Kherson shelling and the regional picture on 17 May 2023

What did the war look like across Ukraine's regions on 17 May 2023? Reports from that day and the days before it pointed to pressure on several fronts at once, from the south to the east and the west.

In the south, Russian forces shelled Ukrainian-held areas of Kherson Oblast on 17 May 2023. At least five civilians were killed, including a child, and 17 others were reportedly injured. The shelling fell on populated areas, and the casualty figures were the clearest measure of its effect on the region that day.

Strikes beyond the front line

The danger was not confined to the front. On 13 May 2023, Russia launched cruise missiles at Ternopil in Western Ukraine, injuring two civilians. The attack was part of the wider Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, and it showed that a city far from the fighting could still be targeted.

The same day, reports said two Russian Mi-8 helicopters and two fighter jets, an Su-34 and an Su-35, were shot down in Bryansk Oblast, on the Russian side of the border. The reports described the losses as reported rather than confirmed in detail.

The east: Bakhmut

In Donetsk Oblast, the fight for Bakhmut remained at the centre of attention. On 11 May 2023, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin confirmed that Ukrainian troops had recaptured parts of the city from his forces. The battle was later regarded by some military analysts as the bloodiest since World War II.

What the picture shows

Taken together, these reports show a war that touched the regions unevenly but widely. Frontline oblasts such as Kherson and Donetsk faced direct shelling and ground combat. Western Ukraine faced missile attack. The border region of Bryansk was reported to have seen Russian aircraft losses. For residents and local authorities, the practical consequence was that no part of the country could be treated as entirely removed from the fighting.