According to Russian military officials, Russian troops destroyed two battalions of Ukrainian armored vehicles poised to conduct an offensive.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD), the incident occurred near the village of Vishnevoe in the Zaporizhia Oblast region of southeast Ukraine.

According to the Russian military, on May 14, 2022, Russian troops in the Zaporizhzhia region thwarted a counterattack effort by Ukrainian armed units.

According to the Ministry of Defense, Russian troops destroyed two mechanized battalions of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles using artillery fire, drones, and incoming tank and armored vehicle fire.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the operation damaged 26 Ukrainian tanks and 12 infantry fighting vehicles and killed over 100 men.

The Russian military further claimed that the attack was carried out with the assistance of reconnaissance drones.

The Kremlin refers to Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 as a "special military operation." The 84th day of the campaign is on May 19.

According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the total number of Russian combat casualties between February 24 and May 18 was around 28,300 people.

Between February 24 and May 18, 2022, the enemy lost 1,235 tanks (+16 on the previous day), 3,009 armored fighting vehicles (+34), 586 artillery systems (+8), 199 multiple launch rocket systems (+1), 91 anti-aircraft warfare systems (+1), 202 aircraft (+1), 167 helicopters (+0), 2,137 motor vehicles and fuel tanks (+28), 13 boats/cutters (+0), 441 uncrewed aerial vehicles (+5), and 43 special equipment units (+0). A total of 102 (+5) hostile cruise missiles were destroyed.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reports that 959 Ukrainian fighters from the Azovstal metallurgical complex had been transferred to territory under Russian control since Monday, May 16.

According to Moscow, Kyiv demands a prisoner exchange for the evacuated forces, and they will be handled according to international standards.

The departure looks to signify the surrender of the important port city of Mariupol, completing Russia's land bridge to Crimea and granting Moscow control over the Sea of Azov.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Thursday that he will deny Finland and Sweden's applications to join NATO, accusing them of hosting Kurdish militants he considers "terrorists."