Ukraine – 5/24/23 Sitrep
By: Bohdan Chomiak & Robert Homans
May 24, 2023
“Ukraine’s Friends Should Wake Up to Its Progress in Fighting Corruption”/Financial Times
Today, my Partner described a company in Volyn, Western Ukraine, that has been busted for supplying important components to Russia for their submarines. Several days ago, the Chief Justice of Ukraine’s Supreme Court was detained on suspicion of accepting a $2.3 million bribe. Money from an Estonian charity, Slava Ukrainii was allegedly mis-used by Ukrainian recipients.
These incidents are coming to light largely because of Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions becoming more aggressive in fighting corruption, and because the Ukrainian public becoming far less tolerant of corruption. After Ukraine’s victory the public will likely become even less tolerant because most returning soldiers will have zero tolerance.
DIIA is the digital system that gives all Ukrainians automated access to normal government services, such as obtaining a passport, driver’s license, and other important documents. According to a friend, DIIA has reduced the incidence of petty graft that all Ukrainians had to deal with, by around 80%.
New Russian Sanctions – I am referring to sanctions recently imposed last Friday by Russia on 500 American citizens. Some takeaways:
· Former U.S. Ambassadors to Ukraine – I believe that all living former Ambassadors to Ukraine are now under Russian sanctions. No ski trips to Sochi or salmon fishing expeditions to Kamchatka or the Kola Peninsula for them.
· Barack Obama – This seems odd. After all it was President Barack Obama, along with his National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who in 2015 refused to supply Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank missiles, on the grounds that it would “provoke” Russia. Why does former President Obama’s refusal to provide Ukraine with a means to defend itself against Russian aggression prompt Russia to impose sanctions against him?
· Persecutors of Donald Trump – In spite of having nothing to do with Russia, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensburger, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd, the officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, were all sanctioned. What they have in common is being involved in various prosecutions, or potential prosecutions of Donald Trump.
· Natalie Jaresko, former Finance Minister of Ukraine – Natalie Jaresko is the 500th, and last, individual on the Russia’s sanctions list. Those who are pro-football fans may recall that Brock Purdy became the starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, approximately 6 months after he was the last player taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. Natalie Jaresko is now the Brock Purdy of the latest edition of Russia’s sanctions list. We hope that this will presage Natalie Jaresko rising to new heights in the most recent stage of her career, just as Brock Purdy has risen to new heights in his.
Visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to Beijing
Much has been made by the current visit of Russian P.M. Mikhail Mishustin to Beijing, along with a delegation of Russian businessmen, that it is an indication of deepening ties between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. This may be true, but there is more going on here than deeper commercial relations.
Recall that Pres. Xi’s visit to Moscow last March, he met Mishustin without Putin being present. It is quite possible that these two meetings, the first last March and the latest going on now, is an effort by China to develop a “Plan B,” in the event something happens to Putin.
News From the Battlefield
“The Latest Denys” is quite amusing. It is mostly about the Belgorod Incursion, but he focuses on Russian General Lapin, who gained notoriety by leading his troops out of Liman last Fall, prompting Ramzan Katyrov to suggest that Lapin should be demoted to private, and sent back to Liman to drown in his own blood.
“Reporting From Ukraine” also covers the Belgorod Incursion. According to him, and despite Russian claims to the contrary, the “invaders” are still present in the Belgorod Region and, at the same time, launching 2 additional incursions south and east of the original incursion. He also covers Gen. Lapin.
5/24/23 Sitrep
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon May 23 to 12:00 noon May 24, 2023
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
Wednesday May 24
12:17 am: The Ukrainian military is undergoing special training in the maintenance of the M270 MLRS, the British Ministry of Defense reports.
7:40 am Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder: At the next "Ramstein" meeting, which will take place on May 25, the strengthening of Ukrainian air defense, the provision of ammunition and the transfer of F-16 fighters will be discussed.
