Our Positions at the Front, the Physical Protection of Our People and Communities, and the Disruption of Any Attempts at Russian Offensive Are Urgent Priorities – Address by the President

8 May 2024 – 21:47

Dear Ukrainians!

A few important points for today.

First of all, I am grateful to all those who have been eliminating the consequences of the Russian Nazis’ attack in various regions of Ukraine today – Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kirovohrad. This is how the Kremlin marks the end of World War II in Europe – with a massive attack, with its attempts to break the lives of our people, with its Nazism. Almost sixty Russian missiles and more than twenty “Shaheds” were launched in just one day. It was a deliberate, combined strike against our energy system – against power generation, hydroelectric dam, gas infrastructure. We managed to shoot down some of the missiles and most of the “Shaheds.” I thank each of our partners whose air defense systems were effective today. However, not all Russian missiles were shot down. Unfortunately. There were hits, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, power engineers, involved services and enterprises are facing many challenges. I am grateful to everyone who is working one hundred percent to increase the percentage of energy generation.

I would also like to personally thank the rescuers who have proved themselves effective and committed to eliminating the consequences of the Russian strikes today and in general at this time. Zaporizhzhia region – Oleksandr Antipov, Serhiy Sydorenko, Mykola Sereda – employees of state fire and rescue units. Thank you! Lviv region – Ihor Veretelnyk, Oleksandr Voitovych, Viktor Kapustiak. Thank you! Poltava region – Oleksandr Kit, Oleksandr Baiva, Yevhen Kibalnyk. Thank you! Vinnytsia region – Oleh Kostiuk, Dmytro Palamarchuk and Volodymyr Khudchenko. Ivano-Frankivsk region – Artur Vasiutiak, Oleh Shastkiv and Ruslan Kryklyvyi. I am grateful to you guys and all your colleagues – the entire staff of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, all the people whose job is to always give life hope, always help, under any circumstances.

Today, I continued negotiations with the leaders who can help us – Ukraine – and our entire Europe to bring a just peace and real, lasting security closer. We continue preparations for the first Global Peace Summit, which will be held in Switzerland and should become a truly effective peace-building platform. Today I personally invited the leaders of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to the Summit. It is very important that we maintain dialogue with all leaders, and we actually share a common goal with all of them – to restore genuine tranquility to international relations and guarantee justice to every nation – guarantee that they will not be destroyed. Only in cooperation can the world ensure this. And I thank every leader, every state that has already confirmed their participation in the Peace Summit. We are working to make sure that everyone else understands us and joins in as well. Everyone who helps will feel the gratitude of history.

Of course, we also discussed our bilateral cooperation today. Denmark – we discussed the strengthening of our air defense and the implementation of defense agreements. The Netherlands – we discussed with Mark, Mr. Prime Minister, the search for additional Patriot systems. Hungary – a good conversation, long, with many details. Bilateral cooperation, the situation in the region. We agreed to work together further, based on the efforts of our teams. Germany – we discussed the restoration and protection of our energy sector, the preparation of a recovery conference in Berlin. Saudi Arabia – we discussed with the Crown Prince our bilateral cooperation and global affairs – ways to actually bring peace closer.

And one more thing.

Today, there was a separate report by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and a report by the Commander-in-Chief. Our positions at the front, the physical protection of our people and communities, and the disruption of any attempts at Russian offensive are urgent priorities. I am grateful to each of our warriors whose courage and resilience make all this possible. To everyone in the Ukrainian Defense Forces – in our combat brigades, in all units involved, in the Air Defense Forces, in the Air Force, in the security forces. Everyone who is now on the frontline, who defends Ukraine on the ground, in the sky and at sea, gives our state the opportunity to gain a prospect for Ukrainians – for our independence, for our diplomacy, for our lives. Glory to all our warriors! Glory to our people!

Glory to Ukraine!

Today is Victory in (WW II in) Europe day.

May 8
Unity overcomes evil. pic.twitter.com/wF3LBq2LKi

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 8, 2024

On May 8, we mark the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in the Second World War.

Today, we honor the millions of Ukrainians who bravely fought and sacrificed their lives to defeat this evil.
Today, a new evil has emerged, threatening Europe's peace and stability.

The… pic.twitter.com/uOV9jb7Ks7

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 8, 2024

On May 8, we mark the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in the Second World War.

Today, we honor the millions of Ukrainians who bravely fought and sacrificed their lives to defeat this evil.
Today, a new evil has emerged, threatening Europe’s peace and stability.

The new coalition of nations must now demonstrate its solidarity and resolve to make sure the new Nazism suffers defeat.

Tomorrow, 9 May, Russia will celebrate Victory Day as part of their fetishization of Russia’s and the Soviet Union’s accomplishments in WW II. I expect that the assault on Ukrainian civilians and civilian targets over the next 12 to 24 hours.

Yep, it’s always “Never Again” and all every year on May 8, poppies and speeches — up until the thing that should have never happened again actually happens — then it’s suddenly “Escalation Management”, “Don’t Provoke Putin”, “I Don’t Support Russia But…”, “They Have Nukes, You…

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) May 8, 2024

Yep, it’s always “Never Again” and all every year on May 8, poppies and speeches — up until the thing that should have never happened again actually happens — then it’s suddenly “Escalation Management”, “Don’t Provoke Putin”, “I Don’t Support Russia But…”, “They Have Nukes, You Know”, “Surrender For Peace Now”, “Pay For Your Own War”, “It’s All Your Fault”, “You Can’t Target Russian Territory” etc etc etc.

Go figure.

The cost:

pic.twitter.com/as13RUF2Ux

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) May 8, 2024

Remember this picture of a woodland battlefield in east Ukraine that went viral last month?

The author, Denys Zeleny, a non-commissioned officer with Ukraine’s National Guards, has been killed in action….

In civilian life, he used to work as a manager at a confectionary chain called Honey.

 

In this photograph that I took in early April 2024 is Serhii, an infantryman at the moment he was waiting to go to the frontline

Shortly afterwards, the photo was published on the front page of Liberation, but Serhii would never see it. He was killed in action later that month. pic.twitter.com/BYl7INq9AT

— Roman Pilipey (@RomanPilipey) May 8, 2024

This is a future we should make every effort to prevent:

What if Ukraine is forced to surrender to Russia? What happens next? What kind of global security environment would there be?

This video was made by Mykhailo Dankanych, a former TV producer who is currently serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. pic.twitter.com/SvIZ0aAEoc

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) May 8, 2024

Britain:

Russian channels taking credit for the UK database hack that currently has frozen the country's airports. pic.twitter.com/w5ARLNvRQ1

— Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) May 7, 2024

Taps the sign: It’s a world war!

The UK government says it will expel Russia's defense attaché for being an undeclared military spy, strip diplomatic status from properties in the UK that it believes are used by Russia to gather intelligence & cap the length of Russian diplomatic visas. https://t.co/EDVXIIgHFD pic.twitter.com/mgHMy0oY8r

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 8, 2024

Brussels:

Brussels agrees to send €3bn from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine https://t.co/8W23xbzCBu

— Massoud Maalouf (@Massoudmaalouf) May 8, 2024

From Euronews:

EU diplomats agreed Wednesday to use income from frozen Russian state assets to aid Ukraine – paving the way for the war-torn country to get around €3 bn for arms purchases and reconstruction before the summer.

Since the full-scale invasion of 2022, €210 billion in assets of the Moscow central bank have sat frozen within the bloc – chiefly at the Euroclear depositary in Belgium.

The deal was agreed “in principle” at a regular meeting of national representatives, according to a tweet by Belgium, currently chairing talks in the European Council.

Brussels has long touted using the interest from those funds, estimated at around €3bn per year, for Ukraine’s reconstruction costs – and later extended its plans to cover Kyiv’s military expenditure.

The plan – which also has backing from the group of seven leading industrialised democracies – comes as Ukraine hopes to turn the tide in an increasingly desperate military campaign, bolstered by €89bn recently agreed by the US Congress.

But Ukrainian ministers have said Brussels needs to go further than merely scooping up interest payments – and fully confiscate Moscow’s assets to ensure the aggressor pays for the cost of war.

Officials from EU countries and the European Central Bank have expressed concerns that seizing assets outright might set an unhelpful precedent or harm the euro’s reputation as a safe currency.

I welcome today's political agreement on our proposal to use the proceeds from immobilised Russian assets for Ukraine.

There could be no stronger symbol and no greater use for that money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live. https://t.co/zGQMVAKAMt

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 8, 2024

Talks were also held up by concerns over how many of the assets would be retained by Euroclear as an administration fee, a figure that was originally as high as 13%, as well as Belgium’s right to tax the profits gained by the Brussels-based securities depository.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has already promised to send some €1.5bn directly to Ukraine, though that appears to be a result of applying existing corporate tax law to the unexpected windfall Euroclear gains by having frozen central bank assets on its books.

