TheOldGuy @TheOldGuy@qoto.org

https://mil.in.ua/en/news/63rd-brigade-destroyed-10-tanks-and-infantry-fighting-vehicles-of-the-invaders/

Any other country they would prohibit dropping glide bombs over populated areas. But life is cheap in Russia.

https://mil.in.ua/en/news/russian-bombs-continue-to-rain-down-in-belgorod-oblast-house-destroyed/

Alexey Milchakov, war criminal, co-leader and co-founder of the Rusich Group, that operated from 2022 within the Wagner Group, calls for the killing of prisoners of war

He says that he hasn't taken Ukrainians prisoner since 2014, but killed them right away.

Milchakov is known for torturing and executing Ukrainian prisoners of war. He has repeatedly been photographed against the backdrop of dead Ukrainian soldiers.

🪐 Subscribe to Live: Ukraine

📍 Kharkiv Oblast, May 13.

▪️ No strikes were recorded in the city of Kharkiv during the day.

▪️ More than 30 settlements of Kharkiv region were hit by enemy artillery and mortar attacks: Liptsi, Vesele, Neskuchne, Staritsa, Zarichne, Zeleny Yar, Gontarivka, Tomakhivka, Yurchenkove, Vovchansk and others. Aviation bombardments were subjected, for example, Liptsi, Neskuchne, Staritsa and others.

▪️ 6:25 p.m. Mali Prohody Kharkiv district. The house was on fire as a result of the shelling.

▪️ 1:00 p.m. One private house was damaged and a 46-year-old woman was injured as a result of shelling from multiple rocket-propelled grenades.

▪️ 10:30 a.m. Liptsi of Kharkiv district. As a result of shelling of the KAB, a communal educational institution was hit.

🔻 m. Raisins, a 69-year-old man was injured as a result of the detonation of the ammunition.

▪️ On May 12, as a result of a series of massive shelling in the city of Vovchansk with various types of weapons, private houses were damaged. 7 people were injured.

🔹 During the past day, Ukrainian troops in the Kupyansk direction repelled 9 attacks, in particular in the areas of Petropavlivka, Berestov, Kharkiv region;

🔹 In the Kharkiv direction, 12 attacks were repelled, in particular in the areas of Lukyantsi, Vovchansk, Bugruvatkata, etc. Kharkiv region;

⏺ So far, 1,695 local residents have been evacuated from Chuguyiv district, 2,589 from Kharkiv district, 44 from Bogoduhiv district, and 1,434 people have been evacuated by volunteers.

🚨 A total of 5,762 people were evacuated.

Russians forcibly detained and continue to detain people in the Vovchansk area.

They locked locals in a basement on May 11, 2024. Some of them managed to escape and reach volunteers on May 13.

The victims said that during their stay in the basement, they heard the occupiers talking about shooting civilians. People were also forced to provide medical assistance to the occupiers.

The prosecutor's office has already launched an investigation into the fact of civilian captivity.

Imagine what Russians are doing on occupied Ukrainian lands...

📹: Suspilne Kharkiv

Lukashenko said that no one needs the dollar and the euro, and they will “soon collapse”

“Now no one needs either the dollar or the euro. And this is not only in BelaruZ and ruZZia - this is already in many countries. <..> I say that because I have talked to many leaders.”

The self-proclaimed dictator of BelaruZ claims that the relevance of these currencies has fallen, “especially after talk that ruZZia would have gold and foreign exchange reserves stolen from them, assets that they kept in the West.”

The journalists all nod and agree, of course 😏

Funny enough, if you follow the desperate intents of the Z-Central Bank to support the Z-ruble or remember that a US dollar cost in 1999, when Russia was insolvent, between 22 and 27 rubles. Last year you had to pay over 100 rubles and now it is around 93, and around 100 for a Euro!
Not to mention the yuan is slowly expanding in ruZZia as second currency. But yeah, dream on!

@ukrainejournal

Appeal of the Legion "Freedom of Russia" to the military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces.

The absurd “Kharkov operation” has already taken thousands of lives of your brothers-in-arms. But you don't have to stay in a nameless planting forever.

