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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

'Madmen and Fruitless Victims.' Was the Battle of Tsushima a Defeat for Russia?

2025-05-28

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Stanislav Smirnov [REGNUM] On the night of May 14, old style (or May 27, new style), 1905, the ships of the Russian squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral Zinovy ​​Rozhestvensky entered the Tsushima Strait, leading from the East China Sea to the Sea of ​​Japan. Cruisers, battleships, destroyers and auxiliary vessels "sneaked" into Vladivostok with their lights out. The darkness and fog helped - it seemed that they had already managed to slip past the patrol ships of the Japanese fleet. But at about half past two in the morning the squadron was discovered. The Battle of Tsushima had begun... The battle between the Russian Second Pacific Squadron of Rozhdestvensky and the Japanese Combined Fleet under the command of Togo Heihachiro, which took place 120 years ago, is considered a key event of the Russo-Japanese War and one of the most sensitive defeats in the history of the Russian fleet and our armed forces as a whole. It was Tsushima, as the last battle of this war, that is considered the event that predetermined Japan's victory. But is this so? Before answering this question, let us recall the plot of the Battle of Tsushima. COLLISION ON A SHORT ROUTE The Second Pacific Squadron under the command of Rozhestvensky was formed in Kronstadt from combat-ready and under-construction ships of the Baltic Fleet back in April 1904, two months after the start of the war. The goal was to assist the 1st Pacific Squadron, which was in Port Arthur. After a long sea voyage, during which the situation in the theater of military operations changed significantly, the 2nd squadron approached the Japanese archipelago. Rozhestvensky was tasked with breaking through to Vladivostok to join up with the ships of the Siberian flotilla. It would have been possible to go around it - across the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of ​​Japan through the La Perouse Strait (between the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido and Sakhalin, which at that time still belonged entirely to the Russian Empire). But the squadron commander chose the shortest, but most dangerous route - through the strait between the Japanese island of Kyushu and Japanese-occupied Korea, past the Tsushima archipelago. At the same time, the squadron command did not have information about where and in what numbers the enemy ships might be. Admiral Togo, for his part, managed to place several cruisers in the path of our ships in advance, and it was not difficult to pull up the main forces of the combined fleet. The battle lasted two days and ended with a crushing defeat for the Russian squadron. It lost eight squadron battleships, one armored cruiser, three coastal defense battleships, five cruisers and six destroyers. The cruiser Almaz and the destroyers Grozny and Bravy managed to break through to Vladivostok. Three more cruisers, a destroyer and two transports went to Manila and Shanghai and were interned there. The detachment of Rear Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov, led by the battleship Imperator Nikolai I, did not accept the fight and surrendered. The destroyer with the ambiguous name "Bedovy", on board of which was Rozhestvensky, who was wounded in battle, tried to break through to the open sea, but was overtaken by the Japanese destroyers "Kagero" and "Sadzanami". Nebogatov, who surrendered and was released from captivity at the end of the war, was court-martialed. Rozhestvensky was forgiven upon his return, but was subjected to newspaper persecution and died of a heart attack in 1909. LENIN AND THE SAILOR And Tsushima, through the efforts of journalists and writers (starting with the essays “Madmen and Fruitless Victims” and “For the Sins of Others,” published under the pseudonym A. Zatyorty, a former sailor), began to be considered a symbol of the mediocrity of the “tsarist regime.” For 70 years, the only correct interpretation was considered to be that given to Tsushima by Vladimir Lenin in an article in the newspaper Proletariy on May 27 (June 9), 1905. In the article with the “selling” title “ The Defeat,” the author did not hide his sympathy for Japan: "Everyone expected this, but no one thought that the defeat of the Russian fleet would be such a merciless rout. Like a herd of savages, the armada of Russian ships flew straight at the magnificently armed and equipped with all the latest means of protection Japanese fleet. A two-day battle, and out of twenty Russian warships with a crew of 12-15 thousand people, thirteen were sunk and destroyed, four were captured, and only one (Almaz) was saved and arrived in Vladivostok. More than half of the crew perished, Rozhdestvensky himself and his closest assistant Nebogatov were captured, and the entire Japanese fleet emerged from the battle unscathed, having lost only three destroyers." The Baltic squadron “still inspired a shadow of hope in Russian patriots” – but, the Bolshevik leader stated, “ now even the last bet has been beaten.” The only true version was developed and immortalized in the 1930s in the epic " Tsushima " by Maxim Gorky's student, the Soviet writer Alexei Novikov-Priboy, who was also the author of pamphlets from the time of the 1905 revolution, the former sailor A. Zaterty. These pseudonyms were used by Alexei Silantievich Novikov, who served as a non-commissioned officer on the ship of the 2nd flotilla "Orel", who was captured by the Japanese and was clearly propagandized by the revolutionaries there. But ritual curses against “incompetent admirals” obscured a real assessment of the role of the fleet in the context of the Russo-Japanese War. UNFAVORABLE NEUTRALITY At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian naval forces in the Far East consisted of the 1st Pacific Squadron, based in Port Arthur, and the Vladivostok cruiser detachment. There were 7 battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 7 cruisers, 2 mine cruisers, 7 gunboats, 24 destroyers and 10 numbered ones in service. The core of the Pacific Fleet was made up of 7 squadron battleships with strong armor protection and large-caliber artillery. In general, they were inferior to the Japanese in the rate of fire of guns, speed and uniformity - qualities that are of great importance when maneuvering a squadron. It cannot be said that St. Petersburg did not underestimate the weakness of the fleet in the Pacific Ocean. Since 1898, a special shipbuilding program "for the needs of the Far East" was in effect with the goal of surpassing the capabilities of the Japanese fleet, calculated until the end of 1905. But even then, the need to transfer additional forces from the Baltic was hampered by the need to cover St. Petersburg and the likelihood of complications in relations with Germany. The sending of an armored squadron of the Black Sea through the Turkish straits was opposed by England. As already noted, although the Russo-Japanese War looked like a clash between two powers, the Japanese Empire had Western powers behind it. Great Britain and the United States maintained an "unfriendly" neutrality. This can be partly said about Germany as well - the Kaiser's instructors trained personnel for the army of Emperor Meiji. On the eve of the attack, Japan had a battle fleet that was superior to Russia's in quantity and quality: 7 squadron battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 7 light cruisers, 27 destroyers and a large number of auxiliary warships. Its shipbuilding program, aimed at building the latest battleships and cruisers mainly in English shipyards, was completed in 1903. FATAL EVENT In a surprise attack on Port Arthur on the night of January 27, 1904, the Japanese disabled the battleships Retvizan and Tsesarevich and the cruiser Pallada. On the same day, in the Korean port of Chemulpo, after an unequal battle, the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets were sunk. Thus, the struggle for supremacy at sea began with the failure of five Russian warships, including two squadron battleships. The enemy tried to destroy our squadron or bottle it up in the inner roadstead of Port Arthur. The attempts were repelled by fire from ships and coastal artillery. Admiral Stepan Makarov, commander of the Pacific squadron, who arrived in Port Arthur, began energetic preparations for active actions at sea. The Retvizan and Tsarevich were quickly repaired, minefields were laid, and cruisers and destroyers were on duty in the outer roadstead. On March 9, a Japanese armored detachment approached Port Arthur, but was successfully repelled by a Russian squadron that had come out to meet them. On March 29, 1904, Makarov personally led the squadron out to meet the Japanese fleet, which had again approached Port Arthur. But during the battle reorganization, the flagship Petropavlovsk, on which the commander and his staff were located, was blown up by a Japanese mine and sank. The entire crew, including Admiral Makarov, perished. This had fatal consequences for the struggle at sea. Weakened by the loss of combat capability of two more battleships and especially by the death of the naval commander, our squadron was no longer able to resist the superior forces of the enemy. This allowed the landing operation of General Yasukata Oku's 2nd Army in Southern Manchuria to be carried out without hindrance. At the same time, the enemy established a naval blockade of Port Arthur. Japanese ships regularly appeared near the fortress. But they also suffered heavy losses. And overall, our fleet dealt the enemy several sensitive counterattacks. AFTER THE VARYAG CAME THE RURIK On May 2, the battleships Hatsuse and Yashima were blown up and sank by minefields laid by the ship Amur. A day later, the same fate befell the destroyer Akatsuki. The Vladivostok detachment, consisting of 4 cruisers and 10 destroyers, was also active. It managed to carry out several raids in the Sea of ​​Japan, including to the enemy shores. Enemy communications came under attack, a number of transports were sunk, the enemy suffered significant material damage, and the detachment also diverted part of the Japanese naval forces. In early August 1904, a battle took place in the Korean Strait between three cruisers of the Vladivostok detachment (Rurik, Gromoboy, and Rossiya) and a detachment of four Japanese armored cruisers. The battle was equal. Gromoboy and Rossiya broke out of the encirclement and went to base. Rurik, having lost all its guns and half its crew, was sunk to avoid falling into enemy hands. It disappeared under the water with the St. Andrew's flag flying, repeating the feat of Varyag. But, alas, the Pacific squadron remained locked in the inner roadstead of Port Arthur. The attempt to break through to Vladivostok ended in failure. The artillery and personnel were tasked with helping defend the fortress. The guns of the Russian battleships and cruisers fired at enemy positions, and some were removed and transferred to the land front. As once in Sevastopol, the crews went ashore and participated in battles at the forts and redoubts. That is why in April 1904 in St. Petersburg they decided to send some of the Baltic Fleet ships to help Port Arthur. Later, Rozhestvensky's squadron was overtaken by Nebogatov's detachment of five ships and five transports. Rozhestvensky's decision to take a shortcut past the Tsushima archipelago was dictated by the fatigue of the crews. VICTORY AT A HIGH PRICE The Battle of Tsushima was by no means an easy victory for the Japanese over the “ cumbersome, absurd, powerless” Russian armada, as one might conclude from Lenin’s article. The shooting of our gunners was often not inferior to the Japanese. Historians note the combat skill and heroism of the crews of the battleship Admiral Ushakov, the cruisers Dmitry Donskoy and Aurora, the destroyers Grozny, Gromky (reached Vladivostok) and a number of others. Japanese losses amounted to at least 15 sunken and disabled destroyers. Several enemy battleships and cruisers were seriously damaged by Russian sailors' fire. According to incomplete data, the enemy's battleships alone received up to 150 hits from large-caliber shells. The flagship Mikasa took more than 30 shells and was out of action for a long time, having suffered great damage and lost over 100 crew members killed and wounded. The battleships Shikishima and Fuji, the armored cruisers Izumo (flagship of naval commander Hikonojo Kamimura ), Asama, Iwata and a number of other enemy ships suffered severely. But several factors did not work in our favor: the ships of Togo's fleet were distinguished by better equipment, uniformity, speed, and armor protection. The Japanese had almost a year of combat experience, while the crews of the Russian ships mostly consisted of recruits and those called up from the reserve, and also physically and morally exhausted by a seven-month sea voyage. A SALVO OF INFORMATION WEAPONS At the same time - and this must be emphasized - the clash at Tsushima, like other naval battles, was not decisive. The fate of the war was determined on land. And here, precisely at the time described, the scales tipped in Russia's favor. Thanks to the completion of the Siberian route and the transfer of several army corps, our Manchurian armies, firmly established in the fortified Sypingai positions north of Mukden, gained a significant advantage over the enemy, quantitative and qualitative, and it continued to grow. The army's morale was high. However, thanks to the efforts of the world (primarily Anglo-American) and opposition Russian press, "Tsushima" received an exaggerated significance. Now the demands to stop the "senseless war" were heard ever louder. In essence, an information war was launched against Russia. In order to calm public opinion, it was decided in St. Petersburg to meet the persistent Japanese proposals for peace negotiations. The Russo-Japanese War ended for Russia with certain concessions and losses, but by no means with a crushing "defeat" and "shame". One can argue about the correctness of the strategy chosen by the commander-in-chief of the Manchurian armies, General Alexei Kuropatkin, but it must be recognized that, given the enormous advantages of Japan, which had been purposefully prepared for war by "our Western partners" for almost a decade, such a strategy seems justified. The enemy never managed to utterly defeat our armies. There were no fatal encirclements or catastrophic "cauldrons" in this war. There were organized retreats and there were losses commensurate with the losses of the enemy. The latter circumstance concealed Japan’s main weakness, since in human and material resources it was many times inferior to Russia. Overall, the Japanese land blitzkrieg was a fiasco, since the enemy did not achieve the goals it set: to capture not only Korea and Manchuria, but also Primorye and the Amur region, to weaken the Pacific Fleet, and to compensate the aggressor for all of its war expenses. The negotiations in Portsmouth were conducted on the basis of the fact that “Japan did not win – Russia did not lose.” Emperor Nicholas II demanded from the Russian delegation: not an inch of territory, not a kopeck of contributions, otherwise - continuation of the war until complete victory. By the summer of 1905, Russia had a large advantage in troops, the morale of the Manchurian armies was high. The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway was completed, its capacity increased from 1904 from three to 14 pairs of trains per day, which ensured the rapid delivery of reinforcements. But internal turmoil forced the Russian government to agree to peace talks with the subsequent cession of South Sakhalin. Characteristically, the Portsmouth Treaty was regarded in the world as a success for Russian diplomacy, but in Japan it caused a storm of indignation and mass unrest. Yes, the lack of naval dominance prevented us from achieving a complete victory, ending the war with something like the capture of Berlin in 1945 or the defeat of the Kwantung Army in the fall of that year. But given the balance of power at the start of the events, such an outcome was simply impossible. And the non-military factors that influenced the outcome of the war (primarily the first Russian revolution) are a subject that requires separate consideration.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Russia sorties a group of warships to the Black Sea

2024-01-14

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Korrespondent] The frigate Admiral Makarov also returned to combat duty Russia has increased the number of warships in the Black Sea to 13, including a launch vehicle. The Russian army has increased the number of warships in the Black Sea to 13 units. among them there is a rocket launcher. The Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine reported this on Telegram. “Despite the storm, the enemy has increased the naval group in the Black Sea to 13 units, including 5 large landing ships and 1 surface missile carrier,” the message says. It is emphasized that the frigate "Admiral Makarov", equipped with up to 8 calibers, has been put on combat duty. “Pay attention to air raid warning signals. Do not panic, but be alert,” the Defense Forces urged. Earlier, the commander of the Ukrainian Navy said that the Russians had turned occupied Crimea into a huge military base for their fleet. Ukraine needs to destroy these objects so that the enemy cannot use this base, and this is exactly what it will do. Let us remind you that on January 4 it became known that a Russian command post was hit near Sevastopol. Serious damage was also caused to the defense system of the occupiers in Crimea.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: November 11th, 2023

2023-11-12

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] 20:32 Ukrainian border guards raised the flag of Ukraine in the village of Topoli , located in the gray zone of the Kharkov region. 20:26 In the Boykovsky (Telmanovo) Kalmius district of the Donetsk region, occupied since 2014, a blow was struck at the location of the Russians in the building of the former House of Culture and nearby, where the operational headquarters of the occupiers was located. About 10-15 people were killed, said advisor to the mayor of Mariupol Pyotr Andryushchenko. 19:54 The Russians fired at the road between the settlements of Staraya Guta and Novaya Guta, Shostkinsky district, Sumy region. The attack killed two men who were riding a motorcycle, prosecutors said. 19:45 The fleet of maritime drones created within the framework of the UNITED24 platform is one year old, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. He recalled that this is the world's first fleet of naval drones - "a unique development that changes the doctrine of warfare at sea and makes Russians fear for their ships." During this year, Ukrainian drones hit the Russian ships Admiral Makarov, Ivan Golubets, Ivan Khurs, Sergey Kotov, Neftyanoy Mayak, Akula and Serna. 19:07 During the Russian attack in the Kiev region, the tigress Tigger was seriously injured, reports the Wild Animal Rescue Center. After the explosions near the Center, she hit the bars out of shock, fell and still cannot get up. The tigress received anti-inflammatory and analgesic therapy. She probably injured her hind legs or spine. The rest of the Center's animals were not harmed, but suffered severe stress. 18:56 According to updated data, during the morning attack in the Kiev region, 18 residential private houses were damaged, the OVA reported. The blast wave and falling debris broke out windows and doors in households, and damaged roofs and facades. Business premises and a private enterprise were also damaged. No hits were recorded on critical or residential infrastructure, and there were no casualties. 18:21 As a result of a Russian shell hitting an apartment building in the center of Kherson, one person was killed and two were injured, the prosecutor’s office reported. 17:18 The Russians are massively recruiting Ukrainian children from the territory of the Russian Federation and forcing them to report mining in schools and other institutions, said Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets. From September 1 to October 20, the police received 708 reports of mining threats to schools. Lubinets stated the need to carry out explanatory work with minors in educational institutions. 16:47 The Russian Army fired artillery at Toretsk, Donetsk region: the shells hit residential buildings, two people were killed, the prosecutor’s office reported. 15:26 EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that American aid to Ukraine is likely to decrease, so EU countries must be politically prepared to compensate for it. He also believes that “Ukraine’s victory over Russia is not expected in the near future.” 14:53 The Russian military has become more active near Avdeevka, said Alexander Shtupun, spokesman for the Tauride Defense Forces. According to him, in addition to infantry, the Russian army uses a significant amount of armored vehicles. At the same time, Russian losses have increased sharply - they are attracting units that include convicts. “Activation does not happen just like that. The enemy’s total losses have increased by almost 30% compared to previous days,” Shtupun added. 13:17 If Russia again resorts to attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure this winter, Ukraine will consider attacking Russian oil and gas infrastructure, Energy Minister German Galushchenko said in an interview with Politico. 14:21 On the night of November 11, the Russians fired at the village of Chernobaevka in the Kherson region from Grad multiple launch rocket systems, one person was wounded, the regional prosecutor’s office reported. This afternoon, the Russian army massively shelled the center of Kherson - apartment and private buildings were damaged, there was no information about casualties. Over the past 24 hours, two people were killed and eight were injured as a result of Russian shelling in the region. According to the head of the Kherson OVA, Alexander Prokudin, in the year since the liberation of the right bank of the Kherson region from enemy shelling, 405 people were killed there, including ten children, and 1,705 people were injured, including 72 children. 12:32 December will be decisive for the war in Ukraine, as Kiev is trying to regain lost territories during the counter-offensive, Macron believes. He also said that it is the duty of France and its partners to support Ukraine. 11:39 Canada is preparing a new package of military assistance for Ukraine worth $385 million. The government of the country has already submitted a document on the allocation of funds to parliament and is awaiting its approval. The package will include firearms, drone cameras, pilot training and tank maintenance, among others. About $38.5 million is planned for the Canadian military training mission UNIFIER. 11:04 In the morning, the Russian Federation tried to attack Kiev with a ballistic missile - Iskander-M or an anti-aircraft guided S-400, said Air Force Commander Nikolai Oleshchuk. The missile was shot down by a Patriot air defense system. 10:25 In one of the districts of the Kiev region, during a Russian attack, two missiles hit a field between two settlements, said the head of the OBA Ruslan Kravchenko. The blast wave damaged five private houses, utility rooms and a private enterprise. No people were hurt. 09:38 Exactly a year ago, on November 11, 2022, the Defense Forces liberated Kherson. 09:23 Late in the evening of November 10, the enemy launched kamikaze drone attacks on populated areas of the Kupyansky, Chuguevsky and Kharkovsky districts of the Kharkov region, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. In Volchansk, Chuguevsky district, a two-story administrative building of a civil enterprise was damaged, at least two private houses were damaged in Kupyansk, and fires broke out. As a result of a suicide bomb attack on the village of Solonitsevka, Kharkov region, an educational institution and an inactive production facility were damaged. No people were hurt. 09:17 According to preliminary information, in the morning the Kiev region was attacked with a ballistic missile, said Air Force Speaker Yuriy Ignat. According to him, the air raid signal went off late due to the speed of the missile. Air defense forces repelled the attack. Earlier, residents of the capital heard strong explosions on the left bank, and the alarm went off after them. Public accounts wrote about a possible attack on Boryspil. 08:34 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of November 11: personnel - about 310,650 (+1130) people, tanks - 5342 (+25), armored combat vehicles - 10,041 (+24), artillery systems - 7527 (+38), MLRS - 879 (+2), air defense systems - 579 (+1), aircraft - 322 (+0), helicopters - 324 (+0), UAV of operational-tactical level - 5620 (+25), cruise missiles - 1559 (+1), ships/boats - 22 (+2), submarines - 1 (+0), automotive equipment and tank trucks - 9925 (+49), special equipment - 1069 (+9). 08:10 Over the past 24 hours, 87 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In the Kupyansk direction, the Defense Forces repelled enemy attacks in the areas of Sinkovka, northeast of Petropavlovka, Ivanovka, Kharkov region and Stelmakhovka, Lugansk region; on Limansky - near Novoegorovka, Nevsky and Serebryansky forestry of the Lugansk region; on Bakhmutsky - near Ivanovsky, Kleshcheevka and Andreevka, Donetsk region; on Avdeevsky - east of Novokalinovo, Stepnoy, Avdeevka, Severny, south of Tonenky and Pervomaisky, Donetsk region; on Maryinsky - in the Marinka and Novomikhailovka districts of the Donetsk region; on Shakhtarsky - near Staromayorsky, Donetsk region; in Zaporozhye - in the Rabotino district of the Zaporozhye region. At the same time, the Defense Forces continue their offensive in the Melitopol direction and assault operations south of Bakhmut, Donetsk region. 07:41 At night, the enemy massively attacked the Dnepropetrovsk region with drones. Five of them were shot down in Pavlogradsky, Kamensky, Dneprovsky and Krivoy Rog regions, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak. Two drones hit the building, causing a fire that has already been extinguished. 07:33 Air defense at night destroyed 19 of 31 attack UAVs Shahed-136/131 , which Russia attacked from three directions - Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Kursk and Cape Chauda (Crimea), the Air Force command reported. In addition, the Russians launched one X-31 guided aircraft missile from the Black Sea, one P-800 Oniks anti-ship missile from Crimea and one S-300 guided anti-aircraft missile from the Belgorod region. The Russians sent most of their attack UAVs to front-line areas. Air defense operated in Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Poltava, Sumy, Kirovograd and Kyiv regions. 05:59 Russia attacked Kiev with enemy drones, according to preliminary data - Shahed. Air defense forces hit all air targets on the approaches to Kyiv, the city military administration reported. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties or destruction. 00:47 In the city of Kolomna, Moscow region, late in the evening on Friday, November 10, explosions were heard, Russian media reported. The Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau is located in Kolomna, which is one of the leading Russian research and production centers in the field of military equipment. Explosions were reportedly heard near the design bureau . The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that air defense systems allegedly intercepted two Ukrainian drones over the territory of the Smolensk and Moscow regions. Simultaneously with the explosion in the Moscow region, a powerful explosion occurred at a gunpowder factory in Kotovsk near Tambov. After the explosion, a fire started. According to local residents, the fifth workshop of the enterprise exploded. Photos and videos from the scene of the incident appear online , showing a powerful explosion and glow.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

What does the West have to turn the Black Sea into a 'NATO lake?'

