(Image by NEIVANMADE)
Today a very large group of Ukrainian POWs returned home. They had fought in the defense of Bakhmut.
Our heroes are coming back home pic.twitter.com/TemGVwmmJd
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 25, 2023
Today we have another positive result from our team working on exchanges. We have returned 106 more of 🇺🇦 warriors from 🇷🇺 captivity – they fought in the Bakhmut sector.
It is very important that there was no information about many of these 106 people at all – they were… pic.twitter.com/DgZlNaMulk
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 25, 2023
Full text of President Zelenskyy’s tweet:
Today we have another positive result from our team working on exchanges. We have returned 106 more of 🇺🇦 warriors from 🇷🇺 captivity – they fought in the Bakhmut sector.
It is very important that there was no information about many of these 106 people at all – they were considered missing. But we found them. We brought them back home. 8 officers, 98 soldiers and sergeants…
I thank everyone who gave this result.
🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump:
The more Russian prisoners of war we will take, the more of our people we will return – address by the President of Ukraine
25 May 2023 – 21:14
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!
Today we have another positive result from our team working on exchanges. We have returned 106 more of our warriors from Russian captivity – they fought in the Bakhmut sector.
It is very important that there was no information about many of these 106 people at all – they were considered missing. But we found them. We brought them back home. 8 officers, 98 soldiers and sergeants…
I thank everyone who made this possible. Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Lubinets, Malyuk, Klymenko – everyone who prepared this exchange – did a great job! Well done!
Of course, I am also grateful to each of our soldiers who ensured that we have an appropriate exchange fund. Everyone on the frontline should remember this: the more Russian prisoners of war we will take, the more of our people we will return.
Today I met with the Minister of Defence of Sweden in Kyiv. I thanked him for the continued support for our country and our soldiers. The meeting focused on strengthening our defense with armored vehicles. We also discussed our aviation coalition, which we are creating with our partners.
Today, Finland has sent a new package of defense support – the 16th one. The total amount of this package is over 100 million euros. Thank you for this!
Today, the Council of the European Union also made an important decision for Ukraine: trade liberalization for Ukrainian products was extended for another year. In fact, this means the complete abolition of duties and quotas by June 2024. This is a new stage in the sectoral integration of our economy – Ukraine and the entire European Union – that will definitely make us all stronger in Europe.
As we move towards the European Union, we must make this liberalization, which is still temporary, permanent, and without any exceptions or restrictions. Which is actually in line with the spirit of a united and free Europe – without barriers.
I thank our European partners for this decision! Anyone who wants strength and stability for the whole of Europe makes decisions like this.
We have to be aware that there is a risk that some restrictions may still remain. If the pressure from individual governments on the EU continues.
But domestic policy should not overlap with common European goals. So, I am sure we can find a solution, in particular for farmers in Ukraine and in some neighboring countries, that will meet our common European interests and standards.
Today I had the honor to congratulate our State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine on its professional day. I thanked them for the fact that communication in Ukraine remains stable for the state, our military, and ordinary citizens despite all the threats. This is an important result that helps us steadily and effectively counteract the Russian occupiers.
There is also much to thank our National Guard warriors for, particularly in the Zaporizhzhia sector. The 15th operational brigade of the National Guard destroyed a couple of Russian Su-type aircraft. I am grateful to two of our particularly accurate warriors. By the way, one of them has already been awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and has downed not only enemy aircraft, but also a cruise missile. Thank you, guys! Well done!
Donetsk direction… The 128th separate mountain assault brigade, the 18th and 137th separate marine battalions and the 74th separate reconnaissance battalion particularly distinguished themselves. Thank you to each and every warrior!
Glory to all who are fighting for Ukraine! Thank you to everyone in the world who helps us!
By the way, I had the opportunity to address the community of Johns Hopkins University. This is one of the leading educational institutions in the United States. Its alumni are powerful individuals, and some of them have had a significant impact on politics. I wished them to value time as much as possible. Because every day matters. The more we do today, the sooner we will end the war with our victory. And only ours.
Glory to Ukraine!
