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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 20, 2024

2024-05-21

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title. [Korrespondent] 22:15 The defense forces maintain control along the entire front line, including in the Donetsk directions and in the Kharkiv region, Zelensky said in an evening video message. According to him, Russian troops are actively using guided bombs: “This again and again returns to the need for air defense - for additional defense systems that could significantly reduce the difficulties for our soldiers and the threat to our cities and communities. And this also concerns the preparation of the transition Our Air Force for new combat aircraft. Unfortunately, the free world still lacks efficiency in these two tasks. But we still have promising work with several partners and are doing everything so that the day comes as soon as possible when we can add strength. "patriots" to our eastern regions, our cities, such as Khar'kov, Sumy and others." 21:58 The Netherlands will transfer YPR-765 armored vehicles to Ukraine, the country’s Ministry of Defense reported. These vehicles provide fire support in battle, they evacuate wounded military personnel and deliver ammunition to the front. The number of armored vehicles has not been disclosed. Previously, the Netherlands had already supplied 207 YPR armored vehicles of various types to Ukraine. 21:13 The Russian army attacked Belozerka, Kherson region, two people were wounded, the OVA reported. 20:46 Russia purchased from the DPRK more than 11 thousand containers of weapons for use in the war against Ukraine, said US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Robert Wood. He emphasized that the Russian Federation would not have been able to continue its war in Ukraine without external support from the DPRK, Iran and China. Wood also added that the United States will supply Ukraine with everything it needs until the Russian Federation withdraws its troops. 20:40 Western countries are extremely slow in making decisions on military assistance to Ukraine, which complicates the situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Zelensky said in an interview with Reuters: “All the decisions that we, and then everyone else together, come to are about a year late.” So, according to him, the supply of air defense systems like Patriot is “one big step forward, and before that - two steps back.” The president also explained that Ukraine is striking at Russian energy facilities “because it leaves us without energy.” At the same time, the head of state assured that Ukraine has never used Western weapons to strike Russia, since “we were not given the green light.” 20:37 Zelensky will continue to remain the President of Ukraine for the UN, despite the fact that his term of office is expiring, said the Speaker of the Secretary General Stephane Dujarric: “President Zelensky remains for us the head of state of Ukraine and the person with whom the Secretary General communicates when he needs to contact with the Ukrainian leader." 20:34 The United States opposes expanding the geography of the use of American weapons transferred to Ukraine, Pentagon head Lloyd Austin said after a meeting in the Ramstein format. He also said that Washington does not plan to send military instructors to Ukraine. 20:31 Lithuania is ready to return its military instructors to Ukraine as part of a coalition that could be led by France, said the country’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis: “We could again send instructors to Ukraine - those who were already present there. Lithuania is ready to join coalition to train the Ukrainian military, led, for example, by France." At the same time, he added that Europe “should not count” on Beijing’s assistance in resolving the war in Ukraine on Kyiv’s terms. “Nothing is done for free; China will always demand something in return,” the minister noted. 20:28 In Ukraine there was not a single fact of the use of nuclear materials for purposes other than their intended purpose, said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi: “When allegations of violations of nuclear safety arose, the IAEA conducted an impartial and scientifically based investigation. We established the facts that there was no use of nuclear material for other purposes, thereby dispelling the fog of war and defusing the tense situation." 19:52 The second batch of Leopard battle tanks from Spain will arrive in Ukraine at the end of June, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said. According to her, they will also come with various types of ammunition - 155-mm artillery, anti-aircraft missiles for Patriot, anti-drone systems, optical-electronic surveillance and tracking systems, etc. 19:39 On Tuesday, May 21, from 00:00 and throughout the day throughout Ukraine, hourly shutdown schedules will apply to industrial and household consumers, Ukrenergo reported. Schedules can be applied when certain consumption limits are exceeded. 18:44 The front line in the north of the Khar'kov region has been stabilized, fighting continues in Volchansk itself - the confrontation goes on almost every street, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. At the same time, he added that the Russian plan to quickly capture the north of the Khar'kov region failed. 17:58 Factories in Ukraine are forced to hire women due to staff shortages, writes the Financial Times. Thus, at one of the metallurgical plants in Krivoy Rog, managers say that hiring more women is a matter of survival for the enterprise. Of the 18,000 men who worked for the company at the start of the war, about 3,500 men were mobilized, and many more are likely to be mobilized this year. If previously women worked mainly in administrative positions, now they take on more difficult physical functions. 17:12 The Austrian Ministry of Climate Protection announced that it will allocate 5 million euros to Ukraine for the restoration of energy infrastructure. 16:40 Countries participating in the Ramstein format have allocated $95 billion in military support to Ukraine since February 2022, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said. 16:14 The coming weeks and months will be decisive for Ukraine, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said at the opening of the next meeting in the Ramstein format. According to him, now is the moment of challenge, when Russian troops have gone on the offensive and will try to create a buffer zone along the border in the Khar'kov region. 15:31 The Russians shelled the front-line Stepnogorsk, Zaporozhye region - one person was killed, said the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov. 14:53 India will be represented at the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. 14:37 Ukraine realizes that the war with Russia will end in negotiations, said NSDC Secretary Alexander Litvinenko in a video message to participants of the Baltic Sea Region Forum. According to him, Zelensky’s peace formula is being promoted precisely for this purpose. Litvinenko stressed that Ukraine does not need a truce, but a stable peace for decades, and for this we need security guarantees, and “real guarantees are NATO membership.” Litvinenko also said that the situation at the front is difficult, but “not catastrophic.” 14:19 290 foreign components were found in the North Korean ballistic missile with which Russia attacked Ukraine, said Alexander Ruvin, director of the Kiev Forensic Research Institute: “In only one object identified as a sample of the North Korean ballistic missile, 290 foreign-made microelectronics components were found. The vast majority of the elements provide rocket navigation; they are produced by more than 25 companies with headquarters in the USA, China, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan, etc. 13:24 The number of people killed as a result of a Russian strike on a recreation center in the village. Cherkasskaya Lozovaya, Khar'kov district, has grown to seven - today, while examining the bottom of the reservoir, divers discovered the body of a man, the State Emergency Service reported. Also, 28 people were injured as a result of the strike. 12:50 The Armed Forces of Ukraine control 60% of Volchansk, said Roman Semenukha, deputy chairman of the Khar'kov OVA: “The enemy does not abandon attempts inside Volchansk to push the Armed Forces of Ukraine out of the city. The city is approximately 60% controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, that is, the assaults do not stop.” 12:37 Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that some states have already sent their instructors to Ukraine to train the Ukrainian military. She stressed that NATO allies should not fear that sending troops to Ukraine to train its soldiers could drag the Alliance into a war with Russia. According to Kallas, if Russian troops attacked NATO training personnel in Ukraine, it would not automatically trigger Article 5: “I can’t imagine that if anyone got hurt there, those who sent their people, they will say: this is Article 5, let’s bomb Russia. This is not how it works. This does not happen automatically. Therefore, these fears have no basis.” 12:09 Since May 18, 260 thousand men have updated their data in the Reserve+ application, said Dmitry Lazutkin, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense. According to him, now men abroad can also update their data, which was impossible on the first day of the application’s launch. Within a month, an update is planned in the Reserve+ application, after which it will display a special code similar to the one that should be in a military registration document. This code will be valid for verification by employees of the TCC and SP, police, and State Border Guard Service. 11:58 The Russians attacked one of the enterprises in the Dnieper district of Kherson - one person was killed, one was wounded, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin. 11:17 In the village of Novoandreevka, Zaporozhye region, the Russians dropped ammunition from a drone on rescuers who were putting out a fire in a house after the shelling. One of the rescuers was injured, the State Emergency Service reported. 10:36 During a drone attack on the night of May 19, at least three UAVs were not shot down and hit the territory of a military airfield in the village of Kushchevskaya, Krasnodar Territory, reports the opposition Russian publication Astra, citing sources in the region’s emergency services. As a result of the attack, a fire broke out and the Russian SU-27 supersonic fighter and airfield infrastructure were damaged. 10:20 Russian public pages write about the Ukrainian attack in the area of ​​the Academy of Internal Affairs in Lugansk, where the Russian military was based. The “governor” of the occupied Zaporozhye region, Yevgeny Balitsky, also announced a massive shelling of Vasylivka. 09:43 In the Kherson region over the past 24 hours, eight people were injured as a result of Russian shelling, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. A high-rise building and 21 private houses, public utilities and agricultural infrastructure were damaged. 09:27 In the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours, three people were wounded as a result of Russian shelling - two in Severny and one in Yekaterinivka, said the head of the OBA Vadim Filashkin. 09:01 The number of victims as a result of yesterday's Russian attack with an Iskander-M missile on a recreation center in the village. Cherkasskaya Lozovaya in the Khar'kov region has grown to 28, six people have died, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. Among the wounded are two ambulance workers. In Volchansk over the past 24 hours, one person was killed and one was wounded as a result of Russian shelling. In the village Two people were killed and five were injured in Novoosinovo, Kupyansky district. In the village Three people were killed and four were injured in Kovsharovka, Kupyansky district. 08:44 In the Zaporozhye region, one person was wounded as a result of an enemy attack in the Pologovsky district, said the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov. 08:32 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of May 20: personnel - about 493,690 (+1400) people, tanks - 7590 (+14), armored combat vehicles - 14,665 (+35), artillery systems - 12,737 (+50), MLRS - 1076 (+2), air defense systems - 807 (+4), aircraft - 354 (+0), helicopters - 326 (+0), UAV of operational-tactical level - 10 236 (+81), cruise missiles - 2205 (+1), ships/boats - 27 (+1), submarines - 1 (+0), automotive equipment and tank trucks - 17,311 (+60), special equipment - 2079 (+2). 08:07 Air defense at night destroyed all 29 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type, which Russia attacked from Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Kursk, the Air Force reported. Drones were destroyed in Odessa, Nikolaev, Poltava and Lvov regions. In addition, at night the Russians attacked the Khar'kov region with an Iskander-M ballistic missile. 07:48 In the Nikolaevsky district in the morning, debris from a downed Shahed-type UAV damaged a private home, one person was injured, said the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim. 05:55 The “most promising” idea for Ukraine is for the G7 countries to provide it with a loan, which will be secured by income and interest from frozen Russian assets in Europe, said US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Along with the announced option for using $300 billion of frozen Russian assets, several more remain under consideration. G7 finance ministers will meet in Italy this week with the intention of finalizing a plan that they can convey to heads of state before the group's leaders meet next month, The New York Times writes.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian perspective: New front. The situation in the Kharkov region