2023-04-15

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [REGNUM] The head of the Kyiv Foreign Ministry, Kuleba, called for "turning the Black Sea into what the Baltic Sea has become - into the NATO Sea." The alliance itself is considering plans for a rapid deployment of forces to the region and is working on Turkey to revise the regime of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. But there is at least one obstacle to turning into a "NATO lake" besides, in fact, the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. On the other hand, at least one new threat cannot be discounted. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba made a statement that (including, according to the Kremlin) contained a logical contradiction. "The time has come to turn the Black Sea into what the Baltic has become, into the NATO Sea," said Kiev’s foreign policy curator. At the same time, according to Kuleba's logic, the transformation of the Black Sea into a NATO-controlled military bloc should imply "demilitarization of the region." In July 2021, the same Kuleba stated that Russia is seeking to "turn the Black Sea into its own inland lake." "There will be no NATO here. NATO has many other seas, let them swim there. And they can’t swim in the Black Sea, they can only sink," the head of the Crimean parliament Vladimir Konstantinov answered Kuleba on April 14 . He recalled that after the Russian troops liberated the coastal regions of the DPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, Ukraine lost access to the Sea of ​​Azov, "the next stage is the loss of access to the Black Sea." On the other hand, we note that out of the six Black Sea states, three (Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey) are members of the North Atlantic Alliance, and two - Ukraine and Georgia - are rigidly oriented towards NATO. "Washington, after the collapse of the USSR, in the situation that arose, tried to find a way to turn the Black Sea into a NATO lake,” the Turkish edition Cumhuriyet noted a month ago , commenting on the White House statement: US aircraft will continue flying over the Black Sea, despite the incident with the American Reaper drone and the Russian Su -27. "ALMOST NATO" SEA The Black Sea is, of course, not a “NATO lake”, but the situation is strikingly different from the alignment of Soviet times, when only Turkey was part of NATO, the water area from Snake Island to Batumi was Soviet, and socialist Romania and Bulgaria were part of the Warsaw Pact. After the reunification of Crimea with Russia in 2014, the fleets of NATO countries began to show themselves more actively in the Black Sea. Poseidon, Sea Shield and Sea Breeze maneuvers and other interaction exercises were regularly conducted. In 2021, as part of the maneuvers, B-1B Lancer bombers of the US Air Force practiced strikes against the positions of the Black Sea Fleet, Forbes reported. At the same time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: NATO is studying the possibilities for the rapid transfer of forces to the Black Sea region and the deployment of reinforcements there. Before Turkey closed the Bosphorus and Dardanelles in March 2022, allied warships entered the Black Sea for the passage of warships of other countries, including the flagship of the US 6th Fleet USS Mount Whitney, the missile frigate of the French Navy D654 Auvergne, British Navy destroyer Defender. The latter, we recall, in June 2021 provocatively violated our border in the Black Sea, near the Crimean Cape Fiolent. In March of this year, the Sea Shield 2023 maneuvers took place in Romanian territorial waters, in which 12 countries - members of the North Atlantic Alliance, several dozen ships of the Romanian and Bulgarian Navy, 14 aircraft from the USA, Turkey, Romania and France were involved. The Alliance is also actively using the land infrastructure of its Black Sea members. Aegis Ashore anti-missile systems (which can be converted at any time to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, including those with nuclear warheads), we recall, are deployed at the Romanian Deveselu base, which is used by the United States. Last year, about 5,000 fighters of the US 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" were stationed at the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base near the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta. In February 2022, Stoltenberg announced the deployment of a NATO battle group in Romania, the size of which should roughly correspond to similar groups in the Baltic states and Poland - about 1,000 "bayonets." We are not talking about the use of the same Romanian Constanta and the Bulgarian port of Varna for the needs of the navies of NATO countries - this has become a routine. NATO aviation monitors Russian territory and monitors the activities of the Black Sea Fleet with the help of P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance and patrol aircraft, RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, RQ-4 Global Hawk drones and other aircraft. True, after the incident with the Reaper drone near Sevastopol, NATO is staying away from Crimea. “What Bulgaria and Romania have on their own militarily can be ignored,” Captain First Rank of the Reserve Sergey Ishchenko told REGNUM . But, he added, Turkey's capabilities are another matter. TURKISH DISSENTING OPINION The country has the second largest NATO army (over 355,000 "under arms") and - which is important in this case - a fairly strong navy. The Turkish fleet has, according to open sources, 16 frigates, 9 corvettes, 18 fast attack boats and 34 landing ships. Another thing is that Turkey keeps naval forces in the Aegean Sea - to "balance" Greece, in the Mediterranean - where, among other things, it covers Northern Cyprus. So the Black Sea direction with naval bases in Sinop and Samsun is unlikely to have a special account at the fleet headquarters (sitting at the Geldzhuk base in the Sea of ​​​​Marmara). But the most important thing in relation to Turkey is the political position of its current authorities, headed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, by virtue of which "the Turks will not let American ships into the Black Sea," Ishchenko believes. The oldest (since 1952) Black Sea member of the alliance is at the same time the least reliable US ally in NATO, and Ankara's relations with Washington have become especially aggravated on the eve of the presidential elections in Turkey. “Turkey is unlikely to use its potential in the Black Sea against us, at least now and in the foreseeable future, and they will not let the Americans through,” - noteds military expert Alexander Artamonov. Ankara strictly follows the restrictions of the Montreux Convention on the Black Sea Straits, adopted back in 1920. The document, we recall, establishes a different regime for the passage of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus for warships of the Black Sea and non-Black Sea powers (for the latter, restrictions on class and tonnage are introduced). Despite the proposals of the allies to circumvent the provisions of the convention or completely cancel the document of confrontation with Russia, Erdogan is unlikely to benefit from the strengthening of the United States (as well as the strengthening of Russia) in the region, Ishchenko is sure. "I think that with the current position of Turkey in the conflict and with their attitude towards the United States, they will not change the balance of power in the Black Sea. Because then, maybe, in general, it won’t seem enough to anyone if the 6th American fleet enters there - neither to us, nor to them," the military expert pointed out. "Türkiye takes a strike-breaking position towards NATO. She, although she remains a member of the alliance, is increasingly behaving as, rather, the organizer of the “Great Turan”, Erdogan’s project," agreed Artamonov. Another thing is that if Erdogan loses to Europe-oriented Kemal Kılıçdaroglu in the elections , Ankara will become more accommodating. But this by no means guarantees the transformation of the Black Sea into a "NATO lake", if only because of the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. BLACK SEA FLEET: NEW FORCES AND NEW THREATS "In recent years, the Black Sea Fleet has been strengthened, two Project 23,900 helicopter carriers have been laid down and are under construction in Kerch, which are superior in terms of their tactical and technical characteristics to the French Mistrals that have not been acquired," Artamonov noted. The Black Sea Fleet received new submarines with modern Lada-class missiles (the next generation after the Varshavyanka submarine, which replenished the fleet about ten years ago), the military expert added. The basis of the Black Sea Fleet are ships that were put into service in the 2010s: the new multi-purpose frigates of project 11 356 "Admiral Grigorovich" (2016), "Admiral Essen" (2016), "Admiral Makarov" (2017). The loss of the Moskva missile cruiser did not affect the fulfillment of the overall strategic task of the Black Sea Fleet in the NVO - the blockade of the Ukrainian segment of the Black Sea coast, Artamonov believes. "Everything in the Black Sea is in the shooting zone of Russian coastal batteries, in particular, mobile anti-ship systems “Bal,” so it makes no sense to talk about the possibility of setting up a blockade against Russia," the expert pointed out. The bases of the Black Sea Fleet are covered by: coastal complexes "Bastion" and "Bereg", air defense units with complexes S-400 and S-300, "Buk" and "Shell", silo-based coastal missile system "Utyos" - "ship killer", in the words American National Interest . But this does not mean complete protection from threats, Ishchenko believes. "Now the Armed Forces of Ukraine are working towards organizing an attack by drones on all the main bases of the Black Sea Fleet, including in Sevastopol,” the source said, according to whom the previous attacks on Crimea were reconnaissance in combat. “As part of the Ukrainian Navy, several units are being formed to control surface drones, similar to those that twice participated in the attack on Sevastopol," Ishchenko believes. It is necessary to revise the security of the bases, the interlocutor is sure. At the same time, Ishchenko notes that measures are already being taken to protect against possible attacks by surface drones. “I recently observed that in addition to the boom, which was put up at the entrance to the Sevastopol Bay, another row of booms was put up at the entrance to the South Bay, and submarine parking lots were surrounded by separate booms. That is, at least three barrier lines have been created, ” Ishchenko noted. THE BALTIC IS AN UNFORTUNATE EXAMPLE OF NATO CONTROL Let us add in conclusion: Kuleba's comparison of the Black Sea with the Baltic, which supposedly has already become the "NATO Sea", also looks strange. Possibly, the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry had in mind the entry of Finland into NATO and the possible accession of Sweden. But Kuleba for some reason ignored the presence of the Russian Baltic Fleet (both in Kronstadt and the ports of the Gulf of Finland, and in the Kaliningrad region - in Baltiysk and, in fact, in Kaliningrad). As well as the fact that the Baltic, unlike the Black Sea, is not so easy to "plug". “The Kaliningrad region is still not in the far part of the Baltic Sea, but in close proximity to the maritime possessions of Poland, Denmark and Sweden. And we have a sufficient number of ships assigned to Kaliningrad, ” Artamonov recalled. In the event that the NATO countries try to aggravate the situation, the Kaliningrad region, Russia's outpost in the region, will be reliably covered by the Russian Iskander-M operational-tactical complexes. Bastion supersonic systems are deployed in the Baltic, covering the forces of the Baltic Fleet - corvettes, small missile and anti-submarine ships. From the air, the region is protected by MiG-31I fighters (carriers of hypersonic "Daggers") and Su-30SM. The new military equipment of the Baltic Fleet, such as small missile ships of project 22,800 Karakurt and 21,631 Buyan-M, carries high-precision and long-range Caliber. The Russian leadership understands the situation that has developed after the entry of the countries of the region into NATO, therefore, more attention will be paid to increasing the capabilities of the Baltic Fleet in order to protect national interests in the Baltic. April 14, 2023 Mikhail Zakharov

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: October 30th, 2022

2022-10-31

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited [Korrespondent] 23:18 Poland, together with the EU, is ready to help Ukraine with the export of grain, the country's Foreign Ministry said: "Russia's decision to stop the Black Sea Grain Initiative is another proof that Moscow does not want to comply with any international agreements. Poland, together with its partners from the EU, is ready to continue to work to help Ukraine and those who need to transport the necessary goods." 23:09 Zelensky said in an evening video message that Russia is the only culprit that food will now rise in price from West Africa to East Asia: "Russia is the reason why people, in particular in Ethiopia, Yemen or Somalia, are left with a catastrophic food shortages... Vessels with agricultural products have to wait because Russia is blackmailing the world with hunger... What did the world hear? insects", now - "war grain" ... Killer wheat, from which Russian admirals are drowning. Well, what can I say? Really - sick people. But these sick people again put the world on the brink of a severe food crisis. " Zelensky stressed that the Russian leadership is more interested in aggravating the food crisis than in fulfilling the signed documents, and the grain corridor is a very specific example: “There are now 218 evidence that Russia does not want any real agreements. 218 ships waiting to be able to transport food along export contracts or enter Ukrainian ports. Week after week, Russia slowed down the grain corridor, despite its own promises to partners, and now blocked it completely. Ukraine, for its part, will do everything to make the grain export initiative work further." 22:00 The Joint Coordination Center reported that Kyiv, Ankara and the UN agreed on the movement of 14 ships in the Black Sea on Monday, October 31, as part of the grain initiative. The center reported that Russia had been notified. The SKC also said that on Sunday 6 ships left Ukrainian ports as part of a grain deal, but they have not yet entered the humanitarian corridor. 21:21 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexei Danilov called "nonsense" Russia's statement that drones in Sevastopol were launched from a civilian vessel that was used as part of the grain agreement: "Nonsense, some kind of paranoid thing. Aggravation, probably, in the autumn among representatives of the Russian Federation. It's simply impossible. Those ships that go out with grain have nothing to do with the processes taking place in our country in the occupied part of it called Crimea. The fact that they constantly invent something is paranoid things, the farther, the more " . Danilov also said that the suspension of Russia's participation in the grain agreement is blackmail on the eve of the G20 meeting: "You need to understand that this is the usual blackmail of the Russian Federation. The G20 meeting is to be held on November 15. Whether Russia as a country and the President of the Russian Federation will be present there is a big question ... In order to blackmail not only our country, but also the world, they imagined that they were leaving the so-called humanitarian corridor." 19:07 The Russians are preparing for the withdrawal of artillery units from the right-bank part of the Kherson region, with their subsequent possible transfer to other directions , the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in the evening report. Meanwhile, the "authorities" of the Kherson region are trying to create conditions in the controlled territory unsuitable for the local population. So, in Nova Kakhovka, since October 29, access to the Internet has been disabled, residents are informed through loudspeakers about the need to leave the region within 48 hours due to the alleged threat of missile strikes from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Medical staff of local hospitals and operational services of the city are subject to priority evacuation. In addition, the "authorities" issued a decree obliging entrepreneurs to sell all food products and close shops and markets from November 1. 19:02 The movement of 218 ships participating in the grain initiative is actually blocked due to the fact that the Ukrainian side, as of October 30, does not have permission from the Joint Coordination Center to pass through the safe corridor and conduct inspections, the Ministry of Infrastructure reported. Of these, 95 loaded vessels have already left Ukrainian ports and are awaiting inspection; 101 ships are awaiting inspection to enter Ukrainian ports; 22 loaded ships are waiting to leave Ukrainian ports. 18:55 The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that it is negotiating with the Russian side on a grain agreement: "During these meetings, the parties are reminded of the importance of avoiding all sorts of provocations that will negatively affect the continuation of the mechanism." 18:53 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said that Moscow will make a decision on the grain deal after all the circumstances of the attack on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the waters of Sevastopol are known. He recalled that Russia had convened a meeting of the UN Security Council, where this issue would be discussed. 18:44 Baykar announced that it plans to equip the Bayraktar TB2 and Akınc drones with air-to-air missiles to combat kamikaze drones and aircraft. 18:17 Zelensky said that he had held a regular meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief: "We discussed the operational situation at the front. We heard information about the possible future actions of the aggressor. We dwelled in detail on the issue of providing our army with ammunition and repairing military equipment. In conclusion, we analyzed in detail what has already been done to protect infrastructure and energy facilities steps". 18:12 Canada has prepared a new support package for Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. According to him, in particular, it is planned to issue Ukraine's Sovereignty Bonds; a new package of sanctions against individuals and legal entities of the Russian Federation, including the energy complex; delivery of 39 ACSV armored combat support vehicles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine; providing $55 million to the Red Cross to help Ukrainians; allocation of 15 million dollars for the organization of demining in Ukraine. 18:05 Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko commented on Lavrov's statement about Russia's alleged readiness to discuss realistic proposals on Ukraine with the West: "The only realistic proposal should be Russia's immediate cessation of the war against Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory beyond the borders as of 1991. Anyone who really wants to negotiate does not destroy the country's energy system so that its population freezes over in winter, does not engage in mass executions of civilians, does not shell residential areas, does not announce the mobilization of an additional 300,000 military personnel, does not block the supply of grain, does not put forward ultimatums. According to Nikolenko, Lavrov's statement is nothing more than another smoke screen to buy time against the background of the defeats of the Russian army: "As long as Russia continues to commit crimes in Ukraine, the answer should be one - on the battlefield." 17:23 The courage of the Ukrainian people in the fight against the Russian aggressor was awarded the Oxi Courage Award, which Zelensky received. The award ceremony was held at the Institute for Peace (USIP). The award was presented by National Security Adviser to the President of the United States Jacob Sullivan, and was received by Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova. 16:11 There are about 4,300 Russian servicemen on the territory of Belarus, Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said in an interview with The War Zone: “Cutting off supply lines from the west is a strategic goal of the enemy. military activity in Belarus, now the presence of the Russian military there is not so large, there are only about 4300 troops there.This grouping is very limited in heavy weapons systems, and the majority - about 80% - are mobilized personnel.So I can say that at the current stage there is no threat of invasion from Belarus." At the same time, Budanov stressed that the situation could change very quickly when Russia loses Kherson: "After leaving Kherson, this combat-ready group will be partially redeployed to the Zaporozhye direction, but some of them may move to Belarus and create a threat there." 15:56 The free world must unite to protect shipping with a military escort, said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. According to him, negotiations with Russia do not work, Putin violates agreements and blackmails everyone. Therefore, if the Kremlin continues to jeopardize grain exports from Ukraine, civilized countries should give a decent response, Landsbergis is convinced. 15:40 Prigozhin appealed to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation with a request to check the activities of YouTube. According to him, after the start of the "special operation" on the video hosting, an "information war against Russia" began. 15:28 Weapons from Ukraine could illegally get into criminal groups in Finland, Christer Ahlgren, senior commissioner of the country's National Bureau of Investigation, said in an interview with Yle. According to him, isolated cases were also recorded when weapons provided to Ukraine were found in Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The data obtained relates to small arms. Algren did not disclose more detailed information, as the data is still being supplemented and refined. "Ukraine is given a lot of weapons, and that's good. But we will have to deal with these weapons for decades and pay the price for it," he summed up and recalled that many previous wars in Europe were accompanied by the problem of weapons getting into criminal organizations. 15:05 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that the naval drones that attacked Sevastopol were moving along the security zone of the grain corridor, then changed the route in the direction of the Russian ship base in Sevastopol. The coordinates of the movement of one of the marine drones allegedly indicate the starting point in the sea area of ​​​​the security zone of the grain corridor in the Black Sea. "This may indicate a preliminary launch of this device from aboard one of the civilian ships chartered by Kyiv or its Western patrons for the export of agricultural products," the Russian Defense Ministry said. 14:17 US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken urged Russia to resume participation in the grain initiative and comply with the agreements. According to him, the failure to implement the agreement will directly affect low- and middle-income countries and world food prices, as well as exacerbate humanitarian crises and the situation in the field of food security. 13:41 Ukraine was forced to suspend the export of grain from seaports, Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov said: "The IKARIA ANGEL ship with 40,000 tons of wheat was supposed to leave the Ukrainian port today. This product was intended for Ethiopians who are on the verge of starvation. But from - due to the blocking of the grain corridor by Russia, export is impossible. 13:06 The Financial Times published an investigation in which, using the example of one ship, it showed how the Russians trade in stolen Ukrainian grain from the Zaporozhye region. First, they load grain in Berdyansk, then ship it to the port of Kavkaz in the Kerch Strait. They forge documents there, changing the origin of the grain, in order to later sell it to other countries. The Kremlin carries out its deals with buyers in Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iran. 12:39 The Russians blew up a bridge across the Red River near Krasnorechensky, Lugansk region, because they are afraid of a Ukrainian offensive, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Gaidai. According to him, the Russian command set the task of its troops to stop the advance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the invaders systematically attack Belogorovka. After heavy shelling, they send fighters to the platoon for reconnaissance. "Traditionally, no one returns. The orcs constantly lose cannon fodder, which they throw into settlements to determine the direction of fire and the presence of Ukrainian defenders," Gaidai said. He also said that fierce fighting continues in the Svatovsky direction, and yesterday the Russians blew up another bridge near Kremennaya. "The weather is getting better, which means that our defenders' business will go faster," Gaidai predicts. 11:38 Lavrov said that Moscow is ready to talk with the West to reduce tensions, but only if there are "realistic proposals based on equal approaches." 11:03 Peskov said that the desire of the United States to listen to the concerns of the Russian Federation, including those related to security, could become a platform for a conversation between Putin and Biden. 11:00 Italy delivered modern self-propelled guns and howitzers to Ukraine, writes La Repubblica. According to the publication, we are talking about the M109L self-propelled artillery mount, as well as the PzH 2000 howitzer, which Kyiv received as part of the fifth military aid package from Rome. Among the heavy weapons included in the previous support packages are M113 armored personnel carriers, six PzH 2000 heavy howitzers, and two MLRS multiple rocket launchers. PzH howitzers, according to media reports, will be sent to the Bakhmut area. The specific contents of the packages remain classified. 10:57 Rescuers are clearing the rubble of a partially destroyed building on the territory of the Svyatogorsk Lavra, the State Emergency Service reported. During the analysis of the blockage, the body of one deceased was found. In total, since the beginning of work, the bodies of two dead have been found here. 10:46 Borrell urged Russia to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the grain initiative: "Russia's decision to suspend participation in the grain deal threatens the main export route of much-needed grain and fertilizer to overcome the global food crisis caused by its war against Ukraine." 09:52 In Energodar, as a result of morning Russian shelling of the industrial zone, most of the city was left without electricity. Previously, they hit one of the substations, Mayor Dmitry Orlov said. 09:15 At least three ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation were hit by drones on October 29, including the flagship Admiral Makarov, according to a group of volunteers GeoConfirmed. The investigators came to this conclusion based on the analysis of photos and videos, in particular, footage from unmanned surface vehicles that were in the harbor and the sea near Sevastopol. 09:09 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of October 30. During the day, Ukrainian forces eliminated almost a thousand invaders. The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Donetsk and Liman directions. personnel - about 71,200 (+950) people liquidated, tanks - 2672 (+13), armored combat vehicles - 5453 (+52), artillery systems - 1724 (+16), MLRS - 383 (+3), air defense systems - 197 (+2), aircraft - 274 (+1), helicopters - 252 (+0), UAV operational-tactical level - 1412 (+6), cruise missiles - 352 (+1), ships/boats - 16 (+0), automotive equipment and tankers - 4120 (+13), special equipment - 154 (+2). 09:02 Russia can receive microchips for military purposes from washing machines and refrigerators purchased through third countries, writes Bloomberg. According to the agency, neighboring countries of the Russian Federation suddenly began to supply large volumes of household appliances from Europe: washing machines, refrigerators and even electric breast pumps. European officials are concerned about this phenomenon, because they believe that Russia can obtain microchips from this technology, which it needs for military purposes. 08:46 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, five civilians were killed - in Antonovka, Pervomaisky, Druzhba, Kleschievka and Elizavetovka. In addition, law enforcement officers found the bodies of five civilians who died during the occupation - two in Korovy Yar, two in Svyatogorsk and one in Liman. Eight more people were injured yesterday, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said. 08:03 During the day, units of the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Yakovlevka, Bakhmut, Bakhmutskoye, Aleksandropol, Kamenka, Avdeevka, Pervomayskoye, Krasnogorovka, Maryinka, Novomikhailovka of the Donetsk region, the General Staff said in the morning report . According to the General Staff, in Kherson, in the process of "evacuation", prisoners were taken out of correctional colony No. 90. The territory of the correctional facility is used by the enemy to accommodate personnel and military equipment. In settlements near Kherson, the enemy is preparing for defense. About a hundred Russian guards arrived from Grozny to the village of Kalanchak. 07:10 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that Russia is intensifying efforts to forcibly evict the inhabitants of the Kherson region and settle them with their soldiers. Some of the soldiers, according to analysts, are dressed in civilian clothes, which violates the laws of war. Such tactics, in their opinion, can be used by the Russian Federation to depopulate the regions of the Kherson region, populate them with civilian soldiers and create conditions for accusing Ukraine of striking civilian targets. 04:24 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Ukraine probably attacked the Grigorovich-class frigate of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation near Sevastopol. At the same time, the Russians did not admit any damage to the Grigorovich-class frigate, just as the Russian Ministry of Defense denied any damage to the cruiser Moskva. Ukraine did not claim responsibility for this attack. According to ISW analysts, if Kyiv ordered this attack, it would be a proportionate, even restrained, response to Russia's massive campaign of strategic bombing of civilian targets across Ukraine over the past few weeks. 02:22 The first step towards negotiations with the Russian Federation should be the withdrawal of the occupying troops from the territory of Ukraine, Zelensky said during a conversation with representatives of the faculty of Yale University. According to him, further conversation will also depend on how the Russians leave the country: “If the invaders leave after they are pushed back by our defenders, this is one format of dialogue. And if the invaders themselves leave our lands, there will be a smoother transition from war to diplomacy". 00:51 Thanks to Western supplies and its own drones, Ukraine now has an artillery advantage over Russian forces in the south, writes The New York Times, citing Ukrainian commanders and military analysts. According to the publication, Ukraine now has an advantage in both firing range and precision-guided missiles and artillery shells, which Russia largely lacks. The growing advantage of Ukraine in artillery made possible slow progress in the south towards Kherson. So, if in the summer in the Donetsk region, Russia fired about ten artillery shells for every Ukrainian shell, now in the Kherson region, Ukrainian commanders say that the sides fire about the same number of shells, but Ukrainian strikes not only have a greater range, but are also more accurate thanks to satellite guidance of rockets and artillery shells