8:19 am: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra expressed hope that China will listen to the concerns and peace plan of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, - the government portal of the Netherlands.
8:20 am: The US will begin training Ukrainians on M1A1 Abrams tanks "around next week", - Pentagon press secretary.
● Russia does hold a significant part of the territory of Bakhmut and its surroundings, but, according to our assessment, the Ukrainians continue to conduct hostilities near Bakhmut, — the Pentagon.
9:40 am: The support of Kyiv by the West may last for years, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.
● Speaking at a defense conference in London, Sunak said the Russian strategy of "waiting for people to get tired, bored... will not work."
● "We are currently talking with our allies about what long-term multilateral and bilateral security agreements we can conclude with Ukraine," said the British prime minister.
Tuesday May 23
1:52 pm: The European Commission has allocated a new tranche of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine for 1.5 billion euros, the vice-president of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, said on Twitter.
● "This regular EU support helps Ukraine meet its financial needs, such as paying salaries, pensions, and repairing critical infrastructure," he wrote.
3:12 pm: Moldova will implement the decision of the ICC and arrest Putin if he comes, President Maia Sandu said in an interview with Euronews Romania.
4:16 pm: NATO countries should expand their military production to simultaneously supply weapons to Ukraine and replenish their own stockpiles, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
● "Now I see more and more NATO members signing contracts, which is what we need to ensure that military production really increases," the official said.
4:35 pm: London club "Chelsea" will host a star-studded charity football match to help Ukraine in the war with Russia, — The Sun.
● The charity match will be held on August 5, and Andriy Shevchenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko can become the captains of the two teams.
● All funds collected will be donated to the United24 charity organization of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
5:17 pm: After the victory, Ukraine will become a member of the European Union, - Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz.
● "The bitter chapter in the history of our continent will end with free Ukraine joining the European Union as a full member," he said.
5:39 pm: France is ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees and conclude agreements that will help the Ukrainian state to protect itself in the long term and prevent future aggressions.
● This was announced by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.
6:24 pm: Warsaw is ready to train up to 30,000 Ukrainian servicemen.
● Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Poland Mariusz Blaszczak said this during a press conference in Brussels after the meeting of defense ministers of the EU countries.
8:15 pm: Germany handed over a new military aid package to Ukraine, the German government.
● The list of assistance includes:
o TRML-4D aerial survey radar system;
o Biber armored bridge-builders - 2;
o Vector reconnaissance drones - 46;
o Border cars - 6;
o Weight carriers 8x6 - 2;
o Tractors with semi-trailers - 5;
o Zetros trucks - 8.
8:36 pm: Poland is ready to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said.
9:39 pm: The European Commission has allocated the fourth tranche of macrofinance to Ukraine for 1.5 billion euros, the vice-president of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, said.
● The money will be used to pay salaries, pensions, and repair critical infrastructure.
NATIONAL
Wednesday May 24
12:51 am: In Diya, you can replace your driver's license in a few clicks.
● You submit an application in the application, and then pick up the certificate at the service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The service is available:
● for novice drivers whose two-year validity period of the first license has expired;
● for those who lost or damaged the document;
● changed his last name or simply wants to throw away plastic and use a digital document.
7:06 am General Staff of the Armed Forces:
● Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 41 airstrikes and launched 53 attacks from rocket salvo systems.
● the Russian Federation continues to focus its main efforts on the Kupyansk, Lymansk, Bakhmutsk, Avdiivsk and Marinsk directions - 26 combat clashes took place. Bakhmut and Maryinka remain at the epicenter of hostilities.
● During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces made 15 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment of the Russian Federation, of which 3 were on anti-aircraft missile systems.
● Also, last day, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed an enemy attack-reconnaissance helicopter Ka-52, 4 attack UAVs of the "Shahed" type and 1 reconnaissance drone of the "Zala" type.
