The Ukraine Crisis Part 2 . The Battle for the Donbas

This is just bloody brilliant! Magnificent!

 

The US House of Representatives has supported the 61 Billion USD bill on aid for Ukraine. Well done, America! History will judge this as having been the right call.

US House approves aid package worth billions for Ukraine, Israel

US House of Representatives passes $95 billion foreign aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

US House approves $61bn in military aid for Ukraine after months of stalling

 

Begins at 4:17 –42:45: Q&A

“The Ukrainians have been buying us time.”

“The least predictable major player is the United States of America, we are the source of most of the unpredictability in this war, we’re the source of most of the contingency, and it’s our actions, unexpected sometimes even to ourselves, which have created conditions where this war could actually take a rather fatal turn.”

“The other thing which will be compromised to the point of collapse will be American reputation, because even if we convince ourselves that Ukraine is not important because we’re not really paying attention to it, I can assure you this, I’m sure many of you have had these conversations as well, but pretty much everybody around the world whatever their stand towards the United States might be, looks upon Ukraine as an incredibly easy test for us. Incredibly easy because we don’t have to send soldiers, incredibly easy because the amount of money concerned is frankly invisible, incredibly easy because ideologically it’s exactly the case that we keep saying “we care about a democracy which is directly threatened” and so if we can’t pass a test which our allies, adversaries and everyone else regards as being incredibly easy, we can’t expect our allies, adversaries and others to think that we will pass harder tests in the future.”

“I’m going to say something which is certainly going to be painful for our Ukrainian guests I have to apologize for this in advance, but if Ukraine loses that doesn’t mean that Ukraine disappears. It means that these incredibly skilled and experienced soldiers will be press-ganged into the Russian Armed Forces, it means that the technologies which Ukraine has developed on its own, technologies which Taiwan very much needs, will instead go to Russia and to China. It will mean that Ukrainian agriculture which is the third or fourth most important agricultural sector in the world will be controlled by Russia rather than by Ukraine, it will mean that rare earths in Ukraine which are necessary on the market and necessary for lots of people will be controlled by Russia. So there’s a lot more to be lost here, it’s not a country which will disappear, it’s a country whose resources, including its human resources, will then be pushed, pulled, forced in another direction. And then it will be that one has to deal with a Russia which has won a war of aggression, a Russia which has proven that the rules don’t matter, a Russia which has gained lots of resources and a Russia which has proven not only to itself but to most of the world that there’s no particular reason to take the Americans seriously.”

 

Ukraine Aid is expected to pass the US Senate soon. However, every minute passes means more Ukrainian blood gets spilled needlessly. Putin will likely ramp up attacks to extract the maximum advantage possible while aid is delayed.

Here's a link for contact info for your US Senators if you'd like to put their feet to the fire to get this thing passed ASAP

U.S. Senate: Senators

Apparently Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah are holding this up by trying to make amendments. It's looking like Wednesday is the earliest this will pass.

Biden has already said he'll sign it, but I think he should go to the Senate to sign this into law the moment it's theoretically possible. Here's a link to contacting the White House

Contact Us | The White House

 

ruϟϟia has made swift progress in areas northwest of Avdiivka, parts of Ocheretyne are now in rus hands.

Russian Ground Forces Advance to Ocheretyne, Donetsk Oblast, Signaling Front-Wide Collapses | Atlas News

Private Slovak donations to the Czech shell initiative passed 3 million euros.

Slovaks raise over €3 million for ammunition for Ukraine

3000 sq.m. fire in Voronezh in the electromechanical plant "Elmash".

Electromechanical Plant On Fire In Voronezh

Duda: Poland is ready to host US nuclear weapons.

Poland "ready" to host NATO nuclear weapons, President Andrzej Duda says - CBS News

Norway will contribute financially to the initiative to provide Ukraine with additional AA.

Norway to join initiative to provide Ukraine with additional air defence assets

Lithuania and Poland have started military exercises in the Suwałki Gap.

Lithuania and Poland conduct military exercises for the defence of the Suwalki Corridor — ANKASAM | Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Studies

Kharkiv TV tower destroyed by ruϟϟian naϟis.