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

City of Russian sailors

2022-10-31

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Commentary by Russian blogger Donetsk [DonRF] The events of yesterday and tonight involuntarily bring to mind the events of more than a century ago in another base of the Russian fleet - Port Arthur. For those who are not fond of history, there was a powerful squadron of the Russian fleet in 1904. Able to actively resist the Japanese. And they did not break into the forehead, but simply attacked her with torpedoes at night, damaging two battleships and one cruiser, after which, without fear of opposition, they equipped a maneuverable base on the nearby Elliot Islands, after which the only combat mission of the Pacific Oceanists was to dump them in Vladivostok, breaking through blockade. But this is the past, and yesterday: "At 4:20 am, the Kyiv regime carried out a terrorist attack on ships of the Black Sea Fleet and civilian ships that were on the outer and inner roads of the Sevastopol base. Nine unmanned aerial vehicles and seven autonomous marine unmanned vehicles were involved in the attack" The minesweeper was damaged, according to rumors in our TG channels, the frigate "Admiral Makarov" (not officially confirmed, in any case, if it was minimally decorative). The fleet repelled the attack. But this night in Sevastopol, according to rumors, there were explosions again in the TG. Moreover, there will be more explosions. Having created a base in Ochakovo even before the NVO (when I wrote that the 73rd Special Maritime Operations Center was being revived, and Britain was building a naval base there, they laughed at me in the year 2018 and called me an alarmist), they have their Elliots, from where they can influence the Main Fleet Base an unlimited number of times . And the fleet gets a fork of decisions - either spend all its forces on the defense of the base, as in Port Arthur, but lose the sea and the ability to influence the enemy, or make a gesture of goodwill, coupled with a successful regrouping in Novorossiysk, and lose the sea. The fleet cannot do otherwise, the army can. Ochakov is still not an island, it is a city on the mainland, close to which comes the Kinburn Spit, controlled by the Russian Federation. It can be smashed into the trash, you can advance from Kherson to Nikolaev, you can mine the water area or land troops ... Why it has come to this is understandable - a grain deal. Blackmail by the vulnerability of Kaliningrad and attempts to enter the negotiation track predictably lifted the blockade of the Ukrainian coast, and untied the hands of the Ukrainian Navy (more precisely, the British). The rest is a matter of technique. The deal was suspended yesterday. But for the most part, it doesn't change anything. For underwater UAVs were brought in (and he also wrote - they will be used against the fleet), the personnel were delivered, the control center was prepared for them. And just the UAV will be brought in and so on. Plus, the quite expected step of Moscow, Kyiv quite expectedly and parried - demanded to exclude the Russian Federation with Jay 20 ... for disrupting the grain deal. Whether it will come out or not is not clear, I think not, but there will be no consequences for this Kyiv. And for the Russian Federation there will be, dear people who have lost the well-established gesheft with such difficulty, will lobby with all their foolishness for its return and the withdrawal of the fleet to Novorossiysk. Plus the pressure of the West, plus the desire to freeze the conflict... If you look at the picture as a whole - while we are again banging our heads against the wall , we are advancing on Avdievka and Ugledar, where the best army in the world with old weapons, the NM DPR, has nevertheless achieved local successes, there where this is impossible in principle, as the PMC Wagner achieves them near Bakhmut, the enemy is strangling our right-bank foothold. Slowly and methodically. The strike on the Crimean bridge weakened the logistics, strikes on the fleet will make the group defenseless from the sea. All the same, 30 Calibers in a salvo is a terrible force. And the marines at the BDK are power. And if this power is removed from the Crimea ... The goal of the enemy is to push us back beyond the Dnieper. We will not go back, this is clear to everyone, except for the trade union patriots. And bare defense will not prevent this. And you can’t prevent a local offensive in the Donbass to divert reserves. Take the maximum. And the strikes on energy have been stopped. Fully. For there is nothing to spoil the life of partners. This is not our method, you need to wait until Western air defense enters there, until they restore part of the capacity, and then ... create a comfortable negotiating atmosphere. I will not continue further, the enemy will continue the attack on Sevastopol, and how will it end, if the evil is not resisted by violence, in the hope of an ordinary miracle of a negotiating track, the victory of the Republicans, the depletion of the enemy's resources - I think it's clear. And not a claim to the army, by no means, Comrade Surovikin skillfully crippled the enemy's electric power industry, strengthened the front, is trying to advance in different directions of the front to smear the enemy's reserves, as the Charter says. But no general makes political decisions. It's not theirs. And if politicians say to the morgue, in the sense of peaceful initiatives and gestures of goodwill, then it will be to the morgue, in the sense of negotiations, or rather their attempts.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: October 29th, 2022

2022-10-30

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited [Korrespondent] 23:53 Biden called the Russian decision to withdraw from the grain agreement "outrageous": "It is completely outrageous, it will lead to increased hunger. There is no reason for them to act like this." 21:56 The "authorities" of the occupied Kherson region said that Ukrainian troops fired 12 HIMARS missiles at the Antonovsky bridge, three missiles hit the target. 21:47 Zelensky, in an evening video message, called Russia's statement about withdrawing from the grain export initiative "predictable": "In fact, this is not their decision today. Russia began deliberately aggravating the food crisis back in September, when it blocked the movement of ships with our food. From September to the present, 176 ships have accumulated in the grain corridor that cannot pass on their route.This is food for more than 7 million consumers.Some grain carriers have been waiting for more than three weeks.Algeria, Egypt, Yemen, Bangladesh, Vietnam “These and other countries may suffer from another aggravation of the food crisis, which Russia is deliberately provoking.” The President stressed that a tough international response is now needed both at the UN level and at other levels, including at the G20 level. 20:28 Russia has officially notified UN Secretary General António Guterres of the suspension of participation in the grain deal. Russian media also report that Moscow has requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday, October 31, in connection with the "attack by the Ukrainian military on Russian ships and civilian vessels." 19:54 The UN is in contact with the Russian authorities after reports that Moscow has stopped participating in the grain agreement, spokesman for the organization Stephane Dujarric said: "It is vital that all parties refrain from any action that could jeopardize the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is a critical humanitarian effort with a clear positive impact on access to food for millions of people around the world." 19:01 Kuleba recalled that Ukraine warned about Moscow's intentions to disrupt the grain agreement, and called on the world to respond: "We warned about the plans of the Russian Federation to disrupt the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Now Moscow, under a far-fetched pretext, is blocking the grain corridor, which ensures the food security of millions of people. I urge everyone States to demand from the Russian Federation to stop the hunger games and return to their obligations. 18:43 Ukraine has not signed any grain agreements with the Russian Federation - the signatories are Russia, Turkey and the UN, Zelensky's speaker Serhiy Nikiforov said in a comment to Suspіlny. He recalled that Kyiv did not sign any agreements with Russia, because it understood that it almost never adheres to its obligations. Therefore, now we need to wait for the reaction of the signatories. 18:35 The Armed Forces of Ukraine have identified a group of pilots who will be sent for training on modern fighters, Air Force Speaker Yuri Ignat said. According to him, now Western partners must decide on the types of aircraft that they are ready to provide to Ukraine. 18:26 The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the grain agreement was suspended for an indefinite period, since the Russian side "can no longer guarantee the safety of civilian dry cargo ships." 17:58 Yermak called Russia's statement about withdrawing from the grain deal another blackmail: "The primitiveness of Russian blackmail in everything. Nuclear blackmail, energy, food ... Fiction about the "dirty bomb" that the whole world laughs at. Fictional terrorist attacks on their own facilities. ... Everything is too primitive and predictable. The agony of criminals who cannot understand that they will not achieve anything with infantile ultimatums. And that their time is coming to an end." 17:55 Moscow suspends participation in the implementation of the grain deal after the "terror attack" committed by the "Kyiv regime with the participation of British specialists" against ships of the Black Sea Fleet and civilian ships, the Russian Defense Ministry said. 17:47 The UK Ministry of Defense denied Russia's accusations of plotting terrorist attacks on Nord Stream: "To divert attention from its disastrous management of the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense resorts to false statements of epic proportions. This fictional story says more about divisions within the Russian government than about the West." 17:25 Slovenia handed over to Ukraine 28 M-55S tanks, which are a modernized version of the Soviet T-55 tank. This is the second large batch of weapons that Slovenia has transferred to Ukraine, the 24UR TV channel reported. These tanks were in the reserve of the Slovenian army - only 30 pieces. Under an agreement with Germany, the Ministry of Defense of Slovenia will receive 35 heavy loaders and five heavy water tanks for tanks to form a medium battalion group. 16:43 The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow will draw the attention of the world community, including the UN Security Council, to "terrorist attacks" in the Black and Baltic Seas, "including Britain's involvement in them." 16:30 Alexander Lapin, who commanded the Russian group Center in the war against Ukraine, was removed from his post, Russian military correspondents write. Recently, Kadyrov criticized him, accused him of retreat and called him "a mediocrity." 16:12 Journalist Andrei Tsaplienko reports, citing sources in law enforcement agencies, that as a result of nighttime explosions in Sevastopol, at least three Russian Caliber carrier ships were damaged, including the frigate Admiral Makarov. There is a high probability that several ships were not just damaged, but sunk, the journalist noted. 15:17 Yermak announced another exchange of prisoners: 52 Ukrainians were released - officers, medics, sergeants and soldiers. In particular, among them are 12 NGU fighters, including Azov, 18 from the Navy, eight from the State Border Guard Service, nine from the Troops, three soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and two civilians. The defenders of Azovstal, the defenders of Mariupol and the people who saved lives are returning home. The Ukrainian side managed to exchange the head of the surgical department of the Mariupol military hospital, who was at Azovstal, and the young military surgeon of the 65th military mobile hospital. A Marine also returned, whose wife had recently been released from captivity, a volunteer from Mariupol, a sailor from Zmeiny Island. Also, some military men taken prisoner in the Chernobyl zone are going home. Pushilin, in turn, announced the exchange of prisoners with Ukraine according to the 50-50 formula. According to him, among those returned by Ukraine there are seven people from the "DPR", two from the "LPR". 14:09 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that nine UAVs and seven autonomous marine drones were involved in the attack of the "Kyiv regime" on Sevastopol. "Insignificant damage", according to Moscow, was received by the sea minesweeper Ivan Golubets, as well as the bonnet barrier in Yuzhnaya Bay. The preparation of the "terrorist attack of the Kyiv regime" on Sevastopol was allegedly carried out "under the guidance of British specialists located in Ochakovo, Mykolaiv region." Representatives of the same British unit participated in the planning and implementation of terrorist attacks to undermine the Nord Streams, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. 13:23 In the Kherson region, there are the most trained and combat-ready Russian units - airborne troops, special forces and marines. These units form the backbone of the group, which is also reinforced by mobilized ones, Major General Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said in an interview with the American edition of The War Zone. "The combat component, that is, units that can pose any danger to us, is about 40 thousand. Kherson is in the middle of this grouping. These are troops in Kherson, in the regions of the western bank of the Dnieper, as well as troops that are deployed on the eastern shore," Budanov said. In his opinion, the operation to liberate Kherson will last until the end of November. 11:55 The Kremlin discussed the possibility of a nuclear strike on Germany at the end of last year, Spiegel writes, citing radio interception data during military maneuvers in the Baltic Sea. Then three targets were identified: Berlin, the US air base in Ramstein and the Büchel air base, where nuclear weapons are stored. Also, according to the publication, "rumors have been circulating in Berlin for several months that Putin threatened Scholz with a nuclear strike over the phone. Scholz denies this, but everyone knows that he can be intimidated." 11:14 Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that a large exchange "all for all" does not suit Russia yet, but the Ukrainian authorities are working on this issue. 10:41 For the first time in a long time, the Russians took their military equipment from the airfield in Chernobaevka - this is evidenced by satellite images of the SATELLOGIC company, published by military blogger Tim Earhart. The images from October 27 show that almost all vehicles have been withdrawn, and traces of the removed equipment are visible. 10:17 Ukrainian grain saved about 100 million people from extreme poverty, said the representative of the UN Secretary General Stefan Dujarric. According to him, the resumption of food exports from Ukraine had a great impact on the decline in prices for wheat and other products. He expressed hope that the agreement would be extended. 10:14 "Governor" of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev claims that air defense systems repelled drone attacks for several hours, all enemy UAVs were shot down, and a surface drone was also destroyed. 09:37 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of October 29. personnel - about 70,250 (+550) people liquidated, tanks - 2659 (+19), armored combat vehicles - 5401 (+23), artillery systems - 1708 (+9), MLRS - 380 (+1), air defense systems - 195 (+3), aircraft - 273 (+1), helicopters - 252 (+1), UAV operational-tactical level - 1406 (+5), cruise missiles - 351 (+0), ships/boats - 16 (+0), automotive equipment and tankers - 4107 (+19), special equipment - 152 (+1). 09:34 Over the past day, the enemy fired at the settlements of Chuguevsky, Kharkov and Kupyansky districts of the Kharkov region. Three people were injured in the Kupyansky district, Oleg Sinegubov, the head of the regional police department, said. 09:32 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, three civilians were killed - two in Kurdyumovka and one in Severny. Also yesterday it became known about eight wounded, said the head of the OVA Pavel Kirilenko. 09:27 Today and tomorrow, a controlled seizure and destruction of several munitions from the Second World War will take place in the Odesa and Bolgrad districts of the Odesa region, OVA speaker Serhiy Bratchuk warned. 09:19 Russians at night once again fired at three communities of the Dnepropetrovsk region - Nikopol, Marganets and Mirovska. Nikopol suffered the most, one person was wounded there, said the head of the OVA, Valentin Reznichenko. 08:25 Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Vodiane, Kamenka and Nevelskoye of the Donetsk region, the General Staff said in the morning report . As a result of pinpoint strikes by units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the area of ​​​​the village of Mayorsk, about 300 invaders were destroyed the day before, preparing for the next attack. About 60 more lightly wounded were delivered the next day to medical institutions in Gorlovka. In the village of Krasnopopovka, Luhansk region, up to 20 enemy servicemen were killed, and about 30 invaders were injured of varying severity. 07:12 "Governor" of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev said that the ships of the Black Sea Fleet are repelling an UAV attack in the waters of the Sevastopol Bay, "the situation is under control." The raid in Sevastopol is temporarily blocked, ferries and boats do not go through the bay, the Russian media specified, citing local authorities. 06:23 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russian troops are falsifying claims of progress in the Bakhmut region, pretending to have succeeded in at least one sector amid prolonged losses in northeast and south Ukraine. According to analysts, this should improve the morale of the Russian troops and the personal condition of Prigozhin. According to ISW, the occupiers made a limited advance towards the Ukrainian stronghold in Bakhmut, but at a very slow pace and with heavy losses. Prigozhin acknowledged the slow pace of the group's ground operations around Bakhmut on 23 October and stated that Wagner's forces were advancing only 100-200 meters a day. The statements of the Russians are actually exaggerated. 01:44 The Ukrainian military is already undergoing training under the NASAMS air defense systems training program, which will be completed in the near future, after which the systems will be transferred to Ukraine , Deputy Speaker Sabrina Singh said at a briefing at the Pentagon. 00:10 Zaluzhny, in a telephone conversation with the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, said that "despite the absolute fire advantage, an increase in the number of troops and, accordingly, attacks due to including those mobilized, the enemy is not successful. Thanks to courage and Due to the professionalism of Ukrainian soldiers and officers, our borders remain unchanged, and the defense operation is being carried out successfully in accordance with the plan."

