and night. Every life of the 57 rescued from these settlements is important to us today. They are safe and secure," Hayday said. 

Earlier on Saturday, CNN reported at least six people had been killed in Russian attacks in the city of Severodonetsk in Ukraine's Luhansk region. 

Russia published its updated "stop list" on Saturday, banning a total of 963 American officials and figures from entering the country.

The updated list included the majority of US senators and members of the House of Representatives, former and current government officials, journalists, military personnel, advocates, citizens, CEOs — and even a few deceased individuals.

Longtime Arizona. Sen. John McCain and Defense Intelligence Agency Deputy Director Melissa Drisko, who both died in 2018, were included on the list.

Russia also targeted Hollywood, with actor Morgan Freeman and actor/filmmaker Rob Reiner making the list. In 2017, Reiner was involved in promoting the group The Committee to Investigate Russia, and Freeman was featured in a video on the site.

Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State under President Donald Trump, was also listed. He previously spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin about its election interference in US elections.

The growing list also includes several CNN contributors, though listed for their former duties, not a CNN association. They are David Axelrod, John Kasich, Wesley Clark, James Clapper, and Susan Glasser.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, International Security Editor, was also listed on the "stop list." Walsh is a British citizen.

In a separate announcement on Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry also announced the names of 26 Canadians barred from entering the country, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau.