Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:35 Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo again stated that his country will not allow the use of its weapons, including the F-16, outside the territory of Ukraine.
22:24 German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius considers the correct decision to allow Ukraine to carry out strikes with German weapons on individual military targets on Russian territory: “This is what we have always done since the beginning of the war that Putin is waging against Ukraine. We adapted to the situation, adapted our strategy in each specific case."
21:06 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Ankara does not want NATO “participation” in the war in Ukraine, but supports the provision of military assistance to Kiev. According to him, Türkiye “supports continued assistance to Ukraine and Ukraine’s ability to contain” Russia.
19:49 The Ministry of Defense called on people's deputies to identify bill No. 6569-d on the creation of the Military Police on the basis of the Military Law Enforcement Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a priority. It will have the right to search, detain military personnel, record crimes and protect their rights. The ministry emphasizes the need for investigative powers for the Military Police and plans to work with MPs to improve the bill.
19:22 The Russians shelled Drobyshevo, Donetsk region - at least one person was killed and three were wounded, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin. Four private houses were completely destroyed, another five were damaged.
19:16 Ukrenergo stated that it is returning to planned restrictions on electricity consumption. On Saturday, June 1, consumption limits will be in effect throughout Ukraine from 18:00 to 23:00. The reason is massive enemy attacks on Ukrainian power plants, as well as planned maintenance of power plants. The company recalled that from March 22 to May 8, the Russians deliberately attacked all large thermal and hydroelectric power plants five times.
18:54 The Polish agency PAP twice published news about mobilization in Poland for the war in Ukraine. The publication claims that it was hacked. The news said that the mobilization of 200 thousand citizens would allegedly begin in Poland, who “will be called up for compulsory military service and sent to Ukraine.” Minister of Digitalization Krzysztof Gawkowski announced a Russian cyber attack, the purpose of which is “disinformation before the elections and to paralyze the public.”
18:35 Poland is studying the possibility of preparing a unit of Ukrainians living in the country and subject to mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, writes Rzeczpospolita. “Poland has considered Ukraine’s request for training, but we have come to the conclusion that it would be safer and more effective to train a Ukrainian unit from Ukrainians in Poland subject to conscription into the Ukrainian army, and that this would be a more effective way to help Ukraine,” Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.
18:17 Zelensky said in an interview with The Guardian that he asked former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to talk to Trump so that he could convince Republicans in Congress to allocate $61 billion for Ukraine. Johnson spoke with the former head of the White House; Zelensky called the conversation “productive” and noted that Johnson “really helped Ukraine.”
17:46 Zelensky said that Ukraine did not receive “100% permission” from Britain to use Storm Shadow on Russian territory. At the same time, he suggested that the final decision of London, as well as Kyiv’s other allies, would depend on “consensus,” although the final word belongs to the United States.
17:30 The German Foreign Ministry officially announced the transfer to Ukraine of an assistance package worth 500 million euros and another Patriot system.
16:57 Blinken confirmed that Ukraine has received permission to carry out strikes on Russian territory: “Over the past several weeks, Ukraine has approached us and asked for permission to use the weapons that we provide to defend against this aggression, including Russian troops that are massing on the Russian side borders, and then attack Ukraine. This is the right of the president, and, as you heard, he approved the use of our weapons for these purposes."
The Secretary of State also added that the United States “will continue to adapt and adjust, we will provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs.” Blinken does not believe the policy change will lead to escalation.
16:14 Stoltenberg proposed to allocate 40 billion euros to help Ukraine annually and make the allocation of these funds mandatory. “We have already provided Ukraine with 40 billion euros of assistance per year, and I ask that we take exactly the same commitment for the next years,” the secretary general said.
16:03 The United States allowed to hit Russian territory with HIMARS systems and artillery, but without using ATACMS, writes The Wall Street Journal.
15:36 The number of deaths in Kharkov as a result of the overnight Russian strike has increased to six, the regional prosecutor's office reported.
15:30 Mobilization in Ukraine increased after the new law came into force, Zelensky said: “Mobilization went on and on. To be honest, after the law it, to be honest, increased.” The president also said that only today he received a message from the military about US permission to strike Russian territory with American weapons. “We had a message from the American side. Early this morning I received this message from my military. I cannot tell you details about this,” the head of state noted. He called this resolution "a step forward."
15:23 A “very powerful package” of assistance to Ukraine will be announced at the summit in Washington, Blinken said before the start of an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague.
14:59 Germany allowed Ukraine to launch strikes on Russian territory for a maximum of 40 km and only in the Kharkov region, writes Bild. According to the publication, two German weapons systems are being considered for attacks on Russian territory - the Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer and the Mars II armored multiple launch rocket system.
14:28 Ukraine signed an agreement on security cooperation and long-term support with Norway. According to the document, this year Norway will provide Ukraine with at least 13.5 billion Norwegian kroner (about 1.2 billion euros) of military assistance. In total, Norway has included almost 6.4 billion euros in the long-term program for 2023-2027. Norway will transfer F-16 fighters to Ukraine, and will also make a significant contribution to the development of maritime capabilities in the Black and Azov Seas, will continue to provide NASAMS systems and equipment for them, and will train specialists. Also, Ukraine and Norway will work to deepen defense-industrial cooperation.
Norway is the 15th country with which a bilateral security agreement has been concluded. Previously, Ukraine signed similar documents with the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, Latvia, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden and Iceland.