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Video of today's attack on the Sevastopol Naval Base. Ukrainian Uncrewed Surface Vessels apparently managed to hit a Project 11356R frigate (presumably Admiral Makarov) & the Ivan Golubets Project 266

2022-10-29

Twitter Videos at link. Aftermath: Wagner telegram group confirms damage to the frigate Admiral Makarov in Sevastopol

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: June 14th, 2022

2022-06-15

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Korrespondent] 23:33 Podolyak explained why negotiations with Moscow are impossible at the current stage: "For us, any peace process today, which was in 2014-2015, is fraught with a postponed war. This is the first component. The second component must be very clearly understood if we stop where today, we will not get money, investments. Ukraine will rot from an economic point of view. No one will invest in a country with a postponed war." 23:05 The point of the Ramstein-3 meeting is for countries to get together and hear, first of all, from Ukraine, what it needs, and decide what contributions they want to make in the future, Julian Smith, US Ambassador to NATO, said on the air of the telethon. According to her, Washington receives information from Kyiv about its needs almost daily and connects Ukraine with those countries that can meet these needs. Smith announced the participation of almost 50 countries in the Ramstein meeting on June 15 in Brussels. 23:01 Zelensky asked Zaluzhny to be very attentive to reports in the media and social networks that some Ukrainian fighters do not have enough personal protective equipment: "The reports that I receive differ significantly from what is being discussed by society. And I expect verification logistics in the army - checking what is supplied and how personal protective equipment is distributed. Today, everyone who is in war zones should have enough of everything necessary for protection. The state provides such supplies. " 22:57 Zelensky announced in an evening video message about his conversation with the Prime Minister of Canada, as well as with the President of Ecuador, who was elected a member of the UN Security Council: "He informed about the current situation on the battlefield and called for increasing pressure on Russia to end this war. And this conversation with the President of Ecuador, and yesterday's conversation with the President of Guatemala, were only the beginning of our new policy of resuming relations with Latin America." 22:26 Zelensky, in an evening video message, said that Ukraine needs modern anti-missile weapons, and delaying its provision "cannot be justified." According to him, Kyiv made the first requests for anti-missile systems long before the full-scale invasion. And this week there will be many different negotiations, the president noted, "and not only with European politicians who are capable of providing Ukraine with modern anti-missile systems." 22:07 Since February 24, the Germans have donated 812 million euros to Ukraine - this is the largest nominal amount of charitable contributions from German citizens since the Second World War, the German Central Institute for Social Problems (DZI) reported. 22:04 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday, June 15, will chair a meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine in Brussels. The focus is on Kyiv's urgent demands to continue fighting Russia, the Pentagon said. 21:27 The Pentagon considers the Ukrainian side's assessment of daily losses on the battlefield to be reliable. According to the agency, the battles in the Donbass are fierce artillery battles. Kyiv said that every day in the battles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine they lose from 150 to 200 soldiers. “Ukrainians know better what they are dealing with and we are actively asking them for information about the conditions on the battlefield. In general, we consider their assessment reliable and reliable. I would say that the numbers are not beyond what you would expect from such kind of artillery combat," said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. 21:10 Today it became known that all the bridges across the Seversky Donets, separating Severodonetsk and Ukraine-controlled Lisichansk and the rest of the Donbass, were destroyed by the Russian army - the evacuation of civilians and the supply of humanitarian aid is now impossible. Russia, meanwhile, is gathering new forces. Read more in the material Azovstal 2.0? 20:49 An emergency hospital in Mariupol, on the basis of which an infectious diseases department is being opened, received a document warning of the possibility of a cholera outbreak, Piotr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city, said: “The order is to prepare. the number of corpses in the Seversky Donets River, "from where the Donetsk region takes water. Everything except Mariupol ... At the same time, all the public pages of the occupiers continue to write that the risk of cholera is a fake." 20:36 Lithuania will provide Ukraine with Turkish ammunition for Bayraktar TB2, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said. The Turkish company provided additional ammunition for the strike drone. 20:20 Mobilization in the Ukrainian army is proceeding according to plan, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said on the air of the telethon: "The consciousness of citizens is high and society is very motivated." Malyar added that the issue of mobilizing women in Ukraine is not on the table right now. 20:18 Putin probably still wants to capture a large part, if not all of Ukraine, US Under Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs Colin Kohl said: "I still think he has plans for a large part of Ukraine, if not all country. At the same time, I do not think that he can achieve this goal. <...> They can achieve tactical successes here and there. The Ukrainians are holding on. I do not think that the Russians are capable of achieving these grandiose goals." 20:10 The status of a candidate for EU membership is very important for Ukraine, since it will allow to consolidate the European vector of the development of the state, Kuleba said in a comment to NV: "Why is this status so important? It will legally strengthen Ukraine in the European integration project. This is a bullet point after decades European policy of strategic uncertainty in relation to Ukraine. Uncertainty that has ceased to be constructive." According to him, the green light for Ukraine's candidacy will destroy the long-standing narrative of Russian propagandists that "Ukrainians can never become part of the EU." 20:07 12 universities of the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine have simplified the admission procedure in 2022 as much as possible, said Deputy Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Kateryna Pavlichenko. So, an application for admission and all documents can be submitted online, and a multi-subject test is now optional - applicants just need to pass an oral exam right at the educational institution. A medical examination can also be taken at the university or at any medical institution of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There are benefits for the children of dead and wounded military personnel, as well as privileges for entering the magistracy for active military, rescuers, policemen, and Trooper fighters. 20:04 Washington intends to transfer intelligence information to Ukraine for strikes with the help of American missile defense systems, said US Deputy Secretary of Defense Colin Cole. 20:01 The Armed Forces of Ukraine repulsed the assault near the village of Berestovo and inflicted losses on the Russians, fighting continues near Zolote and in Severodonetsk, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports in the evening report . 19:55 The number of people injured from the fall of rocket debris in Zolochevo, Lviv region, has increased to six. Doctors assess their condition as satisfactory, all of them are now on outpatient treatment, said the head of the Lviv OVA Maxim Kozitsky. 19:53 The Russians have kidnapped the Vice-Rector of Kherson State University Maksim Vinnik, the Kherson edition of Most reports. According to eyewitnesses, it happened near the dormitory of the university, after the capture of the main building of the university. The command to seize Vinnik to armed people was given by collaborator Tatyana Tomilina, who led the capture of KhSU. Vinnik was taken away in an unknown direction. The publication reports that Maxim Vinnik has a disability and needs constant medical care. 19:44 State budget revenues in May amounted to 101 billion hryvnia, expenses - 250 billion, said the head of the financial committee of the Rada Daniil Getmantsev. According to him, the state budget deficit is $5 billion a month, it is covered by subsidies from international financial organizations. At the same time, Getmantsev added that it is necessary to attract these funds every month "with a battle." Hetmantsev clarified that the partners do not finance the military campaign - Ukraine pays these expenses from its own funds. 19:36 According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, 300 MLRS installations that Podolyak requested from the United States is half of all American stocks, writes The Guardian. According to the publication, the US Army has 363 Himars cargo rocket artillery guns and 225 M270 tracked launchers, and the US Marine Corps has 47 more. The UK has 35 of its own versions of the M270. And the powdered 1000 howitzers roughly correspond to the entire arsenal of the United States, which has 518 M777 towed howitzers of the type already delivered, the Marine Corps has another 481 units. The only request that could be assessed as realistic is 500 tanks. The United States has 2,645 Abrams tanks in service and about 3,450 more in storage. 19:25 The United States is working on a plan to export grain from Ukraine by rail with the creation of transshipment points on the border, including with Poland, Biden said in a speech on the economic situation in the United States. 19:12 Ukraine received from the West only 10% of weapons at its request, said Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar on the air of the telethon. According to her, the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not have enough weapons to successfully confront the Russian troops: “No matter how much effort Ukraine makes, we will not be able to win the war without the help of the West. From what Ukraine said, from what we need, we received only 10 %". 18:58 While performing a combat mission in the Kharkiv region, a well-known Kiev activist died, he was 24 years old. More details - in the material of the Russian Federation, the color of the nation is killing . 18:57 The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a single and unified form that will record the damage caused to the housing of Ukrainians by Russian troops. Now every citizen whose housing has been damaged or destroyed will have a digital document confirming their damage, Shmyhal said. 18:54 As a result of Russian aggression, 30 million hectares of Ukrainian territory require demining. The coastal waters of the Azov and Black Seas also need this. Currently, primary demining has already been carried out on more than 2 million hectares, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. 18:41 The ECHR recognized the Russian law on foreign agents as a violation of human rights. The case was considered nine years later, after the exclusion of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe and the refusal of the state to execute the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, BBC reports. 18:28 Zelensky said that the Ukrainians are not terrorists to shell the civilian quarters of Russia. So he answered the question of Danish journalists about whether Ukraine will shell the territory of Russia if the West agrees to it: "No. We are not interested in shelling civilians. We are not terrorists to shell civilian quarters. We are normal healthy people. This weapon is for us needed to liberate our state." The President explained that there are places in Ukraine where Ukrainian defenders are concentrated at a distance of more than 100 km from the Russian occupiers. Therefore, according to Zelensky, Ukraine needs appropriate weapons that would reach them at such a distance. 18:15 A rocket was also shot down over the Ivano-Frankivsk region today, Svetlana Onischuk, head of the OVA, said. There were no casualties or damage to infrastructure. 18:03 Zelensky said that Ukraine will be ready for negotiations with the Russian invaders only when the occupiers are ready to end the war: "I am not looking for a balance to agree on something. We know exactly what we are doing. I have no doubts "We are ready to speak only when the other side is ready to end the war. There is no time for chatter." 17:51 During a press conference for journalists in Denmark, Zelensky said that the speed of de-occupation of the state's territories depends on the supply of weapons to Ukraine, and any delay in this matter is fraught with stagnation at the front. And the strength of Ukraine and the ability to withstand the Russian army depend on the unity of Europe and the world: "If Ukraine is not strong, Russia will go further. Kyiv is not the finish line in its marathon." 17:33 In Mariupol, the invaders have strengthened the control regime. Despite the checkpoints removed inside the city, control over the exit towards the Zaporozhye region has become tougher. All the trails are not just plowed up - the invaders are partially mining, partially setting up new roadblocks, said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city. The issuance of entry and exit passes is blocked by bureaucratic refusals without explanation. The only way out of the city is Donetsk or Russia right away - "coercion to "self-deportation" is gaining momentum," the adviser said. 17:16 The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation announced that it limits the publication of data on budget reporting in order to minimize the risks of additional sanctions. 16:57 Syria is ready to recognize the independence of the "DPR", said Dmitry Sablin, coordinator of the group for relations between the State Duma and the SAR parliament, citing Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad. Until now, the independence of the "LDNR" from the UN member states, except for Russia, has not been recognized by anyone. The "republics" recognized only Abkhazia and South Ossetia. 16:49 The Cabinet of Ministers agreed on "transport visa-free" with the EU. According to Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Mustafa Nayem, Ukrainian carriers have been waiting for this for almost five years - "in short, the signing of this agreement will have the same significance for carriers as the abolition of visas with EU countries." According to Nayem, after the signing of the agreement on transport liberalization, the problem of lack of permits for international transportation will be finally resolved. The signing of the document is planned before the end of June. 16:28 Ukrainian air defense systems are not anti-missile, their main task is to shoot down enemy planes and helicopters, so not all missiles can be shot down, Yury Ignat, press secretary of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, explained: "We have air defense systems in service, and not missile defense. The main task of our anti-aircraft missile systems is enemy aircraft - planes, helicopters. But we also shoot down cruise missiles. Yes, unfortunately, not all of them." According to him, Russian missiles are high-tech and designed to be stealthy and fly at ultra-low altitudes, from 50 meters: "It can fly, say, along the Dniester, as it has been since the beginning of the war, it disappears from radar, and does not all air defense systems can destroy it." 16:20 In Mariupol, the occupiers actually stopped the exhumation of bodies, said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor. According to him, the Russians made the process of reburial of Mariupol residents as difficult as possible, shifting all the problems onto the townspeople. Now you need to wait for the investigator with the prosecutor to carry out the exhumation, take the body to Donetsk for a forensic examination and only then bury it in a specially designated place. And at each stage you have to pay. 15:47 The "LPR" stated that there are up to 2,500 military personnel on the territory of the Azot plant in Severodonetsk, of which up to 20-25% are "foreign mercenaries." 15:33 Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from United Russia Yevgeny Fedorov proposed to withdraw the recognition of the independence of three more countries - Ukraine, Estonia and Latvia: "We just started with Lithuania. And it is clear why - Lithuania is more dangerous for the Russian Federation in terms of the situation related to the Kaliningrad region and in confrontation with NATO and the United States. And after the mechanism is worked out, we will work it out in other NATO territories. And not only NATO. Here, Ukraine, for example, also illegally left the USSR." 15:18 Zelensky, in an interview with ZDF, stated that there is skepticism on the part of Germany towards Ukraine: "There is a certain skepticism of the German leadership towards Ukraine, I do not think that Scholz brought it. This is especially evident in relation to future membership in the European Union or NATO. All this skepticism was before Mr. Scholz. I believe that this attitude will change." 15:16 Training of Ukrainian military personnel in handling German howitzers will soon be completed, after which these weapons will be able to be used in Ukraine, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said: "In the near future, training on the Panzerhaubitze 2000 will be completed so that it can be used in combat in Ukraine ". 15:13 Zelensky, during a conversation with Danish journalists, urged Ukrainians who left because of the war abroad not to rush to return: "The war continues. The situation is still unsafe in several regions. I can't ask people to return ... Now it's everyone's choice. I must say that we are counting on each of you, Ukrainians, wherever you are." 14:48 Kiev is guarded by the 40th tactical aviation brigade, it was from there that the general image of the Ghost of Kiev came from, said Yuriy Ignat, speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to him, it was these military pilots who took upon themselves heavy blows to defend the capital in the first two weeks of the war. The enemy then prevailed in air battles 1:6 - 1:10. 14:45 Podolyak, in an interview with The New York Times, explained why Ukraine is persistent in defending Severodonetsk, instead of leaving the city and avoiding losses: “Russians are bad at fighting in cities. In cities, you can maneuver, find shelter, and minimize losses. You will be able to resist longer and inflict significant losses on the Russians." 14:41 Fragments of a Russian missile, which the air defense forces shot down over Zolochev, fell on a brick factory, four people were injured, including one child. Doctors assess the condition of the victims as mild and moderate, said the head of the Lviv OVA Maxim Kozitsky. The missile was launched from a southeasterly direction. 14:26 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that the Ukrainian side asked to organize a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians from the Azot plant in Severodonetsk to the territory controlled by Kiev in Lysichansk. But given that the last bridge over the Seversky Donets towards Lysichansk was blown up on June 13 (which Moscow blames on Kyiv), a safe evacuation there is not possible, the ministry said. In this regard, the Russian military announced their readiness to conduct a "humanitarian operation" to evacuate civilians from Azot to Svatovo "LNR", for which tomorrow a "humanitarian corridor" will be opened from 8:00 to 20:00 and allegedly "the safe evacuation of all civilians is guaranteed people" to temporary accommodation centers. And the Ukrainian military of the RF Ministry of Defense, located on Azot, is offering to "stop hostilities and release the civilians they are holding through this corridor, as well as lay down their arms." 14:21 The enemy uses strategic bombers remotely, primarily TU-160 and TU-95, which use high-tech missiles worth millions of dollars. But recently, there has already been a tendency for the enemy to save these expensive missiles, said Yury Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to him, today the enemy is increasingly using Soviet types of missiles, such as XA-59 and XA-22. The latter is one of the most destructive: its warhead is 900 kg, and it flies in the wrong direction. 14:14 The enemy has not flown into the territory controlled by Ukraine for more than two months, and this is a very good indicator of the work of the Air Force, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said. 14:09 The head of the Khmelnytsky OVA, Serhiy Gamaly, also said that today, during an air raid, air defense forces shot down an enemy missile. The wreckage fell into the field, according to preliminary information, there were no casualties and no damage. 14:06 In the Ternopil region, according to preliminary information, the air defense forces worked on several enemy missiles. Preliminary - there are no casualties and destructions, the information is being specified, said the head of the OVA Vladimir Trush. 14:03 Air defense forces shot down a missile over Zolochev, Lviv region, head of the UVA Maksim Kozitsky said. As a result of the fall of the rocket, a civilian infrastructure object was damaged, information about the victims is being specified. 13:44 Podolyak told the NYT that a number of countries are giving weapons to Ukraine as if they want to defeat it: "If you think that we must lose, just tell us straight: we want you to lose. Then we will understand why you give us weapons at this level. The adviser to the head of the OP added that some Western European countries, including France and Germany, are "hiding from the war." 13:42 The mayor of Ternopil, Serhiy Nadal, announced possible explosions in the city and urged residents to take care of safety. 13:41 Britain did not turn to Russia about the "sentenced" to death in the "DPR", Peskov said. He added that "in the event of an appeal to Moscow, the Russian Federation is ready to listen to their position." 13:37 The Ministry of Social Policy cannot deliver pensions to 300,000 pensioners in the occupied territories, Minister of Social Policy Marina Lazebnaya said on the air of the telethon. She recalled that the pension is delivered either by banks or by Ukrposhta, and called on Ukrainians to leave the occupied territories to receive the accrued funds. 13:32 Podolyak addressed the partner countries on the eve of a new meeting in the Ramstein format: "Each participant in the Ramstein format should close their eyes and imagine a world in which Russia has won. Morning rockets to croissants, night sirens to lullabies, the disappearance of cities with a thousand-year history. This world will become a reality if the current pace of arms transfers is maintained. We are waiting for a decision." 13:30 Air defense works in the Lviv region, said the head of the OVA Maxim Kozitsky. 13:21 Podolyak responded to Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who said that Georgia should be the first on the list of candidates for EU membership, and then Ukraine and Moldova: "No one enters the queue for death from Russian missiles. Ukraine pays a terrible price for the choice be a European democracy. The EU pays a heavy price to protect Western civilization. Because values ​​are more important than profit. What is more important to you? Candidacy line number?" Garibashvili said the day before that Georgia has earned the status of an EU candidate on the path of reforms carried out over the past nine years: "When they say that Ukraine is in a state of war and because of this it should be granted candidate status, I apologize if the assignment of status is determined by war We don't want war." 13:14 The terms of Ukraine's membership in the EU should be discussed only after the end of hostilities, said Minister Delegate to the French Foreign Ministry for European Affairs Clement Bon. 13:11 In the controlled part of the Donetsk region, the water supply is resumed, the head of the OVA Pavel Kirilenko said on the air of the telethon: "We are filling the tanks and taking all measures so that all remote cities, primarily Konstantinovka and Druzhkovka, have water." 13:09 A well-known metropolitan activist and intelligence officer of the 93rd Specialized Brigade Kholodny Yar Roman Ratushny died in a battle near Izyum on June 9, said the NGO Defend Protasov Yar , which was headed by Ratushny. 13:07 "DPR", having asked Russia for additional assistance, "is counting on more active use of ground-based and air-based missiles," said Eduard Basurin, a representative of the "People's Militia of the DPR". 13:05 The products of the Zaporozhye region have begun to be certified as made in the "DNR" or Russia, "which allows you to avoid additional taxation," said Vladimir Rogov, a member of the "main administration council": "Legally, it turned out that we are no longer Ukraine, but not yet Russia. A lot of large industries have fallen into this gray zone, that is, dozens of factories and all those enterprising people who provide hundreds and thousands of jobs. Now they have met us halfway." According to him, now the certification indicates not just "made in Melitopol, Berdyansk, Energodar", but, for example, "made in Melitopol, in Russia." 13:02 Ukraine has already returned dozens of children who were forcibly taken away by the Russian invaders, Vereshchuk said: "Today we are looking for these children, we are trying to compile lists. Each repatriation on our part is a real special operation." The minister also called on international institutions to help Ukraine and not to delay doing so, because now Russia is using children for anti-Ukrainian propaganda, and then they are going to be adopted. 12:51 For the second week in a row, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have tactical successes in advancing towards Kherson, which can develop into a full-fledged counteroffensive, adviser to the head of the Kherson OVA Serhiy Khlan said on the air of the telethon: "We are approaching Tomina Balka, and this is 20 kilometers to Kherson, where both once there are occupiers. Now the fighting is going on between Tauride and Tomina Balka." According to him, "no matter how hard the occupiers try to return, recapture the lost positions, nothing works for them, and they roll back even more." At the same time, Khlan stressed that the Ukrainian shelling is not as massive as the Russian one: "Unlike the invaders, ours work precisely: they hit the ammunition, equipment and personnel of the enemy. Unfortunately, for the orcs it does not matter that they get into residential buildings, APU is the opposite." 12:38 Additional conscription into the armed forces of the Russian Federation will not be required, "there are enough volunteers participating in the special operation," said Viktor Bondarev, head of the Senate Defense Committee. 12:34 The mayor of Severodonetsk, Alexander Stryuk, said that today it is impossible to evacuate people from Azot. Preparations are ongoing to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians. The Armed Forces of Ukraine protect the city, moving forward as much as possible. The Russians are destroying the surrounding villages in the south of Severodonetsk, the Ukrainian military periodically push the enemy back, do not allow these settlements to be captured. 12:26 The head of the Nikolaev OVA, Vitaly Kim, said that the harvest and its export would continue even during the curfew: "Lists of all those involved in the harvest will be formed to ensure unhindered work at night. We will try to take the maximum amount to where it is could be sold." 12:03 Zelensky said in an interview with ZDF that time is now playing on Moscow, which "doesn't care how long this war lasts." "We need to act, time is playing on the enemy, not on us," the president said. He explained this by the fact that the Russians "mainly earn on oil products, on the export of energy resources." 11:57 In the Zaporozhye region, another exchange of bodies of dead servicemen took place. Ukraine returned the bodies of 64 defenders of Azovstal, the Ministry of Reintegration reported. 11:34 Zelensky in an interview with ZDF commented on Biden's statement that Kiev did not believe the invasion warnings. In particular, he said that the Ukrainian authorities asked the West for help, but, despite the knowledge about the upcoming invasion, they did not provide such assistance: “The question arises: why was the airspace not closed, why were we not supplied with weapons before this invasion, and why were not temporary sanctions have been introduced in order to stop the President of Russia in a preventive manner?" "Let's be honest: we were preparing for this, at the beginning no one supported us, but now I am grateful to all partners for the support we have," the president added. 11:32 The Court of Appeal in Lvov has banned the pro-Russian party Nashi Yevgeny Muraev. The property of the party and all its cells is transferred to the state. 11:29 US billionaire Warren Buffett's son Howard donated $2.7 million to Ukraine. The funds he donated to the charity Spirit of America will go to nine buses for the needs of the terrorist defense, as well as to purchase 375 of the latest trauma kits for the military APU, Voice of America reports. 11:06 European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans supports granting Ukraine candidate status for EU membership: "Ukrainians defend our European values. And if, given this, they ask for the opportunity to join the EU, we cannot say no." At the same time, he noted that now it is impossible to name the terms of entry, and added that he understands the concern of some countries about the too rapid acceptance of a war-torn country. 11:03 Russians are testing new types of weapons and weapons prohibited by international standards in Ukraine, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said on the air of the telethon: "They actually use this war to test their new types of weapons, and all this is used here. They have some kind of weapon there is a "successful" test, some samples turn out to be extremely bloated in their quality characteristics, and it turns out that they cannot be used here normally at all. 11:00 The Russian missile ship Admiral Makarov is commanded by a former Ukrainian officer from Vinnitsa, who in 2014 remained in a military unit in Crimea captured by the Russians and continued to serve in the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. Now, according to the State Bureau of Investigation, he was informed of suspicion of treason. "The deserter returned to Ukraine in 2022 with the invaders. The ship under his command launched cruise missiles at Nikolaev and Odessa," the SBI said. 10:47 Slovakia intends to help Ukraine meet the criteria for obtaining the status of an EU candidate country, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said after negotiations with Scholz. According to him, Kyiv will need a team that will support Ukraine on the path to reform. At the same time, there should not be a simplified scheme for joining the EU, Heger noted. 10:39 In the Donetsk region, the invaders tried to scrap the components for the air defense system. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the commanders of one of the batteries of the 933rd anti-aircraft missile regiment of the Russian troops, in order not to get to the forefront, decided to make their equipment incapable of combat. They removed the control units from the Tor-M2U combat vehicles and decided to sell them at a collection point for precious metals. However, they named too high a price and came into conflict with an employee of the reception point, who immediately reported the “businessmen” to the “MGB DPR”. Now the command of the regiment explains the loss of electronic units as alleged military operations, and the "businessmen" continued to serve in the infantry units on the front line. 10:15 Officials in the Kherson region "appointed during the Ukrainian period and sabotaging work on the ground" will be removed, said Russia-appointed "deputy head" of the region Kirill Stremousov: "All those who sabotage work on the ground, all those who do not give in villages of a specific, clear position regarding our future development as part of the Russian Federation, will be removed in the near future. Many will simply be punished." 10:13 Governor of the Bryansk region Alexander Bogomaz said that due to the shelling of the village of Zaimishche, Klintsy urban district, several residential buildings were damaged, four people were injured. 10:11 In the Sumy region, the Russians fired at least 60 shells from mortars, self-propelled guns and MLRS, civilian infrastructure was damaged, said the head of the OVA Dmitry Zhivitsky. 10:09 The UN responded to the shelling of Donetsk, where, according to the "DPR", a maternity hospital was fired upon. The Secretary General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that "any attacks on medical facilities are a clear violation of international law." The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that the daily shelling and bombing of "non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region", which lead to civilian casualties, is of great concern. 10:03 Sanctions come into force today against three more large Russian banks - Sberbank, Rosselkhozbank and Moscow Credit Bank, which are disconnected from SWIFT. Bloomberg also reported that the world's largest banks JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs suspended transactions for servicing Russian debt obligations. 09:45 In Mariupol, the occupiers with collaborators are going to open the Drama Theater on September 10, Piotr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city, said. According to the announcement, "the new season will open with two or three dance and variety-concert numbers, as well as a theatrical production." 09:28 In the Kharkiv region, one person died per day, five were injured, including three children, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. On the territory of the region, hostilities continue: in the Kharkiv direction, the enemy is still concentrated on defense, in the Izyum region, the Russian army is trying to establish control over Bogorodichny and is preparing an attack on Slavyansk. 09:13 In Belarusian Gomel, there is a train with howitzers, among them 13 Acacia self-propelled guns were spotted - all new, with fabric at the end of the muzzle, reports the monitoring group of Belaruska Gayun. 09:11 Mayor of Severodonetsk Alexander Stryuk said that all three bridges across the Seversky Donets have been destroyed, but there are communication routes with the city. In the bomb shelters of Azot, which the Russians are bombing, 540-560 people remain, they have certain food supplies. 09:09 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of June 14th. The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Bakhmut direction. personnel - about 32,500 (+200) people liquidated, tanks - 1434 (+2), armored combat vehicles - 3503 (+11), artillery systems - 721 (+3), MLRS - 229 (+3), air defense systems - 97 (+0), aircraft - 213 (+0), helicopters - 179 (+1), UAV operational-tactical level - 588 (+3), cruise missiles - 125 (+0), ships/boats - 13 (+0), automotive equipment and tankers - 2473 (+13), special equipment - 54 (+0). 09:04 British intelligence reports that Russia's main efforts are focused on the attack on the Severodonetsk pocket, and its Western Group of Forces, probably for the first time in several weeks, made a little advance in the Kharkov direction. The first deputy chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission of the Russian Federation predicted that government spending on defense would increase by 600-700 billion rubles, which could approach a 20% increase in Russia's defense budget. However, the industry may struggle, partly due to the effects of sanctions and lack of experience. Russia's production of high-quality optics and advanced electronics is likely to remain problematic and could undermine its efforts to replace equipment lost in Ukraine, analysts say. 09:01 This morning, the Russians launched a missile attack on the Odessa region, OK Pivden reported. Two Onyx missiles were fired, the air defense forces destroyed the shells. 08:59 The "DPR" stated that during yesterday's massive shelling of Donetsk, in which the "authorities" blame the Ukrainian side, five people were killed and 33 were injured. 08:57 Russian media write that 88 Ukrainian prisoners from Azovstal were transferred from the Lugansk pre-trial detention center to the Sukhodolsk correctional colony near the border with the Russian Federation. 08:54 Biden extended sanctions against Belarus for a year. "The actions and policies of certain members of the Belarusian government and others, as well as the malicious activities of the Belarusian regime and ongoing abuses, continue to pose an extreme threat to US national security and foreign policy," the White House website said in a statement. 08:51 The Russians again fired at two districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region - Krivoy Rog and Sinelnikovsky, hit the Apostolovsky and Pokrovskaya communities from Hurricanes, said the head of the OVA Valentin Reznichenko. People, according to preliminary information, were not injured, houses in the Pokrovskaya community were damaged. 08:27 The United States is ready to provide Ukraine with $1.5 billion in monthly aid, First Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Derek Hogan said at a conference at the Woodrow Wilson Center. He stressed that US efforts are focused on providing Ukraine with medium and long-term assistance. Medium-term assistance is to support the continued operation of the Ukrainian government. "We have already allocated $1 billion for this purpose through various mechanisms and intend to send $1.5 billion more every month for four to five months," Hogan said. He noted that over the past three months, the United States has already allocated about $53.6 billion in assistance to Ukraine, including military, and this is the largest assistance that the United States has provided to Europe since the Marshall Plan. 08:10 The Russians continue to storm Severodonetsk, destroy high-rise buildings and Azot with artillery, said the head of the Lugansk OVA, Sergei Gaidai. The bridge, the premises of the regional State Emergency Service were destroyed, the nearby villages of Sinetsky and Pavlograd were shelled. At the same time, the enemy failed to advance in the Metelkino area. Active hostilities on June 13 were also in the areas of Toshkovka - Ustinovka, Orekhovo - Zolotoe, Kamyshevakha - Vrubovka, Vasilievka - Belogorovka, Nyrkovo - Nikolaevka. 07:53 In the Donetsk region, the suburbs of Dobropolye came under rocket fire, a residential building was damaged, there were no casualties, Pokrovsk Mayor Ruslan Trebushkin said. 07:41 The European Commission will recommend granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate country, Politico writes, citing sources. “Ukraine is the only country in Europe where people died, where people were shot because they were on the streets with EU flags. Now we can’t tell them: sorry guys, you were waving the wrong flag,” said one of the senior officials. However, the recognition of Ukraine as a candidate country will require the unanimous approval of 27 countries in the European Council, and now at least three of them are still opposed, the newspaper notes, without naming the country. 07:05 Russian troops have transferred additional battalion-tactical groups to the Severodonetsk direction. The enemy has partial success in the Bakhmut direction, is fixed in the village of Vozrozhdenie, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports in the morning report . The enemy also establishes full control over Bogorodichny north of Slavyansk, trying to gain a foothold in the center of Severodonetsk. 06:00 Vladimir Rogov, a member of the "main administration council" of the Zaporozhye region, said that "the task is to completely liberate the entire region and restore control over the entire border of the region." 05:36 Human Rights Watch reports that human rights activists are aware of thousands of examples of the use of booby traps and so-called surprise mines by the Russian army. For example, Russian mines were found in document covers, machine gun horns, children's toys, and candy boxes. However, the most cynical case was the installation by the Russians of a mine between a murdered mother and her living child, whom they tied to the woman's corpse. 04:11 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that the Russian occupation authorities probably staged terrorist attacks in Melitopol and Berdyansk on June 12 "Russia Day" to accuse Ukrainian partisans of attacks on civilians. According to ISW, collaborator Volodymyr Rogov, who heads the occupation administration in the occupied territories of the Zaporozhye region, made a statement that "terrorists" staged three explosions in Berdyansk, and then retracted his statements and defined the situation as an accident at a power plant. Rogov said that the residents of Berdyansk associated any emergencies in the city with "Ukraine's attempts to disrupt peaceful life in the" liberated "areas." "Deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs" Alexei Selivanov also said that unknown people planted an explosive device in Melitopol to disrupt the "Day of Russia." In turn, the head of the Zaporozhye OVA, Oleksandr Starukh, recalled that the Ukrainian authorities had warned about the possible terrorist activities of Russian troops by the "day of Russia." 02:14 In Ukraine, three thousand Britons are fighting on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, commander of the Georgian Legion Mamuka Mamuashvili told Sky News. In total, according to the publication, there are currently 20,000 foreign soldiers in Ukraine. 01:55 About 2,800 dollar millionaires may leave Ukraine by the end of the year - this is 42% of all citizens with a million fortune, the Henley & Partners analytical agency has calculated. At the same time, more than 15,000 dollar millionaires may leave Russia. 01:42 Berlin intends to expand military assistance to Ukraine and will supply additional weapons, Scholz told reporters in Berlin: "We are significantly expanding our support. We will supply Ukraine, including a modern missile defense system and a radar to detect artillery." The Chancellor recalled that Germany had already supplied Ukraine with anti-missile weapons, armored personnel carriers, and ammunition. At the same time, he did not specify the details and terms of new deliveries. 01:28 In Poland, two new combined-arms divisions will be formed, they will be deployed along the Vistula River, in the central region of the country, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said. 01:19 Zelensky, in an interview with ZDF, criticized Scholz's attempts to "keep a balance" in relations between Kiev and Moscow: "He and his government must make a decision: there should be no attempts to maintain a balance in relations between Ukraine and Russia." The President also urged the Chancellor to be more unequivocal in relations with Ukraine. 00:57 In total, about five Russian ships with 30-40 cruise missiles on board are present in the Black Sea near Odessa, the threat of an attack on the city remains. However, there are no signs of preparing support for such an attack from the land, and without such support, the attack is doomed to failure, Sergey Bratchuk, speaker of the Odessa OVA, said on the air of the telethon.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 31st, 2022