The final deal allows Euroclear to keep a provisional buffer worth 10% of the profits, in case of litigation over the funds. It can also keep 0.3% as an incentive, while 90% of the funds will be sent via the European Peace Facility to help Ukraine buy weapons.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen previously suggested Ukraine could receive the first funds under the mechanism by July – but the calculation will be backdated to February, when Euroclear formally segregated the assets.

Ambassadors today also formally agreed on the reforms Ukraine will have to make to receive funds from a separate €50bn facility of EU grants and loans.

 

 

This is very interesting – and very important to make clear.

"Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries are now doing what the sanctions regime has not."https://t.co/C1386qyzNE

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) May 8, 2024

From Foreign Affairs:

On January 19, a Ukrainian drone struck an oil depot in the town of Klintsy, in Russia’s western Bryansk region, setting four gasoline tanks on fire and igniting some 1.6 million gallons of oil. Later that week, another strike lit a fire at Rosneft’s oil refinery in Tuapse, a Russian city some 600 miles from Ukrainian-held territory. In March, Ukrainian drones hit four Russian refineries in two days. April began with a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s third-largest refinery, located deep in the region of Tatarstan, around 800 miles away. The month ended with strikes on facilities in two more Russian cities, Smolensk and Ryazan.

In all, Ukraine has launched at least 20 strikes on Russian refineries since October. Ukrainian security officials have indicated that the attacks’ objectives are to cut off fuel supplies to the Russian military and slash the export revenues that the Kremlin uses to fund its war effort. By the end of March, Ukraine had destroyed around 14 percent of Russia’s oil-refining capacity and forced the Russian government to introduce a six-month ban on gasoline exports. One of the world’s largest oil producers is now importing petrol.

But the Biden administration has criticized the attacks. In February, Vice President Kamala Harris urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to refrain from targeting Russian oil refineries out of concern that the strikes would drive up global oil prices. Echoing that sentiment, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned the Senate Armed Services Committee in mid-April that the “attacks could have a knock-on effect in terms of the global energy situation.” Instead of striking oil infrastructure, Austin told the committee, “Ukraine is better served in going after tactical and operational targets that can directly influence the current fight.”

Washington’s criticism is misplaced: attacks on oil refineries will not have the effect on global energy markets that U.S. officials fear. These s​trikes reduce Russia’s ability to turn its oil into usable products; they do not affect the volume of oil it can extract or export. In fact, with less domestic refining capacity, Russia will be forced to export more of its crude oil, not less, pushing global prices down rather than up. Indeed, Russian firms have already started selling more unrefined oil overseas. As long as they remain restricted to Russian refineries, the attacks are unlikely to raise the price of oil for Western consumers.

Yet they can still inflict pain inside Russia, where the price of refined oil products, such as gasoline and diesel, has begun to surge. The strikes are achieving the very objectives that Ukraine’s Western partners set but largely failed to meet through sanctions and a price cap on Russian oil: to degrade Russia’s financial and logistical ability to wage war while limiting broader damage to the global economy. Kyiv must take wins where it can, and a campaign to destroy Russia’s oil-refining capacity brings benefits to Ukraine with limited risk.

Ukraine has so far concentrated its attacks on Russian oil refineries, not oil fields or crude oil export infrastructure. The distinction is important. After oil is extracted from a well, it is transported through pipelines and other infrastructure to refineries, where it is converted into products to be distributed to end users. In 2023, Russia extracted an estimated 10.1 million barrels of oil per day. Of this, around 50 percent was exported to refineries abroad, and the remaining 50 percent was refined domestically, creating products such as gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, and chemical feedstocks. Half these refined products were consumed domestically, with a substantial proportion diverted to fuel the Russian war machine. Russia also sells refined oil products abroad—the country was responsible for around ten percent of the world’s seaborne exports in 2023—but most Western countries have already stopped importing refined Russian fuel. The top destinations for Russia’s refined oil products are Turkey, China, and Brazil, though Russia has also been selling fuel to North Korea, in violation of UN sanctions, in exchange for munitions.

The Ukrainian strikes have dealt a significant blow to Russia’s refining capacity, knocking out up to 900,000 barrels per day. Repairs will be slow and expensive, in part because refinery stacks—where oil is distilled into its constituent parts—are huge and complex pieces of equipment that take years to design and build, and in part because Western sanctions are hampering Russian firms’ access to specialized components.

Russia’s oil storage capacity is limited. When a refinery is destroyed or damaged, therefore, extracted crude oil cannot simply be stocked for later use. This leaves Russian producers with just two options: increasing exports of crude oil or shutting wells and reducing production.

Data from recent months confirm that, as expected, Russia is exporting more crude oil at the same time that its refined fuel exports have hit near-historic lows. Moscow exported just over 712,000 tons of diesel and other petroleum products in the last week of April, a drop from more than 844,000 tons in the same week in 2023. Monthly exports of crude oil, however, increased by nine percent from February to March, reaching their highest level in nine months and their third highest since Western sanctions on Russian crude oil took effect in December 2022. The strikes have had no discernible effect on international crude oil prices, which remained stable until the end of March, when Russia cut its output under a preexisting agreement with OPEC.

Western markets may not be hurting, but Russia is feeling the pinch. Since the Ukrainian strikes began, diesel production has fallen by 16 percent and gasoline production by nine percent. The average weekly wholesale price of gasoline and diesel in western Russia rose by 23 percent and 47 percent, respectively, between the end of 2023 and mid-March. In April, the cost of gasoline hit a six-month high, up more than 20 percent from the start of the year. Russia imported 3,000 tons of fuel from Belarus in the first half of March—up from zero in January—and the Kremlin has been forced to ask Kazakhstan to ready 100,000 tons of gasoline for supply in case of shortages.

Ukraine’s campaign is working. It is inflicting pain on Russian energy markets, and it is putting exactly the kind of pressure on Moscow that the U.S.-led sanctions regime was designed for but has had limited success in delivering.

In the early months of the war, the Biden administration assembled a coalition of countries to impose economic penalties on Russia, including a price cap on Russian crude oil exports. The idea behind the price cap was to set it high enough that Russia would keep oil flowing, helping avoid a global recession, but low enough to depress Russia’s export earnings. In practice, inconsistent enforcement and monitoring have undermined the price cap’s effectiveness: Russia’s federal revenues hit a record $320 billion in 2023. The price cap may also have been set too high. A recent assessment by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, a Finnish think tank, determined that a lower rate could have slashed Russia’s oil export revenues by 25 percent between December 2022 and March 2024 without pushing Russian companies to shut off the taps. The EU and G-7 shipping industry, meanwhile, is still deeply entwined with Russia’s exports. In March this year, 46 percent of Russian oil shipments were carried on ships owned or insured in G-7 and EU countries, and some Western tankers have continued to transport oil priced above the cap.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries are now doing what the sanctions regime has not. Without compromising global energy supply or driving up prices, the attacks are eating into Russian revenues and curtailing Russia’s ability to turn crude oil into the kinds of fuel that tanks and planes need to run. As long as Ukrainian forces avoid hitting crude oil pipelines or major crude oil export terminals, they can maintain this balance.

The current strategy comes with limited risks. Ukrainian drones have generally been hitting their targets at night, causing few, if any, civilian casualties. As long as Ukraine continues to weigh potential harms to noncombatants every time it approves a strike, it should stay on the right side of international law. Targeting an industry that directly contributes to Russian military power is a reasonable wartime measure—one that past belligerents, such as the United States, have employed before, including in its recent operations against the Islamic State.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries also seem unlikely to widen the conflict. At the very least, Russia will struggle to escalate in kind, given its long-running and far broader campaign to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure: its forces destroyed Ukraine’s Kremenchuk oil refinery within weeks of the 2022 invasion, and the Ukrainian energy minister has said that Russian strikes earlier this year hit up to 80 percent of Ukraine’s conventional thermal power plants. Rather than threatening escalation in response to Ukraine’s strikes, the Kremlin has tended to play down their effects to avoid embarrassment.