2024-05-14

Direct Translation via Googlew Translate. Edited. [Korrespondent] In the Kharkov direction, the Ukrainian defense forces inflicted a fiery defeat on the Russians, pushed them back and are clearing them on the northern outskirts of the village of Volchansk. Russian troops are advancing in the Kharkov region on two directions and have captured several villages near the border. The priority goal is an attack on Volchansk and an attempt to surround the city. The General Staff reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces inflicted a fiery defeat on the Russians, pushed them back and are carrying out a clean-up operation on the northern outskirts of Volchansk. At the same time, Ukrainian society is actively discussing the construction of fortifications in the Kharkov region and whether the authorities were ready for a new attack, which the military and intelligence warned about. STRETCH THE DEFENSE Russian occupiers in the Kharkov region are attacking in small groups in new directions, trying to stretch the defense of the Ukrainian military, says Oleg Sinegubov, chairman of the Kharkov OVA. According to information from the General Staff, battles are underway for Volchansk. The Russians attracted significant forces to attack the city - up to 5 battalions - and do not take into account their own losses. The Russian invaders lost more than 100 soldiers per day in this direction alone. There are also battles to the north of Kharkov - in the directions Pylnaya - Lukyantsy, Pylnaya - Glubokoe, Pylnaya - Oleynikovo, Murom - Bugrovatka. In addition, the Russians are carrying out assault operations in the directions Strelechya - Glubokoe, Oleynikovo - Glubokoe, Oleynikovo - Lukyantsy, Murom - Staritsa, Pletenevka - Tikhoe. WHAT ABOUT THE FORTIFICATIONS? Fortifications were built in Volchansk, but constant Russian shelling made it difficult to build them, Tamaz Gambarashvili, head of the Volchanskaya GVA, told Radio Liberty. Answering a question about how they prepared for the offensive of the Russian occupiers, the head of the GVA assured that “everything was built, but perhaps not so tightly.” “After de-occupation, Volchansk has been under constant fire for a year and a half. And mortars and artillery. Therefore, I repeat once again: from Volchansk to the border is four km. It was extremely difficult to build fortifications,” he emphasized. The head of the administration of the State Special Transport Service of the Ministry of Defense, Alexander Yakovets, said that the most equipped fortifications, which include reinforced concrete structures and premises for shelter and accommodation of military personnel, are located at a distance of 17-35 km from the front line. Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the battalion of attack unmanned aerial systems ACHILLES of the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade named after Koshevoy Ataman Ivan Sirko, was the first to draw attention to the unsatisfactory condition of fortifications in the Kharkov region. “If we analyze how the enemy strengthened its combat positions and occupied territories, we saw these satellite images where just hectares and kilometers were dug up - defense lines, fortifications, dragons’ teeth; anti-tank, anti-personnel mining; first line of defense, second, third. Was the preparation of the combat positions of the Defense Forces completely mirrored? In my opinion, no. But it cannot be said that no work was carried out and everyone did not feel that this threat could exist. The defensive lines were prepared. The near future will show how efficiently and effectively this was done,” Fedorenko said. According to him, the Russians are now trying to test the Ukrainian line of defense, understand where there are weak areas, “to increase their presence as much as possible so that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are forced to maintain a serious group of forces and equipment here.” GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS The opening of a new front in the north of the country is depleting Ukraine's already limited resources. Due to delays in the delivery of American military aid, Ukrainian troops are running short of ammunition. On average, for every 10 shells fired by the Russians, Ukraine could respond with one. Thanks to renewed US support, this problem is gradually being resolved. But the offensive near Kharkov also reveals problems that Ukraine itself has been too slow to resolve: mobilizing enough military personnel and building adequate lines of defense. Reinforcements sent to Kharkov have to be redeployed from other sectors of the front and from limited reserves. Ukrainian officials still insist that Kharkov itself is not threatened by a ground invasion. But the further Russian troops advance, the more likely it is that the city will be within range of Russian artillery. More from korrespondent.net Russian offensive in the Kharkov region: number of Russians declines In the Kharkov region, fighting continues in border areas At first there were about 50,000 Russian military personnel on the border. Currently, more than 30,000 of them are involved in the offensive. More than 30,000 Russian troops are advancing in the north of the Kharkov region. This was announced by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexander Litvinenko, reports Le Figaro. According to him, initially about 50,000 Russian military personnel were concentrated on the northeastern border. A significant part of them are already advancing on Ukrainian territories. Litvinenko noted that we are talking about more than 30 thousand occupiers. According to all reports, Ukrainian soldiers are ready to repel attacks; heavy fighting continues now, the NSDC secretary added. Let us recall that on May 10, the Russians launched an offensive in the north of the Kharkov region. They captured several villages in the "gray zone". Now there are battles for the border town of Volchansk. President Vladimir Zelensky announced the strengthening of the Defense Forces in the Volchansk region of the Kharkov region and other border areas. More from lb.ua General Staff: in the Kharkiv direction, the Defense Forces pushed back the enemy from the northern outskirts of Vovchansk, clearing the territory continues In the Donetsk direction, units of the Defense Forces shot down an enemy Su-25. by Ivanna Kapustyanska According to the General Staff, as of 17:00 on May 13, the situation along the entire front line is controlled by the Defense Forces. Ukrainian soldiers inflict losses on the enemy, restore positions and have tactical successes in some areas. This is stated in the operational summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Fighting continues in the Kharkiv direction as of 5 p.m. The number of combat clashes increased to 12. Our units inflicted fire damage on the enemy, pushed him back and are carrying out clearing operations on the northern outskirts of the settlement of Vovchansk. A combat clash has begun in the area of ​​the village of Staritsa. The total losses of the enemy are 106 people, 25 units of weapons and military equipment. In the Lymansky direction, the number of combat clashes increased to seven, in the Siversky direction - to 14, in the Kramatorsk direction - to 31, in the Pokrovsky direction - to 31. In Toretsk, Kupyansk, Kurakhivsk, Vremivsk, Gulyaipilsk, Orihivsk, Prydniprovsk the situation has not changed, it is controlled by Ukrainian units. In Donetsk region, units of the Defense Forces shot down an enemy Su-25. All attempts by the Russian occupiers to advance are met with fierce resistance by the Ukrainian defenders. Earlier, the General Staff reported that the enemy had partial success in the area of ​​Lukyantsi in the Kharkiv direction. The defense forces have stopped the advance of the enemy and are carrying out counterattack actions.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ministry of Internal Affairs put commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Alexander Pavlyuk on a wanted list

2024-05-05

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Anymore, war can be considered lawyer busy work. [Regnum] The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has put the commander of the Ukrainian Army Ground Forces, Alexander Pavlyuk, on the wanted list. The corresponding data appeared in the department’s database on May 4. “Pavlyuk Alexander Alekseevich. Date of birth: 08/20/1970. Wanted under an article of the Criminal Code,” the wanted card says. It is not specified under what specific article the search is being conducted. Pavlyuk became commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces in February 2024, after his predecessor in this post, Alexander Syrsky, was appointed commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army. Prior to this, Pavlyuk was Deputy Minister of Defense. As IA Regnum previously reported, on May 4, the Ministry of Internal Affairs put the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, on the wanted list. The ministry noted that he was wanted under an article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, but did not specify which one. On May 2, the Ministry of Internal Affairs put several Ukrainian politicians on the wanted list, including the former Minister of Justice of Ukraine Pavel Petrenko and the ex-head of the SBU Valentin Nalyvaichenko (listed by Rosfinmonitoring as terrorists and extremists). More from regnum.ru Ministry of Internal Affairs has put the former President of Ukraine Poroshenko on the wanted list The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has put the former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on the wanted lis. The corresponding data appeared in the department’s database on May 4. “Pyotr Alekseevich Poroshenko, 09/26/1965. Wanted under an article of the Criminal Code,” the wanted card says. The database also contains information about the defendant’s place of birth - the city of Bolgrad in the Odessa region. The article under which Poroshenko is wanted was not indicated. Poroshenko became president of Ukraine after the coup in Kiev in 2014 and the overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych as head of state. In 2015, he made an odious statement that in Kyiv children would go to schools and kindergartens, but in Donbass they would “sit in basements.” Poroshenko served as President of Ukraine until 2019, when he lost the election to Vladimir Zelensky. As IA Regnum previously reported, on May 4, the Ministry of Internal Affairs put the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, on the wanted list. The ministry noted that he was wanted under an article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, but did not specify which one. In addition, on May 2, several Ukrainian politicians were put on the wanted list, including the former Minister of Justice of Ukraine Pavel Petrenko and the ex-head of the SBU Valentin Nalyvaichenko (listed by Rosfinmonitoring as terrorists and extremists). Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexander Litvinenko, ex-Minister of Finance of Ukraine Alexander Shlapak and ex-head of the Ukrainian National Bank Stepan Kubiv were put on the wanted list on May 3. Even more from regnum.ru The Ministry of Internal Affairs has put the former acting chief on the wanted list. O. Head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Mikhail Koval. The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has put the former acting commander on the wanted list. O. Head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Mikhail Koval. The relevant data was published in the department’s database on May 4. The wanted card states that Koval was born in the city of Izyaslav in the Khmelnitsky region on February 26, 1956. The ministry announced that it was looking for him under an article of the Criminal Code. There are no other details in the database. Koval headed the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine from March 25 to July 3, 2014. He also served as Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. In military service, Koval rose to the rank of colonel general. As Regnum reported, on May 4, the Ministry of Internal Affairs put the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, on the wanted list. Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin suggested that the department made this decision because the Ukrainian leader heads the junta responsible for crimes against Russians and Ukrainians in the Donbass and new Russian territories. In addition, on May 4, the ministry put the ex-President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Alexander Pavlyuk on the wanted list.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

General Shapovalov became the new commander of the operational command 'South' of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

2024-04-17

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] Brigadier General Gennady Shapovalov was appointed commander of the Operational Command “South” of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The command announced this on April 16 on social networks. The new commander was introduced to the personnel by the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Pavlyuk. Previously, this post was held by Andrey Kovalchuk. Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexei Goncharenko (listed in Russia as a terrorist and extremist) announced his dismissal from his position on his Telegram channel. The parliamentarian wrote that the commander of the operational command “West”, Sergei Litvinov, was also fired. At the same time, Goncharenko expressed the opinion that these are “not the last changes.” According to official information from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Shapovalov was born in 1978 in the Kirovograd region. In 2000, he graduated from the Institute of Tank Forces of the Kharkov State Polytechnic University, and also in 2012 from the Command and Staff Institute for the Use of NBU Forces. In addition, Shapovalov studied at the US Army War College. Previously, he commanded a separate motorized infantry brigade named after. Yakov Handzyuk. In March 2022, he was promoted to brigadier general. As Regnum reported, Goncharenko announced the dismissal of Sergei Litvinov and Andrei Kovalchuk from their posts as commanders of the operational commands of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “West” and “South” on April 9, but there was no official confirmation then. On March 26, the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, signed a decree dismissing Alexey Danilov from the post of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC). By another decree, he appointed Alexander Litvinenko, who previously held the position of head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, to this post. Later that day, Zelensky called Danilov’s dismissal a continuation of the reboot of the control system. In February 2024, Zelensky dismissed Valery Zaluzhny from the post of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and appointed Alexander Syrsky to this position. He explained this decision by military failures during the widely announced counter-offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: March 26, 2024