You can surrender and live. You can come over to our side. You have the right not to carry out a criminal order. We announce the start of the “Path of Honor” program for the safe surrender of Russians. We guarantee safe exit from the battlefield, food, medical care and the right to choose. You can remain safe in captivity or go over to the side of the Russian liberation forces - the Legion "Freedom of Russia", the Russian Volunteer Corps or the Siberian Battalion. Many military personnel of Putin’s army, understanding what the command of the flayers is leading to, have already completed their service in the criminal army with honor, surrendering or going over to our side.

Please contact us using the contacts below. Save your life.

Telegram: @Path_of_honor
Signal: path_of_honor.01
Mail: Path_of_honor@proton.me
WhatsApp: +380666361603

@ukrainejournal

✈️ American F-16s can help recapture Crimea – military analyst

By targeting russian ground-based air defense systems, Ukraine is "preparing the way" for future airstrikes upon the arrival of F-16 fighters. Defense expert and analyst at the Hague Center for Strategic Studies, Frederic Mertens, stated this in a commentary to Business Insider.

He added that the russians have relatively limited room for maneuver on the peninsula, replenishing their supplies depends on the Kerch Bridge, and “Putin has a lot to lose here, both politically and militarily.”

In addition, F-16s, combined with US-provided long-range ATACMS, could make Crimea “militarily insignificant” for russia, the publication writes.

@ukrainejournal

In Germany, NATO countries are being proposed to assist in shooting down drones over Ukraine to alleviate the burden on Ukrainian air defense, reports the German publication FAZ.

Experts from the Munich Security Conference, including Niko Lange and former assistant NATO Secretary General Horst-Heinrich Braus, suggest that deploying air defense systems in Poland and Romania could create a secure zone up to 70 kilometers wide.

Several German political parties support this proposition. They argue that the involvement of neighboring countries' air defense systems would aid Ukraine without directly engaging NATO countries in the conflict.

Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, emphasizes that such support would relieve pressure on Ukrainian air defense, allowing it to focus on protecting the front lines. He also points out that providing assistance does not automatically make states parties to the conflict, citing Israel as an example.
@ukrainejournal

The fact that Raiffeisen Bank has been operating and thriving in Russia for the third year of the war illustrates that the West has not succeeded in significantly undermining the Russian economy. At the same time, the bank itself is trapped, — Financial Times.

The publication notes that over the past three years, the profit earned by the Russian division of the Austrian bank has exceeded all other operations of the Raiffeisen group.

Raiffeisen, in contrast to its rivals, has actually increased the proportion of profits the country contributes to its bottom line. According to estimates from Citigroup analysts, the bank will this year make a net profit from its units in Russia and close ally Belarus of nearly €1.2bn, compared with barely €500mn from all its other continuing operations: that is 69 percent of profits.

“This both looks bad and is bad. For a western bank to be thriving, there is a snub to western governments that have tried to shut down Russia’s global connectivity. It is also a very real help to the country’s economy, and thus its war machine,” the article states.

Raiffeisen is in a difficult spot. Even if it genuinely wants to exit the country, doing so is subject to the Kremlin vetting any buyer. In the meantime, restrictions imposed by the Russian regime mean the bank cannot repatriate profits from the country to its Austrian parent via dividends.

Although it has reduced its lending activity in the country, it has, like other foreign banks, become a channel for moving money out of Russia. Unlike sanctioned Russian banks, Raiffeisen remains part of the Swift network, which links banks around the world.

Now there is a strong reason for the West to deprive the Russian branch of Raiffeisen of access to Swift, and thus close a huge loophole in Russia's ties with the global economy. Thus, more than half of Raiffeisen's business depends on Putin, on the one hand, and Western politicians, on the other.

According to a YouGov survey commissioned by dpa, the majority of Germans do not believe in the possibility of a Russian attack on NATO countries.

48% of respondents view the likelihood of a Russian attack on a NATO member state by 2030 as "unlikely" or "rather unlikely," while 36% consider it "probable" or "rather likely." 15% remained undecided.

Interestingly, among those who identified as supporters of the right-wing populist party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) in the last Bundestag elections, a higher proportion expressed disbelief in the prospect of a Russian attack on NATO compared to supporters of other political parties in Germany, as noted by dpa.

61% of respondents overall do not believe that Russia could attack Germany within the next decade, while only 23% believe it is possible.