13:57 Ukraine and Iceland signed a security agreement. According to the document, during 2024-2028 Iceland will annually allocate at least 4 billion ISK (about $30 million) to Ukraine. Iceland will also finance, purchase and supply defense materials and equipment, and cooperate with Ukraine to develop its defense industry. In addition, Iceland commits to continue transporting military supplies and equipment from NATO allies to Ukraine via chartered cargo planes. Iceland will also pay special attention to supporting and equipping Ukrainian women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
13:49 Zelensky confirmed that 75 Ukrainians returned from captivity, including soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard, border guards, and four civilians.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War clarified that among those released were 70 men and five women, six officers and 65 representatives of privates and sergeants. At least a third of those rescued are injured, seriously ill or disabled.
In particular, 37 representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were released from captivity, including 13 Navy soldiers and two representatives of the Air Force. Also released from captivity were 21 national guardsmen, seven border guards, six terrorist fighters and four Ukrainian civilians. 19 defenders of Zmeiny Island, 14 military personnel guarding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, as well as ten defenders of Mariupol were returned to Ukraine. Today's exchange is the 52nd since the start of the full-scale invasion. To date, 3,210 Ukrainians have been released from captivity.
13:13 Zelensky will take part in the security conference Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend, writes Reuters. Among the conference participants are US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun. Two sources of the publication reported that Zelensky will speak to delegates on Saturday, June 1.
13:09 The Russian Ministry of Defense announced an exchange of prisoners with Ukraine according to the 75-75 formula through the mediation of the UAE.
12:50 Ukraine and Sweden signed a security agreement. According to the document, during 2024-2026 Sweden will provide Ukraine with military assistance worth 75 billion Swedish kronor (about 6.5 billion euros). The amount of assistance will increase over the ten-year validity period of the document. Military support includes aviation and air defense, armored vehicles, artillery, enhanced maritime security, UAVs, and mine clearance.
A unique part of the agreement with Sweden is the provision of specialized ASC 890 aircraft, as well as the prospect of transferring JAS 39 Gripen aircraft to Ukraine, including related training. Sweden will also support the development of Ukraine's modern defense industrial potential and develop bilateral cooperation on the localization, repair, maintenance and production of Swedish defense products in Ukraine.
12:41 American officials expect that the first attacks on Russian territory using American weapons could begin within a few hours or days, writes The New York Times.
12:35 On the night of May 30, SBU military counterintelligence drones struck the Russian Nebo-SVU radar located near Armyansk in the northern part of Crimea, Ukrainian media write, citing sources in the intelligence service. The radar station, costing $100 million, monitored a 380-kilometer-long section of the front.
12:32 Germany has officially allowed Ukraine to attack targets in Russia using German weapons to protect against Russian attacks in the border region around Kharkov, said German government spokesman Steffen Gebestreit.
12:17 Ukraine has returned the bodies of 212 dead soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
11:51 Ukraine has received permission from the United States to use American weapons to strike Russian territory, but with restrictions, Zelensky’s press secretary Sergei Nikiforov told The Guardian. This decision allows Ukraine to use HIMARS missile systems to strike Russian troops and command and control centers near the border with the Kharkov region.
11:32 Poland is preparing a new, 45th package of military assistance to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said. According to him, Poland provided Ukraine with support worth 4 billion euros in the form of military assistance alone.
11:20 The Netherlands is not against Ukraine’s future use of F-16s on Russian territory as a means of self-defense, Foreign Minister Hanke Bruyns-Slot said. She added that the use of Western aviation over the territory of the Russian Federation allows Ukraine to be used by Article 51 of the UN Charter, which talks about the right to self-defense.
11:16 The death toll in Kharkov has risen to five - another body was released from the rubble, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OBA. The rubble is being cleared and there may be people under it.
11:11 Zelensky said that he is on a visit to Stockholm and will sign three security agreements today. The President will take part in the third Ukraine-Northern Europe summit, and will also hold a number of meetings with the leaders of Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, as well as with King Charles XVI of Sweden and representatives of defense companies. “Our key priorities: air defense for Ukraine - we must provide more systems, joint defense production - and providing our soldiers with weapons, as well as our global work to force Russia to peace,” the head of state said.
10:52 Lithuania is ready to send its military instructors to Ukraine if necessary, said Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.
10:48 This night the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Navy hit the ferry crossing and the oil terminal of the port of Kavkaz in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation, the General Staff reported. The attack on the oil terminal near the port of Kavkaz was carried out by several Ukrainian-made missiles from the Neptune coastal missile system. The results of objective monitoring confirm explosions at target sites, and the accuracy of hitting targets is being further explored. In addition, attack UAVs of the Defense Forces hit another oil terminal in the Krasnodar Territory.
10:35 The Chinese Foreign Ministry officially confirmed that the country will not be represented at the Peace Summit in Switzerland: “The plan for the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland is at odds with the demands of China and the expectations of the world, so it is difficult for Beijing to participate in such a meeting.”
10:29 Germany will discuss the possibility of launching strikes with German weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. “Scholz recently said unequivocally that weapons can be used within the framework of international law. This is what we will consider. Bilateral treaties do not exist to publicly discuss them, whether to draw any red lines, what is tolerable and what is intolerable ", he said.