To keep the risks low, the United States should neither help Ukraine proceed with these attacks nor even publicly encourage them. But nor should it try to dissuade Kyiv from this course of action. Despite the U.S. Congress’s recent approval of $61 billion in military aid, Ukraine is at its most fragile point in more than two years. Strikes on Russian refineries alone will not force Moscow to capitulate, but they do make the war more difficult and expensive for Russia—and so, if nothing else, when the time comes for negotiations, they may push the Kremlin to make concessions.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast:

Destroyed Russian BUK air defence system equipment, presumably 9A39 of BUK-M1. As said:

“Due to a mistake made by the crew, the vehicle started to catch fire. Which led to the explosion of the loaded missiles. The crew was not injured. The exact date is unknown. Near Pology,… pic.twitter.com/BL1z9YXdod

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 8, 2024

Destroyed Russian BUK air defence system equipment, presumably 9A39 of BUK-M1. As said:

“Due to a mistake made by the crew, the vehicle started to catch fire. Which led to the explosion of the loaded missiles. The crew was not injured. The exact date is unknown. Near Pology, Zaporizhzhia region.”

https://t.me/dosye_shpiona/52

In addition to the topic of Russian assaults on motorcycles. Detailed video of how the attack of two Russian motorcyclists took place. Zaporizhzhia Front. https://t.co/9uLQQYv0Fo https://t.co/nj7feEIPra pic.twitter.com/uhzpaJ2ICT

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 8, 2024

The Avdiivka front:

The battle between Bradley IFV of the 47th Brigade of Ukraine and Russian T-80 tank. T-80 was disabled by a TOW anti-tank missile fired by the Bradley crew. Avdiivka front. https://t.co/fmZ5xNZKry pic.twitter.com/sXK6bI9a7V

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 8, 2024

Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

/1. Drone attack on Russian oil depot in the Krasnodar region is reported. Presumably in Yurovka village. There are multiple oil depots in the area, which of them was targeted is unclear. 300 from the frontline. pic.twitter.com/vfbR72wfFM

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 9, 2024

Just a brief update on what is going on in Georgia. From the Thread Reader App:

Things have been developing quickly over the past 2-3 weeks in Georgia, but in the last couple of days, they have progressed at an unimaginable speed. The ruling Georgian Dream party has employed various tactics targeting civil society, escalating to an extreme level. 1/6 

Exclusive know-how: 100s, if not 1000s, of people—activists, NGO reprs, media, and their families—are receiving calls from foreign cell numbers, with insults and threats. This is very likely a coordinated and centralized effort to sow fear and intimidate civil society. 2/6 

An increasing number of physical attacks on representatives of NGOs, media, and teachers, either in the streets or at their homes, have been reported. They are being attacked by so-called Titushky. 3/6

The ruling Georgian Dream party is not even waiting for the passage of the Russian-style foreign agents law, it’s already operational. Today, they announced the creation of a database (a kind of enemy/blacklist) where they will place all individuals undesirable to them. 4/6 

Following this statement, at least two Telegram channels were launched today that began leaking personal information, including the addresses and phone numbers of representatives of NGOs, media, activists, etc. 5/6 

There’s already massive terrorising happening in Georgia and the Russian copy-pasta Agents Law is not even passed yet. 6/6

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new tweets from Patron today, so here is some adjacent material.

New life on frontline pic.twitter.com/bHqURZKnXS

— UkrARMY cats & dogs (@UAarmy_animals) April 30, 2024

Family pic.twitter.com/9SbzXPuWSa

— UkrARMY cats & dogs (@UAarmy_animals) April 22, 2024

The dog runs after the Ukrainian border guards who are going on a mission.
The dog Elsa is a friend of the 🇺🇦 border guards. pic.twitter.com/ZkBwPUYFn8

— UkrARMY cats & dogs (@UAarmy_animals) April 19, 2024

And a new video from Patron’s official TikTok:

@patron__dsns

Бажаю кожному знайти людину, поряд з якою вам буде всеодно на будь-який прогноз погоди❤️

♬ оригинальный звук – музикальний бункер

Here’s the machine translation of the caption:

I wish everyone to find a person with whom you don’t care about any weather forecast ❤️

Open thread!

We are Preparing Meetings and Documents That Will Definitely Make It Into the News in the Coming Weeks – Address by the President

7 May 2024 – 22:05

Dear Ukrainians!

A summary of this day. First, the frontline. The battles in the hottest spots. Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, Kramatorsk, Lyman, Vremivka, Kupyansk directions. Today, as always, I communicated with the military and held a separate meeting with the Ministry of Defence regarding the manning of our brigades. We are doing everything we can to strengthen our warriors and give Ukraine more power in combat. I thank everyone in the world who is helping us. I am grateful to all the leaders who are really keeping their word and fulfilling what we agreed upon — all the supply packages of weapons and ammunition are extremely important for Ukraine now. This time is crucial for the whole year — in combat, in training, in supply. Any delay now — in weapons, ammunition or in manning our brigades — will cost too much for all those in the world who seek actual protection from Russia. And I thank every combat brigade of ours — all those who are fighting on the front line — and doing it effectively and bravely without surrendering their positions. Thank you for being here for Ukraine. And today, based on the results of the first days of the week, the warriors of the 55th Zaporizhzhia Sich separate artillery brigade deserve our special appreciation. Good job, guys! Your accuracy is always inspiring!

The second thing today is international negotiations.

We continue our marathon of preparations for the first Global Peace Summit, a Summit that can and should demonstrate the value of international cooperation and all the words about upholding the UN Charter and the rules-based international order — those words that have been heard during the years of this war. Every leader who will participate in the Summit, every leader who is now helping to organize the Summit, every state whose strength we are adding now to the joint force of human life protection will definitely prove their worth in this marathon — in the preparations of the Peace Summit. Today I spoke with the leaders of Spain, Belgium, Latvia, Finland and Cabo Verde. Step by step, we will establish a truly global community — every continent will be represented at our Summit in Switzerland, different nations — both geographically large and geographically smaller, those who have already clearly expressed their support for international law and the ones who are yet to do so. While Moscow is using the term “multipolarity” just hypocritically to cover its attempts to control the lives of other nations, we are creating a real tool for real multipolarity — we are inviting the world majority to the Peace Summit. And it is the majority that should have its say — it can bring a just peace closer.

And one more thing for today.

We are preparing meetings and documents that will definitely make it into the news in the coming weeks. New visits of our partners to Ukraine. New security agreements for our country and life in Europe in general. And of course, we continue to prepare for the actual start of talks with the European Union in June. From our side, the Ukrainian side, all the details will be one hundred percent worked out. Ukraine has fulfilled its obligations. And Ukraine expects the same level of engagement — productive engagement — from the partners.
I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine and everyone who supports us in an effective and timely manner! Because this means life. This means saving lives. I thank everyone who fights for our country and our people. And please always remember all those who sacrifice their lives in this battle — the battle for Ukraine and humanity. May the memory of each of our warriors, whose lives were lost in battle and became the life of our entire state, our Ukraine, be bright and eternal.

Glory to Ukraine!

The reason:

Love always wins!

Ukrainian serviceman meets his beloved at the Slovyansk railway station, Donetsk region.

📷: Wojciech Grzedzinski pic.twitter.com/UavCnTFyYR

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 7, 2024

The cost:

Today, two more Georgian fighters were killed in the battle against the Russians near Avdeevka.
May your souls be in light pic.twitter.com/kghCqhQrTT

— Georgian warrior in Ukraine🇬🇪(young)🇺🇦 (@giorgig31418111) May 7, 2024

One of the youngest Mariupol defenders, Nazarii Hryntsevych, call sign “Hrinka,” died defending Ukraine.

Nazarii was at Azovstal in 2022, was taken prisoner by Russia, and after his release, became the commander of a platoon of optical observers of the Contact 12 group.

On… https://t.co/VuxWYkl6F5 pic.twitter.com/mLNijCyB2E

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 7, 2024

One of the youngest Mariupol defenders, Nazarii Hryntsevych, call sign “Hrinka,” died defending Ukraine.

Nazarii was at Azovstal in 2022, was taken prisoner by Russia, and after his release, became the commander of a platoon of optical observers of the Contact 12 group.

On March 10, 2024, Nazarii turned 21.

Eternal memory and eternal glory to Ukrainian Hero.

We are losing our best people.

Estonia:

We are grateful for your support.
Together, we are stronger!
🇺🇦🇪🇪🇩🇰💪 https://t.co/1lJzynDV7s

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 7, 2024

Romania:

⚡️ President Iohannis: Romania open to discussing sending Patriot to Ukraine.

Romania is open to discussing the possibility of sending a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, the country's president said on May 7, Reuters reported.https://t.co/KdJXuBFFJl

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 7, 2024

From The Kyiv Independent:

Romania is open to discussing the possibility of sending a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, the country’s president said on May 7, Reuters reported.

Speaking in Washington after a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, Klaus Iohannis said he would discuss the matter with his Supreme Defence Council.

This is the latest development from Western nations responding to calls from Kyiv for more air defenses in the face of escalating Russian missile and drone attacks on cities across Ukraine.

“There has been a discussion about who can send Patriot systems to Ukraine over the last few weeks,” Iohannis said.

“President Biden mentioned it… in our meeting, and I said I was open to discussion. I must discuss it in the Supreme Defence Council to see what we can offer and what we can get in return, because it is unacceptable to leave Romania without air defenses.”

Romania signed a deal in 2017 to obtain Patriot systems but so far only has one that is operational. Iohannis said any discussions would concern a system that was in an advanced stage of becoming operational.