However, confidence in the readiness of the Bundeswehr for a potential invasion is low, with only 2% considering it "very well prepared" and 12% considering it "rather well prepared." Conversely, 39% of participants rated the Bundeswehr's readiness as "poor" or "very poor." Older respondents were more inclined to critically assess the army's preparedness compared to younger ones.

North Korea may have sent around 6,700 containers of missiles to Russia, — Yonhap News Agency.

Since September 2023, North Korea could have supplied the terrorist country Russia with about 6,700 containers of weapons to wage war against Ukraine. These are mainly artillery ammunition and missiles for multiple launch rocket systems.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service believes that the North Korea is transferring weapons produced in the 1970s to Russia.

CONTINUES…
It looks like they weren’t ready and yet the viability of defending the border itself was low, defences need depth and that’s what they created. Despite the scale of the Russian attack it hasn’t been a blitzkrieg by any means. They over-signalled their intentions days in advance and their troop build up was no secret.
The real question is what is their objective? Buffer zone? Forcing the repositioning of Ukrainian forces? Kharkiv itself seems way beyond them, but forcing a wave of civilians to evacuate and cause internal mayhem as 1 million people evacuate isn’t impossible. Misery, after all, is what Russians are so good at creating.
How this attack pans out in the next few days will be critical. The key thing here is it’s not fixed in place and it’s very mobile - and that means it can be dealt with the same way - and while daring, a mobile counter attack at this stage is still viable if it can be mounted.
I suspect though that the Ukrainian forces will try and do what they can from behind their defence lines and attrit the Russians from their. The danger then is the Russians dig in and getting them out again becomes the problem all over again.

Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦!

From "The Analyst":

BORDER ACTION

It certainly seems that the Russian offensive around the Kharkiv front, which has come in through four different points along the east-west section of the border (and the closest to Kharkiv itself) got off to a bad start.
This is a large operation. 50,000 troops are involved, 400 tanks, around 350 armoured vehicles and 900 artillery pieces. According to the Ukrainians they knew these forces were being assembled for months.
The Russians even built a new airstrip.
Some of this equipment has been taken from new production but much of it has been redeployed from other sectors of the front - which is why so many of the very active areas have become noticeable for the drop in activity, or an over reliance on infantry.
Now, according to the sources available, while things may have looked bad at the start the Ukrainians knew it was coming. Military intelligence predicted the date range, knew the approximate directions of attack. The attacks on the city infrastructure and defences- including HQ’s and SAM systems made it clear they were coming.
At least 35,000 Russian troops were allocated to the Kharkiv border with rest in other areas. The commander of the Russian forces is the same one who commanded the 2022 attacks and withdrawals.
The attack opened with strikes on bridges and dams to cut off supplies for Ukrainian reinforcements. Heavy shelling and glide bombs of target areas aimed to suppress Ukrainian fire. The small town of Ovchanske was destroyed overnight by the bombarding forces.
The Russians quickly advanced over the border claiming occupation of four settlements - Ukraine insists these are in a grey zone, in an area in front of their defences but inside the border.
Ovchanske is their first target town. About the size of Chasiv Yar it sits 5km south of the border so is well inside their immediate striking distance. Theoretically, it should not be so easy to take.
The problem with so many Russian forces being densely packed is they provide an easy targeting zone for the drone operators - in this case the defenders of the 42nd Motorised Brigade. These forces were deployed here specifically to face the Russian threat.
Experienced drone operators soon caused the invaders problems - with verified video showing groups of up to 4-5 APC’s quickly taken out as they crossed the border. This is where the video of Russians blowing themselves up occurred when they were injured and realised there was no likely evacuation coming. Clearly they’d been heavily indoctrinated before embarking on the operation.
Once again the Russians use the same old tactics (hardly suprising from the same previously defeated commander) - sending group after group along the same paths - right up to the spot the previous group was destroyed at. It makes the defending drone operators lives so much easier!
The Russians also quickly stopped over the border, parking up to deploy troops or wait for support, expecting no resistance. Ideal drone fodder.
The Russian intent is believed to be to try and create a 20km buffer zone to prevent further Ukrainian incursions and move their artillery further from the border, while giving the Russians something to do by making their pet hate - the city and people of Kharkiv, whom they regard (being a largely Russian ethnic population) as traitors, the target of their artillery bombardments. It also thins Ukrainian forces from their positions in other areas and absorbs reserves making them unavailable elsewhere.
Overall however, I remain convinced that repeated stupid Ukrainian incursions into Russia in these areas was the catalyst for this attack. The Russians were clearly not interested in spreading the war along a longer front but those attacks humiliated the Russian government and drew an inevitable response. It’s a lack of strategic foresight on Ukraine’s part that has come painfully home to them.
The view on the ground to individual soldiers must be infuriating for the Ukrainians. CONTINUES…