10:24 Britain has never limited Ukraine’s ability to strike Russian territory with long-range Storm Shadow missiles, Stoltenberg said. According to the Secretary General, “several other countries” have also never introduced such restrictions on their weapons.
10:13 Australia has allocated $20 million to strengthen Ukraine's energy system - instead of coal, which Kiev had previously asked for. The funds will be transferred to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, managed by both Ukraine and the European Commission. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong explained that it was "cheaper and easier" to send funds rather than coal directly. In addition, the Australian government has provided $11 million in additional humanitarian assistance.
09:32 In Volchansk, Kharkov region, on May 30, during the evacuation of animals, a volunteer from Switzerland was injured as a result of enemy shelling of the KAB, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. In addition, in the village. Novoosinovo, Kupyansky district, one person was killed and one was injured as a result of the shelling. Two more people were injured in the village. Russkaya Lozovaya, Kharkov district and one in the village. Yurchenkovo, Chuguevsky district.
09:15 Biden secretly allowed Kiev to launch strikes on Russian territory, but only near the border with the Kharkov region, Reuters writes, citing a source among American officials. “The President has directed his team to ensure that Ukraine can use U.S.-supplied weapons to counter fire activity in the Kharkiv region so that Ukraine can retaliate against Russian forces that are attacking or preparing to attack them,” the official said.
09:08 China confirmed that its representatives will not be at the summit on Ukraine in Switzerland, Reuters writes, citing four sources familiar with the matter. Beijing rejected the invitation because its key condition - the participation of Ukraine and Russia simultaneously in the summit - was not met. China's other conditions included "a fair discussion of all proposals."
09:03 In Kiev, as a result of falling debris from a downed rocket, an electrical substation in the Goloseevsky district was completely destroyed, DTEK reported. As of 8:10, power engineers began restoring power supplies. Currently, about ten private houses and one commercial premises remain without electricity.
08:57 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of May 31:
personnel - about 507,650 (+1390) people,
tanks - 7728 (+18),
armored combat vehicles - 14,935 (+22),
artillery systems - 13,140 (+39),
MLRS - 1088 (+0),
air defense systems - 815 (+0),
aircraft - 357 (+0),
helicopters - 326 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 10 587 (+55),
cruise missiles - 2229 (+7),
ships/boats - 27 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 17,905 (+56),
special equipment - 2164 (+11).
08:29 At night, drones attacked an oil depot in the Krasnodar region. The head of the Temryuk district of the Krasnodar Territory, Fedor Babenkov, said that two employees were injured as a result of the fire at the oil depot. Also in the morning, local residents reported seeing drones in Tatarstan - in particular, one of the UAVs was spotted in the village of Voronino near Kazan. In Kazan, employees of a number of enterprises were evacuated.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that on the night of May 31, air defense systems allegedly destroyed and intercepted five Neptune anti-ship missiles and 29 drones over the Krasnodar Territory. Another drone was shot down over the territory of the Voronezh, Belgorod and Tambov regions.
08:22 At night, the Russians shelled Kharkov several times - four people were killed, 25 were wounded, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. In particular, as a result of the enemy attack, a five-story residential building was damaged, the third to fifth floors were partially destroyed, and a fire broke out. Three people died, 25 were injured, including two children aged 12. As a result of repeated shelling, a fire truck and an ambulance were damaged. Another person was killed when a rocket hit the ground on the territory of a civilian enterprise. A hit was also recorded in a three-story administrative building.
08:07 Air defense at night destroyed the Iskander-K cruise missile that Russia fired at Kiev from the Kursk region, the Air Force reported. All four attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type, which Russia attacked from Yeisk, were also destroyed. Drones were destroyed within the Kyiv, Zaporozhye, and Dnepropetrovsk regions. In addition, the enemy attacked Kharkov with five S-300/S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the Belgorod region.
07:53 At night, the enemy launched a missile attack on Kiev, according to preliminary data, with cruise missiles. All targets were destroyed by air defense forces, said the head of the KGVA, Sergei Popko. As a result of falling debris, a fire broke out over an area of approximately 120 square meters. m in the Goloseevsky district, a service station, a car wash, a warehouse, and cars were damaged. No people were hurt.
07:26 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) predicts that the Russian army will begin the second phase of the offensive in the Kharkov region. Analysts say the Russian military's deployment of reinforcements to the Kharkiv region indicates that it continues to prioritize efforts to divert Ukrainian forces from critical sections of the front line in eastern Ukraine and efforts to create a "buffer zone" in the northern Kharkiv region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Ukrainian defenders courageously hold the defense.
The most tense situation remains in the Pokrovsky direction. The invaders are also trying to attack in the Kupyansky and Seversky directions.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published operational information about the Russian invasion as of 17.30 Friday, May 31.
The General Staff reported that the number of clashes along the entire front line had increased to 62.
“The most tense situation remains in the Pokrovsky direction. The invaders are also trying to attack in the Kupyansky and Seversky directions. In addition, Ukrainian settlements are subject to shelling and airstrikes from the territory of the Russian Federation,” the report says.
Russian terrorists continue to fire from their territory along the border region of Sumy and Chernigov regions. Artillery shelling from the territory of the Russian Federation was carried out on the Ukrainian settlements of Shalimovka, Vodolagi and Baryshevka.
In the Khar'kov direction, the enemy has become more active near Liptsy, and fighting continues there.