2022-06-01

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Korrespondent] 23:27 Russia has switched to outright theft of Ukrainian products in the territories temporarily occupied during the war. How is Ukraine trying to resist such robbery? About this in the material The economic side of the war . 23:15 The United States will announce new defense assistance to Ukraine in the coming days, State Department spokesman Ned Price said: "We must continue to strengthen Ukraine's ability to defend itself in the face of the Kremlin's brutal aggression, and we will have more to say in this regard in the coming days" . Price did not elaborate, but recalled that Washington has allocated about $40 billion, most of which is "intended for defense support of Ukrainian partners." 23:12 Washington is concerned about Moscow's attempts to institutionalize control over the territory of Ukraine, especially in the Kherson region, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said: "The Kremlin is probably weighing several approaches, from recognizing the so-called "people's republic" as Russia forcibly did in Donetsk and Luhansk, before the attempted annexation, as it did in Crimea." “We continue to sound the alarm now, especially after the unilateral decree of Russian President Putin, which will accelerate the issuance of Russian passports to citizens of Ukraine. Russia used similar tactics in Donetsk and Lugansk in 2019. <...> Russia will almost certainly fail to achieve the legitimacy of puppet governments on newly captured territories in Ukraine as protests continue and residents refuse to cooperate," Price added. 23:03 The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the Kherson region - the Russians were driven out of Nikolaevka, Kakhovka district, suffered losses and retreated to disadvantageous positions. Experts say that the counter-offensive will divide the Russian group and allow the invaders to be encircled in the Krivoy Rog direction. For more details, see the material Offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kherson region . 23:00 Zelensky addressed the Ukrainians, who are trying to urge the Armed Forces of Ukraine and tell them what to do: "Ukraine values ​​every opinion. But Ukraine values, first of all, every life. And this is an axiom. And Ukraine will never do like Russia, which throws people into the hell of fighting only because Moscow wanted to seize something in a few days or by a certain date. Our military, intelligence, the National Guard and everyone involved in the defense of the state, gradually, but inevitably frustrate all the plans of the invaders. " The President also acknowledged that the situation in the Donbass direction is very difficult: “Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Kurakhovo are now at the epicenter of the confrontation. Given the presence of a large chemical production in Severodonetsk, the Russian army’s strikes there, in particular blind air bombardment, are simply insane. On the first day of such a war, it is no longer surprising that for the Russian military, for Russian commanders, for Russian soldiers, any madness is perfectly acceptable. 22:28 Orban is "ruthlessly" undermining the unity of the EU in his own interests, and this will have its consequences, said German Economy Minister Robert Habeck. Europe's "strength and determination" suffered during the disputes over the sixth round of sanctions against Russia, he said: "This is a compromise, and perhaps we live in a time when too many compromises not only cloud but ultimately destroy clarity. ". 21:44 The Russians have been continuously firing howitzers at the village of Zolochiv in the Kharkiv region today for ten hours, the head of the Zolochiv community, Viktor Kovalenko, told Suspilny. According to him, Zolochev has never been shelled like this before. As a result, a 74-year-old woman died, and a 73-year-old woman was seriously injured. 21:19 The Russians have cut off communications in southern Ukraine, and it will not be possible to restore it in the near future, the State Service for Special Communications of Ukraine said. 21:11 A number of OPEC members are exploring the possibility of suspending Russia's participation in the OPEC + deal amid Western sanctions, writes The Wall Street Journal. 20:56 Washington will provide Kiev with weapons for protection within the borders of Ukraine, but not beyond its borders, said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. 20:53 In the de-occupied territories, railway communication has been restored by 45%, and electricity supply has been restored in 85% of the de-occupied cities, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Kirill Tymoshenko said. According to him, medical institutions have resumed work in 326 settlements, and pharmacies have opened in more than 400. All substations operate in the Kyiv region. Currently, power engineers are working on connecting each individual house or apartment in accordance with the submitted applications. 20:37 President of the European Council Charles Michel believes that the process of approving the sixth sanctions package against Russia will end on June 1 or 2. 20:13 Most of Severodonetsk is controlled by the Russians, the head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai said on the air of the telethon. At the same time, according to him, the city is not surrounded, but because of the shelling it is impossible to deliver goods and carry out evacuation. 19:49 The EU plans to ban the insurance of tankers carrying Russian oil as part of the sixth package of sanctions, writes The Wall Street Journal. According to oil traders and ship owners interviewed by the publication, the ban on European companies to insure tankers with Russian oil will become a serious financial weapon, since few people dare to transport oil without insurance. 19:42 As a result of an enemy airstrike on Severodonetsk, a tank with nitric acid at a chemical plant was damaged, the authorities urge local residents to stay in shelters, said the head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai. 19:15 The investigation has established the names of more than 600 Russians suspected of committing war crimes in Ukraine. Criminal proceedings have been launched against about 80 of them, Venediktova said. 19:13 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that old Soviet tanks and combat vehicles are being removed from storage in Belarus - they can be transferred to Russia to make up for losses. 19:11 Shmyhal said that for more than three months, support for Ukraine's allies amounted to $7 billion. According to him, the Cabinet of Ministers at today's meeting approved the conditions for attracting financial support from the Canadian government in the amount of about $800 million, as well as a draft agreement with the EU on providing Ukraine with 330 million euros. 19:08 French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said that the European Commission will give an opinion on Ukraine's application for EU membership on June 15. 19:07 Almost all major EU countries, except Italy, oppose granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for accession, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said following the summit of EU leaders: "Only we are for the status of an EU candidate for Kiev. Against the status of a candidate for Ukraine in the EU "Almost all major countries object. I would say, all except Italy. <...> But it is necessary to provide a fast path for Ukraine to join. And it seems to me that the European Commission also agrees with this point of view." 19:00 Following the summit, the EU adopted a statement in which it turned to Russia with a request to unblock Ukrainian ports for grain export: "The European Council strongly condemns the destruction and misappropriation of agricultural production in Ukraine by Russia. The Russian aggressive war against Ukraine has a direct impact on global food security and accessibility.The European Council calls on Russia to stop attacks on transport infrastructure in Ukraine and lift the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports by allowing food exports specifically from Odessa." Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine Mykola Solsky said that about 1.5 million tons of grain were blocked in Ukrainian ports. 18:53 Zelensky said at a briefing that Ukraine will not rush to de-occupy territories if it requires tens of thousands of victims, but will wait for the necessary weapons: "We are not attached to the date of de-occupation, we are attached to people. If these or those of our steps, our operations related to the de-occupation of this or that region will be associated with tens of thousands of our dead people, then we will wait for the appropriate weapons in order to save our people to the maximum ... Because these territories without living Ukrainians, we, frankly, are not in priority". The President also explained the complexity of the situation in the east: "The situation is complicated in the east due to the fact that the largest number of equipment, military formations, battalions of both the Russian Federation and traitors who are collaborators, separatists, representatives of the conditional "DPR" and "LPR". They concentrated all their forces there in order to carry out this or that plan." At the same time, the head of state assured that Ukraine would de-occupy the entire territory that belongs to it historically and according to all international laws. 18:50 Kuleba said that Ukraine, together with the UN, is working on creating a sea corridor for the export of Ukrainian grain: "Russia is playing games with hunger for the world, blocking food exports from Ukraine with one hand, and trying to shift the blame to Ukraine with the other. Ukraine is working on organizing international operation under the auspices of the UN, with the involvement of partner fleets, to ensure a safe trade corridor without security threats. 18:44 In the Donetsk direction, the enemy, supported by artillery and mortar fire, is conducting active assault operations in the Severodonetsk and Bakhmut directions, the fighting continues, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports. The enemy is trying to establish full control over Severodonetsk and surround the units of the Defense Forces. He is preparing for an offensive in the directions of the settlements of Seversk and Raygorodok. 18:42 In Mariupol, all the cars found in the city - intact and damaged - without owners, the invaders began to bring to the site of the Azov market. As the adviser to the mayor of the city Petr Andryushchenko said, this is considered the beginning of the accounting of "finds". If the owners do not show up before July 1, all cars will be recognized as the property of the "young republic". 18:38 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: "In the face of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, EU member states are uniting to strengthen defenses, ensure reliable and sustainable energy supplies and mobilize against the emerging global food crisis." 18:36 In the Black Sea, one carrier of high-precision weapons continues to be ready for use - the frigate Admiral Makarov , which has up to eight Caliber-type cruise missiles on board, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said. 18:34 Poland and a number of other countries are discussing the introduction of secondary sanctions that would exclude oil supplies from Russia to third countries, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said following the EU summit. 18:19 The Biden administration will give Ukraine missile systems that will be able to hit targets at a distance of more than 64 km - almost twice as much as in M777 howitzers. The systems and missiles will arrive in Ukraine within a few weeks, and military training will take up to ten days, writes The Wall Street Journal. 18:17 Gazprom announced that from June 1, it will stop deliveries to Shell Energy Europe in Germany and to the Danish Orsted, as it had not received payments from them by the end of the day on May 31. Both companies said earlier that they would not pay in rubles. 18:15 The United States decided to send to Ukraine high-precision multiple rocket launchers, which Ukraine has repeatedly requested from Western partners. Experts said that the MLRS could change the course of the war, and in Russia they call their supply a "red line" and threaten to escalate. However, Biden said that these would be shorter-range missiles. More details - in the material the United States will give Ukraine MLRS . 18:10 Sanctions against the Russian Federation will be in effect "for a very long time," Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said at a press conference after an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in Brussels: "Let's not be mistaken: these sanctions will be in effect for a very, very, very long time. So all trade lines will be changed for many years, if not forever." 18:08 The SBU detained the leading design engineer of the State Enterprise Antonov for supporting the Russian "special operation", the prosecutor's office of the Kiev region reported. According to the investigation, during March-April, a resident of Irpen, "having pro-Russian sentiments, distributed publications on social networks aimed at supporting the actions of the Russian Federation and justifying its armed aggression against Ukraine." 18:04 The UN proposed to create a contact group on the withdrawal of ships with grain from Ukrainian ports, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said: "The UN has a proposal - the creation of a quadripartite contact group consisting of the UN, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine. We said yes "To this, in principle, a meeting at the technical level. There was an idea for its implementation, but there has not yet been a full consensus on this issue." Cavusoglu noted that Russia and Ukraine have also generally agreed on this issue, but the details are yet to be discussed. 17:56 Greece will supply Soviet-style tanks to Ukraine, and Germany will provide a replacement, Scholz said. 17:23 Rescuers got the bodies of four dead from under the rubble of a 16-storey building in the Industrial District of Kharkiv, the State Emergency Service reported. 17:11 Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan intends to open an office in Ukraine to investigate the crimes of the Russian Federation in Ukraine: "We cannot fly in and out. In the next few weeks we will work on opening an office in Kiev. We have already seen it, we have there is very good cooperation with the Attorney General. I think it is very important." 16:48 The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry welcomes the "green light" from the EU to the introduction of the sixth package of sanctions from the embargo on Russian oil and calls for the preparation of the seventh package of sanctions, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Ukraine worked at all levels to make the sixth sanctions package a reality... Ukraine worked in this case as a single well-coordinated team. The oil embargo will accelerate the countdown of the collapse of the Russian economy and the military machine," Kuleba said. According to him, the Ukrainian side has already submitted relevant proposals. 16:29 Representatives of a group of countries working on the investigation of Russia's war crimes in Ukraine have gathered in The Hague today, writes AP. The coordination meeting is being held at the EU judicial cooperation agency Eurojust with the participation of members of the Joint Investigation Team and International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan. The Joint Investigation Team, consisting of Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland, was set up at the end of March, weeks after the ICC launched its investigation into Ukraine. Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia joined the investigation team. 16:06 Canada has imposed sanctions against four Russian companies and 22 individuals, including Kabaeva. 16:03 The State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine announced the arrest of 115 objects and corporate rights of Russian Tatneft. Arrested billions of hryvnia Russian owners of the oil company. They are suspected of financing actions taken with the aim of forcibly changing and overthrowing the constitutional order, seizing state power, committed by a group of persons by prior agreement. 15:54 Law enforcement officers are investigating why the Russians were able to capture the Kherson region so quickly and why they freely crossed the isthmus from Crimea, which was allegedly cleared before that, head of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said in an interview with Ukrinform: "Even I have a final answer about what happened there , unfortunately not at the moment, but we definitely need to get an answer with you." 15:52 Putin must be removed from power, otherwise the use of brute force by Russia will continue, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in an interview with Sky News: "Putin will always threaten and blackmail us. Of course, we would like to be completely removed, he represents brute force, and Russia is a superpower." At the same time, Morawiecki stressed that threats and blackmail from Putin cannot be avoided if he wins the war - then "the whole of Europe will no longer be safe." 15:47 More than 100,000 screens around the world broadcast Ukrainian courage, Mikhail Fedorov, head of the Ministry of Digital Development, said: 15:40 Russia is taking Ukrainian children to the Rostov region to grant them Russian citizenship. As Piotr Andryushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, said, 540 orphans from the Donetsk region are kept in the Romashka sports and recreation complex in the village of Zolotaya Kosa, Neklinovsky district, of which 267 are from Volnovakha and Mariupol. Now children are being prepared for a simplified procedure for granting Russian citizenship in accordance with recent changes to Russian legislation. The process is supervised by Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children under the President of Russia. Sources report that the occupying authorities received an order to bring homeless children from Mariupol to this particular camp. 15:34 The Rada voted for the introduction of a new public holiday - the Day of Ukrainian Statehood. It will be celebrated annually on July 28, the Day of the Baptism of Russia. 15:32 Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Igor Zhovkva said in a Reuters commentary that Kiev is dissatisfied with the EU's decision on the oil embargo: "If you ask me, I would say that it's too slow, too late and definitely not enough. We are definitely not happy." 15:26 The mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, said that two collaborators who had seized power in the village of Terpenye were injured as a result of an explosion in the city center on May 30. 15:10 The Rada appealed to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine with a demand to impose sanctions against Patriarch Kirill and seven other representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church. 15:08 Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said that Poland, "to all appearances, is already moving on to seizing territories in western Ukraine." He also said that against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine, American corporations and banks "are rapidly expanding into Europe, have taken control of part of the gas market." 15:05 The ban on the import of crude oil from the Russian Federation to the EU will take effect six months after the introduction of sanctions, the ban on petroleum products - eight months later, they said at a regular meeting of the European Commission. 15:03 The Rada dismissed Lyudmila Denisova from the post of Commissioner for Human Rights, People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak said. 234 deputies voted for this decision. There will be no appointment today. 15:00 Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will arrive in Ankara on June 8 to discuss the formation of a humanitarian corridor for the supply of wheat across the Black Sea. 14:51 One OSCE employee was released from Russian captivity, three more remain in custody, the organization's Secretary General Helga Schmid said. 14:37 Slovak President Zuzana Chaputova spoke in the Rada. She stated that the country would supply Zuzana howitzers to Ukraine, take care of Ukrainian refugees, and support Ukraine's entry into the EU as soon as possible. 14:25 Lukashenka announced a KGB "special operation" in Ukraine. According to him, it consisted in the release of dozens of Belarusians who were allegedly in Ukrainian captivity: “Obviously, not of their own free will, they turned out to be hostages, and not only the situation, but also individual desires of the worst people in Ukraine. When the special operation of the Russian Federation began, our people, several dozen remained there, frankly, hostages of the situation, and they had to be returned home to their families." Lukashenka added that before the start of the so-called "operation of the Belarusian special services," two citizens were allegedly killed by Ukrainians. “When the time comes, we will deal with them,” he stressed. 14:03 The Servant of the People voiced claims against Ombudsman Denisova. According to people's deputy Pavel Frolov, the first is the "incomprehensible concentration" of Denisova's media work on the details of "sexual crimes in a perverted form" and "child rape", which she could not confirm with evidence. The Ombudsman also avoided the issues of organizing humanitarian corridors and the exchange of prisoners and spent a lot of time abroad after February 24. 13:46 The number of collaborators in the ranks of law enforcement agencies is no more than 1%, First Deputy Interior Minister Yevgeny Enin said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine. According to him, in total, the National Police investigators opened 500 criminal proceedings on the facts of collaboration activities. Six police officers were declared suspected of treason and collaboration activities. Enin noted that a mass transfer of law enforcement officers was recorded in the Donetsk region - about 80 police officers were identified there who went over to the side of the enemy. At the same time, compared to 2014, there are very few people left in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who are ready for betrayal. Then whole garrisons went over to the side of the enemy. 13:34 The Russians hit Slavyansk from the Iskander missile system tonight, the National Police reported. 13:28 Kherson "authorities" together with Russia are studying the possibility of restoring industrial enterprises in the region. In particular, the Elektromash plant is ready to produce spare parts for Kamaz trucks, Kirill Stremousov, "deputy head" of the region, said. He also stated that the Kherson shipyard and shipyards will be ready for full-fledged work "after the liberation of the Nikolaev and Odessa regions." 13:22 The "head" of Melitopol, Galina Danilchenko, after the assassination attempt on the "governor" Yevgeny Balitsky, announced that she was resigning from her position. According to RIA Melitopol, citing its sources, Danilchenko was offered to resign on one condition - to surrender to the special services of Ukraine. According to media insider information, following the car that exploded on the morning of May 30, a car from Danilchenko was moving from the Kvartal shopping center. The explosive planted in the manhole behind the Storm cafe went off while the car was moving and could clearly have been assigned to Danilchenko. 13:03 Lavrov said that if Kiev "solves the problem of demining ports," then the Russian Navy will allegedly provide "unhindered passage" of ships with grain to the Mediterranean Sea. 12:58 Ukraine needs guarantees from the UN and third countries to export grain from the country's ports, Kuleba said in an interview with La Repubblica: "The Kremlin's unilateral guarantee is not enough for us. We need third countries that will take responsibility for compliance with the agreement. We are also satisfied UN intervention. We are primarily interested in getting the grain to those who need it." 12:37 Residents of some districts of Nikolaev and suburban villages are recommended to temporarily leave the city because of the threat of shelling. In particular, if possible, they are asked to leave the Korabelny and Ingulsky districts of the city, as well as from the villages of Polygon, Nikolaevskoye, the NARP district, Kulbakino, the Military Commandant's Office of Defense said. 12:29 Ukrainian troops can leave Severodonetsk, the head of the Lugansk OVA, Serhiy Gaidai, told the BBC: "The Russians are attacking Severodonetsk from several directions. Unfortunately, they have already managed to enter the city, and the situation is very difficult." At the same time, Gaidai added that Ukrainian troops have not yet left the city and continue to resist. "But if they need to move across the river to Lisichansk to save troops, they might do it," he suggested. 12:08 The Kotelevsky district court of the Poltava region found guilty two Russian military men Alexander Bobykin and Alexander Ivanov, who fired at Kharkiv region from multiple launch rocket systems. Each of them was sentenced to 11.5 years in prison. 12:02 People's deputies expressed no confidence in the Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova. Now the issue of her dismissal should be considered by the parliamentary committee, after which it will be submitted to a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada. 11:56 Ukrainian refugees in Russia are summoned for interrogations and demanded to confirm Kiev's war crimes. According to Russian lawyers and volunteers who work with Ukrainian refugees, investigators are interviewing people as witnesses in some criminal cases. People are being pressured to confirm that they were allegedly shot at by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the oppositional Russian channel We Can Explain writes . Lawyers say that almost all refugees eventually agree with the version of the investigation. "People have experienced absolute hell. Everyone hand over their phones. The task is to survive, get out and leave. They don't even read what they sign. I have no doubt that volumes will appear with evidence of the crimes of the Azov battalion, Aidar, etc.," said one of the lawyers. 11:49 The Kiev city military administration showed how the first line of defense of the capital is being equipped. He will be at a great distance from the city to secure Kyiv in case the enemy makes a new attempt to capture. 11:43 The gas embargo will not be included in the next package of EU sanctions against Russia, said Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. He explained that it is much easier to compensate for Russian oil. In turn, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo believes that it is time to pause the sanctions against Russia and assess the consequences of those that have already been introduced. 11:41 Bulgaria, according to the new package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, will refuse to supply Russian oil only by the end of 2024, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said. 11:39 The occupying "authorities" of the Zaporozhye region are going to celebrate the Day of Russia in Melitopol on June 12. Also in Melitopol, they began accepting documents for obtaining Russian citizenship, Vladimir Rogov, appointed by the Russian Federation, said. Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Marat Khusnullin said that the accelerated procedure for issuing Russian passports to residents of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine has already been launched, on May 30, more than 50 people submitted applications. 11:28 In Kiev, maintenance of beaches and recreation areas is carried out as usual, but the beach season will not start yet. According to the Kyiv City State Administration, in the territories of the capital's beaches and recreation areas, they will begin to examine the bottom of the water areas for the presence of explosive objects. Under the conditions of martial law and for the safety of citizens, it is not yet recommended to visit these places. 11:26 Over the past day, the enemy fired at the Osnovansky and Kievsky districts of Kharkov, as well as Kharkovsky, Izyumsky, Chuguevsky and Bogodukhovsky districts of the region. As a result, three people died and 14 were injured, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said. Also, according to him, shelling of settlements in the region continued this morning, a 12-year-old child and a woman were killed, another civilian was injured. 11:12 France creates a special group to investigate the circumstances of the death of journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff in the Lugansk region, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country Catherine Colonna. According to her, the group will be headed by Ukrainian law enforcement officers. She also addressed the press and urged to give due publicity to the death of a member of the media community. 10:55 The EU cannot prevent Russia from selling oil to third countries, but hopes that it will have to be sold at a discount, Borrell said. Also, according to him, the conflict in Ukraine proved to the EU that soft power is not enough, and therefore the EU should become a military force. In addition, Borrell allowed the imposition of sanctions against Patriarch Kirill. 10:50 Gazprom announced that it had completely stopped gas supplies to the Netherlands in connection with the refusal to switch to payments in rubles. 10:39 After the start of the war in Ukraine, the whole world lined up for Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones, drone designer Selcuk Bayraktar said, Reuters reports. According to him, Baykar can produce 200 such drones per year. The designer also added that he is proud that his equipment helps defend Ukraine: "This is an illegal invasion, so TV2 is helping the respected people of Ukraine to defend their country." 10:32 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of May 31. The enemy suffered the greatest losses over the past day in the Kryvyi Rih and Zaporozhye directions. personnel - about 30,500 (+150) people liquidated, tanks - 1358 (+9), armored combat vehicles - 3302 (+20), artillery systems - 649 (+6), MLRS - 207 (+2), air defense systems - 93 (+0), aircraft - 208 (+1), helicopters - 174 (+0), UAV operational-tactical level - 515 (+8), cruise missiles - 120 (+2), ships/boats - 13 (+0), automotive equipment and tankers - 2275 (+11), special equipment - 48 (+0). 10:23 Orban said that Hungary is exempt from the oil embargo. 10:19 The Russian military controls approximately half of Severodonetsk, the head of the CAA, Alexander Stryuk, said on the air of the telethon. He also urged civilians not to come out of hiding as street fighting rages on in the city. 10:02 In the Mariupol port, 2.5 thousand tons of steel coils were loaded onto the Russian vessel RM3 and transported to the port of Rostov-on-Don. Also, the occupiers have already announced the "nationalization" of the remaining 34 ships in the port - the process of renaming them and changing flags has already begun, said Petr Andryushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol. 09:56 British intelligence reports that Russia's capture of Liman supports its main operational efforts to encircle Severodonetsk and close the pocket around Ukrainian forces in the Lugansk region. Analysts note that Russia has achieved greater local success than before by concentrating forces and fire on a relatively small area. This forces the Russian Federation to take risks elsewhere in the occupied territory. The political goal of Russia is probably the complete occupation of the territory of Donetsk and Lugansk regions. To do this, the Russian Federation needs to secure further difficult operational targets outside of Severodonetsk, including the key city of Kramatorsk and the M04 Dnipro-Donetsk highway, intelligence adds. 09:27 EU leaders at the summit in Brussels were able to unblock the adoption of the embargo on Russian oil. How the largest dispute over sanctions against the Russian Federation was resolved and what exceptions were made for this - in the material , the EU introduces an embargo on oil from Russia . 09:25 Tonight, the enemy made two missile launches from an aircraft on the territory of the Belopolsky community of the Sumy region. The plane made launches without crossing the border of Ukraine, said the head of the OVA Dmitry Zhivitsky. According to him, immediately after the rocket strikes, shelling of the territory of the community began. Also at night, Velikopisarevskaya bulk was fired from the territory of Russia, about ten artillery strikes were inflicted. In both cases, there were no casualties. 09:21 Scholz said that Germany will soon have the largest conventional army in Europe within NATO, which will "significantly enhance" the security of Germany and its allies. 09:19 The situation in the Luhansk region is extremely difficult - part of Severodonetsk is controlled by the Russians, but they cannot move freely - the Armed Forces of Ukraine still remain in the city, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, the enemy is planning an operation to clean up the territory of the surrounding villages. Gaidai also said that the wounded volunteers were taken out of Severodonetsk, and there was no contact with the missing doctors from the shelled ambulance for the third day. Humanitarian supplies are delivered only to Lisichansk and the Mountain community. 09:14 Russia's losses from the EU oil embargo could amount to $22 billion a year, Bloomberg calculated. Of these, 12 billion dollars were losses from cutting off exports along the northern branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline to Poland and Germany, another 10 billion from a ban on sea exports, which account for 75% of all Russian oil exports. The publication notes that these volumes will have to be redirected to Asia, where a barrel of Urals is now offered at a discount of $34 compared to Brent. At the same time, Russia will continue to earn $6 billion a year from oil exports to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, for which they made an exception. 09:11 Pushilin announced the appearance of a merchant fleet in the "DPR": after the end of hostilities in Mariupol, several ships remained at the berths of the seaport, "some of them will come under the jurisdiction of the" DPR ". The leader of the pseudo-republic also said that the port of Mariupol is planned to be used for receiving equipment and building materials, with the help of which "restoration work will be carried out in the "DPR". 09:06 Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kirill Budanov has been appointed head of the Coordinating Headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war. The corresponding decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers, having approved it by Resolution No. 257 dated March 11, 2022. 08:40 As a result of the shelling of the Lugansk region over the past day, two people were killed and four were injured, among the victims is a French journalist, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, now the main efforts of the Russians are focused on establishing control over Severodonetsk. They are also storming, but not having success, in the areas of Zolote, Kamyshevakhi, Nyrkovo, the fighting continues there. 08:27 The first ship after the capture of Mariupol by the occupiers with a cargo of rolled metal left the port of the city, Russian propaganda media reported. 08:24 The NATO Parliamentary Assembly adopted a declaration of support for the Euro-Atlantic course of Ukraine, the press service of the Verkhovna Rada reported. In the NATO declaration, it demands to support Ukraine on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration, to increase the supply of heavy weapons, including air defense systems, missile defense systems, anti-ship systems and artillery, and to strengthen the exchange of intelligence information. 08:02 The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, said in an interview with Fox News that "defining operational battles" are taking place in eastern Ukraine. In his opinion, the next weeks will have a decisive influence on the further course of events. Milley also believes that negotiations would be the best way to end the war in Ukraine: "I think a solution through negotiations would be the logical choice." But, according to him, both sides must come to this conclusion on their own, "it is up to President Zelensky and President Putin to decide how everything ends." 07:50 The occupied territories of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine switched to Russian mobile communications and the Internet, Oleg Kryuchkov, adviser to the "head" of Crimea, said. On the eve it was reported that Ukrainian mobile communications disappeared in these territories. 07:41 The Russian army is conducting assault operations in the Severodonetsk and Bakhmut directions, preparing an offensive in the Limansky, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports in the morning report . In particular, there was a new attempt at an enemy assault in the Dolgenkiy area on the border of the Kharkov and Donetsk regions, the enemy suffered losses and retreated. The enemy is concentrating his main efforts on establishing control over Severodonetsk. 07:39 The occupiers launched a missile attack on Slavyansk at night, as a result of which at least three people were killed, six were injured, said the head of the Donetsk Regional Military District Pavel Kirilenko. According to him, the school and at least seven high-rise buildings were damaged. Rescue work is underway. 07:20 EU leaders confirm their readiness to consider Ukraine's application for membership at the next summit in June, the conclusion of the European Council on Ukraine says: "The European Council takes note of the preparation of the conclusions of the Commission on the application for EU membership of Ukraine, as well as the Republic of Moldova and Georgia and will return to this issue at its June meeting." 07:11 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that due to significant losses of junior staff and lack of professionalism and modernization, the Russian army is losing the ability to manage personnel and is experiencing moral decline. ISW also notes "internal dissent in Russian military circles." At the same time, the institute cites the words of the ex-minister of defense of the so-called "DPR" Igor Girkin (Strelkov), who accused the Kremlin of abandoning the "ideological basis" of the war in Ukraine. Analysts note that Girkin's statements, which sharply criticizes the Russian leadership, are a sign of changes in the military circles of the Russian Federation. 06:33 French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was killed in Ukraine when the car in which he was traveling to evacuate civilians near Severodonetsk came under fire. "France demands that the investigation into this drama be carried out as quickly and openly as possible," Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said. 05:36 Ukraine will receive new batches of high-precision missiles with a longer range than it currently has, but not missiles that can reach deep into Russia , Michael McFaul, co-chair of the international working group on sanctions against the Russian Federation, explained Biden's statement. We are talking about MLRS with a range of 70 km, not 300. 02:00 Charles Michel announced that the EU, together with the G7, will allocate 9 billion euros of financial assistance to Ukraine. 01:25 The leaders of the EU countries agreed on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, in particular, they agreed to impose an embargo on the import of two-thirds of Russian oil , said the head of the European Council Charles Michel . At the same time, the ban on the import of Russian oil did not affect supplies through the pipeline. By the end of 2022, the EU will actually reduce oil imports from Russia by 90%, said the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. In addition, the EU decided to disconnect the Russian Sberbank from SWIFT and imposed a ban on broadcasting in Europe of three more Russian TV channels.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 23rd, 2022