2024-03-27

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title. [Korrespondent] 22:40 Slovenia has joined the Czech initiative to search and purchase artillery ammunition for Ukraine, said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. Slovenian media write that the country could allocate 1 million euros for these needs, but the amount was not officially announced. 22:27 The UN released its 38th report on the human rights situation in Ukraine. Experts interviewed 60 Ukrainian soldiers who were recently released from captivity and found that most of them were subjected to sexual violence. They also said that the Russian military and officials torture prisoners, in particular, they use beatings, electric shock, force them to remain in an uncomfortable position for a long time, threaten or imitate execution. In addition, the mission documented credible reports of the execution of at least 32 Ukrainian prisoners of war between December 1, 2023 and February 29, 2024. Experts noted that this is more than in previous periods. 21:15 The reboot of power, especially the security bloc, announced by Zelensky, continues. The President dismissed Alexei Danilov from the post of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, his position was taken by Alexander Litvinenko, who previously headed the Foreign Intelligence Service. About what Danilov is remembered for, and about his successor, see the material Rebooting Power Continues. 20:31 Zelensky said that he met in Kiev with a delegation of the Estonian Parliament led by Speaker Lauri Hussar. We discussed further assistance to Ukraine from Estonia and other partners, progress in preparing a bilateral security agreement, and the use of Russian frozen assets in favor of Ukraine. 19:59 France will soon be able to supply Ukraine with 78 Caesar self-propelled howitzers, Defense Minister Sebatien Lecornu said. In addition, according to him, Paris intends to transfer 80 thousand shells for 155 mm guns to Kyiv this year. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, 30 thousand of these shells have been handed over. 19:28 Zelensky said in an evening video message that Danilov’s dismissal from the post of NSDC secretary took place as part of a “reboot of the management system”, and he will be transferred “to another direction.” According to the president, his successor, Alexander Litvinenko, “will combine his experience in leading the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine with the tasks facing the National Security and Defense Council.” 18:43 This afternoon the Russians hit Kharkov with an X-35u missile, which hit a sports college dormitory. The roof and the ceiling between the upper floors were destroyed, one person was injured, said Sergei Bolvinov, head of the Investigation Department of the State Administration for Police in the Kharkov region. 18:40 In Mariupol, the Russians used excavators to destroy the ancient historical landmark Ded Kurgan, dating back to the 5th millennium BC. Its modern height reached 6 m, diameter - 70 m. The prosecutor's office stated that such actions are a violation of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property and the Provisions of the IV Convention on the Laws and Customs of War on Land. 18:33 The North Atlantic Alliance is considering the possibility of shooting down Russian missiles, in particular over the western regions of Ukraine. About whether the members of the alliance will dare to make such a decision - in the material NATO can protect Ukraine from missiles . 18:27 Macron began a three-day visit to Brazil, where the main issue on his agenda will be an attempt to convince Brazilian President Lula da Silva to take a more pro-Ukrainian position on the war, Bloomberg writes, citing French officials. They said the French leader views Brazil as a key player among the group of countries from the Global South, especially given its rotating presidency of the G20. 17:51 Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said that within the framework of the Prague initiative, Ukraine could potentially receive 1.5 million shells. However, he could not say how long deliveries to the front line would take. 17:30 According to preliminary estimates, the damage to the environment from a missile attack on the Dnieper hydroelectric power station is about 140 million hryvnia, said Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strelets. 17:18 Director of the FSB of the Russian Federation Alexander Bortnikov said that the primary data received from those detained in the case of the terrorist attack in Crocus “confirms the Ukrainian trace.” Meanwhile, Lukashenko said that the terrorists allegedly wanted to flee to Belarus first: “Due to the combat situation itself, we brought our units into action. Therefore, they could not enter Belarus in any way. They saw this. Therefore, they turned away and went to the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border.” . The President of Belarus noted that he “has suspicions” about the terrorists’ curators. 16:29 Since the beginning of the month, Kharkov has been under massive shelling. At the same time, Russian opposition media, citing sources in the Kremlin, claim that Putin has a plan to re-attack the city. This is partially confirmed by Ukrainian officials. What is known about the situation is in the material Where the Russian Federation is preparing a second offensive . 16:02 The Cabinet of Ministers appointed Artur Dobroserdov to the position of Commissioner for Issues of Missing Persons under Special Circumstances. 15:48 Zelensky, by his decrees, dismissed Alexey Danilov from the post of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and appointed in his place the former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Alexander Litvinenko. The president appointed Oleg Ivashchenko , the former deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, as head of the SVR. 15:27 Hungarian law enforcement officers will help the Ukrainian police conduct DNA research to identify those killed during the war. Such an agreement was reached during a meeting of the head of the National Police of Ukraine Ivan Vyhovsky with his Hungarian colleague Janos Balog. 15:20 Czech volunteers from the Gift for Putin initiative donated 1000 RPG-75M anti-tank grenade launchers for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They reported that they collected more than 900 thousand euros. 14:59 As a result of yesterday's rocket attack in Odessa, ten people were injured, seven remain in hospitals, said Oleg Kiper, head of the OBA. As a result of the strikes, about 300 apartments were damaged and several buildings were destroyed. The Sports Palace also suffered significant damage. 14:28 In the Khortytsia group, a lieutenant colonel from Volyn, who worked for the FSB, was detained, said the head of the SBU Vasily Malyuk. According to him, Syrsky, who at that time led this group, helped identify him. At the same time, the detainee refused the FSB salary and worked “for the idea.” 14:12 In the village of Odradokamenka, Kherson region, the Russians hit a bus carrying humanitarian aid with two FPV drones. The vehicle and cargo were destroyed, no people were injured, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. 14:09 Shoigu called “complete stupidity” rumors about a new mobilization in the Russian Federation for an offensive in the Kharkov region and the creation of a “sanitary zone” near the borders of the Belgorod region. A number of opposition Russian publications wrote about Russia’s possible attack on Kharkov and the impending mobilization. 14:04 The head of the FSB of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bortnikov, said that the terrorist attack in the Moscow region “was prepared by Islamist radicals, and the Ukrainian special services contributed to everything.” According to him, Ukraine allegedly trained militants in the countries of the Middle East. At the same time, Bortnikov added that Moscow “preliminarily received information about Kyiv’s involvement in the terrorist attack in the Moscow region,” but the mastermind of the terrorist attack has not yet been identified. Bortnikov claims that the militants allegedly intended to get from Russia to Ukraine, where they were “waited for” and “wanted to be greeted as heroes.” The head of the FSB said that the SBU should be recognized as a “terrorist organization,” and the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov, is “a legitimate target for the Russian Armed Forces, like everyone who commits crimes against Russia.” 14:00 At night, the Russians shelled Novogrodovka, Donetsk region - one person was killed, one was wounded, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin. The missiles destroyed the administrative building and hangar, damaged a dormitory, two private houses and two non-residential premises. 13:51 Russia supplies North Korea with oil in exchange for weapons, writes the Financial Times. According to the newspaper, direct oil supplies began in March of this year. In exchange for this, Moscow receives shells and missiles, which it uses to bombard Ukraine. 13:43 Russia is holding more than 10 thousand Ukrainians on its territory and in the occupied territories of Ukraine, Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. “There are different figures. We estimate tens of thousands, more than 10 thousand for sure,” he noted. At the same time, Kostin clarified that we are talking only about those who were forcibly resettled, and not about those who made such a decision at their own discretion. The Prosecutor General also said that in criminal proceedings alone, 5,600 Ukrainians have been identified as victims of torture, but the real numbers could be much higher, since there is no reliable information from the occupied territories. 13:07 The Russians hit civilian housing infrastructure in the Shevchenkovsky district of Kharkov, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. A non-residential building was damaged, and windows in a neighboring high-rise building were blown out. There were no wounded or dead. 12:59 Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, answering the question of who was behind the terrorist attack in Crocus near Moscow - ISIS or Ukraine, said: “Of course, Ukraine.” 12:48 Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez said that neither the EU, nor NATO, nor his country are preparing for any war, despite the threat from the Russian Federation and its unleashed war against Ukraine. 12:09 Kuleba said in an interview with Politico that he receives “irritated responses” from Germany every time he calls for giving Ukraine a Taurus: “Listen, I’m tired of answering this question. Sorry. You can quote me, I don’t mind. But every time, "When I answer this question, I get irritated responses from Berlin. Leave it to them. They got themselves into this situation. Let them look for a way out." The minister also called on the West to give Ukraine “these damn Patriots” to defend against Russian missile attacks. 11:24 NATO is considering the option of shooting down Russian missiles when they fly towards the territory of the Alliance, said Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna: “NATO is analyzing different concepts, in particular, that such missiles should be shot down when they are already very close to the border "NATO. But this would have to happen with the consent of the Ukrainian side and taking into account international consequences. Then NATO missiles would hit Russian missiles outside the territory of the Treaty." 10:58 Kiev did not ask that NATO troops be deployed on the territory of Ukraine, but the West needs to come to terms with the fact that “this day may come,” Kuleba said: “I understand perfectly well that Europeans are not accustomed to the idea of ​​war. But this is carelessness, "which Europeans simply cannot afford - neither for themselves nor for their children. Ukraine can win. But if Ukraine loses, Putin will not stop." 10:47 The southern defense forces reported that the Zircon missile, which the Russians used to hit Kiev the day before, has an average speed of 9,000 km/h. and even more. So, Zircon flies in one minute to Odessa, Kherson and Nikolaev, in two and a half minutes - to Zaporozhye and Dnepr, in three minutes - to Kropyvnytskyi. 10:42 The Navy clarified that the large landing ship Konstantin Olshansky was hit on March 24 during a missile attack on Sevastopol. At the same time, the landing ships Yamal and Azov and the reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs were hit. 10:20 The difficult situation with electricity supply after the Russian attacks remains in Kharkov, Odessa, Krivoy Rog and the Nikolaev region. But there is no threat of negative consequences for the energy supply throughout Ukraine, said the head of Ukrenergo Vladimir Kudrytsky. According to him, in Odessa it was possible to stabilize the situation in the energy system and return to the schedule of planned outages. The worst situation is in Kharkov, where the enemy tried to destroy almost all main-level objects using ballistics. 09:54 EU High Representative Josep Borrell called on the United States to unblock aid to Ukraine, since this is in the interests of the entire West: “We cannot allow Russia to win this war. Otherwise, the interests of the United States and Europe will suffer greatly. It’s not just about generosity. It’s not about supporting Ukraine "because we love the Ukrainians. It's in our own interests. And it's also in the interests of the United States as a global player - which wants to be seen as a responsible partner for the security of its allies. So we urge the United States to release and approve additional assistance." 09:11 The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the ship Konstantin Olshansky with a Neptune missile, said Naval Forces spokesman Dmitry Pletenchuk. According to him, the damage is being clarified, but the ship is not in combat readiness. This landing ship belonged to Ukraine before the occupation of Crimea. It stood in the bay for nine years, and over the past year the Russians have restored it. Pletenchuk also confirmed that Ukraine, during a missile attack on Sevastopol on March 23, damaged the ship Ivan Khurs, which received damage to its stern equipment. 08:58 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 26: personnel - about 438,160 (+770) people, tanks - 6893 (+6), armored combat vehicles - 13,207 (+24), artillery systems - 10 904 (+27), MLRS - 1019 (+1), air defense systems - 727 (+1), aircraft - 347 (+0), helicopters - 325 (+0), UAV of operational-tactical level - 8553 (+14), cruise missiles - 2014 (+4), ships/boats - 26 (+0), submarines - 1 (+0), automotive equipment and tank trucks - 14,498 (+44), special equipment - 1789 (+4). 08:26 At night, the Russians attacked Kharkov with drones. The building of a private enterprise was damaged, but no people were injured, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. 08:07 Over the past 24 hours, 57 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in a cancer report . In particular, the enemy tried 22 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - near the settlement of Novomikhailovka, Donetsk region. Another 15 enemy attacks were repulsed in the Liman direction - in the areas of Belogorovka, Lugansk region, as well as Ternov, Yampolevka, Razdolovka and north of Vesely, Donetsk region. In the Kupyansky direction, the Defense Forces repelled one enemy attack in the Ivanovka area of ​​the Kharkov region; on Bakhmutskoye - four attacks in the Kleshcheevka area of ​​the Donetsk region; in Avdeevsky - four attacks in the Berdychi and Pervomaisky districts of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - four attacks in the areas of Staromayorskoye, Donetsk region, as well as southwest of Belogorye and northwest of Verbovoye, Zaporozhye region. The enemy did not conduct offensive operations in the Kherson direction. 07:42 In the morning, the Russians shelled Nikopol, Dnepropetrovsk region, with artillery - nine private houses were damaged, one person was injured, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak. 07:39 Air defense at night destroyed all 12 Shahed-type attack UAVs, which Russia attacked from the Crimean Cape Chauda and from the Kursk region. The drones were destroyed in the Nikolaev and Kharkov regions, the Air Force reported. In addition, the Russians fired two S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles in the direction of the Donetsk region. 06:18 Governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov said that as a result of the night attack, destruction of infrastructure was recorded. According to him, on approaching Belgorod, air defense forces allegedly shot down 13 air targets. In the village of Dubovoe, two people were injured.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Zelensky fires his Secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine

2024-03-27

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] The head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, dismissed Alexey Danilov from the post of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine. The corresponding decree was published on March 26 on Zelensky’s website. “Dismiss Aleksey Myacheslavovich Danilov from the post of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine,” the document says. By another decree, Zelensky appointed Alexander Litvinenko as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, having previously dismissed him from the post of head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. Oleg Ivashchenko was appointed to this place. Danilov has served as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine since October 2019. As Regnum reported, Zelensky, in a video message published on March 4, announced a number of new personnel appointments in the Ukrainian defense forces. Then he did not specify what kind of reshuffles were expected. He only explained that “real combat commanders from the front” were involved in developing solutions. Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that Zelensky was thinking about dismissing Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba. According to sources, many complaints have accumulated against him regarding the ambassadorial candidacies provided by the ministry. In addition, the administration of the Kyiv regime is generally dissatisfied with the work of the Foreign Ministry. On February 8, Zelensky dismissed Valery Zaluzhny from the post of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On March 7, it became known about Zaluzhny’s appointment as ambassador to the UK. The head of the Kiev regime explained this by saying that he himself asked for this position. More from regnum.ru Kostikin: Zelensky fired Danilov to distance himself from participation in the Crocus terrorist attack The head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, was forced to dismiss Alexey Danilov from the post of Secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine under the influence of a number of factors, one of them was the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall. This opinion was expressed to a Regnum news agency correspondent on March 26 by Nikolai Kostikin, an expert at the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis. The expert believes that Danilov’s dismissal was due to the fact that he confirmed Ukraine’s involvement in the terrorist attack at Crocus and stated that “Russia will have such fun more often.” “After the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall, the US statement about Ukraine’s alleged non-involvement in this terrorist act and Russia’s attack on the location of the SBU, the leadership in Kyiv began to panic. Russia has made it clear that it is starting a hunt for those responsible for this terrorist attack,” says the military expert. That’s why Zelensky fired Danilov in order to comply with US policy and distance himself from participation in the terrorist attack, Kostikin clarified. As Regnum reported, Alexander Litvinenko became the new secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine. The corresponding decree was signed by the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky. Litvinenko previously served as head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, asked who would believe the US words that Kiev was not involved in the terrorist attack, if in the past the West applauded extremists in Ukraine. She recalled that Washington says that supposedly Ukraine had nothing to do with it. And who will believe them, when in 2013-2014 it was Washington, it was Britain, it was Germany, Brussels, Paris, Warsaw, all the Baltic countries applauded, distributed money, as much as they could, cookies, and so on to those who threw Molotov cocktails at the same civil buildings, infrastructure in the center of Kiev, Zakharova said. Terrorists attacked Crocus City Hall on the evening of March 22. The armed men began shooting visitors and then set the building on fire. According to data as of March 26, 139 people were killed as a result of the attack. The list of victims includes 121 people.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: March 4, 2024