Enemy troops attacked Neskuchnoye with a guided aerial bomb, two UABs on Yurchenkovo, and Belyi Kolodets was hit by three UABs.
“In the Kupyansk direction, the occupiers increased the number of military clashes to seven. Three attacks by units of the Defense Forces were successfully repulsed. Fighting continues near Petropavlovka and Berestovo, as well as Novoyegorovka with the support of aviation, where two UABs were dropped,” the summary says.
In the Liman direction, the enemy tried to storm Ukrainian positions in the Tern area, but to no avail. The General Staff says that the situation there is under control.
“The Russian occupiers are not giving up attempts to push through our defenses in the Seversky direction. Since the beginning of the day, the Defense Forces have already repelled five attacks here. Three more clashes continue in the areas of Belogorovka, Vyemka and Razdolovka,” the General Staff adds.
In the Kramatorsk direction the enemy is attacking with aviation support. In the Druzhba area, a strike was carried out by 26 unguided aircraft missiles. In total, since the beginning of the day, five military clashes have already occurred in this direction. One is still ongoing near Andreevka.
“In the Pokrovsky direction, the Russian invaders are currently carrying out 11 assault operations. In total, since the beginning of the day there have been 22 of them. Our defenders have successfully repulsed half of the enemy attacks. Now battles are underway near Sokol, Nevelskoye, Netailovo and Evgenievka. At the same time, ten strikes Vozdvizhenka and Alexandropol were hit by Russian UABs,” the General Staff reported.
In the Kurakhovsky direction, the number of assault actions of the aggressor increased to four, Ukrainian defenders repulsed two attacks, and fighting continues near Novomikhailovka.
In the Vremevsky direction, the enemy attacked three times, but our soldiers repelled all the enemy’s attempts to move forward. The Russians launched a strike with a controlled aerial bomb in the Staromayorsky area.
“In the Orekhovsky direction, to the three previous assault actions of the invaders, another one was added near Novodanilovka. The enemy’s attempt to move forward was not successful. In the Dnieper direction, in the area of the bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnieper, the Russian aggressor is trying to continue active operations near Krynoki. Here, from the beginning of the day, our soldiers Four enemy assaults have already been repelled,” the report further says.
Earlier it was reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces liquidated 1,390 Russian soldiers over the previous day, May 30. The total loss of personnel of the enemy army during the great war is about 507,650 people killed.
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[EngMilRu] From 25 to 31 May 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have carried out 25 group strikes with high-precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and UAVs, which hit command posts, military airfield infrastructure facilities, air defence means, ammunition and fuel depots, manufacturing facilities, and storage sites of unmanned aerial vehicles and boats.
In addition, temporary deployment areas of AFU units, nationalist formations, and foreign mercenaries have been hit.
The units of the Sever Group of Forces continued to move deep into the enemy defence during combat actions.
During the week, manpower and hardware of five AFU brigades and two territorial defence brigades have been hit, as well as 20 enemy counter-attacks have been repelled.
The AFU losses during the week amounted to up to 1,740 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, nine armoured fighting vehicles, 28 motor vehicles, eight Grad MLRS and Vampire combat vehicles, as well as 29 field artillery guns.
During the week, the units of the Zapad Group of Forces have liberated Berestovoye, Ivanovka (Kharkov region), and continued to advance further into the depths of the enemy defence.
The units of the eight AFU formations and two brigades of the Ukrainian National Guard have been defeated. Eleven counter-attacks of enemy units have been repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 2,310 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, 10 armoured fighting vehicles, 35 motor vehicles, two 122mm Bastion MLRS fighting vehicles, and 30 field artillery guns, including 14 Western-made guns.
During the week, the units of the Yug Group of Forces have improved the situation on the front line and engaged manpower and hardware of 12 AFU formations close to Seversk, Ostroye, Krasnogorovka, Elizavetovka, Novy, Konstantinovka, Rasdolovka, and Chavov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic).
Two counter-attacks by units of an assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a territorial defence brigade have been repelled.
The enemy losses were up to 3,415 Ukrainian troops, four tanks, eight armoured fighting vehicles, 30 motor vehicles, and 25 field artillery guns, of which 11 were manufactured from abroad. Nineteen AFU ammunition depots have been destroyed.
During the week, the units of the Tsentr Group of Forces continued to advance at the depth of the enemy defence. Russian troops have liberated Arkhangelskoye and Netailovo (Donetsk People's Republic).
Russian troops have hit nine AFU formations and the Ukrainian National Guard close to Yasnobrodovka, Konstantinovka, Yevgenovka, Sokol, Rozovka, Semyonovka, Novgorodskoye, and Selidovo (Donetsk People's Republic) were defeated.
Russian servicemen have repelled 31 counter-attacks of enemy assault units.
During the week, the enemy losses were up to 2,515 Ukrainian troops, one tank, 15 armoured fighting vehicles, including three U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 19 motor vehicles, three Grad MLRS combat vehicles, and 51 field artillery guns.
The units of the Vostok Group of Forces have improved the tactical situation, defeating manpower and hardware of two brigades of the AFU, two formations of the Territorial Defence Brigade, and one brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard.
In addition, four counter-attacks by units of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade have been repelled.
The enemy losses were up to 920 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, 33 motor vehicles, one 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicle, and 18 field artillery guns, of which five were of Western-made.
