The military administration of Kiev announced on Thursday that the anti-aircraft defense of the Ukrainian capital completely repelled a new “massive” attack by Russian drones on the city, the 12th in May. The Ukrainians claim to have destroyed no fewer than 36 Shahed drones. At Bahmut, Prigozhin began withdrawing his mercenaries to rebuild, later handing over the city he claimed to have captured to regular Russian army troops.
The Digi24.ro LiveText that covered the events in Ukraine can be watched HERE.
Kiev confirms Wagner’s withdrawal from the suburbs of Bahmut
UPDATE 15:23 The Ukrainian government said on Thursday that units of the Wagner mercenary group were replaced by Russian regular troops in the suburbs of the city of Bahmut (east), after the leader of the Russian private military company, Evgeny Prigozhin, announced that the transfer of positions to the army had begun, reports EFE , according to Agerpres.
“In the suburbs of Bahmut, the enemy replaced the Wagner units with units of the regular army,” said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar, adding that “Wagnerites” were still present inside this eastern Ukrainian city, devastated by heavy fighting in the last eight months.
The boss of the Wagner group, Evgheni Prigojin, declared on May 21 that his fighters had accomplished their mission to completely conquer Bahmut and announced that they would withdraw to hand over control of the city to the Russian army.
Kiev, for its part, claims that its troops continue to resist in some areas of the city.
Regarding the alleged remaining Ukrainian strongholds, Maliar indicated that “our troops control the outskirts of the city in the southwestern part of the Samoliot neighborhood” (“Airplane”), the name of one of the neighborhoods where Ukrainian forces put up fierce resistance.
What is NASAMS, the new anti-aircraft system sent by the US to Ukraine
UPDATE 12:48 The United States announced on Wednesday the sale to Ukraine of an “advanced NASAMS surface-to-air missile system” for about $285 million to bolster the country’s air defenses against Russia.
A NASAMS “system” includes an AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel radar, a Fire Distribution Center (FDC), the launchers themselves (missiles being mounted in special “containers”), GPS systems, equipment, vehicles special, generators etc.
Air defenses have proven crucial for Kiev’s forces in countering the Russian missile barrage on Ukrainian territory.
“White Rex”, the leader of the anti-Putin commando in Belgorod: “You will hear from us again”
UPDATE 12:13 p.m Denis Kapustin, who goes by the code name “White Rex” and commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a militia fighting Russian forces, spoke to a group of reporters on Ukrainian soil, a day after Moscow announced it had repulsed the raid of the Russian partisans in Belgorod.
“I think you’ll see us on the other side of the border,” said “White Rex.” “I can’t tell you what’s next, not even in which area. The border… it’s pretty long. There will be a place where things will heat up.”
South Korea sends ammunition to Ukraine via the USA
UPDATE 11:41 Hundreds of thousands of artillery shells from South Korea have already been shipped to Ukraine, via the United States, the Wall Street Journal writes on Wednesday, quoted by Reuters.
The leadership in Seoul had initially been reluctant to arm Ukraine, but – according to sources that the newspaper does not reveal – it reached a “confidential arrangement” with Washington for the delivery of the projectiles.
Jeon Ha-kyu, a spokesman for South Korea’s defense ministry, said Thursday that there had been dialogue with the Pentagon about ammunition exports, but that the Wall Street Journal article contained “inaccurate parts.” “There have been various discussions and requests, and our government will take appropriate measures while fully re-examining the war and the humanitarian situation in Ukraine at the same time,” he added in a press briefing.
On Wednesday, National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong informed parliament that South Korean officials will make a decision after monitoring the situation, but there is no plan to send shells to Ukraine either directly or via Poland. He did not give details about the cooperation with the United States.
South Korea, a US ally and major producer of artillery ammunition, has so far ruled out sending lethal support to Ukraine, despite American and European pressure, citing economic ties with Russia and Moscow’s influence over North Korea.
In an interview given to the Reuters agency in April, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, however, hinted at the prospect of a change. He indicated that it may be difficult for his country to limit itself to humanitarian and financial aid if Ukraine faces large-scale attacks against civilians or “a situation that the international community cannot approve.”
The US Defense Department and the Seoul presidency did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on the Wall Street Journal report. The daily had claimed that officials in Seoul had been “hesitant” following media reports of the talks late last year, but there had been “progress” since Yoon’s visit to Washington last month, where he met with US President Joe Biden. .
Russia claims to have arrested Ukrainian “saboteurs” who were targeting Russian nuclear power plants
UPDATE 11:12 Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday that it had arrested “saboteurs” with ties to the Ukrainian secret services who were planning to disrupt the operation of some Russian nuclear power plants, reports AFP.
“A sabotage group of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service (…) tried to blow up about 30 power lines at the Leningrad and Kalinin nuclear power plants”, in northwestern Russia, the FSB announced in a communicated.