● Units of missile troops and artillery hit 3 control points, 4 areas of concentration of weapons and military equipment, 1 ammunition depot, 2 artillery units in firing positions and 3 more important targets of the Russian Federation.
11:20 am: Defense Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov met with British Defense Minister Ben Wallace in Kyiv.
● "President Putin must realize that he cannot win this illegal war that he has unleashed, no matter how many Russian soldiers he sends to his death for his ego and imperial ambitions. He will not succeed, and the international community will only grow stronger in opposition this aggression," Wallace said.
● The ministers also discussed the issue of continuing the training of the Ukrainian military in Britain.
Tuesday May 23
1:12 pm: A Marine Corps will be created in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced.
● "The state will do everything for the development of an important, strong type of military. To equip our infantry with modern weapons and equipment and to create new Ukrainian marine brigades," the president said.
1:31 pm press service of the SBU: the SBU exposed a Volyn company that supplied Russia with components to produce heavy equipment, including submarines.
● The scheme is as follows: to disguise it, a foreign company purchased the products of a Ukrainian factory, allegedly for itself, and then shipped them to the Russian Federation. The head of this European company cooperates with "l/dnr".
● Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the sites have illegally "exported" almost 200,000 units of critical products.
2:11 pm: Training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 multi-purpose fighters has not yet started, said Colonel Yuriy Ignat, spokesman of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
● "There are advanced groups that have gone to countries that can provide us with sites for training. We are studying how this process will take place. There are no pilots in these countries yet," Yuriy Ignat said.
● He added that "a large number of pilots cannot be sent to master the F-16, because someone needs to fight."
2:51 pm: "Ukrzaliznytsia" will introduce the service of special women's compartments, the chairman of the board of JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia" Yevhen Lyashchenko said.
● "We will test them for several months and, together with the community and specialists, will make a decision on scaling. It will depend on real demand and feedback," said Yevhen Lyashchenko.
● The company has not yet determined on which routes the service will be available, but these will be long-distance routes where passengers spend a lot of time on the road.
5:59 pm: There are still enormous risks surrounding the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Currently, Ukraine is working on creating a demilitarized zone there, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said during a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.
● According to him, the occupation of Zaporizhzhya NPP continues to remain a huge threat. the Russians do not stop shelling the infrastructure around the station, due to which it was already de-energized for the eighth time.
6:50 pm: General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: the Russian army continues to focus its main efforts on the Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiiv and Marin directions.
● During the day, 16 combat clashes took place on the indicated areas of the front, Bakhmut and Maryinka remain at the epicenter of hostilities.
● the enemy continues to use civilian medical facilities in the temporarily captured territories of Ukraine for their own purposes.
● Thus, the Russians turned the Bilovodsk central district hospital into a military hospital. Currently, the medical facility is full of Russian servicemen with injuries of varying degrees of severity.
● During the day, the Air Force of the Defense Forces carried out 14 strikes on areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment of the Russian Federation, 3 of them on anti-aircraft missile complexes.
● During this day, 4 enemy attack UAVs of the "Shahed" type were destroyed.
● Units of missile troops and artillery hit 3 control points, 4 areas of concentration of weapons and military equipment, 1 ammunition depot, 2 artillery units in firing positions and 3 more important Russian targets.
10:39 pm: The counteroffensive will begin soon, Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with the Japanese publication NHK.
● "We already have the necessary minimum of weapons. We must knock Russia out of our territory. We must use all our forces and means to achieve this goal, we need large reserves of weapons and ammunition to successfully continue the operation," he added.
11:41 pm: Zaluzhny discussed air defense, F-16, munitions and other assistance for Ukraine with the Supreme Commander of the Joint NATO Forces in Europe and the Commander of the US Armed Forces in Europe, General Christopher Cavoli.
● The importance of continuing joint work on maintenance and repair of military equipment was also discussed.