2024-03-05

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title. [Korrespondent] 21:45 Today, while extinguishing a fire in the Kramatorsk district of the Donetsk region, rescuers of the Slavic garrison came under repeated attack by a Russian drone. Two rescuers were killed and three were injured, said Interior Minister Igor Klimenko. 21:23 Ukraine and Spain have begun negotiations on concluding a bilateral security agreement, the Presidential Office reported. 21:19 The defense ministers and commanders-in-chief of Ukraine and Britain had a telephone conversation, during which they discussed the situation on the battlefield and defense cooperation. “We also discussed the possibilities of implementing naval forces and assets within the Coalition. Ukraine’s success in destroying the Russian fleet must be expanded. Therefore, we must increase the use of drones by Ukraine,” said Rustem Umerov. 21:12 Lithuania will join the Czech Republic’s initiative to purchase 800 thousand shells for Ukraine outside the EU, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said. At the same time, she did not specify exactly how much Lithuania will allocate for this initiative. 20:44 After a number of successful attacks on Russian boats and ships, the developers of Magura naval drones are planning to install air defense systems and, possibly, other destruction systems on them, Budanov said: “Now specialists are working to install air defense systems on an unmanned platform. I don’t "technician, but I understand that this task is quite complicated. After all, you need means of detecting a target, capturing an airborne object, a means of destruction - and all this needs to be placed on a fairly small platform. This is not an easy task purely technically, but it is real." 20:29 By his decree, Biden extended for another year the state of emergency introduced in 2014 after the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and the associated sanctions restrictions against the Russian Federation. 20:15 Near Avdeevka, the Russians partially control the villages of Berdychi and Tonenkoe. At the same time, the Defense Forces managed to stop the enemy’s advance on this section of the front, said Dmitry Likhovy, spokesman for the Tavria group of troops. 20:37 Zelensky said in an evening video message that today he agreed and signed a number of necessary new personnel appointments for the Defense Forces. The President held a meeting on front-line issues and tasks with Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky and Chief of the General Staff Anatoly Bargilevich. “Despite all the deficits, the ability of our soldiers to destroy the invaders should not decrease,” the head of state emphasized. Zelensky also held a separate meeting with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and discussed issues of weapons supply and fair provision for brigades. “Every combat brigade, every front-line unit should receive more of the available modern weapons... A separate conversation is about drones. Good content. In particular, regarding our long-range drones,” the president noted. In addition, he heard a report from the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov: “We need a clear result in the destruction of Russian military infrastructure and logistics. A greater result. And it will be.” Another report was from the head of the SBU Vasily Malyuk, who reported on counteraction to Russian DRGs and collaborators. “There are good results in neutralizing these individuals,” Zelensky noted. There was also a report by the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Alexander Litvinenko, “regarding sensitive international areas and Russia’s existing plans. There is an understanding of what documents are on the enemy’s desk, what his next plan is. We will counteract.” 20:19 Victims of sexual violence during the war in Ukraine will receive reparations, said Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Olga Stefanishyna. According to her, within a year, 500 victims will be able to receive a one-time payment of 3,000 euros on conditions of complete confidentiality. As of March 4, the Attorney General's Office is investigating 274 cases of war-related sexual violence. 19:43 The Ministry of Foreign Trade of Bosnia and Herzegovina ordered an inspection of the Pretis weapons company after its 120-mm mortar shells were found in a photo from the battlefield in Ukraine, RTRS reports. According to some reports, the Ukrainian Armed Forces also used 82 mm mortar shells produced by BNT in Novi Travnik. Since 2015, Bosnia and Herzegovina has banned the sale of weapons to conflict zones, and countries that buy them undertake not to transfer them to third states. At the same time, there are no guarantees that a NATO country will not export these weapons to Ukraine. However, the Bosnian authorities have reason to doubt that Pretis shells entered Ukraine through third countries, which is why they ordered an inspection of the weapons factory. 18:50 Zelensky, by his decree, replaced the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: instead of Dmitry Gerega, he became Alexander Yakovets. 18:34 Germany has long refused to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine. But over the weekend, the issue of missile transfers took a new turn. Russian propagandists released an intercepted conversation between two German officers. The audio recording not only revealed gaps in the security of communications of the German military, but also actually refuted the arguments with which Scholz had previously explained the impossibility of providing Kyiv with these missiles. Berlin confirmed the authenticity of the conversation. Read more in the article The Great Scandal in Germany . 18:07 Macron said that France does not plan to send troops to Ukraine in the near future: “In response to a question asked about sending troops, I said that nothing is ruled out... This does not mean that we are considering the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine in the near future, but we are opening the debate and thinking about everything that can be done to support Ukraine." 17:38 Ukraine will not renew the contract with the Russian Federation for gas transit, but is ready to provide a service to European partners if any of them acts as a transit country for their own gas, Shmygal said. In turn, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said that the EU does not intend to talk with Moscow about continuing the transit of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine. According to her, the EU will do everything to refuse Russian gas. 16:51 On March 3, the Russians struck Kupyansk for the first time with KABs with cluster charges, said the head of the Kharkov OVA Oleg Sinegubov. “This increases the affected area and poses an even greater threat to civilians. That is why we are bringing the issue of forced evacuation of families with children to the Regional Defense Council,” he added. 16:44 Ukraine has created five joint ventures with Western arms manufacturers, Shmygal said: “We are working very closely with the leaders of the world arms market. We can already talk about five concluded contracts and the creation of five joint ventures in Ukraine in cooperation with Western arms manufacturers, our partners ". 16:02 The Ukrainian market is already ready to produce more than 1 million drones, Shmygal said. According to him, the government is now allocating significant funds for the purchase of weapons from Ukrainian manufacturers, and 50% of the funds are used for drones. "In 2024, we took quite significant steps to strengthen our own weapons production. The President set a goal of 1 million drones. We understand that business and the market in Ukraine are already ready to produce more than a million drones. We, of course, will buy everything that ours can make business in order to transfer this to our Defense Forces,” the prime minister noted. 15:55 In the Dniprovsky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, air defense forces shot down an X-59 aircraft missile, the Air Command reported. 15:24 Belgium declared 1.7 billion euros in income from frozen Russian assets. These funds are partially distributed in support of Ukrainian refugees, and the country is ready to finance Ukrainian needs, including defense, with part of this profit, Shmygal said. 15:01 Zelensky said that he held a conference call and heard the minister and representatives of the Ministry of Defense about the actual receipts of weapons and ammunition, as well as planned receipts in March. Heard the commander-in-chief on the operational situation in the main directions, the audit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the rotation of brigades and personnel decisions within their boundaries. There were also reports from intelligence services, the SBU and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the president, the grain corridor “continues to demonstrate good dynamics - we are approaching the mark of 30 million tons of cargo, of which more than 8 million tons were exported in February alone.” Alternative routes also continue to develop - along the Danube and through Moldova. 14:48 Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal said that one person at the front should be supported by eight working people. According to him, the government is now working on a new reservation system: “We have already calculated the payment of taxes. But in general, the ratio should be as follows: no less than one to eight. That is, eight working people should provide for one person who protects and risks his life on front." 14:21 Scholz ruled out the possibility of supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine if German soldiers need to be involved in their operation: “You cannot create a weapons system that will have a very wide coverage, and then not think about how you can exercise control over the weapons system.” . 13:17 Medvedev called peace negotiations with the current Ukrainian authorities impossible, and negotiations with the “new leaders” of Ukraine, in his opinion, will be possible - “if Kiev recognizes the realities that emerged as a result of the special operation.” 12:48 Ukrainian and Russian public pages reported the liquidation in Ukraine of the intelligence chief of the Russian Espanyol battalion, Vyacheslav Subbotin, with the call sign Weekend. Russian media write that he died on March 3 “during a combat mission.” 12:01 On March 1, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired two missiles at the Russian Gvardeyskoye airbase in occupied Crimea. According to Astra sources, three Russian servicemen were wounded, and the airfield taxiway was damaged. 11:57 Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that the territories on both banks of the Dnieper are “an integral part of Russian historical strategic borders.” According to him, “it is important to realize” where and how Russia’s borders are delineated now and “what they may be in the future.” At the same time, he emphasized that “Russia does not need someone else’s land, but it will not give up its own.” And Ukraine, in his opinion, “is, of course, Russia.” 11:36 The head of the Nikolaev OVA, Vitaly Kim, called the information from Russian sources about alleged preparations for an attack on the south of Ukraine as stuffing. “A month ago I said that this information campaign would be active starting in March,” Kim noted. 11:25 NATO is conducting military exercises for the first time on Finnish territory near the Russian border. From March 4 to 15, the Nordic Response 2024 maneuvers will take place, in which more than 20 thousand military personnel will take part. It is planned to use about 50 ships, including submarines and frigates, and more than 100 fighters and helicopters. The Russian Foreign Ministry has already stated that the exercises “are demonstratively provocative in nature.” 10:37 As a result of one of the most massive UAV attacks on Feodosia in Crimea, on March 3, four drones fell on the territory of the Marine Oil Terminal, reports the opposition Russian publication Astra. The main fuel pumping pipeline was damaged and a fire broke out. This tank farm has already been attacked in December and November last year. In addition to the oil depot, the road surface of the Tavrida highway was damaged. 10:21 As a result of the drone attack on Odessa on March 2, 20 people were injured, three of them remain in the hospital, the Department of Health of the Odessa Regional State Administration reported. 12 people died. Among the victims is a pregnant woman. 09:59 From the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion until December 31, 2023, France provided Ukraine with military equipment totaling 2.6 billion euros, the country’s Ministry of Defense reported. The list of 50 items mentions, in particular, 30 Caesar artillery installations, six Mistral MANPADS, 160 reconnaissance drones. At the same time, the number of Crotale, Aster and SCALP missiles transferred has not been specified. 09:13 After the drone attack on the Leningrad region on March 2, the next morning, an aircraft-type drone was found on the territory of the oil and gas company Petersburg Oil Terminal in St. Petersburg. As reported by the opposition Russian publication Astra, the UAV was equipped with an explosive charge weighing about 20 kg. There was no explosion and there were no casualties. This is already the second UAV crash on the territory of the St. Petersburg oil terminal. The first was recorded on January 18. This is the largest Russian terminal for transshipment of petroleum products in the Baltic region. 09:08 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense confirms the fact that the railway bridge over the Chapaevka River in the Samara region of the Russian Federation was blown up. According to intelligence data, the railway line was used by Russia to transport military cargo, including engineering ammunition produced by the Polymer JSC plant in Chapaevsk. Considering the nature of the damage to the railway bridge, its use in the next few weeks is impossible, according to the GUR. 09:00 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 4: personnel - about 417,950 (+1150) people, tanks - 6648 (+8), armored combat vehicles - 12,660 (+21), artillery systems - 10 210 (+22), MLRS - 1004 (+1), air defense systems - 698 (+2), aircraft - 347 (+0), helicopters - 325 (+0), UAV of operational-tactical level - 7845 (+2), cruise missiles - 1916 (+1), ships/boats - 25 (+0), submarines - 1 (+0), automotive equipment and tank trucks - 13,374 (+42), special equipment - 1621 (+1). 08:52 Over the past 24 hours, 78 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In particular, the enemy tried more than 30 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction (in the Krasnohorivka, Georgievka and Novomikhailovka areas of the Donetsk region). Another 20 enemy attacks were repulsed in the Avdeevsky direction in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Orlovka, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Nevelskoye in the Donetsk region. In the Kupyansky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 11 attacks in the Sinkovka and Tabaevka areas of the Kharkov region; in Limansky - five attacks in the areas of Belogorivka, Luhansk region, Ternov and Verkhnekamensky, Donetsk region; on Bakhmutsky - five attacks in the Bogdanovka, Ivanovsky and Andreevka districts of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - three attacks in the Rabotino area of ​​the Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces are holding their positions; the enemy has not carried out offensive actions. 08:47 Cyber ​​specialists from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense gained access to the servers of the Russian Ministry of Defense as a result of a DDoS attack. Now the Ukrainian intelligence service owns the information security and encryption software that the Russian agency used, as well as an array of secret official documentation. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, the information received allows us to establish the complete structure of the system of the Russian Ministry of Defense and its units. 08:40 The conditions for organizing a meeting between Orban and Zelensky “are not yet ripe,” said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó. 08:28 In the Samara region of the Russian Federation, an explosion occurred on the Zvezda-Chapayevsk railway section - Russian media reported that a support for a bridge across the river was blown up, train traffic was stopped. 08:11 On the evening of March 3, the Russians launched a ballistic missile attack on an open area on the outskirts of the Shevchenko community in the Mykolayiv region. The façade of the building of the agricultural enterprise was damaged, but no people were injured, said Vitaly Kim, head of the OVA.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: January 18, 2024