“According to the idea of the Ukrainian special services, this would lead to the shutdown of some nuclear reactors, the disruption of the normal operation of some nuclear power plants and cause significant damage to the economy and reputation of Russia”, according to the same source.
“Saboteurs managed to blow up the pole of one high-voltage line and place mines at the base of four other high-voltage lines at the Leningrad nuclear power plant”, located in the region of the same name, about 30 kilometers from the city of Saint Petersburg, the FSB detailed.
Explosive charges were also placed near seven high-voltage power line poles connected to the Kalinin plant, the FSB continued.
Two “Ukrainian citizens, Aleksandr Maistruk, born in 1978 (…), and Eduard Usatenko, born in 1974”, were arrested in connection with these attacks and face up to 20 years in prison, the statement states.
A search warrant was issued in the name of a third man, Iuri Kişciak, a Russian-Ukrainian born in 1963, according to the same source.
“Two Russian accomplices of the saboteurs have been identified and arrested,” according to the FSB, which accuses them of providing means of communication and vehicles with false license plates.
The Russian special services also confiscated 36.5 kg of explosives and about 60 detonators from the “saboteurs”, according to the statement.
An investigation was launched for “sabotage” and “trafficking in explosives”.
In early May, a few days before the Victory Day celebrations over Nazi Germany, Russia was rocked by a series of bombings and sabotage, including the derailment of two freight trains and an oil depot fire caused by a drone strike.
Russian authorities also announced in early May that a high-voltage power line had been damaged in the Leningrad region, without providing details at the time of the incident.
Wagner mercenaries begin to withdraw from Bahmut
UPDATE 10:46 The Wagner Group has begun to withdraw its mercenaries from Bahmut, the head of the paramilitary group, Evgheni Prigojin, announced on Thursday, according to the Guardian, which cites Reuters.
“We are withdrawing our units from Bahmut. From today, May 25, at five o’clock in the morning until June 1, most units will restore their bases in rear camps. We surrender the positions of the army,” he said in a video message broadcast on Telegram by his press office.
Prigozhin had announced that he would withdraw his troops to rebuild and hand over the city he claimed to have captured to regular Russian army troops by June 1.
“If Wagner cannot surrender the positions because the Russian army is not ready to take them over, that means the Wagner group has reached a higher level than the Russian army. If the army cannot take over (control of Bahmut – no), the people responsible must shoot themselves,” Prigojin pointed out.
Zelensky: Russia continues to terrorize Ukraine
UPDATE 10:46 Russia “continues to terrorize Ukraine” with its night attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused on Thursday, also announcing the destruction of 36 Russian drones during the night, reports AFP.
Moscow “continues to terrorize Ukraine” and launched 36 drones, Zelensky said on Telegram. “None of them hit their target,” he assured, thanking the country’s anti-aircraft defense.
The Ukrainian Air Force announced in turn that Iranian-made Shahed 136/131 drones were launched from the north and south.
“Undoubtedly, the enemy targeted essential infrastructure and military sites in the south of the country,” the Air Force of Ukraine reported on Telegram.
Since the beginning of May, Russia has intensified its nocturnal missile and drone attacks against Ukraine.
She twice used Kinjal hypersonic missiles, which are harder to intercept. Kiev said it shot them down with the help of the American Patriot air defense system, a first since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian special services want to eliminate Putin
Ukrainian special services are “hunting” the Russians who gave orders to kill Ukrainians and who are responsible for the many victims of the war, said Vadim Skibitsky in the interview for the German publication.
Asked who tops the list, Skibitsky replied: “Putin, because he coordinates and decides what happens.”
To another question with the same content, “Are you trying to assassinate Putin?”, the deputy of the military intelligence directorate said: “He saw that we are getting closer and closer, but maybe he is afraid and that he can be killed by the people his”.
Drone attack on Kiev repulsed last night
Russia “again attacked Kiev by air”, the head of the civil and military administration of Kiev, Serhi Popko, wrote on Telegram, adding that the air alert over the city lasted more than three hours.
“According to preliminary information,” Shahed drones were involved in this “massive” attack, he said.
“The guardian angels of Ukraine did not give the aggressor a chance. All air targets flying towards Kiev were destroyed by our air defense”, he expressed his satisfaction.
The previous airstrike on the city took place four days ago, said Serhi Popko, who counted 12 offensives on the capital in May.
During the night, air alerts were also triggered in other localities, including Kharkiv (east) and Chernivtsi (west), the authorities informed.
How inexperienced Ukrainian recruits were massacred by the “Wagner wall of meat”
Ukrainian troops, especially conscripts, suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Bahmut, which has recently become the epicenter of the fighting between Kiev and Moscow forces in the Ukraine War.
An extensive report published by the New Yorker documents the experiences of the soldiers of a Ukrainian infantry battalion in the last months of the battle, when that unit was almost annihilated in the battles with the Wagner mercenaries.
The city of Bahmut was finally captured by Russian troops the other day.
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