Apparently someone started a conspiracy theory that General Zaluzhny had been wounded by shrapnel to the head, requiring emergency surgery, and leaving him incapable of continuing to lead the Armed Forces of Ukraine. General Zaluzhny decided to deal with this himself:
Here we go! 🇺🇦
Zaluzhny, May 25,2023!Vatniks, my "HELLO" to you 😉 pic.twitter.com/204tCKuq74
— MAKS 23 👀🇺🇦 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) May 25, 2023
Mykhailo Podylak, who is the Senior Advisor in President Zelenskyy’s office, made the following statement about the counteroffensive:
Once again about the #counteroffensive. Without further questions.
1. This is not a "single event" that will begin at a specific hour of a specific day with a solemn cutting of the red ribbon.
2. These are dozens of different actions to destroy the #Russian occupation forces in…— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) May 25, 2023
Bakhmut:
Reminder of the stakes: Artem Chekh, Ukrainian soldier and writer who 10 days ago was speaking in NYC at PEN Global Voices Festival panel, narrowly survives stint in Bakhmut: “The scariest five days of my life in position. I didn’t believe we would survive. We did.” pic.twitter.com/3g3rgbovXa
— Megan Buskey (@megan_buskey) May 25, 2023
Iryna’s full post, which everyone should read to understand the hellish reality for so many Ukrainians because of Russia’s invasion. pic.twitter.com/7VYueNGLdl
— Megan Buskey (@megan_buskey) May 25, 2023
Here’s Ms. Tsilyk’s full post in both Ukrainian and English:
Yevgeny Prigozhin says Wagner is beginning to pull out of Bakhmut after leading the Russian effort to destroy and seize the city. The mercenary group will complete its withdrawal on June 1, and hand over positions to Russia’s regular military, he says. pic.twitter.com/LC4z7x57Gx
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2023
She seems nice…
A Russian woman living in the U.S. wrote “Bakhmut is ours, thank you Wagner” on her garage in order to upset the Ukrainian neighbors that live on the same street as her.
The Ukrainians tell her “how can you write that after so many children killed?” pic.twitter.com/8oZBHcz3YK
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 25, 2023
What an asshole!
Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhia:
Russia says it has intercepted everything in Berdyansk. Yep, nothing to look at. pic.twitter.com/h71jDar6gU
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) May 25, 2023
Explosion/strike reported by locals in Berdyansk https://t.co/HXfo5oyhaP pic.twitter.com/gzAhXvac5d
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 25, 2023
Belgorod:
Something may be happening. BNR here stands for the Belgorod People’s Republic, which is not the official name for Belgorod, but mirrors what the Russians did when they renamed Donetsk and Luhansk.
Another column of unidentified vehicles displaying unfamiliar markings has emerged near the BNR border. This development has left experts with burning questions to ponder: Who exactly are these BNR insurgents? What are their motives, and who are their leaders?🤔 pic.twitter.com/Kh0Bj9bBc9
— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) May 25, 2023
Rostov, Russia:
Rostov Governor Golubev says it’s “Ukrainian missile”. Keep calm, he adds. Usually it means something really bad happening in Russia. pic.twitter.com/jPAJaDufGL
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) May 25, 2023
Russian cruiser Ivan Khurs may be missing!
Yesterday Russia released a video of their ship intercepting a USV. This video appears to show a successful hit from another USV. Authenticity unknown. Is Ukraine holding naval raiding capabilities in reserve for its offensive? https://t.co/eFUudZ38Sv
— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) May 25, 2023
/1. Yesterday, Russian media reported that Russian reconnaissance ship "Ivan Hurs" was attacked, the ship was allegedly not damaged, and all the naval drones were destroyed.
Today, a video appeared showing how one of the drones reaches the targethttps://t.co/1ehvYl7J8n pic.twitter.com/qtIcxNS8bY— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 25, 2023
/3. The ship was attacked (according to Russians) 140km away from Bosphorus. Сondition of ship is unknown.
PS: One of the interesting things is that after the attack, American drone seemed to show interest in the place where the incident took place. Coincidence or not? pic.twitter.com/gSlE83lUWu— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 25, 2023
Not sure how realistic this demonstration is:
Challenger 2: If there is such a thing as "dragon teeth", there must be a "dragon dentist." pic.twitter.com/ieB13uVGTt
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 25, 2023
The State Department has approved the sale of NASAMs to Ukraine:
“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Ukraine of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $285 million.” pic.twitter.com/WiYpTvhQcW
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 24, 2023
Apparently the Ukrainians should give Putin what he wants and negotiate right away stupidity is making the rounds again. I think this is a very good take down of the same argument we’ve been seeing since the late summer of 2021:
One of the many ridiculous things about the argument that it's a "realist" position to suggest we get peace by allowing Russia to gain and keep Ukrainian territory is that this is literally what happened in 2014 and it led directly to this current war. This isn't hypothetical.