Rest in Peace

🕯 9:00 - minute of silence

Soldier Serhiy Nikitin, call sign Accountant, died on October 14, 2023 in Donetsk region. The soldier was 42 years old.

Serhiy from Vinnytsia. He worked as a construction worker. The last place of work was the construction of a private school in Kyiv.

In February 2023, the man voluntarily mobilized to the ranks of the defenders. He served in the 77th Separate Airmobile Brigade of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Studied in Britain. Subsequently, he fought as a sniper.

"He was a very kind, sensitive and intelligent person. He had an exceptional sense of humor, knew how to cheer everyone up even in difficult moments of life. He could do everything in the world: cook borscht, bake bread, build a house, repair a rifle. He was a psychologist for those around him, and generally a wise person," said his wife Lilia.

His wife, three children, sister and brother were waiting for Serhiy at home.

🇷🇺 Activation of Muscovites in Kharkiv region - DeepState

🛑 Area around the village of Liptsi: the enemy has actually occupied the settlements of Morokhovets-Oliynykove-Zelene and continues to move towards the village of Liptsi. Active fighting continues for Lukianske, which the enemy has almost completely occupied. The Katsaps are trying to gain a foothold in Hlyboke, attempting to advance with infantry, but are under constant fire, in particular, from FPV drones of the Defence Forces, which makes movement much more difficult, but unfortunately, this does not stop them.

🛑 Vovchansk area: the enemy continues to approach Vovchansk, entrenching itself on the outskirts to further enter the city. Our fighters meet the Katsap with fire and make efforts to restrain the onslaught. The city is under heavy fire, and civilians are being evacuated. There have been numerous reports of the enemy occupying the village of Gatyshche, but the information is being verified. The fighting continues.

⚔️ Today, the Muscovites are focused on trying to gain a foothold on the existing lines for further advancement. The enemy regroups in some places and focuses more attention on shelling settlements, thus using the opportunity to bring in additional reserves.

🟡Today we have heard many different versions of the reasons for the border breakthrough and the development of events. But it is impossible to describe the whole situation in one post, because there are many questions and problems. We have paid attention to some of them, but we should be very careful in our conclusions, because it is necessary to verify the information for any analysis. This applies to both the fortifications and the overall development of events to date. The battle continues...

A Ukrainian refugee couple who fled to the UK have been refused permission for their two-year-old daughter to join them after the government suddenly changed its sponsorship rules, The Independent can reveal.

Oleksandra and Yaroslav were offered shelter from Russia’s war under the Homes for Ukraine scheme in April 2022, leaving newborn Anna with her grandparents in Kyiv until they were settled in the UK with work and their own home.

But after finally overcoming the hurdles of finding accommodation and setting up their own marketing business in the UK, the couple’s submission in April for their daughter, now a toddler, to join them was refused by the Home Office, after rules for the schemes allowing Ukrainians to do so were tightened overnight in February.

“Now it seems like it’s impossible to bring Anna,” Oleksandra told The Independent. “I was almost there – and I wasn’t expecting [the legislation] to change. I’m very sad and frustrated, I don’t know what to do and how to react. If I am not able to bring Anna, we will be forced to leave everything and go somewhere else.

“I spent a lot of time building up the business, finding proper accommodation, and when we came here we didn’t have anything – our business in Ukraine was closed and we didn’t have any money. So it’s not a good situation.”

Despite the Home Office insisting that the new rules do not prevent children from joining their parents, charities warn that the changes have created “unintended consequences” and could leave hundreds – if not thousands – of Ukrainians separated from their loved ones.

The “deeply shocking” failure “betrays our commitment to Ukrainians”, warned Labour peer Alf Dubs, who himself arrived in the UK as a six-year-old fleeing the Nazis.

