News and Updates about Russia's War against Ukraine.

[Meoima]

Putin's War -- The May 10th Map Briefing Relatively few changes. Ukrainian troops advanced into five abandoned villages near Kharkiv. Russian troops captured the town of Velkya Komyshuvakha near Izyum. Cleanup ops continue on the company of Russian troops that cross the Donets.

https://twitter.com/Nrg8000/status/1524087877315231744?s=20&t=TyKZrSzOxzm65350ea_VzA

Russia forcibly deports over 8,787 Ukrainians in single day. Russian authorities reported that nearly 9,000 Ukrainians, including 1,106 children, were deported to Russia from Ukraine, specifically the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, over the last 24 hours. Since the start of Russia's all-out war 1,208,225 Ukrainians have reportedly been forcibly moved to Russia, including 210,224 children.

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1524171002019733504?s=20&t=TyKZrSzOxzm65350ea_VzA

In an exclusive interview, Dmytro Kuleba unloads on Western officials who he says spent weeks scouring Soviet stockpiles for old weapons — instead of giving Kyiv what it wanted. “Actually, we are winning. We won the battle for Kyiv,” Kuleba said, evincing less elation than a lingering frustration. “We are not as dumb as you might think, and our army proved that they’re pretty efficient.” With that efficiency, he added, “we finally won the trust of the United States.”
“But if we had been heard from the very beginning on all the weapons that we need to receive, if we didn’t have to spend hours and days explaining to partners in Europe and in the United States why we need specifically this weapon and not another one, we would have received all these weapons by now,” Kuleba said. “We would have trained all the people and the situation on the ground would have been much different, would have been much better.”
“This is where all of us lost time and allowed Putin to gain what he shouldn’t have,” he added.

‘We are not as dumb as you might think’: Ukraine’s foreign minister rues U.S. delay in providing weapons

In an exclusive interview, Dmytro Kuleba unloads on Western officials who he says spent weeks scouring Soviet stockpiles for old weapons — instead of giving Kyiv what it wanted.

www.politico.com

 

[Asli]

Someone actually made a David Attenborough style voiceover for this video of a destroyed Russian tank.

https://twitter.com/ItsBorys/status/1523664324950036480?s=20&t=i_ede-cNwow7LXwL40OelA

Peak dry humor, I enjoy this very much.

Wonderful. The pacifist principles that I had held all my life have gone with the wind because of these last two months and a half. Now I read the inventory of weapons reaching Ukraine, happy at the amount of stuff these can explode and I find jokes about tanks dying in a field adorable. at myself.

 

[Meoima]

The Russian military has gained near total control of the Donbas region, giving the Kremlin huge leverage in any future talks. The Donbas seizure, combined with the Russian invasion’s early success in seizing parts of southern Ukraine adjoining the Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, gives the Kremlin enormous leverage in any future negotiation to halt the conflict. And the Russians enjoy the added advantage of naval dominance in the Black Sea, the only maritime route for Ukrainian trade, which they have paralyzed with an embargo that could eventually starve Ukraine economically and is already contributing to a global grain shortage.

Live Updates: Russia Has Seized Much of Ukraine’s East, Despite Setbacks

The Russian military has gained near total control of the Donbas region, giving the Kremlin huge leverage in any future talks.

www.nytimes.com

U.S. believes that Russia is two weeks behind schedule of military plans in the Ukraine's Donbas and the south: senior U.S. defense official

https://twitter.com/JackDetsch/status/1524069948708069376?s=20&t=mPFB7m0dDxZjtHz5XN0hCA

 

[Dobre]

Seems to be that this is the only way they can attempt to take the town, which smacks of desperation.

I've read about 3 comments from "experts" over the past few days implying that Russian forces aren't close to getting into Odesa. This is Russia's way of hurting the city without attempting to "take" it. (They would try to take it if they could, but right now they aren't close, apparently).

They're trying to hold Ukraine's armed forces stationed in Odesa there. Because if those forces move to the front they could help impede Russia's forces near Kherson or Izyum, etc.

 

[Dobre]

Per the Kyiv Independent:

"Since the start of Russia's all-out war 1,208,225 Ukrainians have reportedly been forcibly moved to Russia, including 210,224 children."

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The vote for 40 billion dollars for Ukraine passed in the U.S. House of Representatives today. 368 to 57.

https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1524209921570394113/photo/1

 

[barbarafan]

Genocide. Genocide. It’s happening right in front of our eyes.

We need new emoji's........sad is not doing the job......We need broken hearts, horror, and murderous anger.

 

[MacMadame]

We need new emoji's........sad is not doing the job......We need broken hearts, horror, and murderous anger.

<-- broken heart

 

[millyskate]

Today Pasha was able to visit his own street, which was almost completely destroyed, and distribute large food boxes to 60 families living in the ruins / damaged buildings.
He posted a video with one family who had to negotiate safe passage directly with the Russian soldiers who eventually let them out to safety.
Pasha himself spent 6 days in his small basement with 16 relatives and no electricity before making a successful run for it. Amazingly his house suffered only minor damage.

 

[Hedwig]

Isnt this wonderful?