— Mark Wallace (@wallaceme) May 24, 2023
This approach had plenty of other spillover effects too, of course. A civilian airliner blown out of the sky. Chemical weapons deployed to murder British civilians on the streets of Salisbury. Russian dominance in Syria. Refugees driven into Turkey, through Europe and to Britain.
— Mark Wallace (@wallaceme) May 24, 2023
This thread really took off! 300k views and rising. If you’re interested in genuine realism and true peace in Ukraine, please donate to Come Back Live to help Ukraine stay free https://t.co/V1REy1zLMp
— Mark Wallace (@wallaceme) May 25, 2023
Hakka time!
New Zealand war dance in support of Ukraine.
Yes, dance is also a weapon. Anyone who follows our account knows this well. pic.twitter.com/ILGmAiebNn— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 25, 2023
That’s enough for today!
Your daily Patron!
🙁made a typo: PatronBox will be given to orphans or children in hospitals (depending on how many boxes can be collected)
— Patron (@PatronDsns) May 25, 2023
You all know what to do!
And a new video from Patron’s official TikTok. The embedding seems to be working again.
@patron__dsns Оцініть наш рівень милоти від 1 до 100🤭
Here’s the machine translation of the caption:
Rate our level of niceness from 1 to 100 🤭
Open thread!
Adam L Silverman
It has been a very long couple of days in a very long week. I’m fried. I’ll check back in, but I’m basically going offline and racking out early.
Alison Rose
There is so much going on and I feel like I don’t understand even one-tenth of it. So I can barely imagine how discombobulating it must be for Ukrainians themselves. And the “realist” (LOL) idea that if we’re just nice to putin and let him have what he wants, it’ll make everything better…I’ll just say that sounds eerily similar to some of the thought processes in IPV and it doesn’t work out great for the victims in those situations, either. Ahem.
Thank you as always, Adam.
SpaceUnit
Does Russia’s participation in these prisoner exchanges suggest that Putin has resigned himself to this conflict ending via negotiations rather than victory? Seems as though he might be grasping for some claim of good faith and decency . . . as opposed to the outright bloodlust they displayed in the early campaigns.
Or am I reading too much into it?
Jay
Adam, posted a vid the other day of the Free Russian’s incursion into Mordor the other day,
They just pushed the so called “Dragons Teeth” out of the way. They are just cast pyramids of varying quality set on the dirt.
At the Seigfried Line, the “dragon’s teeth” were, like icebergs, a pyramid topping 5 feet of buried concrete support, and reinforced with rebar.
Still, the 98th just used a bulldozer to build a 2 lane road over them.
I keep going back to the fact, that Ruzzian “defenses” are just holes, and outside those holes, you can lose your watch to a Kamarade,…
Jay
@SpaceUnit:
these exchanges are mediated by Turkey, so I am guessing that there is a bunch of “fine print” we aren’t seeing.
Jay
Jay
@Jay:
SpaceUnit
@Jay:
Probably.
Just feels to me as though the Russians are striking a slightly less belligerent and overly-confident tone.
Sister Golden Bear
I’ve been watching various photography videos on YouTube and ran across this one* about Dmytro Kozatskyi, who documented the battle of “Fortress Mariupol.” His photos and videos range from harrowing to a strikingly beautiful self-portrait.
The Ukrainian Soldier Who Photographed His Last Stand.
Kozatskyi is also on Instagram.
*The YouTube channel is by a photographer who does learning projects trying to recreate the styles of various photographers and as part those projects he analyzes what their styles look distinctive — e.g. why does a Wes Anderson movie look so distinctive. If you’re into photography it’s well worth a watch, and his experiments are an interesting way to stretch your own creativity by doing something outside your comfort zone.
KenK
If New Zealand would send their All Blacks team to do a Haka, this this would be over by the weekend. Those guys are some very intimidating dudes.