2022-05-24

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Korrespondent] 23:35 Zelensky on negotiations with the Russian Federation: "In principle, I do not accept any meeting with anyone from the Russian Federation, except for the President of the Russian Federation, even if there is one issue on the table - ending the war. That's all. About the other nothing to talk about". 23:31 Turkey has officially published the requirements for Sweden and Finland, the fulfillment of which is necessary for the approval of their applications to join NATO: ending support for terrorism (PKK and Fethullah Gülen Movement); ending the financing of terrorism; stopping the supply of weapons to the Kurdistan Workers' Party; the lifting of the arms embargo against Turkey; global cooperation in the fight against terrorism. 23:28 Zelensky spoke about plan B in case of his assassination: "We were prepared and divided, I, the prime minister and the head of parliament. We have a parliamentary-presidential republic. We understood that if there was this or that loss, we would be ready for this process. We divided the Cabinet of Ministers into two parts, it was two takes, so that the country could be protected even from such results." 23:25 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin admitted that Putin's overall strategy for Ukraine is unknown. According to him, at the beginning of the war, the President of the Russian Federation planned to use superior force, speed, in order to "very quickly" take Kyiv and change the government, but he failed, and the Russian forces were driven back. "And that's why we've seen them really move very slowly and unsuccessfully on the battlefield, and one would expect him to seek to use other levers of power or other instruments of power, and he does, but as far as his general strategy is unknown," the head of the Pentagon said. 23:21 The second meeting of the Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine was held via videoconference. 20 countries have announced new security packages for Kyiv, including the transfer of critically needed artillery systems and ammunition. Details - in the material Ramstein-2 . 23:19 In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the enemy today launched four missile attacks on the railway infrastructure in the Pavlograd and Sinelnikovsky districts at once, said the head of the OVA, Valentin Reznichenko. There is serious damage to the railway track and contact network. It is not yet clear when traffic will resume. In 12 houses nearby, roofs were damaged and windows were shattered, but people were not injured. 22:47 Arestovich called the real threat of the complete encirclement of Severodonetsk. According to him, in the event of a fall, the city will become "the second major success of the enemy after Mariupol." He also said that west of Popasna, Russian troops "had success" in recent days, advancing 10 km. 22:34 Since February 24, the Russian army has launched 1,474 missile strikes on Ukraine, using 2,275 different missiles. The absolute majority - on civilian objects, Zelensky said in an evening address. In less than three months, he said, more than 3,000 airstrikes were carried out from Russian planes and helicopters. In Desna, Chernihiv region, 87 people died - "and that was only four missiles." 22:30 In the Seversk region of the Donetsk region, the Russians are trying to organize another crossing over the Seversky Donets, Arestovich said: "The same maneuver as in Belogorovka, only to the west." He also denied reports that the Russians entered Liman: "They fired, but did not enter." 22:28 Zelensky, in an evening video message, said that the coming weeks of the war would be difficult: "The most difficult situation now is Donbass: Bakhmut, Popasnaya, Severodonetsk ... The enemy has staged a massacre there, they are trying to destroy all life." 22:12 Zelensky said that the de-occupation of Crimea by military means would cost significant losses among the Ukrainian military: "Today, I'm sure it is hundreds of thousands of killed soldiers from our side." 22:10 The Russians have sent new troops to the north of the Kharkiv region in order to prevent the liberation of Volchansk by the Ukrainian army, Arestovich said. 22:08 In Donbass, Russian troops now have 20 times more equipment than Ukrainians, Zelensky said: "We lack equipment because we are fighting against such a large state and a large state army. They have 20 times more equipment, now in Donbass 1:20. Imagine how strong our soldiers are, what kind of people we have." 21:52 The Russians seized five defense enterprises on the territory of Ukraine, Ukroboronprom reported. 21:51 The head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, Nikolai Lukashuk, announced a missile attack on Pavlograd. There were also three strikes in the Sinelnikovsky district, information about the destruction and casualties is being specified. 21:49 Pushilin said that all prisoners of war from Azovstal are on the territory of the so-called "DPR", and that's where the "international tribunal" will be held. 21:37 Turkey did not take part in the "show to resolve the situation in Ukraine", but instead provided real assistance to Kiev, Erdogan said: "Instead of shows that did not contribute to the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, we made the most sincere efforts to ceasefire and establish peace. We have provided Ukraine with serious, concrete and useful assistance. We have boldly expressed our position to Russia." At the same time, the Turkish president noted that Turkey continues to develop relations with the Russian Federation. 21:35 Russia has pulled together 25 battalion tactical groups to the Luhansk region, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Gaidai. According to him, it is about 12,500 people. 21:33 Senator and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney urged NATO to prepare for a nuclear strike from Russia on the United States and developed response options: "The use of nuclear weapons by Russia would undoubtedly be a redefining and reorienting geopolitical event. We must imagine the unimaginable, in specifically, how we will respond militarily and economically to a nuclear attack on the United States." 21:21 The Ukrainian government will cooperate with Microsoft in the issue of documenting Russian war crimes. The corresponding agreement was reached in Davos at a meeting with Microsoft President Brad Smith, said Mikhail Fedorov, head of the Ministry of Digital Development. In addition, the Microsoft team plans to help the digital industry in Ukraine during the recovery. 21:13 The meeting in the Ramstein format was successful, Reznikov wrote on Twitter and posted a photo of the "death star" - the most powerful weapon from the Star Wars universe . 21:10 Ukrainian special services conducted a special operation in the occupied Melitopol and left the Russians without the supply of weapons, the mayor of the city Ivan Fedorov said on the air of the national telethon: "The military, special services and partisans from Melitopol conducted a successful special operation. This concerns the paralysis of the supply of firearms, ammunition to Melitopol and all occupied territories. According to Fedorov, this is the fourth successful work of the Ukrainian special services in Melitopol. 21:06 In the Donetsk region, due to Russian shelling, the largest salt mining enterprise in Europe, State Enterprise Artemsol, stopped its work, the company reported. 21:04 Lithuania proposed to create a naval coalition to lift the Russian blockade of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea. This proposal was voiced by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis during negotiations with his British counterpart Liz Truss, writes The Guardian. 20:47 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley held a press conference on the results of the second coordination meeting on military support to Ukraine. The meeting was held in an online format, it was attended by defense ministers or commanders-in-chief of the armies of 47 countries of the world. The main results of the meeting: Denmark will transfer Harpoon anti-ship missiles and launchers to Ukraine; The Czech Republic will transfer combat helicopters to Ukraine; Poland, Italy, Norway and Greece will transfer artillery systems and ammunition to Ukraine; a total of 20 countries reported new arms deliveries to Ukraine; the next meeting in this format will take place on June 15; Austin said that Ukraine is still in dire need of artillery, tanks, armored vehicles and drones; When asked about deliveries of HIMARS artillery systems, Austin replied that he "did not want to get ahead of the process" and would not discuss specific names. 20:32 The criminal case against Poroshenko and Medvedchuk was one of the key episodes in Ukraine's domestic policy before Russia's full-scale attack. After three months of war, this case was decided to be revived. More details - in the material Policy returns . 20:11 In the Donetsk direction, Russian troops are trying to break through the defense of the Ukrainian forces in order to cordon them off and reach the administrative borders of the Lugansk region, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports . The main efforts are concentrated on the Bakhmut direction. 20:03 The Russian military blocked the checkpoint in Vasilyevka, Zaporozhye region and do not let local residents out of the occupied territories, the OVA reported. So, at noon, about 400 cars stood in line at the checkpoint. At the moment, there is no possibility of departure in the direction of Zaporozhye from Melitopol and Energodar. 19:49 Denmark will transfer Harpoon anti-ship missiles and launchers to Ukraine, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said. Also, according to him, the Czech Republic transferred fire support helicopters, tanks, missile systems to Ukraine. 19:48 The UN recorded 3930 deaths and 4532 injuries of the civilian population of Ukraine as a result of a full-scale Russian invasion. 19:45 Russia has deployed two additional S-400 anti-aircraft missile divisions in the northwestern part of Crimea. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the goal is to build up the air defense system. 19:41 Defense ministers from more than 40 countries took part in the second meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine, which took place virtually, CNN reports. The meeting was attended by Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a representative of the military intelligence of Ukraine. The meeting was joined by four countries that were not present at the Ramstein base last month - Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Ireland. 19:33 By September of this year, the Russian army will be defeated with the necessary supply of heavy weapons, said in Davos the US military Malcolm Nance, a former US Navy intelligence officer, analyst and writer who is now fighting for Ukraine in the International Legion. “In my assessment of the situation before the invasion, I realized that the Russians are completely discounting the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian people. I understood the main thing: these people will fight. These people will fight. And I was convinced before the invasion that Russia would fail.” 19:21 The White House clarified that Biden, speaking about readiness for military participation in the defense of Taiwan, had in mind the supply of weapons for the self-defense of the island. 19:16 Both Donetsk and Lugansk regions were completely left without gas, reports the GTS Operator of Ukraine. According to him, on May 23, as a result of shelling, the main gas pipeline, which transported gas to the settlements of both regions, was damaged. From 14:00, gas supply to this section of the GTS was stopped, it is still impossible to restore it due to hostilities. 19:01 In the Kharkiv region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated 24 settlements, Zaluzhny said. Among them is the village of Kutuzovka, which was de-occupied in early May. "About 170 local residents lived in the basement of the kindergarten for more than two months. Among them, 40 children aged from three months to 12 years," said the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 18:52 Today, Russian invaders broke into the house of Serhiy Shvets, an employee of the energy repair unit of the Zaporozhye NPP, and shot him, Energoatom reports. Shvets was hospitalized with numerous wounds. 18:38 During the attack on Kiev, Russian troops used chemical weapons. Six fighters of the International Legion, who participated in the hostilities in the Kyiv region, were found to have sarin poisoning, the Center for Strategic Communications reports, citing a fighter of the International Legion Alexei Bobrovnikov. According to him, seven people were in the hangar with the Mriya plane and a few hours after the operation they complained of nausea, swelling, problems with urination. Doctors stated that it was sarin, and this was confirmed by one of the laboratories in the NATO country. 18:35 In the border areas of the Kiev, Zhytomyr and Rivne regions, restrictions have been strengthened, the Rivne Regional State Administration reported. In particular, any movement of civilians is prohibited in the strip of terrain that is directly adjacent to the state border, 1000 meters wide, except for the territory of settlements that are directly adjacent to the border. 18:21 In Vinnytsia today they said goodbye to the pilots of the 7th tactical aviation brigade of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant Colonel Igor Khmara and Major Ilya Negara. According to the command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the crew of the Ukrainian Su-24M bomber died heroically in the east of the country during a combat mission on May 19. 17:58 A number of Western countries are blocking granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for the EU, they said in the Office of the Polish President: "We - Poland, all of Central and Eastern Europe - believe that we will overcome the resistance of several Western countries, which we consider unfounded ... The richest countries in Europe have no reason to be afraid of Ukraine." 17:39 The speaker of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said that Russian troops are advancing in the direction of Severodonetsk. Active hostilities are currently ongoing. He also said that the Ukrainian defenders repulsed the Russian attack in the village of Metelkino. Having suffered losses, the invaders retreated. 17:30 The State Border Service did not disclose the identity of the author of the phrase "Russian ship, go f*ck" so as not to damage him in captivity, and for security reasons, it still cannot name him, Andriy Demchenko, the press secretary of the State Border Guard Service, said in a commentary to the UP. According to Demchenko, when the media began to be interested in the name of the hero, neither the State Border Guard Service nor the Armed Forces of Ukraine publicly supported this topic and tried with all their might not to give it a significant impetus so that it would not threaten anyone during their stay in captivity. And the media publicity of the Marine Roman Gribov, to whom the media erroneously attributed the authorship of the phrase, to a certain extent was an information cover operation, which guaranteed the safety of the island's defenders who were captured. Demchenko confirmed that only the border guards at the outpost had a channel of communication with the sea vessels, and not the marines. The Russians also obviously understood this, and therefore, in this matter, among the prisoners, they worked out more border guards. 17:16 Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova said that Russia forcibly removed 1.4 million Ukrainians to its territory, of which more than 240 thousand children. 17:07 The German government, led by Scholz, is blocking the supply of Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. The defense concern Rheinmetall is ready to provide up to 100 of these armored vehicles, but its application has not yet been considered, writes Bild. 16:58 Russian servicemen who refused to go to war in Ukraine said during interrogations that they knew about Russia's large-scale invasion even before February 24, Sibir.Realii reports. According to the documents, the Rosguards were taken out for exercises on the eve of the war, and when they learned about the plan to invade Ukraine, some of the interrogated refused to obey the order and left the military unit, citing illness. One of the interrogated employees of the Russian Guard said that the "task" for all redeployed detachments was "to guard the streets and intersections of Kyiv." 16:53 Biden wrote a text in Time about Zelensky, who was included in the ranking of the 100 most influential people in 2022: "In President Zelensky, the people of Ukraine have a leader who is worthy of their courage and resilience, as citizens across the country - shopkeepers and soldiers, tailors and truck drivers - fight for their homes and their freedom. Every time we talk, I hear in the voice President Zelensky is the determination of a man who deeply believes in his duty to his people and is daily responsible for his nation in this dark and difficult hour. The countries of the free world, inspired by the example of President Zelensky, are more united, determined and purposeful than ever in recent times. With the support of the United States, our allies and partners, he left his mark on history and proved to the world that Ukraine will last for a long time and its people will have the democratic future he has long desired." 16:39 Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Slovakia will call for the confiscation of Russian assets frozen by the EU to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine, the four countries say in a joint letter, Reuters reports. 16:10 Israel will grant Ukrainian refugees the right to employment - this decision was reached thanks to a long negotiation process between the Ukrainian Embassy and the head of the Israeli Interior Ministry. 15:59 Bogdan Gotsky, head of the border outpost of Zmeiny Island, said on the air of the national telethon that they managed to return the border guard from Zmeiny Island, who is the real author of the famous phrase about "Russian warship", from Russian captivity. His name has not yet been released. "This is my subordinate. He was in captivity for a month and a half, now he is free," Gotsky said. Previously, the authorship of the phrase was attributed to Marine Roman Gribov, who returned to Ukraine on an exchange in April. It was he who took part in the presentation of the iconic stamp of Ukrposhta. 15:51 The states of the Adriatic-Ionian region, including Serbia and Croatia, adopted a declaration in which Russia's invasion of Ukraine is called "illegal and unjustified." The countries expressed their commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine, writes Euractiv. Among the signatories are Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and San Marino. 3:43 pm Biden said China was playing with fire by threatening Taiwan with war and vowed that the US military would intervene if the island was attacked. The White House was quick to assure that the US has not changed its strategy regarding the island, but some experts believe that an attempt by China to seize Taiwan and US intervention are inevitable. For more details, see Will Biden fight China over Taiwan . 15:27 Zelensky said at the Davos forum that any world response to hunger is belated: "Any response to massive hunger is already belated by definition: hunger must be stopped only preventively, when it has not yet begun. But now the world does not have such a tool." Therefore, Ukraine, according to the president, proposes to create an organization of food exporting countries to insure the world from hunger. Ukraine is ready to provide a platform for the work of such an organization. 15:03 On the liberated territory of the Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian military collected 63 bodies of Russian soldiers, said the captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Anton Ivannikov, Hromadske reports. He believes that the bodies can be exchanged for living or dead Ukrainian soldiers. 14:59 At a meeting with Putin, Lukashenka said that "the intention of NATO member countries, in particular Poland, to dismember Ukraine causes concern in Belarus," since the West allegedly builds similar plans in relation to Belarus. And the Ukrainians, he said, "will still have to ask us not to allow the separation of western Ukraine." 14:54 The Ombudsman's hotline has already received 44 thousand statements about Russian war crimes in Ukraine, which concern 87 thousand people. As Lyudmila Denisova said in Davos, the hotline receives 700-800 calls daily. 14:51 Zelensky at the forum in Davos called on international donors to join the support of Ukraine within the framework of the United 24 fund and expressed his conviction that in the future this fund should become a global structure for providing ambulance to countries in trouble: "This war of Russia against Ukraine convinces that assistance to a state that has been attacked is more valuable the faster it is provided: weapons, finances, political support, sanctions.<...> Under the United 24 brand, we propose to create a global structure that can provide sufficient support to any country within 24 hours subjected to a military attack, a natural disaster or, for example, a pandemic." The President stressed that if Ukraine had received all the necessary support in February, the result would have been tens of thousands of saved lives. 