Over the past week, the units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have engaged manpower and hardware of two brigades of naval infantry, three formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one territorial defence brigade, and one brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard.
The enemy losses were up to 325 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, 24 motor vehicles, and 17 field artillery guns, including three U.S.-made M777 howitzers.
Aviation and air defence systems shot down: two MiG-29 and two Su-27 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, 14 U.S.-made ATACMS operational and tactical missiles, 17 French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, six U.S.-made HARM anti-radiation missiles, six Neptun anti-ship missiles, 58 U.S.-made HIMARS projectiles, one Czech-made Vampire and one Olkha projectiles, as well as 312 UAVs.
Over the past week, 45 Ukrainian servicemen have surrendered.
In total, 607 airplanes and 274 helicopters, 24,902 unmanned aerial vehicles, 524 air defence missile systems, 16,208 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,325 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 9,972 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 22,135 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:58 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 05/31/2024 to 00:00 06/01/2024.
A total of 31 cases of armed attacks by the UFU were recorded by the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC over the past 24 hours.
Information was received about the death of five civilians, and four civilians were also injured.
DAMAGED:
Three cars.
In total, 11 residential buildings.
Two civil infrastructure facilities.
A total of 22 artillery attacks in the Donetsk direction.
Nine artillery attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 92 units of various ammunition were fired.
23:39 Odessa region: At least 3 powerful explosions rang out in different areas of Odessa and the region. Port area and Ilyichevsk ballistics arrival.
Russian aviation sent the enemy a gift in the form of X-59 missiles.
22:00 Ukrainian troops fired two 155mm cluster rounds at Gorlovka, reported representation of DPR at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC).
21:00 In the DPR, five civilians were killed and three were injured due to artillery attack from Ukraine, the head of the republic Denis Pushilin said in Telegram channel.
19:31 Mobile crew of the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun destroyed about 10 Ukrainian drones in the Chasov Yar area in a week -video.
19:27 Ukrainian Telegram channels report powerful explosions in Odessa. Presumably, a missile arrival in the area of the Odessa port.
18:30 Combat work of the detachment named after. Margelov with universal FPV drones "Veles" in the Kherson direction -video.
18:25 Reconnaissance commander told about the combat work of units of the North group of troops.
“The situation is tense. The guys are clearing street after street. Hard work is still ahead, but a lot has been done this week,” the fighter said.
17:52 Another Ukrainian self-propelled gun "Bogdana" destroyed kamikaze UAV "Lancet" in the Khar'kov region. During the offensive of the Russian Armed Forces, the enemy suffered heavy losses in self-propelled guns, MLRS and towed artillery - mainly from kamikaze UAVs and high-precision artillery rounds.
17:41 Consequences of the artillery attack of Staromikhailovka in the DPR by the VFU -photo.
16:55 Summary of the Russian Ministry of Defense on the progress of the military defense in Ukraine (for the period from May 25 to May 31, 2024):
From May 25 to May 31, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 25 group strikes with high-precision weapons, including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, as a result of which the following were hit: command posts, military airfield infrastructure, and air defense systems. defense, arsenals, fuel depots, production workshops and storage areas for unmanned boats and attack unmanned aerial vehicles.
In addition, points of temporary deployment of units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, nationalist formations and foreign mercenaries were hit.
During the course of combat operations, units of the North group of troops continued to advance into the depths of the enemy’s defenses. The total losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for the week amounted to 1,740 military personnel, three tanks, nine armored combat vehicles, 28 vehicles, eight 122mm BM-21 Grad and Vampire MLRS combat vehicles, as well as 29 field artillery guns.
Within a week, units of the “West” group of troops liberated the settlements of Berestovoe and Ivanovka in the Khar'kov region and continued to advance into the depths of the enemy’s defense. The Ukrainian Armed Forces' losses amounted to up to 2,310 military personnel, three tanks, 10 armored combat vehicles, 35 vehicles, two 122mm Bastion MLRS combat vehicles, as well as 30 field artillery guns, including 14 Western-made ones.
Within a week, units of the “Southern” group of forces improved the situation along the front line. The enemy lost up to 3,415 military personnel, four tanks, eight armored combat vehicles, 30 vehicles, 25 field artillery pieces, 11 of them foreign-made. 19 field ammunition depots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were destroyed.
During the week, units of the Center group of troops continued to advance into the depths of the enemy’s defense, liberating the settlements of Arkhangelskoye and Netaylovo of the Donetsk People’s Republic. Over the course of a week, in this direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 2,515 military personnel, a tank, 15 armored combat vehicles, including three US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 19 vehicles, three 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicles, as well as 51 field artillery guns.
Units of the Vostok group of troops have improved their tactical situation. Enemy losses amounted to up to 920 military personnel, a tank, two armored combat vehicles, 33 vehicles, a 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicle, as well as 18 field artillery guns, of which five were Western-made.
Units of the Dnepr group of troops destroyed up to 325 military personnel, three armored combat vehicles, 24 vehicles, 17 field artillery guns, including three American M777 howitzers made in the USA.
Aviation and air defense systems shot down: two MiG-29 and two Su-27 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, 14 ATACMS operational-tactical missiles made in the USA, 17 Hammer guided bombs made in France, six HARM anti-radar missiles made in the USA, six anti-ship missiles Neptune, 58 US-made HIMARS missiles, Czech-made Vampire and Alder missiles, as well as 312 unmanned aerial vehicles.
