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Artur Yakubov, the imam of a Kharkiv mosque, died defending Ukraine at just 34 years old.

After the start of the full-scale war, he witnessed the Russian invasion and the first battles in Kharkiv region with his own eyes. Artur took his family abroad and returned to Ukraine. His house, which was located in a village on the outskirts of Kharkiv, was destroyed by the Russian invaders.

Artur Yakubov also taught at the Birlik School Crimean Tatar Lyceum in the village of Chaika, Kyiv region. He volunteered in the frontline regions.

Eternal memory and eternal glory to Ukrainian Hero!

Frontelligence Insight conducted an initial Battle Damage Assessment of strikes on Belbek Airfield in Crimea on May 15th and 16th. This analysis is based on mid-resolution images taken on May 16th

Three large scorch marks are visible in the central part of the airfield: two on the military jet apron and one in the fuel depot area. The exact diameter of these marks cannot be determined due to low resolution, but they appear to be approximately over 30m in size.

The imagery from July 2023 confirms that the apron was used to host military jets.

*Due to the resolution limitations, we cannot determine whether any aircraft were hit or destroyed, nor can we assess the level of damage, but we can conclude that missiles did reach the apron.*

The third scorch mark is visible within the fuel depot area. This likely explains the large, bright fire observed in videos taken by local residents, indicating the complete destruction of the depot. The extent of damage to nearby buildings cannot be determined at this stage

The characteristics and size of the scorch marks confirm that at least three missiles hit their targets. Damage from submunitions may not be visible at this resolution, and the actual damage could be more severe than what is visible in these images. High-res imagery is required.

As of now, hostilities continue in Vovchansk in urban development , - Oleg Sinegubov

▪️ In general, the active advance of the enemy is stopped . The enemy is trying to take positions in the Lipetsk direction, but without success.

▪️ Russians are forced to tighten reserves to realize their goals. The losses are substantial. The Defense Forces are currently working on stabilizing the front line and reducing the area of ​​the gray zone.

Visible or invisible, it is always under the pixel of a defender and under the uniform of a rescuer, under a doctor's coat, a power engineer's jacket, it is on a volunteer, a teacher, on everyone who holds the line.

Our children have known her since they were little. It is a symbol of unity of all generations of Ukrainians through the centuries.

Its pattern is so unique because it is embroidered by our own deeds on a cloth woven with our values.

Over the years of resistance to aggression, it has become an informal uniform for all those who defend humanity, freedom and the right to identity.

Happy Vyshyvanka Day, Ukraine, Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine! 🇺🇦

RUSSIANS AIM FOR FULL CONTROL

The Russians have started to attack again from the Kupiansk area, right along that sector of the front.
The obvious reason is that they feel they have an advantage now and they need to stop Ukraine from deploying reserves further north.
Because the Russians tend to try and focus once they find a weak spot, this time they isolated Kislivka. After days of bombardment they attacked here.
Worryingly the Ukrainians lost control over the village - they had held onto it for over a year - suggesting a lack of ammunition and artillery support due to ongoing shortages.
They then turned to the next village but didn’t get so far.
The interesting aspect of this region is the fact that this is the sector where Ukraine still holds remnants of the Luhansk oblast and these last settlements are just inside these borders. The Russians seem to want to capture these areas to finally claim the whole region as theirs.
Stelmakivka became their next target, supported by Ouragan and glide bomb attacks.
The Russians then attacked in Chinese made ‘golf carts’ - a slightly elevated mix of cart crossed with an ATV, completely unprotected and open air with a canopy.
Further north the Russians themselves had to withdraw near Sinkivka because many of their own troops had been sent to the Kharkiv offensive. Lyman Pershy village then became the scene of Ukrainians attacking Russian positions with a pair of tanks and eradicating them as they hid in the basement of houses the tanks levelled.
Overall the Russians are clearly trying to force the Ukrainians back to the Oskil river - the closer they get to it the more they will force the Ukrainians to have to decide if they abandon land on the east bank and retreat to the west side. This would suit the Russians completely. They seem to have an overall strategy of using rivers and reservoirs as a possible border - certainly a defensive line that will then allow them to redeploy forces to other areas to do the same thing.
Ultimately they want control over the Oblasts - Donetsk and Luhansk - in full, and this seems to be the primary objective.
The ongoing shortage of frontline equipment for Ukrainian forces is being redressed, but is shows how low levels reached - and again, how initially it will stay that way even as aid arrives. As fast as they get it they use it, so there’s no time to create backup supplies in the first phase.
The Russians still very much have the initiative at present but they do seem unable to mount major offensives at the same time. They use opportunities and try to exploit them but the lack of armour and heavy equipment is really starting to show.
Once the aid arrives in quantities they’ll not be able to do what they’re doing now.
Indeed if the Ukrainians are careful and sustain the defence, by next year - if a new Administration continues support - Ukraine will be much better placed to undo some of the damage.
However early signs are that even if the Democrats in the US win the Presidency and the House they won’t win the Senate - and it will be far more MAGAized than it is now. That will put us right back to where we were early this year.

Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦!

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This is why they are equipping them with heat seeking missiles now.
_____________

Rusnya hunts our kamikaze surface drones from a helicopter off the coast of Crimea.

🔥. Soldiers of the 🦅 93rd Mechanized Brigade shared footage of the repulse of the enemy assault near Andriivka

🟠 The Russians launched an assault with 6 units of equipment, among which you can see a turtle tank. But it did not help. Soldiers with Javelin and FPV drones met the enemy, the attack was successfully repulsed

Reuters: Finland plans to use reservists to patrol border with Russia

Finland is planning to change its conscription rules to allow reservists to help patrol the border with Russia in the case that there is a sudden wave of migrants, Reuters reported on May 15.

According to the new rules, Finns who have completed military service in the border forces can now be called up to patrol the border with Russia in exceptional circumstances.

Finland closed its border with Russia in late November 2023 after Russia orchestrated an influx of migrants as a way to pressure Helsinki.

In November alone, around 900 asylum seekers from countries like Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen entered Finland from Russia.

The Finnish government decided last month to close the border indefinitely.

Finland's government also decided to close several crossing points for maritime traffic to leisure boating due to concerns that Russia may encourage migrants to reach Finland by sea or over lakes.

Russia's strategy of sending asylum seekers to Finland's eastern border was similar to the situation at the border between Belarus and Poland in 2021, when Minsk encouraged thousands of asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa to try to reach the EU via the Polish border.

*The changes to Finland's conscription policies will be put to a vote in parliament.*

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