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=5286105051473605&id=992934547457365&m_entstream_source=feed_mobile&anchor_composer=false

 

[reut]

Isnt this wonderful?

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=5286105051473605&id=992934547457365&m_entstream_source=feed_mobile&anchor_composer=false

I read same story about Kyiv (In case of Mariupol and based on other stories from there sounds even less realistic). Might be an urban legend.

 

[allezfred]

Channel 4 report about how Russia is refusing to take back the bodies of its own dead soldiers.

https://youtu.be/VM5nyGhBA1g

 

[Hedwig]

I read same story about Kyiv (In case of Mariupol and based on other stories from there sounds even less realistic). Might be an urban legend.

Even if- isnt it wonderful to have these kind of urban legends instead of every urban legend I can think of it it comes to Russia?

 

[reut]

Even if- isnt it wonderful to have these kind of urban legends instead of every urban legend I can think of it it comes to Russia?

I know what you mean, but me personally I love true stories. And there are so many actual real life stories about various amazing things Ukrainians are doing.

 

[Dobre]

"Governor: Luhansk Oblast cut off from communication. Serhiy Haidai said on May 11 that mobile communication in the region is disrupted and the humanitarian situation is dire. There is little aid remaining in the warehouses and delivery is difficult due to damaged roads."

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1524541566119034885?cxt=HHwWioC-3cOeoagqAAAA

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New Zealand "announced new sanctions against #Russia. The list includes Igor #Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry; Igor #Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff, as well as other representatives of the military and propagandists."

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1524299031366844418?cxt=HHwWhIC-gZP5sqcqAAAA

 

[Meoima]

NEW: Russian forces did not make any significant advances anywhere in Ukraine on May 11, and Ukrainian forces took further ground northeast of Kharkiv. The Ukrainian counteroffensive north of Kharkiv City has forced Russian troops onto the defensive and necessitated reinforcement and replenishment efforts intended to prevent further Ukrainian advances towards the Russian border. Russian efforts along the Southern Axis and in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts remain similarly stalled, and Russian forces have not made any significant gains in the face of continued successful Ukrainian defenses.

https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1524515820189147137

The Russians began to trust television less. According to the Accelerate research, on March 17, 33% of respondents named television as the most reliable source of information; on April 27, 23% of respondents trusted it. More people began to trust social media and Telegram instead

https://twitter.com/HannaLiubakova/status/1524487788468609033?s=20&t=z6rcRqpWk-W0-G_ewZQf4g

 

[DORISPULASKI]

‘It was foolproof’: Pussy Riot activist tells of courier-suit escape from Russia

Lucy Shtein fled Moscow in late March; now she can tell her story after her girlfriend got out the same way

www.theguardian.com

Two more of the Pussy Riot punk band have escaped Russia.

Together with other Pussy Riot activists who have left the country, Shtein and Alyokhina have now embarked on a series of performances across Europe to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees. “I will continue my work from outside of the country. I want to be useful in one way or another,” she said.

 

[reut]

Situation in Azovstal is critical, there are many wounded soldiers who can't get medical help.
Recently they shared photos to urge “the entire civilized world” to help with their evacuation.

Azovstal’s last defenders Ukraine’s Azov regiment shares photos of wounded soldiers in plea for evacuation from besieged Mariupol steel plant — Meduza

Battles for Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant have been going on for nearly two months — Russian troops have been trying to seize this final pocket of Ukrainian resistance since mid-March. Russian President Vladimir Putin called off plans for the Russian military to storm the plant in late April...

meduza.io

Wives of two Azovstal defenders met with Pope Francis yesterday and asked him for help.

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1524390831116935169

There was also a plea from Ukrainian Jews staying there to Israel, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and the Knesset, shared yesterday:

Vitaliy Barabash's address on behalf of all the Jews who are surrounded by the ruins of Azovstal

HE / EN / UA קוראים לי ויטלי ברבאש, כינוי ״בניה״. קשה לי לדבר בעקבות פציעה, זעזוע ומצב בריאותי קשה, לכן אחי לנשק ידבר בשמי ובשם כל היהודים האוקראינים...

www.facebook.com

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said there are ongoing negotiations to exchange Russian POWs for injured Azovstal defenders.

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1524489716275597313

In this interview from today she also confirms that. Red Cross are involved too and are now talking to russian side, Ukraine requires a written document of agreement about the process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37P7wlB09jg

You need to understand that negotiations are stalled and fail every single time because these are not just any soldiers, russians see it as their "mission" to destroy every single one of them, hence there can't be a usual process of surrendering.

 

[reut]

YouTube proposed this enlightening video "What Russians think about Zelenskyy"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUHP3KDi-OQ

I especially love how young people who have all the means and knowledge to use VPN, read Internet sources and compare facts claim that "we're not given all the information", "it's hard to know what is happening there". Indeed, soooo hard.

 

[reut]

Russian proxies: Extraction of Ukrainian military from Azovstal won't be allowed.

Denis Pushilin, leader of the Kremlin’s proxies in Donetsk, said Russian forces continue attempts to seize the steel plant in Mariupol and rule out extraction of Ukrainian soldiers from there.
Ukrainian soldiers continue to hold the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, but they have been repeatedly calling on the Ukrainian and world leaders to find a way to get them out of the besieged plant, possibly by organizing an extraction to a third-party country.