Within a week, 45 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered.
15:08 Two people were injured after an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on a substation in the city of Pologi in the Zaporozhye region, said the governor of the region, Evgeniy Balitsky.
14:30 Lancet operators discovered and destroyed the Osa air defense system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces -video.
14:27 As a result of an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on a residential building in Dnepryany, Kherson region, a man and a woman were injured; they were taken to the Skadovsk central city hospital with mine-explosive injuries - authorities.
14:05 Defeated another Abrams tank.
Our fighters are on the northern flank of Avdievka in the vicinity of the village. The Abrams was hit using a Falcon FPV drone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
13:59 Explosions in the Khar'kov region. The work of the Russian Aerospace Forces with the help of FABs is reported.
13:34 Fighters struck a targeted hit on the launch pad for launching combat UAVs towards the Belgorod region, along with the ammunition and personnel. Attacks were also carried out on the river crossing near the village of Volchansk in order to cut off the supply of ammunition and fresh forces of the enemy, who were “almost encircled” and were clearing house after house.
13:22 Explosions in the Berislavsky district of the Kherson region (occupied by the Ukrainian Armed Forces).
13:11 Ukrainian Telegram channels report explosions on the outskirts of Khar'kov
12:50 Explosions in the Khar'kov region.
12:37 Units of the 14th Separate Guards Special Forces Brigade of the Vostok group by assault mastered enemy stronghold in the South Donetsk direction.
12:31 Fixed attack on the city of Pologi, Zaporozhye region, by an enemy drone, said Governor Evgeniy Balitsky.
According to him, at the time of the attack, repair work was being carried out at the substation. As a result, the equipment was damaged. There were no casualties, but the threat of repeated attacks remains.
12:27 Explosions occurred in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson, the publication “Public” reported.
12:00 This morning, Ukrainian terrorists fired at the residential sector in the village Kairo, Kherson region, a man died as a result. Emergency services and police quickly responded to the scene of the incident in compliance with safety measures.
11:49 Consequences of the artillery attack of the Kirovsky district of Donetsk by the VFU, which resulted in the death of a woman -photo.
11:27 Information is received about the entry of our forces into the village of Myasozharovka in the Svatovsky direction. It lies south of Stelmakhovka, on the banks of the Zherebets River, beyond which it is necessary to drive the enemy out. It is also reported that with the beginning of the assault on the village, its name was changed in operational reports from Myasozharovka to Svinozharovka.
11:10 In the Kherson region, having accumulated forces, the Russian Armed Forces began an assault on Nestriga Island at the mouth of the Dnieper - enemy reports.
11:01 Consequences of dropping an explosive object from a Ukrainian UAV in the Kirovsky district of Donetsk, as a result of which a civilian was injured -photo.
10:45 Bomber aviation of the 11th Army Air Force and Air Defense group “Vostok” worked to hit field warehouses with materiel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Urozhainy area
10:24 Thanks to the capture of strategic heights near Liptsy, the Russian Army was able to keep under fire control the defense line of the Armed Forces of Ukraine adjacent to Khar'kov and their supply routes, said the head of the Russian administration of the region, Ganchev.
10:05 Fierce battles for the liberation of Volchansk in the Khar'kov direction -video.
09:34 Military correspondent Blue Z Beard reports on the successes of the Russian Armed Forces in the Svatovsky direction:
“We are receiving information about our forces entering the village of Myasozharovka in the Svatovsky direction. It lies south of Stelmakhovka, on the banks of the Zherebets River, beyond which it is necessary to drive the enemy out.”
08:14 Crew of the TOR-M1 air defense system of the Center grouping covered motorized rifles from UAV attacks near Avdievka, the Ministry of Defense reported
08:10 Mobile air defense units from the South group of troops using the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gundestroyUAV of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the sky over Chasovy Yar.
08:10 Frontline summary on the morning of 05/31/2024:
On the Zaporozhye Front, positional battles continue with the use of long-range weapons in the Rabotino area and north-west of Verbovoy.
Donetsk front. In Krasnogorovka, the Russian Armed Forces continue to put pressure on the Ukrainian defense, and there are heavy urban battles. In the Pobeda area - no changes. In the Netailovo area, Russian troops have expanded the zone of control to the south of the settlement and continue to advance in the direction of Karlovka. There is also progress towards Yasnobrodovka, where fighting is taking place on the outskirts of the populated area. Assault operations in Novopokrovsk continue. Russian troops are putting pressure on the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the direction of the village of Sokol. In this area, the advance of our troops is hampered by Ukrainian counterattacks, but for the most part they do not end in success.
Chasovoyarsk direction. Russian troops continue their assault on the eastern suburb of Chasov Yar. The artillery and aviation of the Russian Armed Forces are attacking the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, causing significant damage to the Ukrainian troops, but the city garrison continues to offer fierce resistance.
Khar'kov front. No promotions. Fighting continues in the central part of Volchansk and on the approaches to Liptsy.
08:00 Crew of the Orlan-10 UAV of the Dnepr group of troopsrevealedand destroyed a Ukrainian 122mm D-20 howitzer on the right bank of the Dnieper.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Andrey Musalov
[REGNUM] The authorities of Poland and the Baltic countries are ready to send their military to the territory of Ukraine if Russia achieves serious success at the front. The German publication Spiegel reported this on May 26, noting that Baltic politicians conveyed this to their German colleagues at the Lennart Meri conference in Tallinn.