More at the link!

Brussels:

From The Financial Times:

Brussels will propose a ban on Russian funding of political parties, non-governmental organisations and think-tanks as part of a fresh round of sanctions aimed at crippling Moscow’s ability to pursue its war against Ukraine and spread discord among European allies.

The proposal is part of the latest package of sanctions sent to member states by the European Commission for their approval, according to a confidential draft seen by the Financial Times.

The sanctions come as the bloc is under increasing pressure from Ukraine to boost its military support amid a heavy Russian offensive. Meanwhile, EU governments are trying to crack down on Russian disinformation campaigns ahead of European parliament elections in June.

Fears of Russian interference in the elections have increased following revelations about spying scandals and influence campaigns, particularly among far-right groups, in the past month.

“Propaganda and disinformation campaigns are capable of undermining the foundations of democratic societies and are an integral part of the arsenal of modern hybrid attacks,” the draft proposal said.

Prohibiting funding for those campaigns would protect EU citizens from “malign interference”, it said.

The proposals also call for a ban on four media outlets from broadcasting in Europe, the documents showed. Prague-based Voice of Europe, whose site has already been taken down by Czech authorities in an alleged Russian influence case targeting European lawmakers, as well as Russian outlets RIA Novosti, Izvestija and Rossiiskaja Gazeta are set to be added to the sanctions list, pending unanimous approval by EU member states.

The package of sanctions — the bloc’s 14th following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine — is mostly “technical and not really substantial”, one EU diplomat said, demonstrating the increasing difficulty the bloc has had in finding consensus among member states.

“In our view [it’s] not a very strong package.”

More at the link.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand my book on the Battle of Kyiv 2022 has been released.

Amazon Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook.

I hope you will enjoy it – I sweated blood to describe the incredible spirit of those heroic days in Ukraine.https://t.co/BJThc805t7https://t.co/AANL7jJQEi

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) May 7, 2024

Kyiv:

The Security Service of Ukraine claimed that it foiled Russia's plot to assassinate Zelensky and other high-ranking officials; The government supported a draft decree by President Volodymyr Zelensky on unmanned systems armed forces branch; and more. https://t.co/zL3SP4WZ9B

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 7, 2024

Here are the details from The Kyiv Independent:

The Security Service of Ukraine claimed on May 7 that it had uncovered a network of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) agents who were preparing the assassination of President Volodymyr Zelensky and other high-ranking officials in Ukraine.

Two colonels of Ukraine’s State Security Administration (UDO) accused of leaking classified information to Russia were reportedly detained.

In late November, Zelensky said in an interview with The Sun that he had survived at least five assassination attempts since the start of Russia’s full-scale war.

The FSB network aimed to find perpetrators among the military close to Zelensky’s security, “who could take the head of state hostage and then kill him,” according to the SBU.

The planned attack was supervised by Maxim Mishustin, Dmitry Perlin, and Alexey Kornev, wemployees of the FSB’s fifth service, according to the SBU.

“The terrorist attack, which was supposed to be a gift to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin for his inauguration, was actually a failure of the Russian Secret Service,” SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk said.

Other Russia’s targets reportedly included Maliuk and Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) head Kyrylo Budanov.

Budanov’s assassination was allegedly planned to be carried out before Orthodox Easter, celebrated on May 5. A Russian agent was supposed to track Budanov’s movements and pass the information to Russia, according to the SBU. One of the UDO colonels allegedly supplied the FSB agent with FPV (first-person-view) drones, warheads for portable launchers, and anti-personnel mines.

The plan reportedly was to hit a house where the HUR chief was supposed to be with a missile, and then attack the people remaining at the site with drones. Then there was supposed to be another missile strike to eliminate the evidence of a drone attack, the SBU said.

In early April, the SBU reported that a joint operation by Ukrainian and Polish law enforcement agencies led to the detention of a Polish citizen who allegedly offered to Russia to assassinate Zelensky.

Russian occupied Luhansk Oblast:

/2. Oil depot is on fire in Luhansk after strikes
(48.5154499, 39.2994006) pic.twitter.com/tqJlopx1iy

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 7, 2024

/4. ATACMS missile debris in Luhansk. Plus additional video of the fire on the oil depot pic.twitter.com/cOABFUX9SC

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 7, 2024

⚡️Russian proxy claims missile strike on oil depot in occupied Luhansk.

An oil depot in occupied Luhansk was struck by ATACMS missiles, causing a mass fire at the facility, Moscow-installed head of the occupied region Leonid Pasechnik claimed on May 8. At least five employees…

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 7, 2024

⚡️Russian proxy claims missile strike on oil depot in occupied Luhansk.

An oil depot in occupied Luhansk was struck by ATACMS missiles, causing a mass fire at the facility, Moscow-installed head of the occupied region Leonid Pasechnik claimed on May 8. At least five employees were reportedly injured and hospitalized.

https://kyivindependent.com/russian-proxy-claims-missile-strike-on-oil-depot-in-occupied-luhansk-injuring-5/

The Kyiv Independent has the details:

An oil depot in occupied Luhansk was struck by ATACMS missiles, causing a mass fire at the facility, the Moscow-installed head of the occupied region, Leonid Pasechnik, claimed on May 8. At least five employees were reportedly injured and hospitalized.

Pasechnik announced on Telegram at around 11:35 p.m. local time that the depot had been attacked and emergency response teams were working to contain the fire.

The Russian proxy later reported that five employees of the oil depot were injured and hospitalized, power lines were damaged, houses in the immediate area were partially de-energized, and a high-pressure gas pipeline was on fire.

“An overnight strike on an oil depot in Luhansk was allegedly carried out by Western-style ATACMS missiles,” Pasechnik claimed.

Ukrainian officials did not comment on the claims, which cannot be independently verified.

More at the link.

Chasiv Yar:

Ukraine's Kraken special forces unit released a video from embattled Chasiv Yar on May 7, showing ongoing fighting amid a devastated landscape but claiming there is currently not a single Russian soldier in the town itself.

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 7, 2024

Here’s the video with the English subtitles on:

Machine translated description from below the video:

For a month now, the DIU’s KRAKEN active action unit has been defending the city, which has become one of the symbols of courage and resilience of the Ukrainian army.

The soldiers are heroically holding the defense, destroying numerous enemies every day, burning enemy armored vehicles and taking prisoners.

The enemy is trying to advance from different directions, but thanks to the unit’s well-coordinated work, there are no occupants in the city at the moment.

The usual work of modern Heroes.

Subscribe. We will show you more soon.

Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast:

⚡️ At least six people, including a six-year-old girl and a 91-year-old woman, have been injured during an intense day of Russian strikes in Nikopol, in the south-east of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, authorities reported on May 7.https://t.co/eUaLlX0h32

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 7, 2024

The Kyiv Independent reports the butcher’s bill:

At least six people, including a six-year-old girl and a 91-year-old woman, have been injured during an intense day of Russian strikes in Nikopol, in the south-east of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, authorities reported on May 7.

In a post on Telegram, Governor Serhii Lysak said 14 kamikaze drones and artillery struck the city and surrounding communities.

Initially, he reported four people had been injured – two women aged 91 and 50, and two men aged 37 and 40. One of the men was in a serious condition.

Ten houses, three garages, and several farm buildings were damaged.

In a later post, Lysak said the number of injured had risen to six, including the six-year-old girl.

Nikopol, situated on the banks of the mostly dried-up Kakhovka Reservoir, just across from Russian-occupied Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, is a regular target of Russian attacks.

Novomykhailivka:

For several weeks, Russians have been using assault tactics of infantry on motorcycles.

The idea behind this is that infantry on a motorcycle must quickly reach a position that needs to be taken and held. Counting on the fact that one infantryman on a motorcycle would be too… pic.twitter.com/QJ60WJzKib

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 7, 2024

For several weeks, Russians have been using assault tactics of infantry on motorcycles.

The idea behind this is that infantry on a motorcycle must quickly reach a position that needs to be taken and held. Counting on the fact that one infantryman on a motorcycle would be too small, fast and maneuverable target for Ukrainian forces to hit.

Video of the 79th brigade of Ukraine with the destruction of such Russian motorcycle units Video of the 79th brigade of Ukraine with the destruction of such Russian motorcycle units, Novomykhailivka front.

https://t.me/odshbr79/188

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron tweets tonight so here is some adjacent material from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

Share your coffee with your fluffy comrades.

📷: 241st @TDF_UA Brigade pic.twitter.com/WuwoNcQpT3

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 7, 2024

And a new video from Patron’s official TikTok.

@patron__dsns

👀👀👀 #bombasticsideeye #песпатрон

♬ Bombastic Side Eye Criminal Offensive Side Eye – CasaDi

Open thread!