Watch: Russian rockets destroy Kharkiv television tower

Russia Struck Kharkiv TV Tower [VIDEO]

USA will supply ATACMS missiles to Ukraine - Zelenskyy

Biden will send Ukraine air defense weapons, artillery once Senate approves, Zelenskyy says

 

US Senate passes Ukraine Aid Bill.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/lo...el-taiwan-poised-pass-us-congress-2024-04-23/

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/23/politics/senate-vote-foreign-aid/index.html

US Senate passes $95bn in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

 

Biden has just signed the bill...

https://www.npr.org/2024/04/24/1246...ary-aid-package-for-ukraine-israel-and-taiwan

 

Deputy defense minister, sergei shoigu ally Timur Ivanov of ruϟϟia arrested on corruption charges.

Russian deputy defence minister Timur Ivanov accused of taking bribes

Russian deputy defence minister was arrested because of special operation by Ukrainian intelligence

Chechen boss Ramzan Kadyrov said to be deathly ill. Kremlin said to be looking for a successor.

Kremlin looking for successor in Chechnya in light of Kadyrov illness — Novaya Gazeta Europe

ISW: "The Kremlin is conducting a concerted air and information operation to destroy Kharkiv City, convince Ukrainians to flee, and internally displace millions of Ukrainians ahead of a possible future Russian offensive operation against the city or elsewhere in Ukraine."

Institute for the Study of War

Illegal use of chemical weapons reported when ruϟϟia entered Ocheretyne.

Ukraine war latest: Russian forces use chemical weapons to storm Ocheretyne

Russian forces make significant gains in eastern Ukraine

More Rosneft oil refineries on fire.

Fire engulfs Russian oil deposits in Smolensk region – video

ruϟϟia claims to have taken Novomykhalivka.

 

Poland, Lithuania getting ready to deport military aged Ukrainian men back to Ukraine.

Poland and Lithuania pledge to help Kyiv repatriate Ukrainians subject to military draft

Poland could deport Ukrainians for conscription

belarus falsely claims that NATO member Lithuania attempted to launch a drone attack against them.

Belarus claims it prevented drone attacks from Lithuania. Vilnius rejects the allegations

Belarusian intel. chief claims thwarting Lithuanian drone attack

 

Ukraine is in trouble in the East-Ukrainian Donetsk region. ISW: "Russian forces are continuing to exploit a tactical penetration north and northwest of Avdiivka and recently made additional confirmed advances in the area. Geolocated footage published on April 27 shows that Russian forces advanced to northern Novokalynove (north of Avdiivka), and Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces completely seized the settlement on April 27.[17] Some milbloggers also claimed that Russian forces advanced into Keramik (directly northwest of Novokalynove), although ISW has not yet observed visual evidence of Russian forces in Keramik.[18] Geolocated footage published on April 27 also shows that Russian forces advanced in western Ocheretyne, in southwestern Solovyove, and to a treeline south of Novobakhmutivka (all northwest of Avdiivka).[19] Milbloggers claimed that Russian forces captured the entirety of Solovyove, which is consistent with available geolocated footage of Russian forces in the southwestern part of the settlement.[20] Several Russian sources also claimed that fierce fighting continued in western Berdychi (northwest of Avdiivka) and that Russian forces were pushing Ukrainian forces further west of the settlement.[21]"

Institute for the Study of War

Consequently, Novobakhmutivka appears to have been lost to the ruϟϟians.

Russia claims it took control of village in Ukraine’s Donetsk region

ruϟϟia attacks Ukraine's rail lines to disrupt supply of U.S. arms.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...isrupt-supply-us-arms-source-says-2024-04-26/

Russia targets Ukraine railways as Western aid due to arrive

Australia chips in with another 100 mil.

Australia pledges $100m in military assistance to Ukraine as Richard Marles visits

 

Ukraine too is now making progress again. Tactically important Nestryha Island liberated.

Russia loses control of key island

Military: Ukraine regaining control over Nestryha Island in Kherson Oblast complicates Russian advances

Military aged men wanting to escape the war has become a major issue on both sides. In russia, soldiers are deserting the army by the thousands. Those that do risk prison, or even getting shot.

Thousands of Russian soldiers deserting army: Kyiv

A russian serviceman who went there and survived to talk about it warns his countrymen: "Don't go to Ukraine!"

Russian soldier warns others not to sign up for "hell" of Ukraine war

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/s...russia-ukraine-video-hell-war-soldier-1895081

Kazakhstan has sold soviet era aircraft to the Americans.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/us-buys-unusable-soviet-planes-32697407

 

It changes the perspective, when the neighbor you trusted for so long might suddenly want to invade you for BS reasons. But let's not kid ourselves, Kazakhstan is also most certainly helping ruϟϟia to skirt the sanctions. I see them as playing both sides here.

