Russian Chief of Staff: 85% of the strategic town of Horlivka in Donetsk has been controlled by the Russian side.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on May 16 that the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia and the First Deputy Minister of Defense, Gerasimov, inspected the "Western" group army and stated in his speech that 85% of the area in Donetsk region has been controlled by the Russian military, with urban warfare still ongoing. He mentioned that the Russian "Western" group army is launching an offensive within a responsibility area of about 350 kilometers, and after fully controlling the Lugansk region, they will advance towards the direction of Kharkiv oblast. There has been no response from the Ukrainian side at the moment.