Mordor - Russia
Wednesday May 24
12:35 am: "Russian Volunteer Corps" assures that they did not suffer any losses during the operation in the Belgorod region.
● According to them, all the photos of the killed "saboteurs" that are distributed on the network are fake, because the RDK fighters carry a multicam, not a pixel. Instead, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported today the destruction of 70 soldiers, 4 armored vehicles and 5 pickup trucks.
9:59 am British Intelligence: Forced mobilization worsened discipline in the Russian army, - British intelligence.
● According to the summary, at least 1,053 cases of "self-wolf" have been recorded in the Russian army since the beginning of the year - and these are only those cases that have become publicly known. And this is more than in 2022.
● Court records indicate that most of those found guilty of voluntary escape are now serving suspended sentences, meaning they may be redeployed to the war against Ukraine.
10:40 am: Ukrainian military did not cross the border with the Russian Federation during the operation in the Belgorod region, - The New York Times.
● According to the publication, the Armed Forces only covered the Ukrainian border in case of a counterattack by the Russian Federation. And the Russians (Legion/RDK), who took part in the operation, suffered minor losses that did not affect their combat capability.
11:40 am: Footage showing smoke rising over the Crimean Bridge appeared online.
● The so-called "authorities" in Crimea reported that the bridge was closed due to military exercises.
Tuesday May 23
3:36 pm press service of the SBU: the SBU informed about the suspicion of a former associate of Yanukovych, who became a "senator from the Zaporizhia region of the Russian Federation."
● We are talking about the former head of the State Registration Service of Ukraine, Dmytro Vorona.
● On his own initiative, Vorona helped the Russians to form occupation administrations in the temporarily captured areas of the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. He was also an "advisor" of the traitor Balytskyi.
4:55 pm press service of the SBU: According to the SBU materials, the general and colonel of the Russian Federation, who commanded the blowing up of the North Crimean Canal, were sentenced to 12 years in prison.
● We are talking about the deputy commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation for logistics, Major General Mikhail Yasnikov, and the commander of the 11th separate engineering brigade, Colonel Dmitry Markov.
● Both officials directly commanded the capture of the Kakhovskaya HPP and the blowing up of the North Crimean Canal.
7:55 pm: "Today they demilitarized a motorized rifle company of the Russian Federation, destroyed several units of their armored vehicles", - Legion "Freedom of Russia".
9:58 pm: The authorities of the Kursk region announced a drone attack, three villages were left without electricity.
● "In the Suzhan district, a drone dropped an explosive device on a substation. As a result, the villages of Plekhovo, Guevo, and Hornal were without power," wrote Kursk Region Governor Roman Starovoit.
11:56 pm: An explosion rang out in Belgorod, after which a column of smoke rose. Photo from local social networks.
KHARKIV
Wednesday May 24
9:19 am Kharkiv RMA: Last day, Russian troops attacked the Chuguyiv, Kharkiv, Kupyansk districts of the region,
● In the village As a result of shelling, private houses and garages were damaged in Lyptsi, Kharkiv district. Also, during the day, the enemy made intensive attacks on the city of Vovchansk, Chuguyiv district. Residential buildings, residential areas and vehicles were damaged. A 33-year-old man received a mine-explosive injury.
● This night, 4 fires broke out in Velikoburlutsk community. According to preliminary data, the Russians struck with Shahed kamikaze drones. The school premises, office buildings and the House of Culture were on fire.
Tuesday May 23
12:52 pm Kharkiv RMA: During the past day, the enemy massively shelled the settlements of Kharkiv, Kupyan, Izyum and Chuguyiv districts with barrel artillery, MLRS and using rocket weapons.
● As a result of the shelling of Kupyansk, at least 14 private residential buildings and commercial buildings were damaged, and fires broke out. 2 women and a man were injured.
● In the area of the village The enemy struck Vyazov in the Kharkiv district with 2 S-300 missiles. Both were hit in an open area in the field.