The very next day, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky said that he had spoken with French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu, after which he legalized visits to training centers in Ukraine by French instructors - they can “get acquainted with the infrastructure and personnel.”
Syrsky said that he welcomes France’s desire to send instructors to Ukraine to train the Armed Forces of Ukraine and hopes that other countries will follow this example.
LEGION FOR FOREIGNERS
Since the beginning of hostilities in the Donbass, in the spring of 2014, “shooting enthusiasts” began to arrive there from almost all over the world. According to the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, as of mid-July 2014, out of 250 fighters of the Azov volunteer battalion (a terrorist organization whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation), 12 were foreigners - citizens of Finland, France, Norway, Great Britain and Italy.
The recruitment of volunteers was carried out by a professional mercenary, the Frenchman Gaston Besson, who previously fought for the Karens in Myanmar and for the Croats in the former Yugoslavia.
In the same year, the first American instructors appeared in Kyiv. On August 1, 2014, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said: “The White House notified Congress that the State and Defense Departments were going to spend $19 million from the Global Security Contingency Fund, created in 2012. These funds will be used to “train and equip four companies and the tactical headquarters of the Ukrainian National Guard.”
But if during the so-called ATO the participation of foreigners in hostilities was not advertised, then after the start of the Northern Military District, Ukraine officially allowed everyone to do so. On February 27, 2022, on the initiative of the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, the Foreign Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine was created. Its staff number was about 20,000 people.
The formation included several large units and units created on a national basis. Most of them came from post-Soviet republics. For example, the legion includes five Chechen battalions, the Georgian national legion, two Belarusian regiments - “Pagonya” and “Named by Kastus Kalinovsky”, the “Crimea” battalion, and the Karelian national battalion.
But, despite the big names, the number of personnel in the formations usually does not reach the regular level. There is no official data on this matter.
The formations “Russian Volunteer Corps” (an extremist organization whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation) and the “Legion “Freedom of Russia” (recognized as terrorist, prohibited in Russia) that are part of the Foreign Legion deserve special attention. During attempts to break through into the Bryansk and Belgorod regions, they tried to present the formations as “liberators of Russia.”
But if the RDK consists of principled far-right nationalists who fled persecution in Russia, then the “Legion” mainly consists of Russian prisoners of war. However, the number of these units remains insignificant, so the “Russian” militants in them are constantly diluted with Ukrainian military personnel. They bear the brunt of the fighting, while media personalities from the RDK pose for the camera, portraying “Putin’s opponents.”
FOR MONEY - YES
With foreigners from far abroad the picture is different. They are not united into large formations. In particular, the American journalist Seth Harp was able to discover only one such unit - the Polish Volunteer Corps.
As a rule, foreigners arriving in Ukraine from the West travel privately, after which the mercenaries are integrated into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is noteworthy that the Ukrainian authorities require the media not to call foreigners fighting for Ukraine “mercenaries.” At the same time, these people fighting for money are not at all like volunteers.
During an investigation conducted by the Luxembourg television and radio company RTL, it turned out that mercenaries receive from 500 euros for their service when they are in the rear and up to 3,000 when they are on the front line. It is advisable to come with your own equipment, since the Ukrainian side provides only a meager basic kit.
At the beginning of the SVO, most Western mercenaries, after being registered with the Foreign Legion, were sent to the Yavorovsky training ground, where the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security was located near the village of Starichi in the Lviv region. There, new arrivals underwent training and training.
On March 13, 2022, the International Center was hit by at least six Russian cruise missiles. From 60 to 180 mercenaries died.
In an interview with The New York Times, the head of the department of international technical assistance and international cooperation of the Lviv Regional State Administration, Roman Shepelyak, reported that in the first half of 2022, up to 1,000 militants of the Foreign Legion were stationed at the Yavoriv training ground.
After completing training, the mercenaries were sent to various parts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where they fought as part of small groups of foreigners. Judging by videos from Telegram channels, they showed particular activity during the defense of the suburbs of Kyiv, in battles in the Kharkov region, Soledar and Krynki.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, in the first half of 2024, up to 13,500 mercenaries arrived in Ukraine to participate in hostilities on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including more than 8.5 thousand from Western European countries, 1.7 thousand from Asian countries, from North and South America - more than 2.7 thousand, from Africa - over 220 people. Of these, several thousand simply fled from the front line, and about 5,900 mercenaries were destroyed.
"MOZART" VERSUS "WAGNER"
Judging by Ukrainian sources, the majority of mercenaries are representatives of poor third world countries who come to earn money. We are mainly talking about people from Colombia, Peru, Bulgaria, Brazil, etc.
But there are also military professionals - former military special forces of the USA, Great Britain, France, Germany and Sweden.
The most striking example is the private military company Mozart Group. It was created in March 2022 by former American special forces officer Andrew Milburn and head of the Atlantic Group Limited fund Andrew Bain.
The founders did not hide the fact that they named their brainchild in defiance of “Wagner”. In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Blick, they stated that the group’s main task was “to kill as many Russians as possible.”