Jay
Saw a vid, harrowing documentary that the UA shows every Orc prisoner, about war crimes.
Yup done, won’t link it.
Jay
Adam L Silverman
@Jay: That’s actually in tonight’s update!
Jay
@Adam L Silverman:
good, warnings please
Oops, thought you meant the doc on Mordor’s war crimes,…
Jay
Adam L Silverman
@Jay: No the asshat woman and her garage.
Kyle Rayner
Those of you who are really tickled by the BNR/Belgorod People’s Republic stuff or just really enjoy thinking about languages might be happy to know that unlike Muscovites and newscasters, Russian speakers who live in the area pronounce “Belgorod” closer to “Bilhorod” anyway. The “g” pronounced as “h” accent is strong there.
pacem appellant
I recently learned that one of my direct co-workers is Ukrainian. I can’t imagine how he stays so productive with what’s happening in his country. I’m on pins and needles waiting for the counteroffensive.
zhena gogolia
@Adam L Silverman: She seems to be taking the sign down, even as she argues with them. I don’t really get it. She almost seems embarrassed. She isn’t really defending herself (although I can hardly hear her, they come through more loudly and distinctly).
Adam L Silverman
@zhena gogolia: I do not know.
zhena gogolia
@Adam L Silverman: Maybe there’s an HOA that told her to take it down or something. All I can hear her saying is “What do you want?” They’re asking her why she doesn’t go to Bakhmut and see all the dead children, what is she doing here, at one point she refers to her “rodina” (motherland), and they ask again why she doesn’t go to her motherland.
Amir Khalid
@Jay:
There’s a technique to hitting targets with unguided munitions, which I learned many years ago playing F-15E Strike Eagle III, and whose equivalent I presume is a basic skill for any SU-34 pilot. You don’t just drop the bomb and pray.
Geminid
@Amir Khalid: Maybe those Russian pilots are “quiet quitting.”
Jay
NutmegAgain
That nasty shrew Russian woman needs to be glad she doesn’t live anywhere near me … me and my giant breed dogs and their giant breed giant piles of dog shit, which I pick up on the regular and I am always looking for creative places to dispose of it …
Amir Khalid
@Geminid:
That’s actually a plausible answer.
Roger Moore
@SpaceUnit:
Not necessarily. It might just mean they don’t want to provide food, shelter, and medical care for the POWs. The news seems to be pretty thin on details, so it’s possible they’re being returned on parole. This is an old-fashioned sounding but still current thing, where POWs who are returned promise not to rejoin the fight.
Jay
@Amir Khalid:
as a ground pounder, yup, learned aboot, ( Canadian eh!) lofting.
SpaceUnit
@Roger Moore:
Good points. I’m just doing some wishful thinking.
Traveller
A quick heads up….the current (June 2023), issue of National Geographic has a dynamite wall sized two sided map of Ukraine. As much as I may love and use Google maps, I am still a physical map guy…they are just good to touch and feel and read…take notes on, whatever.
National Geographic, June issue, good stuff. Best Wishes, Traveller
PS a caveat of sorts, there maybe is too much information on the map as print overlays…natural gas flows mixed with history, population movements and topographic features, etc, etc…Still, a great map.
pacem appellant
@Kyle Rayner: When the war first broke out, I taught myself to read the Cyrillic alphabet (mostly), then charted out the differences between Ukrainian and Russian. The accent you’re describing makes me think that in Cyrillic, the “G” in Belgorod is a Cyrillic Г. In Russian, it’s pronounced /g/, but in Ukrainian, it’s /ɦ/. So the influence of Ukrainian on the local pronunciation of Russian must be strong.
Ruckus
@SpaceUnit:
My take on vlad is that there is zero good faith and decency within 500 miles of him at any time. Maybe a lot farther.
He stepped upon something he really, really did not want to step on and he should not have been wearing golf spikes during the stepping, because he should have gamed this out a bit better than he did. OK he did zero gaming out, he let his oversized ego run the entire show. And he’s turned it into a shit show with most of that on his face.
sab
@NutmegAgain: DNA testing and your dogs are done fore.
japa21
@Ruckus:
He ignored all those legal warnings that past success does not insure future success. He really, truly expected this to be a 3-10 day walk in the park. He should have realized as soon as Biden started with his warnings that this was not going to follow the way the previous land grabs have gone.