2024-01-19

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title [Korrespondent] 23:14 Kuleba said that the example of Britain has inspired other countries to negotiate security agreements with Ukraine: “There are already such countries. I will not reveal the surprise, but we must admit that the British example has inspired a number of countries to negotiate such an agreement and to make such an arrangement more powerful than they originally intended." 21:55 For the first time, Russia used a rare four-ton P-35 anti-ship missile to attack Ukraine, reports the specialized publication Defense Express. The missile was put into service back in 1962, its range is 350 km, speed is 2000 km/h, warhead weight is 1000 kg. It could have been fired either from the Redut coastal missile system or from the underground Object-100. 21:01 Australian Defense Minister Pat Conroy said that Ukraine requested Taipan helicopters too late - after the decision to dismantle them, which was made in September 2023. According to him, then other countries were not interested in buying helicopters, so Australia decided to scrap them. When Kyiv sent the request in December 2023, the disposal process had already been going on for three months. 20:12 All Russian missiles contain dozens of critical components that are produced abroad, and many of them by companies from the free world, Zelensky said in an evening video message. The President said that today he heard the corresponding report from the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Alexander Litvinenko: “Clear facts. So blocking Russia’s ways of circumventing sanctions is literally blocking terror.” 20:04 Ukrainian hackers stole important documents about 500 objects of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian media write, citing sources. Hackers of the Blackjack group, who are associated with the SBU, hacked a Russian state-owned enterprise engaged in the construction of military facilities throughout the Russian Federation. 19:50 The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation included the Ukrainian nationalist organizations UNRA, UPA, UNS, OUN in the list of “Nazi organizations that violate the law on perpetuating the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.” 19:17 Biden agreed to an immigration agreement with the Republican Party to ensure funding for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, writes The Wall Street Journal. Specifically, the treaty would limit the ability of migrants to seek U.S. asylum on the southern border in exchange for new military aid for Ukraine and Israel. As the publication notes, such a concession to leftist Biden on the issue of immigration was a turning point in his long political career. More details - in the material Biden made a compromise: will there be money . 19:11 Minister for Strategic Industries Alexander Kamyshin confirmed that the drone that hit a target in St. Petersburg at night was made in Ukraine: “We are able to develop something that will cost from $350 apiece, and something "that will fly this night to St. Petersburg. It was made in Ukraine. Yes, this night we hit the target, and this thing flew exactly 1250 km this night." 18:33 Ukraine is seeking to organize a telephone conversation between Zelensky and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as it plans to hold a leader-level Formula Peace summit, Bloomberg writes. Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said in Davos that Kyiv insists on establishing a direct channel of communication between Xi Jinping and the Ukrainian president: “There are things they can talk about... Zelensky’s peace formula is a way to restore a lasting, just peace in Ukraine.” 17:54 The commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Alexander Syrsky, said that he visited the military units that are holding defense in the Kupyansky direction. According to him, the situation remains tense; the Russian army has focused its main efforts on ousting Ukrainian units from the Kupyansky forest and capturing Sinkovka. 17:20 NATO announced the start of the largest exercises since the Cold War on January 22 to practice a possible Russian attack. About 90 thousand military personnel will take part in the exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, which will last several months. During the exercise, the alerting and deployment of international ground forces will be practiced. The legend of the exercises implies an attack by the Russian Federation on one of the NATO members, which triggers Article 5 on collective defense, dpa reports. The last exercise of this scale took place in 1988, with 125 thousand people taking part. 16:59 NATO expects Russia to receive Iranian missiles, said the head of the Alliance’s military committee, Rob Bauer. He added that he has not yet seen such missiles used by the Russian army. 16:34 Ukraine will soon receive six Caesar self-propelled guns from France, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said after a conversation with his French colleague Sebastian Lecornu. The head of the French Ministry of Defense clarified that Paris will transfer six installations “in the coming weeks.” 16:20 Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Guillas, said that there is still a long way to go before reaching an agreement with the EU on new long-term financing for Ukraine. According to him, Budapest is negotiating with the European Commission, but their positions are very different, so there is no confidence that they will reach an agreement. At the same time, Guillas added that Hungary does not rule out supporting Ukraine on a bilateral basis. 16:03 The European Parliament adopted a resolution in which it expressed “serious concern” about Hungary’s actions. Parliamentarians condemned the Hungarian government's "deliberate, sustained and systematic efforts to undermine the fundamental values ​​of the EU." They also called on the European Council to determine whether Hungary is committing “serious and persistent violations of EU values” under Article 7.2 of the EU Treaty. This article provides for the possibility of suspending certain rights, including a vote in the EU Council, against a state that has repeatedly violated the bloc's values. 15:46 Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov at the opening of the “coalition of artillery” in Paris announced a shortage of ammunition and a shortage of shells in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to him, Russia is far superior to Ukraine in daily artillery attacks: on different parts of the front at different times, the Russian army fired 5-10 times more shells than Ukrainian forces. The minister emphasized that strengthening artillery potential is one of the key needs of Ukraine to win the war. 15:05 The Russians launched six airstrikes on the city of Orekhov, Zaporozhye region. The bombs hit non-residential buildings and a multi-storey building, in which an entire entrance was destroyed. As of this moment, there was no information about casualties, said the head of the OVA, Yuri Malashko. 14:58 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with Macron, thanked him for the launch of the “artillery coalition” initiative and for France’s announced commitment within its framework to produce dozens of Caesar artillery systems for Ukraine in 2024 and ammunition for them. They also discussed the situation on the battlefield and Ukraine’s defense needs, in particular strengthening air defense. We instructed political and military advisers to begin preparations for Macron’s upcoming visit to Ukraine and to speed up negotiations on a bilateral agreement on security guarantees. 14:39 Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski criticized the idea of ​​persuading Ukraine towards peace negotiations: “As for negotiations, I want to share one of Sikorski’s “laws” on foreign policy: there is never a shortage of pocket Chamberlains who are ready to sacrifice other people, the freedom of other people for the sake of our own peace of mind. And we shouldn’t do that.” 13:53 Shmygal said that in the coming weeks he plans to meet with Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico to “discuss all urgent issues and remove possible obstacles to the implementation of the Ukraine Facility.” The Prime Minister recalled that the European Council summit will take place on February 1, and Ukraine is counting on a positive decision on the allocation of financial support in the amount of 50 billion euros under the Ukraine Facility program. 13:18 In Davos, Kuleba reproached the allies for the presence of Western components in Russian weapons: “In almost all weapons, in the Russian missiles that we shoot down or intercept over the past two years, which were produced in Russia, there are a lot of Western spare parts. Some even say, "that 95% of modern Russian weapons come from the West. The West has the best business intelligence in the world. I do not believe that the West does not have the ability to track these schemes and shut them down." 12:46 Russian Kh-101 missiles are different from those used in 2022, Vadim Skibitsky, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, said in Davos: “The enemy is learning, learning quite quickly. I’ll just give you an example: Kh-101 cruise missiles are completely different, than those used in 2022. This is a missile already with an active electronic warfare system, with active protection, heat traps, etc.” 12:09 Project 205P patrol ship Tarantul sank in Sevastopol, reports the Atesh partisan movement. The ship was likely hit during a naval drone attack on Russian military installations several weeks ago. The partisans claim that this ship was stolen by the invaders in 2014 and was actively used for combat purposes. 11:24 British Foreign Minister David Cameron compared Putin to Hitler and urged not to appease him. According to the British minister, today's events in the world are reminiscent of the pre-war 1930s, when the West tried to appease Adolf Hitler: “It’s like being the foreign secretary or the leader of Europe in the 1930s, we must not appease Putin. We must "Resist the evil that is his invasion. The only thing we can do is demonstrate during this year that Putin is not winning." Cameron also said that the United States spent 10% of the defense budget and achieved the destruction of 50% of Russian military equipment. According to him, Russia has lost 300 thousand people, 20% of its Black Sea Fleet, while NATO is expanding. 10:58 A night attack by Ukrainian drones on an oil depot in the Leningrad region of the Russian Federation is a special operation by the Main Intelligence Directorate, reports the UP, citing a source in the special services. “This is a power steering operation using modern Ukrainian means. Data collection continues, there are confirmed hits on targets. Now the military facilities of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region are within the reach of Ukrainian forces,” the publication’s interlocutor noted. 10:43 The Russians struck Kupyansk, Kharkov region, hitting an apartment building. One person was killed and two were injured, said the head of the OVA, Oleg Sinegubov. 10:40 Lavrov said that Moscow did not see “legally binding provisions” in the security agreement between Ukraine and Britain. 10:19 France will produce 78 Caesar self-propelled artillery units for Ukraine, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said. According to him, Ukraine is ready to partially pay for production and has already purchased six Caesar units at its own expense “to launch this initiative.” In addition, France will begin supplying Ukraine with 50 AASM gliding bombs per month from January throughout the year. The French minister also noted that France is introducing a war economy regime. Le Monde writes that France has doubled the production of ammunition for Ukraine: from 1,000 to 2,000 per month, while the goal is to reach 3,000. 09:38 Defense Minister Rustem Umerov canceled today's visit to France “for security reasons,” AFP writes, citing the French Ministry of Defense. They reported that Umerov notified Paris of the cancellation shortly before the visit. It was planned that the Ukrainian minister would meet with his French colleague Sebastien Lecornu - including to launch a conference on the launch of the “artillery coalition”. 08:57 In the Nikolaev region, during a night attack as a result of falling debris from downed UAVs, the warehouses of an agricultural enterprise in the Snegirevskaya community were damaged, no people were injured, said the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim. 08:51 On the evening of January 17, the Russian army launched two strikes on the city of Chuguev, Kharkov region. Enemy ammunition hit the building of the educational institution, one person was killed, three were injured, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. 08:29 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of January 18: personnel - about 373,600 (+780) people, tanks - 6147 (+21), armored combat vehicles - 11,410 (+38), artillery systems - 8835 (+24), MLRS - 966 (+2), air defense systems - 653 (+0), aircraft - 331 (+0), helicopters - 324 (+0), UAV of operational-tactical level - 6925 (+41), cruise missiles - 1818 (+1), ships/boats - 23 (+0), submarines - 1 (+0), automotive equipment and tank trucks - 11,794 (+39), special equipment - 1380 (+13). 07:53 In the Pavlograd district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, during a night attack, fragments of a downed drone fell on the territory of a farm - a fire broke out, which was promptly extinguished. One structure was destroyed and two were damaged, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Lysak. 07:38 Over the past 24 hours, 78 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In the Avdeevsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 13 enemy attacks in the areas of Novokalinovo, Novobakhmutovka, Avdeevka and another 14 attacks near Severny, Pervomaisky and Nevelsky of the Donetsk region. In the Maryinsky direction, ten attacks were repulsed in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Georgievka, Maryinka and Novomikhailovka in the Donetsk region. In the Kupyansk direction, six enemy attacks were repelled near Sinkovka, Kharkov region; in Limansky - 13 attacks in the areas of Ternov, Yampolevka of the Donetsk region and five more attacks near Makeevka, Belogorivka of the Lugansk region; on Bakhmutsky - eight attacks near Grigorievka, Ivanovsky, Kleshcheevka and Andreevka, Donetsk region; on Shakhtarsky - one attack north of Novodonetsk, Donetsk region. The enemy did not conduct offensive operations in the Zaporozhye direction. The expansion of the bridgehead continues in the Kherson direction; over the past 24 hours, the enemy has unsuccessfully attempted to storm the positions of the Defense Forces six times. 07:27 Governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly fired ten missiles at Belgorod, all of them were shot down, one person was injured. 07:11 Air defense at night destroyed 22 of 33 attack UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type , which Russia attacked from the Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Kursk region, the Air Force command reported. The main directions of impact are south and north. Air defense operated within the Sumy, Nikolaev, Kherson, Dnepropetrovsk, Kirovograd and Khmelnytsky regions. In addition, the enemy launched two strikes with S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the Belgorod region in the Kharkov region. 01:32 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the air defense allegedly destroyed one aircraft-type UAV over the territory of the Moscow region and intercepted another one over the territory of the Leningrad region.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Russian henchman wanted for the murder of Alexander Litvinenko has advanced cancer - linked to the radioactive poison he 'used in the hit on the anti-Putin dissident'

2023-08-12

[SUN via MAIL] The Russian henchman who is wanted for poisoning Alexander Litvinenko has advanced cancer from the radioactive substance used in the attack. Andrey Lugovoy, who is wanted for murder by British police, has reportedly developed prostate cancer following the hit in 2006. Litvinenko, a former Russian federal security services and KGB officer and outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, died in hospital after ingesting Polonium-210, a rare radioactive substance. Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported that investigators believe Lugovoy's tumour is related to the radioactive substance and cited findings from his medical reports that were leaked by Ukrainian cyber resistance group Inform-Napalm. The documents also reveal that he 'refused surgery and radiation therapy' after doctors recommended 'radical treatment' for the disease, the Sun reported. He's already getting radiation therapy....