14:43 Zelensky said at a forum in Davos that the war in Ukraine could be repeated: "The war can be repeated, I am sure of this. We must make sure that people and businesses are not afraid to develop in our country. Our task is to create the most modern air defense system , to have a security treaty with countries we trust, and that any future chances of an aggressor for an invasion are terminated before entering our land." The President also expressed his conviction that the war could have been prevented if the West had introduced preventive sanctions against Russia in time. 14:32 Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kirill Budanov said in an interview with UP that an attempt was made on Putin after the start of the war against Ukraine: "There were attempts on Putin ... There was even an attempt on him along the line, as they say, representatives of the Caucasus not so long ago "This is not public information. A completely unsuccessful assassination attempt, but it really took place ... It was about two months ago." 14:21 Advisor to the Russian mission to the UN in Geneva Boris Bondarev has resigned. In his LinkedIn post, he wrote that he was "never as ashamed of his country as on February 24th." He called the war a crime not only against the Ukrainian people, but also against the Russians. The diplomat spoke out against the war in Ukraine and criticized the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry: "Minister Lavrov is a good illustration of the degradation of this system. <...> He constantly broadcasts conflicting statements and threatens the world (that is, the Russian Federation too) with nuclear weapons." 14:15 The Russian-appointed "head" of the Kherson region Vladimir Saldo announced that from May 23 a "dual currency zone" will be introduced in the region and the ruble will go along with the hryvnia. 14:12 According to the UN, the number of Ukrainian refugees has reached 6.5 million people, of which 3.5 million went to Poland and almost a million each to Romania and the Russian Federation. Also, 644 thousand refugees left for Hungary, 471 thousand - for the Czech Republic, 422 thousand - for Slovakia. 14:06 Alla Dudayeva, the widow of the first president of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev, addressed the Zelensky and Ukrainian people: "We have a common enemy. Ukraine is doomed to victory." Once her husband said that Russia would disappear when the Ukrainian sun rises over Ukraine. 13:54 Donetskoblgaz stops distributing gas to consumers in the region due to damage to main gas pipelines and the lack of alternative sources of supply, the Kramatorsk City Council said. Consumers are asked to turn off the gas taps. 13:25 In Chernihiv and the region, the invaders fired on and stole the equipment of base stations, as a result of which mobile communications do not work well in the de-occupied and war-damaged territory, the Ministry of Digital Development reports and promises to restore everything. So, Vodafone is already restoring its network in the region. 13:17 Zelensky at a forum in Davos called on foreign businesses to leave the Russian market and work in Ukraine: "We need to create a precedent for the complete exit of all foreign companies from the Russian market so that your brands are not associated with war crimes. So that your offices, accounts, goods are not used war criminals for their bloody interests. Values ​​should matter, especially when a full-scale war breaks out." The President called on the international companies that are already represented in Ukraine to continue their work, and the rest to open their representative offices: "We offer every company that leaves the Russian market to continue operating in Ukraine. You will get access not only to our market of 40 million consumers, but also access to the common market of Europe. And your brands, positions will only get stronger, because you will support the defense of freedom." 13:12 Biden said that sanctions against Russia should be maintained after the likely "rapprochement" with Ukraine - this should help deter China from trying to take over Taiwan: "One of the reasons why Putin should pay a high price for barbarism in Ukraine is that that this applies not only to Ukraine." At the same time, he noted that he does not expect China to try to take over Taiwan, but avoiding an invasion depends on whether the world clears up all the consequences for Beijing. 13:03 The court sentenced the Russian military Vadim Shishimarin to life imprisonment for the murder of a civilian. This is the first time a Russian soldier has been sentenced for war crimes in Ukraine. 13:01 In the village of Desna, Chernihiv region, on which the Russians launched a missile strike on May 17, the bodies of 87 dead were found under the rubble , Zelensky said during a speech in Davos. 12:58 In Kazakhstan, 21.6 million dollars have been blocked on the accounts of three subsidiaries of Russian banks due to sanctions. We are talking about branches of Sberbank, Alfa-Bank and VTB, writes Kommersant. 12:54 Ukraine, together with Switzerland, is organizing a conference to be held in Swiss Lugano in early July. As Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said during the forum in Davos, this will be an international conference on post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. 12:41 In Ukraine, at least 4,600 civilian victims have been confirmed at the hands of Russian invaders, 232 of them are children, Venediktova said in Davos. She stressed that these figures do not include data from the occupied territories. The Prosecutor General noted that Russian war crimes are confirmed by domestic and international investigations, journalistic investigations, and reports by human rights organizations. 12:35 The Russian Foreign Ministry said that it had received from Italy and was already considering proposals for a peaceful settlement of the situation in Ukraine. 12:31 In an attempt to cut off the Luhansk region from the Lisichansk-Bakhmut highway, the Russians damaged the main gas pipeline with a diameter of 1200 mm, as a result, the gas supply of the Donetsk region was under threat, said the head of the Lugansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai. It is extremely difficult to get to the depressurized area due to hostilities. 12:29 The Red Cross will not publicly disclose information about the number and personal data of the Ukrainian military from Azovstal, said the representative of the organization Mirella Khodeyb: "Our priority is to check the conditions of detention and treatment of prisoners of war, prevent disappearance and maintain their connection with their families. But we will not publish lists or names of people we have visited or those we will visit in the future." 12:26 Pushilin said that the Ukrainian military is now in the "DNR", in the future it is planned to hold an international tribunal, the documents are already being prepared. 12:23 Peskov, commenting on the possibility of exchanging Medvedchuk for the military with Azovstal, said that "it is hardly possible to talk about this, these are different categories." He also commented on the trial of the Russian military, who is accused of killing a civilian in Ukraine and who pleaded guilty: "We do not have many opportunities to protect his interests on the spot, measures will be taken through other channels." The court is due to deliver its verdict today. 12:18 The number of initiated cases related only to Russian war crimes is about 13 thousand today, Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova said at the opening of the Russia War Crimes House exhibition in Davos. According to her, in this category, 49 people were reported suspected, whom Ukraine began to prosecute for war crimes. There are more than 600 suspects in the basic case against the Russian Federation, the Prosecutor General specified. 12:14 In Mariupol and the surrounding area, the road is controlled by mobile patrols from the Kadyrovites. First of all, unpaved roads leading to the detour of Mangush and Nikolsky towards Berdyansk and Zaporozhye fall under the patrol, said Petr Andryushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol. According to local residents, yesterday afternoon in the area with. Demyanovka, Mangush district, such a patrol detained a car with people moving towards Berdyansk. People were stripped, mocked, resorted to physical violence, and then turned towards Mariupol. At the same time, the driver and passengers had certificates of filtration, but there was no pass. Andryushchenko asks local residents to be careful and not yet try to break into the evacuation. He assured that Ukraine is working on opening official evacuation corridors. 12:03 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko admitted the possibility of discussing with Ukraine the exchange of prisoners with Azovstal. 12:00 Now active negotiations are underway to exchange Medvedchuk for fighters from Azovstal, which is why the detainee decided to testify against Poroshenko, said Viktor Andrusiv, adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: "Today Medvedchuk told us what we already knew from his tapes. And about the pipe which Poroshenko considered compensation for the lost business in Crimea, and about the coal schemes, when the whole country was buzzing about Rotterdam +. In fact, there are active negotiations now to exchange Medvedchuk for our heroes Azovstal. Therefore, he decided to clarify this shameful story about how Poroshenko made money in the war. 11:48 The Pentagon and the US State Department are discussing sending special forces to Kiev to protect the embassy, ​​reports The Wall Street Journal. Also, according to the publication, the Americans want to return instructors to train the Ukrainian military. So far, we are talking about sending dozens of military personnel. In addition to special forces, one of the guard detachments of the US Marine Corps can be transferred to Kyiv. 11:44 Russian opposition publication The project has created a guide to the war in Ukraine. The journalists identified the names of 166 Russian commanders leading the invasion, as well as the names of more than 150 units. The publication notes that all combat-ready units of the Russian army take part in the war in Ukraine. Even the only special peacekeeping brigade in the country was sent to the war, which Russia used as a peacekeeping contingent under the auspices of the UN. 11:30 The Russian Defense Ministry said that sea-based missiles near the Malin railway station in the Zhytomyr region "destroyed weapons and military equipment transferred to the Donbass of the 10th mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian army from Ivano-Frankivsk." 11:27 Zelensky at the opening of the forum in Davos: "What is the difference between what is happening in Ukraine and what the terrorists did? Except what a permanent member of the UN Security Council does." 11:24 Podolyak on the results of three months of the war: "The third month of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is coming to an end. Europe continues to send a billion euros a day to Moscow, buying oil and gas. Russia continues to kill children, rape women and destroy cities. Ukraine continues to defend European borders and democratic civilization. Draw your own conclusions." 11:10 Lukashenka sent a message to the UN Secretary General, in which he listed "steps to end the conflict" in Ukraine and "to prevent it from escalating into a global war." According to Lukashenka, first of all, the West should "refrain from the supply of weapons, information wars and provocations," Belta reports. 11:07 Germany is ready to refuse Hungary's participation in the issue of banning the import of Russian oil to the EU, German Economy Minister Robert Habek said: "If the President of the European Commission says that we are doing it as 26 countries, without Hungary, then I will always support such a path." 11:00 The IMF called the current state of the world economy the worst since the Second World War. The reasons were the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the threat of climate change. Fund economists propose easing trade restrictions to alleviate shortages and lower prices for food and other commodities, as well as stepping up joint efforts to address countries' debt problems. 10:57 Medvedchuk spoke about the scheme for withdrawing from state ownership of a part of the main oil pipeline Samara - Western direction and detailed Poroshenko's role in it. 10:45 Chinese Foreign Ministry protested the United States in connection with Biden's statement about the readiness to defend Taiwan by military force: "The United States should stop underestimating China's determination and ability to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity. China will not allow any country to interfere in its internal affairs, including the issue of Taiwan ". 10:26 Zelensky signed law No. 7194, which allows taking property from those who support Russian aggression. The law will allow "quickly and effectively replenish the Ukrainian budget at the expense of enemies," the presidential press service said. 10:23 The Polish government announced that it was terminating the agreement on the supply of Russian gas, without waiting for its completion at the end of the year: "On May 13, the government of Mateusz Morawiecki adopted a resolution to break the agreement between the government of Poland and the government of the Russian Federation. That agreement, which is called Yamal and which was signed in 1993. 10:13 Due to problems with the resumption of the work of the Mariupol port, the occupiers are trying to take out rolled metal and grain residues from the port area by rail. Urgently began repairing the railway track in Mariupol and Art. Sartana. They also report a simultaneous attempt to restore railways in the Volnovakha area, said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol. 10:08 New Zealand will send more instructors to train the Ukrainian military, said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, CNN reports. The soldiers will be stationed in the United Kingdom until the end of July, she said. The Ukrainian military will be taught how to use the L-119 light gun. 09:53 Austria, within the framework of EU sanctions, has frozen about 254 million euros of Russian assets in 97 accounts, the ORF TV channel reported, citing data from the federal government. Compared with the data for March, the amount has doubled. 09:39 In Korosten tonight, the enemy attacked the railway infrastructure, said the head of the Zhytomyr OVA Vitaliy Bunechko. 09:36 The United States is ready to provide military participation in the defense of Taiwan, Biden said at a press conference with Japanese Premier Fumio Kishida: "These are the obligations that we have assumed. We remain committed to maintaining the peace and security of the Taiwan Strait and intend to do so, so that its status quo is not changed unilaterally." 09:33 British intelligence notes that in the first three months of the war in Ukraine, the number of dead Russians is probably the same as that of the Soviet Union during its nine-year war in Afghanistan. The combination of poor low-level tactics with limited air cover, a lack of flexibility and a team approach that is willing to compound failures and repeat mistakes has led to this high loss rate. The Russian public has in the past been sensitive to losses incurred during wars. Therefore, as the number of victims in Ukraine grows, the losses will become more obvious, and public dissatisfaction with the war and the desire to voice it may increase, analysts say. 09:28 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of May 23. The enemy suffered the greatest losses over the past day in the Bakhmut direction. personnel - about 29,200 (+150) people liquidated, tanks - 1293 (+8), armored combat vehicles - 3166 (+25), artillery systems - 604 (+5), MLRS - 201 (+0), air defense systems - 93 (+0), aircraft - 204 (+0), helicopters - 170 (+0), UAVs of the operational-tactical level - 476 (+6), cruise missiles - 110 (+3), ships/boats - 13 (+0), automotive equipment and tankers - 2206 (+12), special equipment - 43 (+0). 09:11 The enemy shelled the village of Belopolye, Sumy region, from artillery all night, and then an air strike was launched on it. 11 houses were destroyed, but there were no casualties, said the head of the OVA Dmitry Zhivitsky. 08:47 Kharkiv rescuers reported that since the beginning of the Russian invasion, more than 150 bodies of the dead have been removed from the rubble in the city. In total, 98 destroyed objects were dismantled, more than 250 people were saved. 08:25 The military administration of the Odessa region reported that the Russian cruiser Admiral Makarov entered the water area, which could become the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet instead of the sunken cruiser Moscow. As OVA speaker Sergei Bratchuk said, in the Black Sea, the enemy is trying to gain a foothold on Zmeiny Island, pulling air defense systems there. 08:18 YouTube removed more than 70 thousand videos and 9 thousand channels related to the war in Ukraine. According to The Guardian - for violating the content rules, where the Russian invasion was called a "liberation mission." 08:11 Invaders from Hurricanes fired at the Dnepropetrovsk region, the blow fell on the Apostolic community, said the head of the OVA Valentin Reznichenko. Caught between villages, people were not injured. 07:50 In Mariupol, due to clogged storm drains and sewers, rainwater spreads along with garbage, the consequences of its decay and ptomaine throughout the city, adviser to the mayor of the city Petr Andryushchenko reports. According to him, the threat of an epidemic is becoming more real with every thunderstorm. At the same time, the occupiers continue to issue sanitary calls and are only engaged in the formation of "beautiful photos". 07:35 Russian troops have increased the intensity of the use of aviation in the zone of active hostilities, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in the morning report . The Russian Federation is also preparing to resume the offensive in the Slavic direction and strengthens the police-administrative regime in Slobozhansky. In the Volyn and Polesye directions, the armed forces of Belarus are intensively conducting reconnaissance, additional units are being deployed in the border areas of the Gomel region. 05:17 Johnson, during a telephone conversation with Zelensky, promised to "redouble efforts to provide Ukraine with vital food and humanitarian aid." Also, according to the British Prime Minister, the UK will seek to ensure that Ukraine can export grain and other food products. 04:39 White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is convinced that Russia will not be able to prevent the United States from providing military assistance to Ukraine: "We have a diversified and stable supply chain of weapons to Ukraine. Therefore, even if the Russians can hit some kind of cargo on the territory of Ukraine , from a strategic point of view, this will not stop the military assistance that we provide." Sullivan also noted that he had not received information about the alleged destruction of a large batch of Western weapons by Russian troops. 04:21 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggests that Russian troops are preparing an offensive in the southern direction, while on May 22 they received only minimal achievements in eastern Ukraine. According to analysts, Russian troops will provide additional reinforcement to hold their positions on the western bank of the Seversky Donets. Ukrainian sources have confirmed that the enemy is likely seeking to open a new line of advance north of Popasna to complete the cordon of Severodonetsk while moving west towards Bakhmut, although Russian forces are unlikely to be able to actively advance in both directions. Ukrainian sources also confirmed that Russian troops had advanced locally to the north and west of Popasna. The invaders are probably aiming to move further west towards Bakhmut and north towards Severodonetsk, but are unlikely to achieve a rapid advance. The Russians will likely try to hold positions west of the Seversky Donets River against Ukrainian attacks (rather than pull back across the river) to prevent further threat of a Ukrainian advance towards Izyum. In addition, the invaders will continue to try to cordon off Severodonetsk and Lysichansk (at least from the south) in order to cut off the connection along the Severodonetsk-Lysichansk highway with the rest of Ukraine. 03:37 The President of the World Economic Forum in Davos Berge Brende called for the creation of a Marshall plan for the restoration of Ukraine: "Even without a peace agreement, which is unlikely, we must begin work on reconstruction, at least in areas that are under the control of Ukraine." 03:22 As a result of an air strike on Malin, Zhytomyr region, on May 22, an employee of Ukrzaliznytsia was killed. Three more workers, as well as one resident of the city, were injured and were hospitalized, the mayor Alexander Sitaylo said. 01:49 In the Black Sea, Admiral Makarov, one of the newest ships of the Black Sea Fleet, advanced from Sevastopol to a group of seven large landing ships and two missile ships. The likelihood of missile strikes is increasing, the operational command of Pivden reported. 01:13 In Ukraine, the head of communications of the 98th Guards Airborne Division of the Russian Airborne Forces, Colonel Alexei Smirnov, has been liquidated, Russian media report. According to InformNapalm investigations, servicemen of the 98th Airborne Division of the Russian Federation have been actively involved in the aggression against Ukraine since 2014. 00:30 Occupants wipe Avdiivka off the face of the earth, today there is one of the strongest attacks since 2014, MP Musa Magomedov said. According to him, fires are raging in the city, which cannot be extinguished due to incessant shelling. 00:04 On Monday, May 23, Ukrposhta launches the Russian warship stamp for sale... That's it! , it can be purchased at post offices from 14:00. According to the company's CEO Igor Smelyansky, the day was not chosen by chance: on May 23, Ukraine will celebrate Marine Corps Day, in addition, May 23 marks exactly 40 days since the cruiser Moskva sank . The stamp is issued in a circulation of 5 million pieces.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