Political Decisions Must Be Followed by Real Logistics – the Actual Receipt of Weapons by Our Warriors – Address by the President

6 May 2024 – 19:54

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

I’ve just held a meeting of the Staff. First, the frontline. The report by the Commander-in-Chief – he was on the frontline, directly in the brigades. He reported on the key challenges and needs. We are getting ready. There was also a report on our own production of weapons and manning of our brigades. We are doing our best to provide more weapons for our warriors. We also discussed the supply from our partners – the delivery time and the possibility to speed up the actual receipt of weapons and shells from our partners. In reality. Political decisions must be followed by real logistics – the actual receipt of weapons by our warriors. All those involved must now work 24/7 with partners, including the United States.

Today I was honored to congratulate our infantry warriors on their professional day. This is the backbone of our Armed Forces of Ukraine – these are the units that, through their strength, actions, and resilience, determine whose flag is on the ground. And I thank each of our warriors and combat brigades for doing their best to destroy the enemy and defend Ukraine. Today, I have awarded the warriors who have proved themselves best in combat, and presented honorary awards and battle flags to the combat brigades. Thank you, warriors! I thank everyone who gives Ukraine the necessary frontline results and protects our country and people.

In the afternoon, I had several international conversations – we are now working very actively to prepare the inaugural Summit, the Peace Summit in Switzerland. It is important that as many states as possible, as many actors as possible who are interested in the full force of the UN Charter and international law, demonstrate their leadership at the Summit. Today, I’ve spoken with the Presidents of Lithuania and Poland, Gitanas Nausėda and Andrzej Duda, and the Prime Ministers of Estonia and Canada, Kaja Kallas and Justin Trudeau… I personally invited them to the Summit. I thanked them for supporting our work for a just peace – for supporting the Peace Formula. Such peace and the true restoration of tranquility in international relations are possible only if the world majority joins in the establishment of peace and forces Russia into peace, forces it to adhere to the basic rules of normal coexistence of nations. I am grateful to all the partners who help us implement this task. I am grateful to every leader who communicates with others to make sure that they also attend the Summit and have their say. Today’s world is a world of the majority, a world in which no one has or should have the privilege of imposing anything on other nations. Especially through violence. Everyone is equally important, and every nation equally deserves respect. This is what our Peace Formula is all about, it is beneficial to every nation, and the Peace Summit is an opportunity to show not just in words but in reality who really stands for equality in the world. Tomorrow and in the coming weeks, we will work and communicate with countries and leaders to ensure that international law is backed by international solidarity.

I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine! Thank you to everyone who fights and works for life and justice to prevail!

Glory to Ukraine!

Ukraine does not recognize Vladimir Putin as a democratically elected and legitimate President of the Russian Federation.

🔗 Full MFA statement: https://t.co/HQfPCzswDy

— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) May 6, 2024

From Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Vladimir Putin’s “inauguration”
06 May 2024 15:35

On May 7, Russia will hold a ceremony to install Vladimir Putin in office. In this way, the Russian authorities are attempting to give the entire world and its own citizens the illusion of legality for the nearly lifelong stay in power of a person who has turned the Russian Federation into an aggressor state and the ruling regime into a dictatorship.

During the so-called March “elections,” the Russian Federation violated numerous international documents that serve as the foundation for the modern system of international relations. In particular, the UN Charter, the Declaration on the Principles of International Law, the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and dozens of UN General Assembly resolutions.

The illegal organization of another so-called electoral process in the sovereign territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation—parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and the city of Sevastopol—accompanied by threats, blackmail, and coercion of millions of Ukrainian citizens who live in temporarily occupied territories or were forcibly relocated to the territory of the Russian Federation constituted a brutal violation of the generally recognized norms and principles of international law.

Despite warnings from authoritative international institutions, the Russian Federation’s actions once again demonstrate that its leadership does not recognize its responsibility and is unwilling to end the illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, which has lasted more than two years and resulted in numerous human casualties and destruction. The Kremlin regime, through propaganda and manipulation, uses voter participation and voting results to justify its military invasion of Ukraine and aggressive policies toward other countries.

Based on the foregoing and the International Criminal Court’s active arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, Ukraine sees no legal basis for recognizing him as the democratically elected and legitimate president of the Russian Federation.

Recent resolutions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe dated April 17 No. 2540 (2024) and the European Parliament dated April 25 No. 2024/2665(RSP) confirm the ineligibility of holding so-called “elections” in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories, their undemocratic nature in Russia itself, and, in fact, refute the legitimacy of their results.

We call on foreign countries, international organizations, and the public to follow suit by not recognizing the results of these pseudo-elections or Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as a legitimate president, to resist the demolition of the system of the rule of law and universally recognized democratic values, as well as to continue effectively supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, which poses a threat to European and world security, peace, and stability.

The big news today is, of course, that Putin is once again rattling his nuclear saber in the attempt to further influence the US and its partners’ and allies’ decision making.

Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia's armed forces to hold drills with non-strategic nuclear weapons "in response to provocative statements and threats by certain western officials," the defense ministry says. https://t.co/nh1e8Iq62F

— max seddon (@maxseddon) May 6, 2024

Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, says the drills are a response to French president Emmanuel Macron's musings about sending Nato troops to Ukraine.

“This is a totally new level of escalating tensions. It is unprecedented, it demands special attention and special measures.” pic.twitter.com/Kzj6QkQC1n

— max seddon (@maxseddon) May 6, 2024

It is why the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did this:

Russian MFA: Any UK military sites in Ukraine or elsewhere could face retaliation if Ukraine uses British weapons in Russia. Seriously? What about all those Russian terrorist attacks and sabotage across Europe? Or do they just not count? pic.twitter.com/4dFFaP111p

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) May 6, 2024

Russia isn’t going to tactically use a nuke, nor is it going to strike a British military facility. All of this is part of Russia’s political warfare. It is part of the ongoing attempt to achieve Russia’s objectives for pennies on the dollar through the use of non-military, non-lethal, and non-kinetic operations using the elements of national power other than military power. Putin keeps doing this because so far every time he’s done so it works. He’ll continue doing it until the US and its allies and partners stop falling for it.

And he keeps doing it because despite all the disadvantages that the Ukrainians are fighting through, things like this are still happening:

/2. Regarding the Su-34 crash:

“Today there was a plane crash of a Su-34 fighter-bomber of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

The crew died.

Crew members: Evgeny Kuznetsov and Vladimir Strelkov.

The plane belonged to the 47th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 105th Mixed Aviation… pic.twitter.com/OFAJbnZtej

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 6, 2024

/2. Regarding the Su-34 crash:

“Today there was a plane crash of a Su-34 fighter-bomber of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

The crew died.

Crew members: Evgeny Kuznetsov and Vladimir Strelkov.

The plane belonged to the 47th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 105th Mixed Aviation Division of the Russian Aerospace Forces (A/E Baltimore, Voronezh).

The fighter was performing a combat mission in the area of ​​the village. Valuyki, Belgorod region. Previously, the accident occurred due to engine failure.

The crew did not have time to eject.»

https://t.me/dosye_shpiona/522

And while the above appears to be an accident or equipment failure, this is not:

/2. Satellite imagery after the attack on Russian boat https://t.co/78n2JdmrCr

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 6, 2024

France:

First tweet from the thread, the rest from the Thread Reader App:

“In military terms, the SCALP is a real game changer.”

“Operation Chrysalis : how France is organising the supply of SCALP missiles to Ukraine.”@RFI reveals the 🇲🇫 method for supplying the 🇺🇦 armed forces with SCALP cruise missiles without touching its own strategic stocks.
🧵 pic.twitter.com/Qoav0HFYbk

— French Aid to Ukraine 🇨🇵🇺🇦 (@aidefranceukr) May 6, 2024

France has identified several batches of SCALP-EG cruise missiles stored in “cocoons” in its arsenals. A cocoon is a waterproof package used to protect and preserve equipment with a view to a possible return to service. 

Two types of stockpile emerged: old missiles that had reached the end of their life but were intact. 

On the other hand, cocoons containing missiles that were no longer used because they had been cannibalised: that is, a certain number of parts or components had been removed in order to keep others in working order. SCALPs used in @Armee_de_lair squadrons.

They must, therefore, return to the factories where they were assembled in France. More precisely, in Bourges, on one of the @MBDAGroup industrial sites where these machines were produced in the 2000s.

The plan is to upgrade the equipment over a three-month period, during which each missile will undergo a battery of tests. A simplified procedure, because 🇲🇫 is sure that SCALPs sent to 🇺🇦 will not be returned to storage but will be launched against 🇷🇺 targets within weeks. 

In addition to “Chrysalide”, which must be completed by the end of the year, the 🇲🇫 authorities are also looking elsewhere. They are looking for all types of ammunition: SCALPs, but also 155 mm shells for artillery and surface-to-air weapons to defend the Ukrainian skies.