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 8th, 2023

2023-05-09

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Korrespondent] 22:29 The Russians fired at Kharkov and the region with S-300 missiles. According to preliminary information, at least six hits were recorded, including in the Kharkiv region. Information about the victims and the scale of destruction is being specified, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said. 22:24 In Melitopol, the Russian military dress up in civilian clothes and try to leave under the guise of evacuation, said the mayor of the city, Ivan Fedorov. According to him, because of this, the occupiers check the cars of evacuees in search of disguised military men. Fedorov also said that Russian passports were taken away from those who participated in the pseudo-referendum in the fall, certificates were issued instead of them, and everyone was told to leave the city, but they did not say where exactly. 22:06 Zelensky spoke about the meetings he held on Monday, May 8. In particular, this is a meeting with the Minister for Strategic Industries, Alexander Kamyshin, regarding ammunition. "There is good news on this score. Of course, now is not the time to make it public," the president added. The head of state also said that he had held a meeting on demining in Ukraine: “As of now, more than 170 thousand square kilometers of our territory are contaminated with unexploded mines and ammunition. deal with such a threat. We must do it much faster." Another meeting concerned the development of a "fundamental, new concept of security" for Ukraine. "We will provide comprehensive answers to all issues of the country's security. At the legislative level, at the level of government decisions, in specific practical issues ... From border protection to new security conditions for schools, from the infrastructure foundations of economic security to the real possibility of guaranteeing our people such protection from terror which the most advanced states of the world have," Zelensky said. 21:57 Zelensky said in an evening video message that at today's meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the reports of the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kirill Budanov and the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Alexander Litvinenko were "particularly thorough and very relevant". "Based on them, we will take certain steps - steps that will strengthen our defense," the president added. 21:08 The main pride of the Russian defense industry could not stand the meeting with the American Patriot complex under the control of the Ukrainian military. About how Ukraine shot down the Dagger - in the material Impossible is possible . 21:02 The draft of the 11th package of EU sanctions against Russia involves a ban on access to European ports for ships trying to circumvent already imposed restrictions on Russian oil, writes Bloomberg. 20:31 The European Commission welcomes Ukraine's decision to celebrate Europe Day on May 9 instead of Victory Day, said Dana Spinant, spokeswoman for the EC press service: "We welcome Ukraine's decision to celebrate Europe Day on May 9 - this is a reflection of the European identity of the Ukrainian people." 20:23 The Russians launched a missile attack on the Pavlograd district of the Dnipropetrovsk region. According to preliminary data, the enemy released Iskander at the Mezhirich community. The consequences are being clarified, people were not injured, said the head of the regional council Nikolai Lukashuk. 19:42 Lukashenka also arrived in Moscow on the eve of the May 9 parade, Russian media report. 19:20 Poland handed over ten MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said. 19:18 The SBU warned that on May 9, it would carry out counter-sabotage measures in one of the districts of Kharkiv. Their goal is to increase the safety of the civilian population, strengthen the security of critical infrastructure facilities, as well as identify and detain possible sabotage groups. In the course of counter-sabotage measures, it is possible to restrict passage or travel along some streets of the city, check the documents of citizens, and inspect motor vehicles. 18:57 In Skadovsk, Kherson region, the district and city administrations have stopped working. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the night of May 7, the invaders loaded documents, office equipment and other property of state institutions into cars, and in the morning a significant part of the Russian occupation administration left the city with their families. A similar situation is observed in other settlements of the region - such as Mikhailovka, Petrovka, Shevchenko, Shirokoe, Ulyanivka and Krasnoe. Given the many kilometers of traffic jams that have recently formed at the entrance to the Crimea and in the area of ​​​​the Kerch bridge, the Russians plan to export documents and stolen property from state institutions of the Kherson region by sea using a dry cargo ship through the port of Berdyansk. 18:39 The Russians are planning to establish the production of Shahed drones in Belarus, reports the Center for National Resistance under the MTR, citing information from the Belarusian underground. In order to organize such production, the Gomel Radio Plant was visited by a working group consisting of Iranian engineers, organized by the FSB of the Russian Federation and the KGB of the Republic of Belarus. Earlier, the underground reported that drones were being completed on the basis of the Gomel plant. 18:03 The number of wounded as a result of the Russian strike on the village of Stanislav in the Kherson region has grown to ten people, including a nine-year-old child, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin. 17:39 The office of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights and representatives of the State Duma of the Russian Federation began joint activities on monitoring visits to places of detention of civilians from both sides and the transfer of sets of essential items to them, Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets said. He said that on April 23, the Russians visited Ukrainian citizens in places of detention in the Lugansk region (17 people), and representatives of the Office of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights made a visit on May 3 together with the NGO Nadezhda and handed over the previously agreed set of essential items to 17 accused who are being held on the territory of Ukraine. Lubinets expressed hope that this practice would lead to the unblocking of the procedure for the release of civilian hostages and convicts. 17:18 Pushilin signed a "decree" according to which three days a year Donetsk will be called "Stalino": May 9, June 22 (Day of Sorrow and Commemoration of the Memory of War Victims), September 8 (Day of the Liberation of Donbass from German troops). 17:04 Eight new UAV strike companies are ready for battle - pickup trucks, impact copters and FPV drones were handed over to them, Mikhail Fedorov, head of the Ministry of Digital Development, said. He specified that the drones for the Army of Drones were purchased within the framework of the UNITED24 platform and at the expense of the state budget. All drones are Ukrainian made. The minister also said that the three strike companies that were launched a few months ago already have successful results at the front. 16:27 Journalists of the Sistema NV project and Radio Liberty called the phone numbers of PMC Wagner under the guise of wanting to sign up as "volunteers". They found out that they were ready to take on the "service" people with an outstanding criminal record, who are wanted, with a Nazi tattoo. At the same time, recruitment continues not only in Ukraine, but also in Africa. Recruiters admitted that in Africa "the survival rate is better." The journalists were directly told that "the Ukrainian prize will be spent by relatives, and the African one - by himself." 15:58 The presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, as well as the Prime Minister of Armenia, will come to Putin for the traditional parade on May 9, Russian media reported. 15:51 After receiving the promised equipment from Western partners, Ukraine will have one of the best air defense systems in the world, Yuriy Ignat, speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said: "We will have one of the best air defense systems when we get everything that our partners promised us and replace a completely old fleet of Soviet equipment: both air defense systems and an aviation platform. At the same time, he added that F-16 fighters are also needed for this. 15:16 As a result of night rocket attacks on civilian and tourist infrastructure in Odessa and Belgorod-Dnestrovsky districts, a recreation center was completely destroyed, and at least five neighboring bases and more than 20 private country houses were damaged, the Office of the Prosecutor General said. 15:09 Russia again actually stopped the work of the grain initiative, refusing to register ships for entry and conduct their inspections. According to the Ministry of Reconstruction, such a destructive policy of the Russian Federation makes it impossible to draw up an inspection plan in accordance with the procedures of the coordinating center, which provide for the daily coordination by all parties of the inspection plan, both at the exit and at the entrance. As of May 8, 90 ships are awaiting inspection in the territorial waters of Turkey, of which 62 are ships going for loading. Inspections of both incoming and outgoing fleets are suspended. The export of Ukrainian agricultural products through the grain corridor in April did not even reach 3 million tons. 15:05 Last week, the European Commission sent proposals to EU member states on the 11th package of sanctions against Russia, said EC Speaker Eric Mamer. According to him, on Wednesday, May 10, the first discussion of a new package of sanctions is expected at a meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives. 14:57 An investigation by a group of European publications found that Moscow is trying to conduct an influence operation in European countries in order to worsen relations between Turkey and the EU, as well as weaken support for Ukraine. According to documents obtained by journalists, the Russian special services actively set to work after anti-Turkish protests in Sweden and Denmark against the backdrop of Ankara blocking the entry of these countries into NATO. Russia saw this as an additional opportunity to embroil the allies. In particular, the Russian secret services offered to organize actions that would further aggravate the situation, such as burning the Turkish flag and portraits of Erdogan in The Hague, a campaign with offensive graffiti against Erdogan in major European cities. It follows from the documents that some of these staged actions were organized with hired "protesters", and in some cases they were also used against Ukraine. So, in one of the documents it is noted that the demonstration on March 5 in Paris was staged. Allegedly, "representatives of the Ukrainian community" unfurled an anti-Turkish banner and shouted "stop Erdogan" at the camera. This video then appeared on Facebook and YouTube. The purpose of the provocation was to “show the ingratitude” of Ukrainians and alleged indifference to catastrophic earthquakes in Turkey, “to emphasize the destructive nature of pro-Ukrainian activists and Ukrainian society under Zelensky’s rule as a whole.” 14:28 In Odessa, as a result of a nighttime missile attack and a fire in a warehouse, the humanitarian aid of the Red Cross completely burned down, the organization reported. Besides, objects of the Red Cross in the Nikolaev area suffered also - the organization's mobile hospital is damaged there. As a result, part of the medical equipment, technical facilities and furniture became unsuitable for further use. 13:53 The Russians hit the village of Stanislav in the Kherson region - six people were injured, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin. Among the wounded is a nine-year-old child. 13:39 Peskov said that Budanov's words about the murder of Russians confirm the correctness of Putin's decision to start "SVO". According to him, Moscow will "closely monitor" the reaction of the capitals to such statements, including the United States, and "wait for condemnation." Earlier, Budanov, in an interview with journalists, refused to confirm or deny information about the alleged involvement of the Ukrainian special services in the elimination of a number of Russian public apologists for the war against Ukraine, and said only that "we killed Russians and will kill Russians anywhere in the world until the complete victory of Ukraine." 13:34 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will arrive in Kiev on Europe Day, May 9, to meet with Zelensky, the press service of the EC reported. 13:23 The Russians hit Antonovka, Kherson region, two people were injured, the OVA reported. 