DONETSK
Wednesday May 24
10:19 am: The SBU detained a Russian agent who was "fluffing" the enemy positions of the Defense Forces near Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
● It has been established that this suspect traveled around the territory of the front-line cities and covertly photographed the positions of the Ukrainian troops, as well as marked their coordinates on electronic maps.
● The Russian agent passed on the received information to his "curator" from the controlled aggressor "MDB DNR" in the temporarily occupied Horlivka.
Tuesday May 23
12:12 p.m.: Volodymyr Zelenskyi visited advanced positions in the Vugledar-Marinka defense zone in Donetsk region and awarded the military for Marine Corps Day.
● "I would like to wish our soldiers to protect their lives. After all, the life of Ukraine depends on their lives," the president wrote.
12:31 pm Donetsk RMA: shelling of Maryinka, Maksimilianivka and Georgiivka was recorded in the Donetsk direction. Also, the enemy from the Hurricanes shelled the Kurakhiv community.
● A house was damaged on the Horlivskyi direction in New York. In Toretsk, a house, an administrative building and a defense structure were damaged. 1 more house was damaged in Mykolaivka Kostyantynivska TG. In Chasovoyarska TG, 2 high-rise buildings and 2 private houses were damaged. In Soledarska TG, 2 houses were damaged in Nikiforivka.
● On the Lysychanskyi direction, 2 houses were destroyed in Verkhnyokamyansky and 1 in Zvanivka, 2 more houses were damaged in Torsky of the Lymansk community.
1:33 pm Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region.
2:33 pm Donetsk RMA: Russian troops launched an air strike on Avdiivka, Donetsk region. At least two people were injured.
3:19 pm: Up to five people may be under the rubble of the destroyed nine-story building in Avdiivka, the head of the city's military administration, Vitaliy Barabash, said.
7:35 pm: The defense of Bamut, which has been going on for ten months now, is a successful defensive operation. This was stated by Oleksiy Danilov in a CNN comment.
● The Secretary of the National Security Council emphasized that a large number of Russian servicemen were eliminated in the Bakhmut direction, and not only mercenaries of the "Wagner" PMC, but also special forces, airborne forces, and representatives of other branches of the military.
● Ukrainian defenders also destroyed a huge amount of equipment, and the enemy spent a significant amount of ammunition there.
8:56 pm: The bodies of two dead people were pulled out from under the rubble of a high-rise building in Avdiivka, the head of Avdiivka MBA Barabash said.
● Another local resident is in serious condition.
ZAPORIZHIA
Wednesday May 24
11:00 am Zaporizhia RMA: The enemy carried out airstrikes in the Zaporizhia region and shelled populated areas with artillery and mortars.
● Gulyaipole, Mala Tokmachka and Stepove were hit by Russian airstrikes. Also, the enemy shelled Olhivske, Gulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Biloghirya, Mala Tokmachka, Mali Shcherbaki and Kamianske with mortars and artillery.
● 26 civilian objects were destroyed: private houses and apartments. People were not injured.
DNIPRO
Tuesday May 23
11:24 pm: The hundredth Russian missile was shot down over the Dnieper on the night of May 22.
● The Eastern Air Command announced the anniversary of the shooting down of an enemy missile.
MYKOLAIV
Wednesday May 24
8:00 am Mykolaiv RMA: the Russians fired artillery at the town of Ochakiv, Ochakivska hromada,
● As a result of the shelling, one person was injured. Private houses, cars, infrastructure facilities were damaged and partially destroyed. The gas line was also damaged
KHERSON
Tuesday May 23
3:56 pm: Russian troops shelled the village of Kozatske in the Kherson region — a 62-year-old woman died, — Prosecutor General's Office.
● Kizomys, Stanislav, Berislav and Mykhailivka also came under fire.
11:17 pm Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins. Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.
SOURCES
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/
https://espreso.tv/
https://cutt.ly/Blyskavka