There are also “export” versions of SCALP-EG missiles, and again, the main idea is to ensure that those that reach the end of their life, or that could be sold, are used by Ukraine. This idea has been circulating since the beginning of the year.

Some customers in the 🇲🇫 defence industry have ordered large quantities of the SCALPs in a slightly different version to that fitted to 🇲🇫 squadrons. ⤵️ 

However, a source close to the manufacturer told @RFI that these versions can not be programmed using 🇲🇫 computers. These missiles will, therefore, have to be adapted to be compatible with the mission preparation system provided by the @Elysee. 

Discretion is required on this sensitive issue, but it’s likely that these “export” missiles, if sold, will undergo some modifications on the assembly lines to make them usable by 🇺🇦. The scope of these SCALPs “exports” is somewhat smaller, and some software is different. 

The first units were delivered to Ukraine in the second half of 2023. In August, @ZelenskyyUa inaugurated a SCALP-EG cruise missile by writing “Glory to Ukraine” on the sides of the weapon.

The first shot targeted a 🇷🇺 command centre in the Luhansk oblast, which until then had been out of range of the Ukrainian arsenal. But it was the SCALPs, with “a range of 300 kilometres”, that were the architects of the victory in the Black Sea.

On 12 September, a large-scale missile attack destroyed two ships dry-docked in the port of Sevastopol, a large landing ship and a Kilo-class submarine, the Rostov on Don.

On 22 September 2023, a salvo of missiles penetrated 🇷🇺 surface-to-air defences and struck the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, again at the Sevastopol naval base, injuring and killing senior officers.

On 4 November 2023, the Kerch shipyard suffered a massive attack by around ten missiles, damaging a 🇷🇺 warship armed with Kalibr cruise missiles.

SCALP-EG cruise missiles helped push the 🇷🇺 fleet back to the easternmost part of the Black Sea. A victory that allowed 🇺🇦 to protect the port of Odessa and secure a naval corridor along its coasts, allowing the export of grain.

«Opération Chrysalide»: comment la France organise la livraison de missiles Scalp à l’UkraineAlors que l’Ukraine, en difficulté, appelle le camp occidental à lui fournir un maximum d’armes pour freiner l’avancée russe, RFI révèle la méthode française pour alimenter les forces ukrainiennes en…https://www.rfi.fr/fr/europe/20240506-op%C3%A9ration-chrysalide-comment-la-france-organise-la-livraison-de-missiles-scalp-%C3%A0-l-ukraine

TL;DR: 🇷🇺 troops and fleets are being harassed by obsolete French cruise missiles that have been recycled. War ecology. 

@MBDAGroup *missiles not machines 

Now that I think about it : our friend @SebLecornu sent 40 SCALPs to @MBDAFrance to be recycled.

dsas

Oh god, my book on the Battle of Kyiv will finally be out tomorrow, May 7.

It's been months of hard work with @BloomsburyPub… and it now feels so great to see that it's already a bestseller on Amazon, both as a hardcover book and a Kindle version.

I really put my heart into… pic.twitter.com/shPxhbShVT

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) May 6, 2024

Oh god, my book on the Battle of Kyiv will finally be out tomorrow, May 7.

It’s been months of hard work with @BloomsburyPub… and it now feels so great to see that it’s already a bestseller on Amazon, both as a hardcover book and a Kindle version.

I really put my heart into this.

“I Will Show You How It Was is Illia Ponomarenko’s heart-wrenching memoir of the war on his homeland, offering a fiery diatribe against Russian hypocrisy and a moving look at what is being lost.

But it’s also a story of pride and even elation as Ukrainian forces come together, find their mojo, and oust the invaders from Kyiv.

The most powerful and personal chronicle of the war to date, I Will Show You How It Was is an exceptional literary achievement, chronicling a stunning feat of resistance and a courageous people set on a miraculous victory.” – Amazon
https://amazon.com/Will-Show-You-How-Was/dp/1639733876/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1704027900&sr=8-1

Russian occupied Crimea:

2/4 In August 2023, Sea Baby attacked the Crimean Bridge. And the attack was effective: here are before and after satellite images.

Before drones struck, 40 trains carried weapons and ammunition daily. Now – there are only 4 to 5 passenger transportation and general cargo. pic.twitter.com/oGLaolP3Pp

— Molfar (@molfar_agency) May 6, 2024

4/4 But 🇷🇺 has found an alternative for transporting military cargo through the occupied territories:
– railway
– highway — accounts for up to half the freight traffic, almost as much as the Crimean Bridge.

These routes are a more significant threat:https://t.co/n9FEHTiNpE pic.twitter.com/TaRm8AeX03

— Molfar (@molfar_agency) May 6, 2024

GeoConfirmed UKR.

Did Ukraine target an Iskander site using ATACMS on May 4th as suggested?

We have confirmation through satellite imagery that at the selected site, -what seems to be- Iskander launchers and other vehicles were present in significant numbers (over 10) a few… https://t.co/XpreXkdwwo pic.twitter.com/BSIl6ZsZ1K

— GeoConfirmed (@GeoConfirmed) May 6, 2024

GeoConfirmed UKR.

Did Ukraine target an Iskander site using ATACMS on May 4th as suggested?

We have confirmation through satellite imagery that at the selected site, -what seems to be- Iskander launchers and other vehicles were present in significant numbers (over 10) a few days before the reported strike. Unfortunately, we cannot share the satellite imagery due to copyright restrictions.

Sentinel satellite imagery from April 15th to May 5th shows vehicle movements. (marked in red squares).
This imagery also captured the result of fires erupting at different locations within the site.

Key facts:

Pre-Strike Evidence: The site was identified as an Iskander launch site with over 10 vehicles present a few days before May 4th.

Fires on May 4th: Fires were observed at different locations within the site on May 4th, by FIRMS.
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1786687702802268230

Aftermath of the fires was visible on May 5th by Sentinal. (See below)

Claims: 4 ATACMS were shot down during the night (Source: Russian Ministry of Defense) https://t.me/mod_russia/38237

Insinuation that vehicles were damaged/destroyed. (Source: Ukrainian channel).
https://t.me/tivaz_artillery/3822

Given the timing, the Russian MOD’s announcement, and the history of the site, the evidence strongly points to the fires being the result of an ATACMS strike, rather than a random or accidental occurrence.

The damage or destruction of vehicles requires further investigation following the emergence of new footage.

[Repost because of a translation error in previous one]

Bilhorivka:

Destroyed Russian AFV column. Bilohorivka front. 2xBMP-1; 1xT-72Bhttps://t.co/JHnSJ8XyZw pic.twitter.com/h3U4XqeRmX

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 6, 2024

Sumy Oblast:

♥️💥In Sumy Oblast, after border guards shot down a russian UAV, a heart of fire formed in the night sky. pic.twitter.com/GR3tq0jrba

— Iryna Buczkowski🇺🇦🇺🇸Їрина (@IrynaBuczkowski) May 6, 2024

For you drone and missile enthusiasts.

Russian sources claim that they’ve seen a Ukrainian naval drones with installed air to air missiles: P-60 and P-73. pic.twitter.com/t6JjGK72f4

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 6, 2024

/3. Russian Ka-29 helicopter destroys one of Ukrainian naval drones that took part in todays attack on Crimea. Objects which look like air to air missile La can be seen installed on the drone. pic.twitter.com/Ts5TDVdUBE

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 6, 2024

/5. Air to air missile is R-73.
General characteristics of the missile:

Mass: 105 kilograms
Maximum speed: Mach 2.5
Operational range: R-73A, R-73E – 30 kilometres; R-73M – 40 kilometres pic.twitter.com/f7wioIJLE1

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 6, 2024

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

Читачі з України можуть скористатись посиланням на монобанку. Дякую ❤️https://t.co/yprsTl8YHY

— Patron (@PatronDsns) May 6, 2024

I want to introduce my friends and colleagues: sappers from Khmelnytskyi, Olexander Tsaruk, and Olexander Kmet. While on duty, their work car was blown up by an enemy mine. I don’t want to shock you, but only the car’s chassis remains. They miraculously survived. And they need another miracle to live fully again and work for the good of the country. Olexander Tsaruk is the chief pyrotechnician of Khmelnytskyi. As soon as Chernihiv was de-occupied, they were among the first to come to our aid. Because a brother stands by a brother. Right now, he is fighting for his life, with no organ left undamaged 😞 The situation is terrible, but we believe that we will hear from him and see him again. Olexander Kmet is a driver-sapper. Thanks to all the higher powers, his injuries are not life-threatening, but he needs a lot of strength and our help to leave the hospital as well. Today, I transferred $2,500 each from our fund to their treatment. However, the doctors consulting us say full recovery, surgeries, and the best available medications will cost much more. We need to raise $25,000, and I ask for your help.
My PayPal is [email protected] (also you can use the link below).

Thanks in advance, lick👅

https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=279APN5ES74GE

Open thread!