12:51 Zelensky held a regular meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the presidential press service reported. Among other things, the participants discussed the impact of the recent air attacks and the possibilities for strengthening the protection of the population and civilian and critical infrastructure. Separately, we heard a report on the supply of artillery ammunition and rockets of all types for the needs of the Ukrainian army this year. 12:33 Prigozhin's statements about the alleged "shell shortage" are due to the fact that he cannot fulfill his obligations, said the speaker of the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Sergey Cherevaty: "He assumed military obligations, is not able to fulfill them, including the capture of Bakhmut, and comes up with this nonsense about shell hunger. According to him, in fact, Prigozhin's main problem is the loss of personnel and the inability to replenish it. 12:24 Ukraine has nothing to do with the "attack" of drones on the Kremlin, and there is no point in wasting time and effort on this, Andrei Yusov, a spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine. And this event certainly cannot be interpreted as an attempt on Putin, as Russian propaganda very quickly filed, he added. "What was it? It could be different scenarios - from the activity of local resistance forces to showdowns between the "towers" of the Kremlin. Because in any case, if this is interpreted as an internal Russian confrontation (and it is), then this is an event that works to delegitimize the Putin regime and shows that he is not in control of the situation... When we talk about the Kremlin, we must remember that it has different "towers" and different people live in them, often with different, and sometimes even opposing interests , so the inhabitants of certain "towers" could well be involved in this," Yusov believes. 11:46 Night attack by drones did not cause damage to the main energy infrastructure of Ukraine, Ukrenergo reported. However, due to Russian shelling along the front line and shelling of border areas, distribution networks in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy and Chernihiv regions have again been damaged. Electricity production fully covers consumption. Exports to Moldova continue at night and daytime, and exports to Poland have also resumed today. There is no import to Ukraine. 11:42 In the Kherson region on May 6, nine pyrotechnicians of the State Emergency Service were killed during demining, and several more people were injured. The cause of the tragedy was not the negligence or lack of professionalism of the sappers, but the work of Russian intelligence. For more details, see the material The death of sappers in Chernobaevka: what is known . 11:36 The death toll due to the Russian strike on Kherson on May 3 rose to 24 - one of the victims died in the hospital, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin. 11:31 Prigozhin's statements about the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are, in particular, part of the preparation of the Russian elites for defeat in the war, Andrei Yusov, a spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine: "People like Prigozhin, if he says something, then speaks not only on his own behalf, but also on behalf of his partners, patrons, who allow such statements.Part of the Russian so-called political, power elite are considering various scenarios, including planning some kind of life after Putin, after the defeat in the war with Ukraine. Therefore, they are preparing for various apocalyptic (and in fact - realistic) scenarios for Russia." Yusov called Prigozhin's statement about the withdrawal of the Wagnerites from Bakhmut a preparation for a "search for the extreme" in the future - in this way he wants to absolve himself of responsibility. 11:22 As a result of a missile attack on the Odessa region, a warehouse guard was killed, Natalia Gumenyuk, speaker of OK Pivden, said. Earlier it was reported that three people were injured, one is missing. 11:07 Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalyn called the war in Ukraine a war between Russia and the West: "This is a war between the Russian Federation and the West, this is Cold War 2.0. Russia offered the West to build a new security architecture 30 years after the Cold War, but no agreement was reached." In his opinion, for Ukraine the war will not end with "getting any positional gains", but it will end "due to a new security agreement between the two global blocs." At the same time, Kalyn added that as long as the parties have no desire to negotiate, they want to fight - he came to this conclusion after talking with Putin in Moscow. 10:46 The 11th package of EU sanctions against Russia is planned to include seven companies from China, writes the Financial Times, citing a copy of the sanctions list. It included two companies from mainland China - 3HC Semiconductors and King-Pai Technology, as well as five companies from Hong Kong - Sinno Electronics, Sigma Technology, Asia Pacific Links, Tordan Industry and Alpha Trading Investments. Some of them have already come under US sanctions for supplying Russia with electronics for the military-industrial complex. Prior to this, the European Union avoided sanctions against China because they allegedly did not see evidence of arms supplies to Russia. The restrictions require unanimous approval by all 27 EU member states before they go into effect. 10:35 Russia has once again launched a massive strike with missiles and drones on Ukraine. As a result, Kiev and Odessa regions suffered the most. At the same time, the air defense forces showed very good work. About the restless night that the Russians "organized" for us - in the material At gunpoint Kiev and Odessa . 10:23 British intelligence writes that Russia is actively recruiting labor migrants from Central Asia for the war in Ukraine. In particular, Russian recruiters visit mosques and immigration offices. Radio Free Europe reports that recruiters are offering signup bonuses of $2,390 and salaries up to $4,160 per month. Migrants are also offered accelerated acquisition of Russian citizenship: from six months to a year instead of five years. Intelligence notes that in this way the Russian Defense Ministry is trying to fulfill the plan to attract 400 thousand people for the war in Ukraine. The Russian authorities are keen to delay any new open mandatory mobilization as long as possible in order to minimize domestic discontent, analysts say. 09:54 In the Sumy region, Russians fired at the settlements of the Seredino-Budskaya, Znob-Novgorod and Novoslobodskaya communities at night. A school, non-residential premises and private households were damaged, three people were injured, OK Pivnich reported. 09:50 "Authorities" of Transnistria appealed to Russia with a request to increase the military contingent in the region "taking into account the growth of security risks." The representative of Pridnestrovie in the Russian Federation, Leonid Manakov, recalled that initially the Russian contingent consisted of six motorized rifle battalions, but in 1995 Moscow decided to reduce its number to two battalions, that is, to 450 people. At the same time, the regular number of "peacekeepers" is 3,100 people, Manakov said. In his opinion, the military contingent can be increased at the expense of the Russians living in Pridnestrovie. 09:46 As of the morning of May 8, Odessa rescuers extinguished a fire that broke out after a X-22 missile hit one of the logistics infrastructure warehouses located in the Odessa region. Three people, warehouse workers, received minor injuries, another person is considered missing, operational and rescue work continues, said the head of the Odessa regional military administration, Yuriy Kruk. 09:29 After the announcement of "evacuation" from the occupied settlements of the Zaporozhye region, the Russians are transporting heavy equipment and air defense systems to Mariupol for the second day, said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city. In particular, today the movement of tanks and air defense systems from the Berdyansk direction towards the MMK im. Ilyich and Novoazovsky district. 09:08 Zelensky said that he had submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada, which proposes to establish May 8 as the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in the Second World War of 1939-1945: "We are returning to our state an honest history without ideological impurities. It is on May 8 that most peoples of the world remembers the greatness of the victory over Nazism. It is on May 8 that the world honors the memory of all whose lives were claimed by that war. It was on May 8 that the Act of Unconditional Surrender of the Wehrmacht came into force. " He also compared World War II with Russia's current war against Ukraine: "Just as we destroyed evil together then, so now we are destroying similar evil together. Unfortunately, evil has returned. Although the aggressor is now different, he has the same goal - enslavement or destruction And just as then we relied on the common strength of free peoples, so now we are fighting against evil together with the free world, together with free Europe." Zelensky also signed a decree according to which every year from tomorrow, May 9, "we will honor our historical unity - the unity of all Europeans who destroyed Nazism and defeat rashism." He recalled that many years ago a tradition was established on the European continent to celebrate the Day of Europe on May 9 in order to celebrate the achieved peace and unity. "Today, unity on our continent brings us closer to the celebration of the first day of our peace. And it would be right to celebrate Europe Day together with all free Europe," the President stressed. 08:56 As a result of yesterday's missile attack on the town of Balakliya, Izyumsky district, Kharkiv region, seven people were injured, the territory of the car park was damaged, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said. Also, one person was injured as a result of Russian shelling with. Bugaevka, Chuguevsky district. In the Donetsk and Kherson regions, two people were wounded over the past day, according to the IVA. 08:38 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of May 8. personnel - about 194,970 (+540) people liquidated, tanks - 3730 (+7), armored combat vehicles - 7253 (+5), artillery systems - 3018 (+8), MLRS - 554 (+0), air defense systems - 306 (+0), aircraft - 308 (+0), helicopters - 294 (+0), UAV operational-tactical level - 2614 (+42), cruise missiles - 947 (+0), ships/boats - 18 (+0), automotive equipment and tankers - 5958 (+6), special equipment - 384 (+4). 08:19 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions, there are heavy battles for Bakhmut and Maryinka. Over the past day, 55 enemy attacks were repulsed in the indicated sectors of the front, the General Staff reported in the morning report. The invaders are "evacuating" local residents from the occupied Tokmak, Zaporozhye region, in the direction of Berdyansk. Representatives of the so-called local "authorities", collaborators, children, teachers and educators are being evacuated. At the same time, parents are threatened not to count the academic year in case of refusal to "evacuate" the child. There are queues for fuel at the gas station, all drivers have been informed that no new deliveries are planned. In the village of Vesele, Zaporozhye region, the local "police" department is closed and does not work. The day before, the occupiers destroyed documentation there. 07:31 At night, the Russians attacked the Odessa region from Tu-22m3 long-range bombers. In total, there were eight launches of X-22 missiles from the area of ​​​​Cape Tarkhankut in Crimea, said OVA speaker Sergei Bratchuk. Some of the missiles did not reach their targets, some hit the warehouse of the food company and the recreational area on the coast. There are no data on casualties. 07:17 At night, the Russians fired 35 Shahed-136/131 attack drones in the Kiev region, all of them were shot down, the Air Force command reported. The UAVs attacked from the northern direction - from the Sescha airfield in the Bryansk region. 07:04 At night, more than 30 enemy drones were detected and destroyed in the airspace of Kiev, said the head of the KGVA Sergey Popko. According to preliminary information, in the Svyatoshinsky district, cars and a residential building were damaged due to falling debris, in the Solomensky district, a tank (5 tons) with a diesel fuel leak was damaged, without ignition. A residential building, cars, and a high-pressure gas pipe were also damaged. Five people are injured. 03:59 The United States does not doubt the veracity of Ukraine's statement about the successful use of the Patriot air defense system to intercept the Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missile and regards this as an important event, CNN reports citing sources. The publication notes that although the Patriot air defense system successfully counters ballistic missiles, its ability to stop air-launched hypersonic missiles has recently been theoretical, and the Kinzhal interception in Ukraine has actually demonstrated this ability. The fact that the interception was carried out by Ukrainian crew trained in Oklahoma but without American advisers on the battlefield is considered a significant return on investment by the Pentagon. 02:36 The Russians attacked Kiev with drones: as a result of the fall of debris in the Solomensky and Svyatoshinsky districts, five people were injured, Klitschko said.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 3rd, 2023