Cacti
Fair question. If she loves her motherland so much, why doesn’t she fuck off back to where she came from.
zhena gogolia
@pacem appellant: Fun fact, Gorbachev was from Southern Russia, and he pronounced his Г like an h.
eversor
All the fucking Russian simps here need to find windows and get Russian flying lessons. This shit is getting old. End it.
Adam L Silverman
@eversor: Dial it back several notches please.
Omnes Omnibus
@eversor: I guess it’s good that you found a different outlet for your eliminationist rhetoric. Oh, wait…
Ruckus
@japa21:
In the navy we used to say that someone acting like vlad does was huffing his own farts – and thought they smelled great.
He also believes his bullshit is the only bullshit in Russia. You take tens of thousands of people and send them off to war and expect them to fight to the death with 5 or 10 rounds of ammo and then wonder why people don’t like you. The only reason more of his side isn’t dead is that they surrendered and often in mass numbers rather than die for an old guy who values them only on what they are willing to give up for him, not their country, him. And that is everything. I served in the US military during a major war, and for sure was not willing to do that so a president could get richer. I can’t imagine that more than maybe 20% of the citizens of Russia were willing to die for his bank account. Likely even less. You want a rock and hard point, think about being a Russian male between 18-40 yrs old and having to go die so SFBR (shitforbrainsrussia) can brag that he added a bit of land to the USSR. All he did was sign their death warrants. And the only thing he cares one small shit about was that they died so he can become richer and thought of as a bigger asshole.
SpaceUnit
@Ruckus:
Totally agree about Putin. If he displays any humanity he’s merely feigning it for some strategic purpose.
Sebastian
@Jay:
Promoted to submarine!
Sebastian
@Jay:
Looks like Ukraine is pulling the same trick Russia pulled in the West, radicalize the Right.
Geminid
@Sebastian: I wonder if Ukraine needed to radicalize those guys. That may be the way they came, and Ukraine is using them despite their ideology.
Kyle Rayner
@pacem appellant: Yup, “г” in the South dialect is typically /ɣ/, which is not exactly the same as the Ukranian /ɦ/, but both are fricative (continuous sounds), unlike the Moscow /g/.
I’m really interested to know more about that brief blip in history when Belgorod was claimed by the Ukrainian government. And apparently even used as a temporary capital? NAFO’s having great fun with it all.
Another Scott
I’m sure this was talked about earlier, but I was only able to take the time to read the full letter today. DeLong signs on:
Well worth a click if anyone hasn’t read it yet.
Cheers,
Scott.
Kyle Rayner
@Another Scott: Thanks for the poke to read this. Few things in life are more satisfying than reading a strongly-worded manifesto of self determination.
zhena gogolia
@Another Scott: Excellent!
Ruckus
@Another Scott:
Very incredibly worth a read.
The list of signatories is pretty amazing as well.
Thank You.
M31
Zelenskyy was the surprise commencement speaker at Johns Hopkins University today via video. I don’t think anyone knew (I teach there and didn’t know!) and it is pretty moving to hear him talk about the value of time, and how many of those on the front lines are the same age as the assembled graduates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg-B0w6Arw0
starts at around 1.39 of the video
Feathers
I must admit I laughed when this “recipe” for crayons showed up in my timeline today https://twitter.com/catvalente/status/1661803296728727553?s=46&t=mG9oWY_sUs8FMjuoMPDDQQ
Uncle Cosmo
@M31: You teach at The Hop? You poor putz. (Alumnus here.) Waiting for Mikey Bloomberg to offer them another $1bn or so if they’ll rename that asylum of higher loitering for him – the misadministrators (SOBs when I was an undergrad, SOBs today, SOBs till the sun hangs a hard right off the Main Sequence) will fall all over themselves for the dead presidents. After all, the founder himself was just another robber baron. MBU here we come!!
And the way The Hop is buying up property, I expect it won’t be too long after that when new signs will spring up like toadstools at the city limits:
Bastards.
NutmegAgain
@sab: damn modern life! shakes fist at clouds… You are right of course, and it would be a childish act. Must think harder about a non-criminal way of expressing disgust. Thankfully, where I live in CT is a hotbed of Polish & Ukrainian folk. There’s even a chunk of a major road named for Taras Shevchenko.