The Russian Evil Does Not Diminish Its Desire to Bring Ruins Even on the Eve of Easter – Address by the President

4 May 2024 – 20:52

Dear Ukrainians!

Today, all day long, our defenders of the sky had a lot of work. Kharkiv, Odesa, the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions. Only this morning our warriors have already shot down thirteen “Shahed” drones. During the day, Russian terrorists used 8 missiles of various types and almost 70 guided aerial bombs against our border communities and positions at the front. The Russian evil does not diminish its desire to bring ruins even on the eve of Easter. And it is only up to us – all of us and everyone who really helps Ukraine – to determine where these ruins will be stopped and when the occupier will lose.

Now I want to thank each warrior in our mobile firing groups, in the Air Force, in air defense units of other types and branches of the military forces – all those who are protecting now and will continue to protect the Ukrainian skies from Russian terror. It is important to be as attentive as possible these days.

I would also like to give special mention to the soldiers of the 110th separate mechanized brigade for shooting down another Russian Su-25 in the Donetsk region today. Good job, guys!

I thank all our warriors at the front, on combat missions, at combat posts – all those who despite the intense Russian pressure, despite all the difficulties of the current situation destroy the occupier. Every combat brigade of ours that holds its positions firmly, every warrior who ensures the result for himself, for his brothers-in-arms, and for his unit, defends the whole of Ukraine and preserves the opportunity for Ukraine not only to withstand but also to repel the occupier.

This morning Oleksandr Syrskyi delivered a long report. The Commander-in-Chief spoke particularly about our frontline positions, concrete actions of our units, and particular directions. I thank each of our warriors for their resilience! The Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov also delivered a report today. We are aware of all the aspects of the current situation.

All of us should remember that Russia can only be forced to leave Ukraine alone. And this will happen. Our strength will definitely make it happen. The strength of our people, our military strength, the strength of our unity with the world, the strength of our partners – the strength of our diplomacy. I thank everyone in the team of our country – in my team, and in the teams of our partner countries – who are already working these days to ensure that in June all of us – all the countries of the world that value life – achieve a truly significant political result. The Global Peace Summit will be held, and it has to be successful, no matter how hard they try to sabotage it. Putin does not want peace, he is insane, and every day his state does new things to prove it. And to overcome this evil, to overcome the war, we need the maximum unity of the world. We achieve the results together.

I thank everyone who is fighting and working for the sake of our country and people! I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine! I thank everyone who really provides us with timely and strong support!

Glory to Ukraine!

The cost and the reason:

What you don't hear – anyone honking their horn. Everyone stops, everyone is quiet, people kneel. Each death matters because each life matters. https://t.co/0jfFMD1Qjf

— Timothy Snyder (@TimothyDSnyder) May 4, 2024

The reason:

Instead of a thousand words.

The goodbye kiss at the train station in Sloviansk.

📷: wojciechgrzedzinski pic.twitter.com/I9Iu1NYvzz

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 4, 2024

It’s Easter time in Ukraine. And it’s one of the darkest Easters in my lifetime.

I grew up with my Mom & Dad in a standard Soviet one-room apartment called “gostinka”. 12 m² at first. Then upgraded to 19 m². Every evening and every morning I heard my Mom pray. When I was 10,… pic.twitter.com/ajX0JFjmAk

— olexander scherba🇺🇦 (@olex_scherba) May 3, 2024

It’s Easter time in Ukraine. And it’s one of the darkest Easters in my lifetime.

I grew up with my Mom & Dad in a standard Soviet one-room apartment called “gostinka”. 12 m² at first. Then upgraded to 19 m². Every evening and every morning I heard my Mom pray. When I was 10, she said kiddo it’s time for you to learn praying, but I already knew how. I learned by ear.

I’m a Christian from the Soviet time, when being a believer was hard. Yet, I never had a harder time believing in God, than now, with darkness being in the march and with religious leaders of the world either accepting, or tolerating it. With russian orthodox (and Buddhist, and Muslim) leadership blessing it. With many “Christians first” aching to see Ukraine dead. With the Pope condemning the war but not even naming the one conducting it.

“If there is God, I hate him”, wrote someone recently on 🇺🇦 Twitter. It’s not how I feel, but I understand the despair. I remember Aleppo getting killed by Russians. Bomb after bomb. Block after block. Young Syrians tweeting for the last time. And the world just watching. It feels increasingly like that in some Ukrainian cities now.

All these “Christians first”, who embrace Ukraine’s killing – what do they have to do with Christ? They want to see Ukraine crucified. Would Christ want anybody crucified? For me, it’s an insane, dark, merciless version of Christianity.

Decent, kind, faithful people stand with Ukraine. Unkind, cruel, fake people – don’t. And, as it turns out, there’re A LOT of them. Like the Bible says, their name is legion.

With this thought, I go into the night of Good Friday, faithful that there will be another day for Ukraine. And thanking you – Christian or not, believers or not – who even amid this hour of darkness embrace light and refuse to be fooled by the devil.

#StandWithUkraine

PS. The photo is from around the time when I learned praying.

 

#Maythe4thBeWithYou!
On #StarWarsDay, our ambassador @MarkHamill recorded a special video address, reminding everyone about the importance of supporting🇺🇦in these dire times.
Thank you to Mark and all our donors for their Force, which is always with us💙💛https://t.co/sDcBnPZXbA pic.twitter.com/Bsk4jFITf9

— UNITED24 (@U24_gov_ua) May 4, 2024

DC:

Russia spends about 25% of the state budget on militarization.

Putin continues to believe there is a threat to Russia from NATO and is willing to spend an increasing amount of the budget on armaments, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said at a congressional… pic.twitter.com/j0TROKSkbH

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 4, 2024

Russia spends about 25% of the state budget on militarization.

Putin continues to believe there is a threat to Russia from NATO and is willing to spend an increasing amount of the budget on armaments, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said at a congressional hearing.

“Putin has increased defense spending to nearly 7 percent of GDP, almost double the historical average. Russia’s defense budget now accounts for about 25% of all spending,” Haines said.

She also believes that China’s supply of dual-use goods to Russia has played in favor of Moscow and its defense industry. Because of this, RF is making progress in Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.

📹 Voice of America

Last night in comments there was a discussion of ATACMS. The material Jay posted was originally reported on 2 May 2024 in PoliticoPro’s Morning Defense and their PoliticoPro subscription only service. I get the former, thanks to a former client that signed me up, but I don’t subscribe to the latter. Here is what is available before the paywall kicks in:

The production lines making the Army Tactical Missile System are cranking out enough of the long-range missiles that the Pentagon is no longer worried about depleting its own stocks by sending them to Ukraine.

The update on the production came from Army acquisition chief Doug Bush on Thursday, who said that “a significant number of missiles that were ordered years ago … is now hitting at just the right time to be able to support how we’re supporting Ukraine without taking a hit to readiness.”

That increase in missile deliveries, which Bush said is a “surge” of dozens of missiles every few months, will last until at least the rest of the year. “There are a lot of ATACMS coming off that line,” he said. 

Background: After two years of saying the U.S. didn’t have enough ATACMS to share with Ukraine, a small number of shorter-range versions were sent last fall, with a new batch of the longer, 200-mile-range missiles arriving in March.

What is below the paywall, and was in the email, was that Bush went on to say that they started producing a surplus on the ATACMS in December 2023, as a result the US is not worried about sending them to Ukraine depleting US stocks, especially as production of the munition replacing the ATAMCS is also now being produced.

I am very glad we’re sending them now. I’m very glad that Bush and his people were able to get the defense industrial base sorted ahead of schedule. But we didn’t increase what we were sending, using emergency executive authority, until March 2024. More and longer range ATACMS in March 2024 are great. They were absolutely essential in December 2023.

The head of the Kyiv School of Economics also brings us news that the Biden administration has been waving sanctions on Russian banks. From the Thread Reader App:

Recently, there’ve been reports of the U.S. easing Russian sanctions

Is this a carrot& stick game after the passing the aid? Is this signaling to Russia that the U.S. is willing to “de escalate” if… Or is this a sign of some covert negotiations with Russia?

Specifically, 1/

The reports said that U.S. now allows transactions related to energy with the Russian banks.

The problem is that it is quite misleading.

It is true that the sanctions have been eased relative to the start of the invasion. 2/ 

But the decision is not new and happened many months ago

What is immediately new is that easing of the sanctions s works through an exemption. And this exemption was set to expire last week. The U.S. renewed it until November. 3/ 

So, yes, the sanctions technically are eased because they were supposed to come into effect. But the U.S. keeps doing it and now it has become a technicality.