2023-05-04

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited [Korrespondent] 22:12 The flight of two drones over the Kremlin, which Russia calls Ukraine's attack on Putin, is being discussed around the world. Russian politicians staged an agony of threats, in Ukraine they deny everything, and the West calls not to trust the messages from the Kremlin. Read more in the material Reaction to a strike on the Kremlin . 21:51 The Russian military placed military equipment, weapons and explosives in the turbine section of power unit No. 4 of the Zaporizhzhya NPP, the State Nuclear Regulatory Agency reported, citing representatives of the IAEA. 21:47 Zelensky said that he held bilateral meetings in Helsinki today with the prime ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, and discussed support for Ukraine. 21:38 In the Kherson region, the number of deaths per day increased to 21 people, 48 were injured , Zelensky said. 21:36 Vladimir Rogov, a member of the "regional administration" of the occupied Zaporozhye region, said that Ukrainian forces allegedly went on the offensive south of Orekhov. Russian "military correspondents" also massively write about the attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the front line in the Zaporozhye region in the Orekhov region. 21:34 The United States announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $300 million. According to the Pentagon, the new package will include, in particular, additional ammunition for HIMARS; 155 mm howitzers; 155 mm artillery shells; 120 mm, 81 mm and 60 mm mortar shells; optical-tracking wire-guided (TOW) missiles; anti-tank weapons systems AT-4 and Carl Gustaf; Hydra-70 aircraft missiles, etc. 21:26 US Democratic presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. said that Zelensky could have avoided a war with Russia if he had publicly stated before the invasion that he had no intentions to join NATO. At the same time, he believes that pressure from the White House and radical officials in the Ukrainian government did not allow Zelensky to take such a step. 20:51 The first batch of mine-clearing equipment purchased by Canada worth more than $16 million has arrived in Ukraine, the Canadian embassy reported. 20:33 The European Union will provide Ukraine with ammunition worth 2 billion euros, Shmyhal said. He clarified that the EU member states will now send ammunition from their warehouses for 1 billion euros, another 1 billion euros will be allocated for their joint further purchases for Ukraine. In addition, Europe is increasing its ammunition production capacity, and 1 billion euros will also be mobilized for this. 20:27 Zelensky said at a press conference in Helsinki that the UAV attack on the Kremlin could have been organized by Russia to "motivate society" and accuse Ukraine of some crimes: "He [Putin] needs to do something drastic: that" assassination attempts ", then drones, then some kind of" geese that bombed them. "They will come up with certain steps every day. And everything is solved easier: no need to intimidate anyone, no need to use weapons, you need to get out of our territory." 20:18 Medvedev said that after today's "terrorist attack" there were "no options left except for the physical elimination of Zelensky and his clique." 20:15 The Russians fired at Nikopol twice in the Dnipropetrovsk region in a day: one person was injured, 13 private houses, two medical institutions, power lines were damaged, the OVA reported. 20:13 Russian strikes on Kherson continue: as of now, 18 dead and 46 wounded are known , the President's Office reported. 19:52 The head of the Servant of the People faction, David Arakhamia, believes that the attack on the Kremlin was carried out on the collective order of Russian oligarchs who were sanctioned because of the Putin regime. He clarified that this is his "personal opinion based on a series of insiders." People's Deputy added that this is the first collective game of the "offended club". 19:48 The leaders of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Ukraine, Finland and Sweden, following the summit in Helsinki, issued a joint statement in which they supported the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. 19:17 The "authorities" of the occupied Crimea said that the air defense forces shot down two attack drones in the southeast of the peninsula, there were no injuries or casualties. 19:14 Danish Prime Minister Matte Frederiksen said that the allies are continuing discussions about the possibility of transferring F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. "We have not closed this issue yet," she stressed. 19:11 Zelensky said at a press conference in Finland that Ukraine did not attack either Putin or Russia. He stressed that Ukraine only defends its territories, and even for this it does not have enough weapons, so Kyiv would not waste it on attacks on Moscow. "We did not attack Putin, we will leave this to the tribunal," Zelensky added. 18:36 EU ambassadors, after lengthy disputes, agreed on a scheme for the joint purchase of ammunition for Ukraine , the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union announced: "The EU ambassadors approved the decision to provide assistance under the European Peace Fund to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the amount of 1 billion euros for the joint purchase of ammunition and rockets. 18:34 Washington leaves it up to Kiev how to defend its territory in a conflict with Russia, Blinken said in an interview with The Washington Post, commenting on the "attack" of drones on the Kremlin. He also said that he expressed regret in a conversation with Kuleba about the massive leak of US secret documents. 18:23 In Russia, they continue to cancel the parade on May 9 - this time such a decision was made in Lipetsk and Yelets because of "possible provocations." According to the regional governor Igor Artamonov, small festive events will be held in parks and squares, which will prevent crowds. 17:41 Zelensky may cancel his visit to Germany due to the leak of information in the media, writes the German edition t-online, citing "sources close to the government of Ukraine." According to them, the Ukrainian side is "irritated and disappointed" that "very sensitive security information" was deliberately published by German sources. 17:36 As a result of a massive attack by the Russian Federation in the Kherson region on May 3, at least 16 people were killed , including 12 in Kherson, the Office of the Prosecutor General said. Another 22 people, according to preliminary information, were injured. 17:33 Blinken said the US has seen reports of a "attack" of drones on the Kremlin, but cannot yet confirm them. 17:07 Stories about "Kyiv in two days" have been replaced by the real season of "bavovna" in Russia itself. In recent days, something has been constantly exploding on the territory of the Russian Federation and the regions temporarily occupied by it. It even reached the Kremlin itself. Read more in the material A series of explosions in Russia . 16:56 Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin, after the "attack" of supposedly Ukrainian drones on the Kremlin, said that there could be no negotiations with the "Zelensky regime". 16:51 Zelensky said that he had met with the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Petteri Orpo and Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Stere and discussed support for Ukraine. 16:33 Prigozhin believes that the Ukrainian offensive has already begun: "I believe that everything has already begun. When will this move into an active phase? I think that in the near future." 16:19 Podolyak said that Russia is clearly preparing a large-scale terrorist act, so first it detains a large group of alleged saboteurs in Crimea, and then demonstrates "drones over the Kremlin." The adviser to the head of the Presidential Office emphasized that Ukraine is waging an exclusively defensive war and does not attack objects on the territory of the Russian Federation, since this does not solve any military problem, but gives Russia grounds to justify its attacks on civilians. "Secondly, we are watching with interest the growth of incidents and excesses taking place in different parts of the Russian Federation. The appearance of unknown unmanned aerial vehicles at energy facilities or the territory of the Kremlin can only indicate the underground work of local resistance forces. As you know, drones can be bought at any military store ... Because the loss of power control over the country by the Putin clan is obvious, but, on the other hand, Russia constantly talked about its total control over the air ... In a word, something is happening in the Russian Federation, but definitely without Ukraine's drones over Kremlin," Podolyak said. 15:55 Zelensky's press secretary Serhiy Nikiforov said in a commentary to BBC Ukraine that the President's Office has no information about the so-called night attacks on the Kremlin. According to him, this is "forcing the situation before May 9." "As President Zelensky has repeatedly stated, Ukraine directs all available forces and means to the liberation of its own territories, and not the attack of others," Nikiforov stressed. 15:18 Media publish the moment of the drone explosion over the Kremlin: 15:14 Zelensky is confident that Ukraine will receive aircraft after a successful counter-offensive: "Why do I believe that we will have aircraft? Because soon we will have offensive operations. And after them, I'm sure they will give us aircraft." 15:10 UN Secretary General António Guterres said that he had made a proposal to improve the grain deal to Moscow, Kiev and Ankara, he is counting on a response from Russia. 15:08 Peskov said that plans to hold a parade on Red Square on May 9 remain despite today's drone attack. He also said that Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time of the attack, and today he works in his residence near Moscow in Novo-Ogaryovo. 15:06 Zelensky announced that he began his visit to Finland with a meeting with President Sauli Niiniste. "Strengthening the capabilities of our soldiers on the battlefield and security capabilities for Ukraine is the main task of today's visit," he said. 15:04 Ukrzaliznytsia reported that a Russian shell hit a passenger car at the Kherson station, the conductor was wounded. By the time of the shelling, the landing had not been started, the passengers were in shelter. 15:01 The Ministry of Defense stated that not a single HIMARS installation has been destroyed by the Russians since the beginning of the war. The department assures that the installations are stored in places that are not afraid of even nuclear strikes. 14:56 The European Commission has officially confirmed that it has allocated 500 million euros for the urgent strengthening of the European defense industry, which will also strengthen military support for Ukraine. 14:43 The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate Putin . The Kremlin said that tonight the "Kyiv regime" allegedly attempted to strike with two drones on the Kremlin residence of the President of the Russian Federation. The drones were put out of action, as a result of their fall and the scattering of fragments there were no victims and material damage, Putin was not injured. The Russian side reserves the right "to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit," the Kremlin noted. The Kremlin called the actions of the "Kyiv regime" a "planned terrorist act, an attempt on the life of the President of Russia." Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that the capital of the Russian Federation has banned the launch of drones from today. 14:36 ​​The Russians hit the Kherson railway station: according to preliminary information, one person was killed, three more were injured. The ambulance was also damaged - the doctors were not injured, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. According to him, because of the morning shelling of the Epicenter hypermarket in Kherson, three people were killed and four were injured. Also today, three power engineers who were performing emergency and restoration work near the village of Stepanovka were killed by shelling. One person was killed in Tokarevka, another was wounded in Ivanovka. 14:25 The statement of the FSB of the Russian Federation about the alleged exposure of Ukrainian agents in Crimea who planned terrorist attacks and assassination attempts on the "leadership" of the occupied peninsula is a Russian IPSO, and there is no point in commenting on it, representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Andrei Yusov told Hromadsky. At the same time, he called it obvious that the Russian regime is afraid of Ukraine and the Ukrainian special services, in particular the GUR. "And they are doing the right thing, because there will definitely be retribution for all war crimes. The safest way for them is to voluntarily surrender to Ukrainian justice," Yusov added. 13:56 The work of the grain corridor may be suspended if positive results are not achieved at the talks in Istanbul this week, Turkish Presidential Speaker Ibrahim Kalin said. 13:37 Zelensky will arrive in Berlin on May 13 at the invitation of Scholz, the German newspaper Tagesspiegel reported. The chancellor is expected to meet the Ukrainian president, after which negotiations will be held with President Steinmeier. Then Zelensky will fly to Aachen for the presentation of the Charlemagne Prize. 13:18 The Rada adopted bill No. 8009, according to which it is allowed to retire from military service for those whose close relatives died or went missing during the implementation of measures to ensure national security and defense. 12:55 The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that a new round of consultations on the grain deal will be held on May 5 in Moscow with UN representatives. At the same time, Peskov said that "the reasons for optimism on the grain deal are still very modest, if not to say the opposite." Russia, he said, is interested in observing the terms of the agreements, but will not do anything that is contrary to its interests. 12:29 In Crimea, the Ukrainian resistance movement is strengthening its capabilities. His activity, along with strikes on Crimean military facilities, makes a depressing impression on the Russians, Vadim Skibitsky, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the MOU, said in an interview with Kyiv TV channel. According to him, Russians are afraid of everything on the peninsula: drones, partisans, and missiles. Skibitsky noted that the enemy moved most of the warships from Sevastopol to the territory of the Russian Federation, including Novorossiysk, in order to avoid their destruction. According to Skibitsky, the liberation of Crimea will depend on a number of factors: “Everything will depend on how our operation to liberate Crimea is planned. "gesture of goodwill. But it will not be very easy, because they consider Crimea the last fortress and will try to defend the peninsula to the end." 12:13 Zelensky arrived on an unannounced visit to Finland , local public broadcaster Yle reported. The Office of the Finnish President specified that Zelensky would meet with the heads of government of the Nordic countries today. 11:51 The division of the German IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile systems has destroyed more than 60 air targets since October 2022, said Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He recalled that at the end of April, the second division of IRIS-T had already taken up combat duty in Ukraine. 11:25 Russians today around 11:00 attacked the only working Kherson hypermarket: three people were killed, five were injured , Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said. 11:08 In Kherson, from 20:00 Friday, May 5 to 6:00 Monday, May 8, a curfew will last, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin. During these 58 hours, it is forbidden to move and be on the streets. The city will also be closed to entry and exit. "Such temporary restrictions are necessary so that law enforcement officers can do their job and not put you in danger," Prokudin explained. 10:44 The cause of the fire in the tank at the oil depot in the Krasnodar Territory, according to preliminary data, was the fall of a drone, Russian media reported. The fire area on the territory of the Kuban oil depot reached 1200 square meters. m, five fire trains were involved in extinguishing. 10:27 Russians hit Konstantinovka, Donetsk region, with kamikaze drones at night. Also during the day, the enemy fired on the city with artillery - one person was injured, two infrastructure facilities, multi-storey and private houses were damaged, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said. 10:05 Russians hit Tokarevka in the Daryev community of the Kherson region - residential buildings were damaged, according to preliminary information, one person died, the OVA reported. 09:52 The FSB announced that it had allegedly uncovered agents of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry who were planning a series of terrorist attacks in Crimea. According to the Russian department, among the targets allegedly were the "head" of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov, the "speaker of parliament" Vladimir Konstantinov, the "mayor" of Yalta Yanina Pavlenko, and the transport infrastructure of the peninsula. Roman Mashovets, deputy head of the Office of the Ukrainian President, was named as the direct organizer of the terrorist attacks. Members of the "Ukrainian intelligence group", citizens of Russia and Ukraine, Viktor Podvalny, Alexander Litvinenko, Sergei Krivoshein, Konstantin Yevmenenko, Igor Zorin and Sergei Voinarovsky, were detained in connection with the preparation of terrorist attacks in Crimea, the FSB reported. Petranov, a citizen of Ukraine and Bulgaria, was also detained, allegedly involved in the delivery of weapons to Russia. In addition, a channel allegedly organized by the Ukrainian special services for smuggling explosives from Bulgaria, passing through Turkey and Georgia, was opened. The bombs were camouflaged as electric stoves, the FSB said. 09:23 At night, the Russians launched two strikes on civilian infrastructure in Zaporozhye, said the head of the UVA, Yuri Malashko. 09:18 On Friday, May 5, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey will meet on a grain deal, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. 09:16 Russian publics write that Ukrainian drones allegedly attacked a military airfield in the Bryansk region on the night of May 3. According to preliminary data, five UAVs participated in the attack - two of them were destroyed, two more exploded on the territory of the airfield, and the fifth drone was not found. As a result of the attack, the An-124, which was not in operation, was allegedly slightly damaged, but there were no casualties. 09:10 In the Kherson region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, four people were killed, seven were injured, one of them was a child. Three people were wounded in the Donetsk region, and one person was wounded in the Kharkiv region, according to the IVA. 08:48 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of May 3. personnel - about 191,940 (+520) people liquidated, tanks - 3702 (+1), armored combat vehicles - 7199 (+6), artillery systems - 2946 (+16), MLRS - 544 (+0), air defense systems - 300 (+2), aircraft - 308 (+0), helicopters - 294 (+0), UAV operational-tactical level - 2505 (+28), cruise missiles - 947 (+0), ships/boats - 18 (+0), automotive equipment and tankers - 5865 (+14), special equipment - 363 (+3). 08:35 In Kirovograd at night, three enemy drones attacked an oil depot at once, said the head of the OVA Andrey Raikovich. There are no casualties, information about damage is being specified. 08:21 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions - it has launched more than 30 attacks. Bakhmut and Maryinka remain at the epicenter of hostilities, Ukrainian defenders are holding the line, the General Staff said in a morning report . In the Kherson region, forced passportization of the population continues: in order to speed up the process, the occupiers conduct demonstrative raids and intimidate local residents with deportation and alienation of property. The meaning of the events is that a column of empty buses arrives in the settlement, accompanied by representatives of the FSB, who, referring to the recently signed decree by Putin on the deportation of persons without Russian citizenship from the occupied territories, put people on a radical condition: either the refusal of a Ukrainian passport in favor of a Russian , or immediate eviction with confiscation of property. 08:06 One of the enemy drones of the Shahed-131/136 type fell into a private household in the territory of the settlement of the Kutsurub community of the Nikolaev region. A fire started, which was promptly extinguished by a subdivision of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service, no one was injured. The second kamikaze drone sent to Mykolaiv region was destroyed by the Defense Forces, the OVA reported. 07:54 Over the Dnipropetrovsk region, seven enemy drones were destroyed at night, and one hit the administrative building in the Dnieper. The fire has already been extinguished, people were not injured, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Lysak. 07:42 On the night of May 3, the Russians attacked Ukraine with Iranian-made kamikaze drones from the north (Bryansk region) and from the south (east coast of the Sea of ​​Azov), the Air Force command reported. In total, the enemy used 26 Shahed-136/131 drones, of which 21 strike UAVs were destroyed. 06:18 At night, the Russians attacked Kiev for the third time in the last six days - this time exclusively with drones, said Sergey Popko, head of the KGVA. According to preliminary information, these were Iranian Shahed UAVs, all of them were found and shot down, there were no casualties or damage. 04:59 In the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation, an oil depot broke out in the port, Russian media report. The explosion on the territory of Tamanneftegaz had previously occurred at half past three in the night. The fire was given the highest difficulty rating. The Governor of the Krasnodar Territory, Veniamin Kondratiev, said that, according to preliminary data, there were no dead and injured, as well as no threat to the settlement. 02:26 Ukraine has received all the weapons it asked for and is ready for attack and defense, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to liberate all the territories this year, Mark Milley, head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, believes. 00:01 Not only the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but also Russian propagandists are preparing for the counteroffensive. They will again have to explain to the Russians the defeat of what they once called "the second army of the world." In a fresh manual prepared by the presidential administration for Russian propagandists, state and pro-government media, among other things, are told how to cover the impending Ukrainian counteroffensive. More details in the material New training manuals .

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

FSB defeated the intelligence network of the Main Intelligence Directorate in the Crimea

2023-05-04

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin [ColonelCassad] The FSB has uncovered agents of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry who were planning a series of terrorist attacks in Crimea. Among the targets were the head of the Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, the speaker of parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, the mayor of Yalta, Yanina Pavlenko, and the transport infrastructure of the peninsula. Roman Mashovets, deputy head of Zelensky's office, was named as the direct organizer of the attacks. Mashovets personally recruited one of the members of the terrorist group in Krakow in the spring of 2022. Members of the Ukrainian intelligence group, citizens of Russia and Ukraine, Viktor Podvalny, Alexander Litvinenko, Sergei Krivoshein, Konstantin Evmenenko, Igor Zorin and Sergei Voinarovsky were detained in connection with the preparation of terrorist attacks in Crimea. The detainees found 5 ready-to-use bombs, electric detonators, radio-controlled mechanisms, trackers for surveillance In addition, a channel for the smuggling of explosives from Bulgaria, organized by the Ukrainian special services, was opened, passing through Turkey and Georgia. The bombs were "camouflaged" under electric stoves. More from regnum.ru Two attack drones shot down in Crimea Two strike UAVs shot down air defense forces in Crimea Two strike drones were shot down by Russian air defense forces in Crimea, Oleg Kryuchkov , adviser to the head of the republic on information policy, said on May 3 on a Telegram channel . “Air defense forces shot down two strike UAVs ,” the report says. Earlier, the head of the Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov , said that air defense forces had successfully worked out in the southeast of Crimea. According to him, there were no injuries or casualties. “Air defense forces have successfully worked out in the southeast of Crimea ,” wrote Aksyonov. As REGNUM reported , on May 3 a drone fell in Kolomna . According to the source, the drone fell in the forest. Emergency services went to the scene. They found fragments of a wing, an engine, and a small crater. On the night of May 3, Kiev tried to strike drones on the Kremlin residence of President Vladimir Putin. Two unmanned aerial vehicles were aiming at the Kremlin. The UAV was disabled with the use of radar warfare systems. The head of state was not hurt . The Kremlin regarded the strike attempt as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of President Vladimir Putin on the eve of Victory Day.

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