From the Russian Perspective: Operation on Denazification of Ukraine: operational summary May 23rd (updated)

2022-05-24

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [NewsFrontInfo] 21:29 US Secretary of Defense says 20 countries have announced new security assistance packages for Ukraine Czech Republic hands over fire support helicopters, tanks, missile systems to Ukraine - Pentagon Denmark to give Ukraine anti-ship missiles "Harpoon" and launchers for them - Pentagon. 20:22 A Ukrainian UAV was shot down over the Verkhnedonsky district of the Rostov region today. The wreckage of the apparatus was found three kilometers from the Kazansko-Lopatinsky farm. 20:16 Rockets struck targets in Pavlograd: black smoke over the city (Dnipropetrovsk region). 20:15 The United States will not set Ukraine its tasks in hostilities, Kyiv must make such decisions itself - Pentagon. 20:13 It is reported that during the battles for Krasny Liman, up to 500 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered. 19:14 RF Armed Forcesdestroyed foreign weapons and military equipment of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Zhytomyr region. 19:12 APU made an unsuccessful attempt to undermining dams of the Uglegorsk TPP. Residents of the surrounding settlements - Svetlodarsk, Lugansk, Mironovsky - reported a powerful explosion, the shock wave from which knocked out windows in some areas. 17:44 In Kamyshevakh on the Lisichansk direction, confrontation of fighters of the special purpose regiment named after Akhmat Kadyrov and Ukrainian nationalists. 17:04 Western states should step up military assistance to Ukraine, as well as prepare plans in connection with the upcoming challenges. 17:03 The Ukrainian party "European Solidarity" of ex-president Petro Poroshenko called the testimony of politician Viktor Medvedchuk against his leader an order backed by the SBU 16:01 Started full-fledged battles for Liman. At the moment, the RF Armed Forces have occupied several streets in the northern part of the city (Podstepnaya, Yubileinaya and Kazatskaya). 16:01 Artillery is actively working in the Krasny Liman area. There are reports of continued fighting in the city, as well as shelling of the northern quarters by Ukrainian artillery - they are trying to prevent the advancement of the Russian Armed Forces in the southern part of the city. 15:36 Successful offensive development to Lisichansk. Russian units occupied the entrance to the city of Zolote in the LPR, the enemy was driven out of a powerful stronghold. The occupation of Zolote will be a key moment in the destruction of a large grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Severodonetsk and Lisichansk. 15:36 The Russian army broke into Liman with battles, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were driven out of a large part of the city. Ukrainian militants are retreating, the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is hitting the lost city blocks, trying to slow down the advance of the allied forces of Russia and Donbass. Local authorities report a halt to the evacuation due to the loss of the northern part of the city. 15:35 A document that will determine how the tribunal will take place over Ukrainian nationalists who left the Azovstal Mariupol plant may appear within a month, said Viktor Vodolatsky, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots. 15:34 Captured servicemen of the Russian side must be saved at any cost, said the head of the LDPR faction in the State Duma, a member of the negotiating group with Ukraine, Leonid Slutsky. “For us, the lives of our prisoners, Russian ones, are very valuable. They must be saved at any cost, ”the politician said during a meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party with war veterans. Prisoner exchanges are underway, he added. According to Slutsky, "Russian prisoners of war in captivity have an extremely difficult time." 15:34 In the Kherson region, liberated from Ukrainian occupation, a ruble zone is officially introduced from May 23 - while the Russian currency will go on a par with the hryvnia, but later it will completely replace it. 14:34 The Ukrainians will still have to ask Minsk and Moscow to prevent the "separation" of western Ukraine-Lukashenko. 14:34 Heroes of Donbass Avenue appeared in Nizhny Novgorod. The decision to perpetuate the memory of the heroes of Donbass in the name of one of the streets of the city was made by the city administration in April. At the same time, a place was chosen - a prospect under construction in the Sovetsky district, between Academician Sakharov Street and General Ivliev Street. It should be noted that the official opening of the avenue has not yet been - however, the avenue has already been marked on Yandex.Maps. At Google. The maps of this update have not yet appeared. 14:33 Lukashenko said that the West is taking steps to dismember Ukraine. 14:32 SBU stated that Medvedchuk gives "important information" for the continuation of the investigation on the coal trade with the DPR and LPR, "confirms" Poroshenko's key role in this There was trade in coal, and it didn't set too well with the Cossack contingent fighting for Lugansk. 14:32 RIA Novosti correspondent found on the border of Kharkiv and the north of the Donetsk region near Rubtsy, abandoned burnt Ukrainian military pickups with German numbers. Retreating, the militants were forced to abandon their cars and burn them. At the same time, judging by the found things and weapons, cars with Brandenburg numbers were left in a hurry. As the fighters of the People's Army of the LPR said, these could be foreign mercenaries. 13:33 Zelensky announced the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed as a result of a Russian strike on the Desna training center in the Chernihiv region. "Today we have finished work in Desna. Unfortunately, 87 victims were found under the rubble there. 87 killed," Zelensky said during a speech in Davos. 13:31 The Verkhovna Rada allowed foreign troops to enter Ukraine for joint military exercises in 2022. A total of 318 people's deputies voted for the corresponding presidential bill. Thus, about 11,500 NATO servicemen with their equipment will visit Ukraine in 2022 for joint military exercises. 12:29 The head of the Sumy region complains that Russian artillery and aviation were working all night in the vicinity of the Belopolye settlement. 12:28 Russia does not prevent the export of Ukrainian grain through Poland. 12:27 Volodymyr Zelensky's parents received Israeli citizenship and became the owners of a country house in the city of Rishpon worth $8 million. The area of ​​the house is 950 square meters, a small pool for 9 tons of sea water and a 120-meter house for security. Four ex-SAS bodyguards guard the elderly Zelensky couple at a security company's monthly cost of £12,000 plus upkeep of two armored Lexus LX's. The relatives of Igor Kolomoisky and Gennady Bogolyubov became neighbors of the parents of the President of Ukraine, and Mikhail Prokhorov settled in 10 minutes on foot. 12:26 Moscow is ready to return to the negotiating table with the constructive position of Kyiv - Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation. 12:25 A new catastrophe for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. If the personnel of the regime formations do not leave the Severodonetsk bag in the near future, then the grouping will be destroyed or captured. American military experts are already hinting at this to the Kyiv regime. The enemy has one, logical way out, to leave the city and retreat to Slavyansk. Otherwise - "evacuation 2.0". 12:24 The Kremlin does not see the possibility of exchanging Medvedchuk for those who surrendered from Azovstal. 12:23 Ukrainian sources report that in the Zaporozhye region, 9 commandos of the Kord special forces unit from Vinnitsa were liquidated by a missile attack. The Korda personnel were trained in the USA through the FBI and the DEA. 11:10 VKS of the Russian Federation destroyed more than 230 nationalists. 11:10 Russian air defense shot down three Su-25 aircraft and two Tochka-U missiles today. 11:10 Aviation of the RF Armed Forces struck 39 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment, more than 230 nationalists were destroyed. 11:09 Russian air defense systems intercepted two Ukrainian Tochka-U missiles and eight Smerch MLRS shells in the Kherson region in the Kherson region. 11:08 Rocketeers and artillerymen hit over 680 targets of the Armed Forces of Ukraine today. 11:07 The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed the weapons and military equipment of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine transferred to the Donbass in the Zhytomyr region. 10:42 Artillery duels continue between Nikolayev and Kherson. 10:41 In Zaporizhia, a strike was made on the base of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 10:41 In the north of the Kharkiv region, fighting continues in the region of Liptsy and Rubizhne. 10:40 The military administration of the Odessa region reported that the Russian cruiser "Admiral Makarov" entered the water area. According to OVA speaker Sergei Bratchuk, in the Black Sea "the enemy is trying to gain a foothold on Zmeiny Island", pulling air defense systems there. Also in this area there is a regrouping of the forces of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. They were joined by "Admiral Makarov". This ship can become the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet instead of the Moskva missile cruiser. 10:38 Battery of self-propelled guns "Hyacinth-S" destroy Ukrainian unit of American M-777 howitzers. 10:38 The air defense forces of the Russian Federation did not allow a provocation by the Armed Forces of Ukraine at night in the Rylsky district of the Kursk region - the head of the district Andrey Lisman. 10:37 Zelensky signed a law on the confiscation of assets of Ukrainians who supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine - Office of the President of Ukraine. 08:23 Medics of the Russian Guard delivered medicines to the village of Borovaya, Kharkiv region. The footage shows the military unloading several large boxes of medical aid. Senior paramedic Irina thanked the staff of the Russian Guard for their support.

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