What is really the exemption? The U.S. allows transactions related to energy. 4/ 

Energy is broadly understood as “extraction, production, refinement, liquefaction, gasification, regasification, conversion, enrichment, fabrication, transport, or purchase of petroleum, including crude oil” but even 5/ 

“coal, wood, or agricultural products used to manufacture biofuels, or uranium in any form, as well as the development, production, generation, transmission, or exchange of power, through any means, including nuclear, thermal, and renewable energy sources 4/ 

The banks that are de-sanctioned are:

The Central Bank of Russia

Vnesheconombank

Otkritie

Sovcombank Open Joint Stock Company

Sberbank of Russia;

VTB Bank

Alfa-Bank

Rosbank

Bank Zenit

Bank Saint-Petersburg 5X 

It is the slow rolling of the decision-making of what to supply and when, as well as waving sanctions for no good or apparent reasons that were all too leaky to begin with, that speaks more loudly and clearly about the Biden administration’s policy and strategy than the actual official statements made by administration officials.

Germany:

German Chancellor Scholz answered a question about the reasons for his reluctance to transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine:

"There are weapons that can only be supplied if there is control over everything that is done with them. And you can't have a debate here, as if… pic.twitter.com/f7bOzJKnBb

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 3, 2024

German Chancellor Scholz answered a question about the reasons for his reluctance to transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine:

“There are weapons that can only be supplied if there is control over everything that is done with them. And you can’t have a debate here, as if between friends, “Don’t you trust me?” Of course I trust my friend. But still, I wouldn’t give all the weapons to everyone,” Scholz said.

Weapons save our lives and bring the end of the war in Europe closer.
Delay, partial assistance and procrastination are lost lives of Ukrainians.
And in the long run, it means spreading the war further, thousands of new victims and lost lives.

I know that Germany is a true friend of Ukraine. Germany has recently given Ukraine another Patriot as well as so much other military aid. So I believe that Ukraine will receive Taurus missiles at a time when it can really make a difference on the battlefield.

For want of a nail!

Odesa:

⚡️Governor: Russian missile attack on Odesa Oblast injures at least 3.

The attack damaged civilian infrastructure in the Odesa district, according to Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper.https://t.co/qBwNvKYDcz

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 4, 2024

The Donbas:

A panorama of massive shelling in one of the frontline areas in Donbas, filmed by a copter.

Hell on earth… https://t.co/kH5gsGduGP pic.twitter.com/zYW7GhOgI1

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 4, 2024

The Avdiivka front:

FPV drone operators of the 47th Brigade destroy Russian assault group on the Avdiivka fronthttps://t.co/QIVv7OaJuz pic.twitter.com/Y3OTrHSyHV

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 4, 2024

Not quite sure where in Ukraine this is:

Rare footage of tank battle. A column of two Russian BMPs and one tank goes on the attack. The tank of the 58th brigade of Ukraine is there to meet them. A tank of the 58th brigade makes a shot and destroys a Russian tank that was at the head of the column, after which two… pic.twitter.com/5MfdMpPw5q

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 4, 2024

Vuhledar:

From the Thread Reader App:

Folks! My friend Andrii from the 58 brigade told me that Russians at his direction are constantly attacking their positions near Vuhledar.

The 5 tank brigade, 37 motorised brigade and 40 marine brigade are attacking and losing a lot of armed vehicles🧵👇

4 BTR-82A and one BMP-1:

Two MTLBs and three BMP-1:

5 more destroyed BMPs:

Destroyed T-80BV and damaged and abandoned T-62M:

Damaged and abandoned T-72B3, destroyed BMP-1, damaged and abandoned T-72B3 and BREM-1, another destroyed T-72B3 and MTLB and destroyed T-80BV:

Damaged and abandoned T-62M, destroyed BMP-1 and two more destroyed tanks:

Another destroyed tank, damaged and abandoned T-62M (from the previous post), destroyed BMP-2:

Damaged and abandoned T-72B3. Later was destroyed:

Right now fellas from the Ukrainian 58 brigade desperately need at least two drones (one is 3E).

If it’s possible, please, help:

PP: [email protected]

BMAC: buymeacoffee.com/ukranianmarine…

Wishlist | freedomfighterThe main goal of this page is to share my memories and thoughts about the war.https://buymeacoffee.com/ukranianmarines/wishlist

We have 40%! Thanks everyone for donation and/or repost!

Let’s keep going🔥

BTW, one of the tanks decided to take a bath.

Three other tanks from the previous attacks. Definitely not a calm part of the battlefield.

adsd

Belgorod Oblast, Russia:

A Russian aircraft that was conducting strikes with guided bombs on Kharkiv dropped a bomb on the Russian city of Belgorod.

It fell right on a residential sector and exploded. Sooner or later it was bound to happen.

Governor Gladkov did not disclose the cause of the explosion,… pic.twitter.com/2eOxFVoB0O

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 4, 2024

A Russian aircraft that was conducting strikes with guided bombs on Kharkiv dropped a bomb on the Russian city of Belgorod.

It fell right on a residential sector and exploded. Sooner or later it was bound to happen.

Governor Gladkov did not disclose the cause of the explosion, but reported that 30 private residences and 10 cars were damaged in the city, and the residents of the house that sustained the most serious damage were “miraculously” survived.

Putin, his trusted agents, his surrogates, and the Russian educational system they have further perverted from what was inherited from the Soviet Union is leaving heavily into the mythology and factually inaccurate history of the Great Patriotic War, the cult of the Immortals, and Pobedobesie.

I've never seen Easter cakes like this.

They are from Russian schoolchildren of Kursk school number 58, sent to Russian soldiers at the frontlines.

The writing says – kill Nazis.

That's very sad, actually. https://t.co/jMgjr2CfgI pic.twitter.com/2ivyRzJ4ia

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 4, 2024

From last May:

THREAD.

It's nearly 9 May, when #Russia is celebrating "Victory Day". It's time to talk about #Pobedobesie – a militaristic fetishisation of WW2 in Putin's Russia.

1/x pic.twitter.com/UIqQzTAAYr

— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) May 8, 2023

Here’s the rest from the Thread Reader App:

#Pobedobesie is a pejorative term used to describe the “hyperbolic celebrations” of Victory Day in #Russia. This has been dubbed the Victory Cult.

2/x

#Pobedobesie includes weaponisation of the legacy of World War II to justify #Russia‘s aggressive policies and an increase of militarism, using the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany for propaganda purposes.

3/x

Significant part of #Pobedobesie is militarisation of education in Russia, including at preschool and primary school levels.

Children aged as young as 3-4 yo are dressed in military uniforms, and the idea of military service is “normalised”.

4/x 

Within #Pobedobesie, Russian children are indoctrinated in the idea that their main motivation should be “to become defenders of the Motherland”.

They are told that “it’s not scary to die”. And parents and teachers applaud such “lessons”:

5/x

https://twitter.com/adagamov/status/1655220272843169793/video/1

According to @irgarner, Putin has reconstructed the Soviet “cult of the Great Patriotic War” in a “manner that has all the hallmarks of a religion”, and that the state’s cult has been incorporated into Orthodox Christianity, and vice versa”

6/x

#Pobedobesie occasionally takes on comic form: with “patriotic” bread, vodka and other products.

7/x

But overall #Pobedobesie remains a dangerous cult of militaristic fetishisation, which drives Russia’s aggression against neighbours, most notably against Ukraine, which is seeking freedom and European integration.

8/x

Read more about #Pobedobesie here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pobedobes…

9/9

End of the thread. 

Pobedobesie – Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pobedobesie

And here’s a bonus for you: #Pobedobesie in #Russia|n-occupied #Sevastopol, in Ukraine’s #Crimea peninsula

• • •

And here's a bonus for you: #Pobedobesie in #Russia|n-occupied #Sevastopol, in Ukraine's #Crimea peninsulapic.twitter.com/lyhq5hEOrd

— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) May 8, 2023

And a couple of follow ons:

Please show me similar photos from the UK: these are scenes in Russia in early May every year. pic.twitter.com/JkyTOX2C8o

— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) May 9, 2023

The commemoration of WW2 victims has nothing to do with this militaristic orgy that Russia is doing every May.

These are real adverts for 9 May parties in Russia: pic.twitter.com/IFY3FLduUw

— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) May 9, 2023

Well that’s one way to celebrate Victory in Europe Day! As they say in the Ranger Regiment: That’s a technique!

That’s enough for tonight!

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron tweets tonight. So here’s some adjacent material from the Ukrainian Army Cats and Dogs feed:

“Rama” and her family pic.twitter.com/orPINSrnW5

— UkrARMY cats & dogs (@UAarmy_animals) April 30, 2024

New life on frontline pic.twitter.com/bHqURZKnXS

— UkrARMY cats & dogs (@UAarmy_animals) April 30, 2024

And a new video from Patron’s official TikTok!

@patron__dsns

🧚🏻🧚🏻🧚🏻 #песпатрон

♬ she was a fairy – 𝒟𝑒𝑒 ୨ৎ

Open thread!