More news:

ruϟϟia has immediately tried to take Nestryha Island back. Twice already.

https://ukranews.com/en/news/100253...and-situation-in-krynky-remains-difficult-afu

Ukrainian F-16 fighters train in Denmark:

https://twitter.com/NATO/status/1785330772250972269

Now this is badass: Lidia Stepanivna, age 98, walks out of occupied Ocheretyne, 10 kilometers while bombs were raining down around her. She lived to tell the tale.

A 98-year-old Ukraine woman says she walked 10km under fire to escape Russians

Ukrainian woman, 98, treks miles under shelling to escape Russian forces

Germany sends 10 more infantry fighting vehicles on top of the 90 already sent:

Military support for Ukraine | Federal Government

ruϟϟia hunts for weak spots.

Russian invaders complete rotation on Kupiansk axis, renew assaults

"Ukraine needs a significant speed-up of deliveries to strengthen the capabilities of its soldiers tangibly."

Ukraine needs arms deliveries to be significantly paced up - Zelensky

 

When Russian children cheerfully “paint the war”, it looks a lot like the slaughter of civilians, doesn’t it?

 

ruϟϟia has gained a foothold in Ocheretyne.

Russians managed to gain a foothold in Ocheretyne, - spokesman of the Khortytsia OSGT

ruϟϟia claims to have taken Berdychi.

Russia Says Captured Another Village in Eastern Ukraine - The Moscow Times

ruϟϟia has strong hybrid activity in NATO territories that is said to constitute a threat to Allied security.

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_225230.htm

Electric power down in ruϟϟian Oryol and Kursk Oblasts. Claims cannot be independently verified, however.

Drone attacks allegedly damage Russian energy infrastructure

Macron doesn't rule out sending troops to Ukraine if Russia breaks front lines - Le Monde.

Macron doesn't rule out troops for Ukraine if Russia breaks front lines

 

ruϟϟia’s Gazprom Group Reports First Net Loss in 24 Years.

Russia’s Gazprom Group Reports First Net Loss in 24 Years

 

ruϟϟia claims to have taken Ocheretyne completely.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...ge-ukraines-east-defence-ministry-2024-05-05/

Russia Says Forces Seized Village in Eastern Ukraine - The Moscow Times

Russia says forces seized village in eastern Ukraine

According to ISW, Ukrainians have retreated in Avdiivka, near Arkhanhelske, on Friday. ruϟϟia has seized the opportunity and taken said territories.

ISW: "Ukrainian forces may have decided to trade space for time as they wait for the arrival of US aid to the frontline at scale in the coming weeks – an appropriate decision for an under-resourced force at risk of being outflanked."

ISW: "Russian state media reported on May 4 that the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) placed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian Ground Forces Commander Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavlyuk, and former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Russia’s wanted list and opened criminal cases against the three Ukrainian leaders."

Institute for the Study of War

Financial Times: European security services warn that ruϟϟia could attempt acts of sabotage against targets all over Europe. Methods would include covert bombings, arson attacks and damage to infrastructure on European soil.

Russia plotting sabotage across Europe, intelligence agencies warn

European intelligence services preparing for Russian sabotage activities across Europe – FT

A recently exposed case in NATO member Norway:

Norway exposes Russian intelligence agents preparing acts of sabotage

 

ruϟϟia has ceased using the Kerch bridge to service their troops:

Putin's Crimea bridge has been out of military use for at least 3 months, satellite images suggest

Satellite images show Russia no longer using Crimean bridge to supply Ukraine war

SBU has exposed a plot to assassinate Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

Ukraine claims it foiled Russian plot to assassinate President Zelenskyy

https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/uk...russian-plot-to-assassinate-zelensky-e9b01469

Inside Russia’s dozens of attempts to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

 

ruϟϟia claims to have captured 2 more villages, Kyslivka and Novokalynove.

Russia says it captures two villages in Ukraine

Russia Says Captured 2 More Villages in Eastern Ukraine - The Moscow Times

Russia says it captured two more villages in Ukraine

Prime Minister of Lithuania: Lithuania is ready to send its soldiers to Ukraine on a training mission.

Lithuania Ready to Send Troops to Ukraine, PM Says - The Moscow Times

For what it's worth, China undertook a promise not to sell weapons to the Russian Federation: this became known during Xi Jinping's visit to Paris.

Macron and Xi discuss Russia, Ukraine and trade – DW – 05/06/2024