Initially, the PMC was positioned as a community of American instructors designed to teach the Ukrainian military the basics of tactics and mine explosives. But then the mercenaries from Mozart got involved in the fighting. The result was disastrous: heavy losses and mass desertion. In 2023, the founders quarreled over funding, and lawsuits began. By the end of the year the project was closed.
THE STAKES ARE RISING
If at the beginning of the Northern Military District they were talking about volunteer mercenaries, then in 2024 several Western countries spoke out about the possibility of officially sending military contingents to Ukraine. The reason is obvious - large supplies of Western weapons to Kyiv were unable to turn the tide of hostilities in favor of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, since there was simply not enough human resources for this.
In addition, the use of complex weapons systems by Ukraine is impossible without a large staff of instructors, and possibly crews and crews. Therefore, active military armies of foreign countries are already present in the combat zone.
There is one more important point. If Western countries begin to actively discuss the transfer of something to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it means that it is already on the territory of the country and is being prepared for use. And the information hype only prepares the public for the fait accompli.
Obviously, what is happening now is that Western leaders are actively discussing sending their soldiers to the conflict zone.
On February 26, 2024, after a meeting with the leaders of the European Union countries, Emmanuel Macron announced that he would allow the transfer of European troops to the territory of Ukraine. This caused a flurry of indignation among a number of European politicians. For example, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Macron takes “too militant a position on the issue of assistance to Ukraine.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in an interview with The Economist, also hastened to emphasize that the alliance does not intend to send its forces to help Kiev.
On March 7, Macron lowered the intensity of his belligerence and floridly clarified that “not ruling out something does not mean doing it.” However, on March 9, Politico reported that Paris was still gathering a group of countries ready to send their soldiers to Ukraine.
The director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergei Naryshkin spoke more specifically about the current situation. According to his data, announced on March 19, the French government is already preparing troops to be deployed to Ukraine. According to the head of the department, the contingent will consist of approximately 2 thousand French military personnel.
The overall picture was complemented by Macron’s statement at a joint press conference with Scholz. Demonstrating a diagram of possible missile strikes deep into Russian territory, he, traditionally floridly, said: “We must allow Ukraine to destroy military targets on Russian territory, from where shelling is being carried out, but we should not allow other military or civilian targets on its territory to be hit.”
Obviously, we were talking about French missiles, maintained by French personnel already in Ukraine.
RUSSIA'S RESPONSE
The Russian military is well aware that foreigners have been actively fighting as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a long time. This is confirmed both by numerous videos and by English, Spanish, and Polish speech on the radio in all directions of combat operations.
Who these people are - mercenaries or regular military personnel of Western armies - is not known for certain. But this is not so important: in any case, they are a legitimate military target.
To confirm the seriousness of the Russian side’s intentions to prevent foreign troops from staying in Ukraine, on May 29, 2024, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles were again struck at the Yavorovsky training ground. The day before, foreign military training was resumed there.
According to Ukrainian sources, not only the Ukrainian military, but also instructors from NATO countries - Poland, France and the USA - became victims of the Daggers.
It is noteworthy that the strike almost coincided with a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Polish military would never leave the territory of Ukraine if the Polish authorities sent their contingent there.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, again refused negotiations with Russia, calling them “unrealistic,” The Guardian newspaper reported on May 31.
“Negotiations with Russia are unrealistic <...> a peace agreement will become a trap,” the head of the Kiev regime said in an interview with the newspaper.
Zelensky also said that the United States is postponing the use of Western weapons against targets in Russia. He pointed out the White House's ambiguity, noting that it had cost lives. The head of the Kyiv regime in this regard called on the United States to give Ukraine the opportunity to use long-range weapons to hit a target deep in Russian territory.
As Regnum reported, the Russian side has repeatedly stated its readiness for negotiations on Ukraine. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the country is ready for negotiations not based on some wishes, but on the realities that have developed.
The Kremlin and the Foreign Ministry noted that Russia is ready for a peaceful resolution of the situation in Ukraine, subject to the fulfillment of all the requirements set before the start of the SVO.
After May 20, in accordance with Article 103 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the head of the Kiev regime is not the legitimate leader of the republic. In this regard, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova stated that the Russian side considers Zelensky as the leader of the Kiev regime.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Moscow demands that Washington directly answer the question about plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Asian countries. This was stated on May 31 by Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Anna Evstigneeva at a meeting of the Security Council of the world organization.
She noted that Russia continues to be concerned about conflicting signals about the so-called strengthening of interaction between the countries of Northeast Asia, Japan and South Korea with the United States in the nuclear field.
“We demand that the US delegation directly answer the question regarding its intentions regarding the possible deployment of its nuclear weapons on the territory of Washington’s allies and assistance in their development of their own,” Evstigneeva said.
As Regnum reported, the United States is encouraging Japan to blame Russia for nuclear instability, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on May 1. She recalled that it was Washington that 79 years ago atomic bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed hundreds of thousands of people.
In turn, the administrations of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which suffered from US nuclear bombing in 1945, sent a protest to the American authorities because of tests to monitor the condition of nuclear warheads that took place at a nuclear test site in Nevada.
US actions, including a recent nuclear test in Nevada, are forcing North Korea to increase its preparedness for nuclear deterrence, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said. He emphasized that the United States, being the only state in the world that has used nuclear weapons, does not have the right to point out the nuclear threat allegedly emanating from other countries.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