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1524704655082762245

Dignity, respect, all that is not about them.

 

[Dobre]

Some photos & details about Russia's failed bridging attempts. (I assume from yesterday).

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1524413089579511808

The Russians Lost Nearly An Entire Battalion Trying To Cross A River In Eastern Ukraine​

The Russians Lost Nearly An Entire Battalion Trying To Cross A River In Eastern Ukraine

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Belarus to expand use of death penalty. Democratic forces, rail guerrillas under threat​

https://kyivindependent.com/eastern-europe/belarus-expands-use-of-death-penalty-democratic-forces-rail-guerrillas-under-threat/

"Belarus’ parliament approved a bill on May 4 to amend the country’s criminal code, introducing capital punishment for acts of “attempted terrorism.”

Previously, the death penalty was assigned to those that committed terrorist acts that resulted in casualties.

Belarus’ State Security Committee, or KGB, has a long list of alleged “terrorists,” which include the “guerrillas” that disrupted the country’s national railway earlier in 2022, which means that the new legislation serves to further intimidate those that oppose Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko."

 

[millyskate]

I found this interview tough to watch but it's symptomatic of the state of the Russian army.
This man, who appears to have learning difficulties and no understanding of what is happening around him, was apparently sent as a tank commander despite never having ridden or fired a tank before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMgJ0pFn6Cg

 

[Reuven]

Some photos & details about Russia's failed bridging attempts. (I assume from yesterday).

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1524413089579511808

Granted it’s on the Twitter, but it looks like the Russians tried twice? At the same location?

 

[reut]

Granted it’s on the Twitter, but it looks like the Russians tried twice? At the same location?

Google "Chornobaivka"

 

[Asli]

Google "Chornobaivka"

17 times last I heard. When the soldiers are cannon fodder for an administration, why not 170? İt's not like it's hurting anyone in the Kremlin! Sorry, the bunker!

 

[Asli]

I found this interview tough to watch but it's symptomatic of the state of the Russian army.
This man, who appears to have learning difficulties and no understanding of what is happening around him, was apparently sent as a tank commander despite never having ridden or fired a tank before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMgJ0pFn6Cg

I didn't get the impression that he had learning difficulties. Maybe an articulation problem. His body language is a little different, not being Slav.

He's telling the same story as most of the stunned POWs in this series of interviews: Had no preparation or training, didn't know where they were going, only realised they were in Ukraine when they were shot at. Sigh.

 

[millyskate]

I didn't get the impression that he had learning difficulties. Maybe an articulation problem. His body language is a little different, not being Slav.

He's telling the same story as most of the stunned POWs in this series of interviews: Had no preparation or training, didn't know where they were going, only realised they were in Ukraine when they were shot at. Sigh.

I definitely think he has learning difficulties. He takes all the questions very literally, misses the point most times and struggles to tell stories coherently. His reality is limited to very practical things.
He also has a very childlike relationship to his parents.

 

[Asli]

I definitely think he has learning difficulties. He takes all the questions very literally, misses the point most times and struggles to tell stories coherently. His reality is limited to very practical things.
He also has a very childlike relationship to his parents.

It's the same for the other soldiers in the series. They are prisoners, injured, probably loaded with painkillers and are totally stunned at what has happened to them.

I found his reverence to his father normal for a Muslim person. His emotions upon hearing him too.

 

[reut]

Granted it’s on the Twitter, but it looks like the Russians tried twice? At the same location?

I read about it some more, Bilohorivka is indeed now named "new Chornobaivka".

Siverskyi Donets river is a natural borderline for the current "battle of the east", russians need to cross it to be able to advance west into Ukrainian territory. Just like with Chornobaivka, because of geography of the place, if russians want to proceed they kind of don't have a choice and need to do it there. And brutal force is their usual approach as they don't care how many men they leave there.

 

[reut]

Anton Ptushkin's new vlog entry in which he shows how deminers (and Patron ) work in Chernihiv area.

I met the most famous bomb-sniffing dog in Ukraine.

Fundraiser for the families of the deceased and injured sappers of the SES of Ukraine: PayPal: [email protected]: https://send.monobank.ua/jar/2HH9yLR...

www.youtube.com

Clearing up will take 3 years. From time to time there are news about people, also children, getting injured and even killed by these mines.

 

[Reuven]

And brutal force is their usual approach as they don't care how many men they leave there.

And that’s literally “leave there.” Gifted WaPo story

Ukraine has about 7,000 unclaimed Russian corpses in morgues and refrigerated rail cars, according to Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to the head of Ukraine’s presidential administration. He said his government’s figure of 18,600 Russian dead was based on Ukrainian reports from the battlefield and intercepted Russian military communications.
Ukraine tried to return the bodies of 3,000 Russian service members on the third day of the war, he said. “They said, ‘We don’t believe in such quantities. We don’t have this number. We’re not ready to accept them.’ ” Ukraine proposed an exchange several times, he said, but “they won’t discuss this at all yet.”