“We pay lip service to how much we want to help Ukraine and the Ukrainians, then in practice we don’t do it,” Lord Dubs told The Independent. “The most fundamental thing is, parents should be allowed to have their children with them – absolutely fundamental – and I think the government should be ashamed of itself.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/homes-for-ukraine-scheme-refugees-sunak-changes-b2538499.html

All the Russian personnel changes

Putin removes Shoigu from the post of Minister of Defence Murder

Sergei Shoigu became the new Secretary of the Russian Security Council. The decree was signed by Vladimir Putin.

Shoigu will take the place of Nikolai Patrushev, who has been relieved of his post.

Vladimir Putin proposed appointing former First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov to the post of Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council reported.

Lavrov remains in his position.

The full list of those whom Vladimir Putin proposed to appoint:

— appoint Boris Kovalchuk to the position of Chairman of the Accounts Chamber;

- for the post of Minister of Internal Affairs - Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kolokoltsev;

- for the post of Minister for Civil Defense, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief - Alexander Vyacheslavovich Kurenkov;

- for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs - Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov;

- for the post of Minister of Defense - Andrey Removich Belousov;

- for the post of Minister of Justice - Konstantin Anatolyevich Chuychenko;

- for the position of Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service - Sergey Evgenievich Naryshkin;

- for the position of director of the Federal Security Service - Alexander Vasilievich Bortnikov;

- for the position of director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops - Viktor Vasilievich Zolotov;

- for the position of director of the Federal Security Service - Dmitry Viktorovich Kochnev;

- for the post of head of the Main Directorate of Special Programs of the President - Linz Alexander Leonidovich.

From "The Analyst":

Putin has decided to replace the defense minister Sergei Shoigu, Andrei Bilousov is the new Minister of Defence

Reference: Andrei Bilousov, aged 65, previously served as Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation from 2012 to 2013. From 2013 to 2020, he worked as an assistant to the president, and since January 2020, he has held the position of first deputy head of the government.

So the question is why? Incompetence, failure, boredom with hearing the same old stories and lies? Corruption gone too far?
Shoigu hasn’t gone too far, having been appointed to the role as Chairman of the Security Council, a presidential advisory body. Not that it does much advising. It’s often used as a place to put lame ducks out to die. They sit and make odd noises and gain praise - Medvedev is a prime example.
The most obvious thing is that the new defence minister has a background with a deeper economic outlook- and that’s something if the war is to continue at its current pace, that will be needed.
A grip or economics and the realities of supply and demand matter when the economics of the war are shredding economic realities.

ISW Daily Update Summary - Kharkiv Offensive (May 12th, 2024)

Russian forces recently made additional confirmed tactical advances in northern Kharkiv Oblast in the Vovchansk direction (northeast of Kharkiv City) and continued limited offensive operations in this area on May 12.

Geolocated footage published on May 11 shows Russian forces operating in southern Ohirtseve (west of Vovchansk), suggesting that Russian forces have seized the entirety of Ohirtseve.

A Ukrainian officer fighting in the Vovchansk direction noted that the situation is extremely difficult because Ukrainian forces lack adequate fortifications in the area, reporting that Russian forces have surrounded Vovchansk and that meeting engagements are already occurring within the settlement.

Several Russian milbloggers discussed fighting within Vovchansk.

ISW therefore assesses that Russian forces also likely seized Hatyshche (just northwest of Vovchansk) and Tykhe (just east of Vovchansk) given the Ukrainian officer's report that Russian forces have surrounded Vovchansk and Russian milblogger claims of street fighting within Vovchansk.

The Ukrainian General Staff additionally reported that Russian forces attacked near Buhruvatka (west of Vovchansk), suggesting that Russian forces have likely consolidated positions between the international border and the Buhruvatka-Starytsya area.

Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported that Russian forces have advanced 2.5 kilometers in the Vovchansk direction and noted that the Russian command has deployed at least four motorized rifle battalions of the 11th Army Corps (Leningrad Military District [LMD]) to the Vovchansk direction.

Russian forces also recently made confirmed advances in the Lytpsi (north of Kharkiv City) direction and continued limited offensive operations in this area on May 12.

Geolocated footage published on May 12 shows that Russian forces advanced up to a windbreak south of Pylna and north of Lukyantsi (northeast of Lyptsi).