A jubilee! The 100th russian Kh-101 missile was destroyed by the 138th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. The brigade shot down four such missiles and 15 kamikaze drones launched by russian terrorists at Dnipro last night. 🎥 @StratCom_AFU pic.twitter.com/OPEmueZd3z — Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 22, 2023 Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, …
War for Ukraine Day 453: Ukrainian Air Defense!Post + Comments (68)
Every week we add value for Ukraine from the NATO Summit in Vilnius – address by the President of Ukraine
22 May 2023 – 18:08
I wish you health, dear Ukrainians!
We have already started preparing for this and the coming weeks. We expect new meetings and negotiations, so far to a greater extent – visits to us, to our state. There will be more weapons for our warriors.
Every week we add value for Ukraine from the NATO Summit in Vilnius. We are doing everything to make sure that the decision at the summit is the one that will work for us. We’ll see, but still we’re working on it.
By the way, today there is an important declaration from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Things are called what they are: a clear recognition of Russia’s crimes against our country as genocide, a clear condemnation of ruscist ideology. This is the right basis for other international organizations as well.
We are preparing for several interim security measures in our neighboring countries, those that support us the most. We will also make new appeals to ensure that the world understands Ukraine and to strengthen our ties with partners.
And we will continue our intensive foreign policy, various non-standard formats, maximizing the world’s useful attention to Ukraine and our defense. More and more results for Ukraine – air defense, artillery, armored vehicles, shells, training – all of this is a must.
Today I want to thank all our warriors who are defending the sky. From last night to this morning, they have shot down 25 Shaheds. 25 out of 25. An excellent result. And each such downing means saved lives, saved infrastructure. Thank you!
They also managed to shoot down some of the terrorists’ missiles, but unfortunately not all of them. Unfortunately, there were hits. Dnipro and Kharkiv, Odesa and Lviv, Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia – all our cities and communities need to receive a full-fledged air shield. We are working very hard on this together with our partners.
Today, it is worth celebrating the units of the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops, which are the most resilient and effective. The 3rd and 5th separate assault brigades, the 80th separate airborne assault brigade, the 93rd separate mechanized brigade “Kholodny Yar”, the 214th separate special forces battalion… Thank you, warriors! This is the Bakhmut direction, this is the extraordinary strength of our people.
Glory to all our warriors who are destroying the enemy!
Glory to all who protect our cities from terrorist attacks!
Glory to all those who make our victory closer every day!
Thank you to everyone in the world who supports us! Thank you!
Glory to Ukraine!
Belgorod, Russia!
Small insider teaser: an undisclosed group of liberators is preparing to assist in the establishment of emerging and sovereign republics within the former territory of russia. pic.twitter.com/7K2Gd7k7iJ
— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) May 22, 2023
The Russian Legion that has been fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Ukraine appears to have decided to cross the border back into Russia and liberate Russia from Russia.
In particular, the fighters published a video against the background of road signs of the settlements of Lyubimovka, Bezlyudovka, Churovychy in Russia
— Ukrainska Pravda in English (@pravda_eng) May 22, 2023
Here are more details from Ukrainska Pravda:
The Russian Volunteer Corps, whose fighters claim to be fighting on the side of Ukraine, said it was performing combat missions on the territory of the Russian Federation, and the Freedom of Russia Legion called on residents of Russian border regions to stay at home and “not resist”.
Source: Freedom of Russia Legion; Russian Volunteer Corps; Russian local Telegram channels
Details: On the morning of 22 May, fighters of the Russian Volunteer Corps reported that they were in Russia.
In particular, the fighters published a video on the background of road signs in the proximity of the settlements of Lyubimovka (Bryansk Oblast), Bezlyudovka (Belgorod Oblast) and Churovichi (Bryansk Oblast).
Meanwhile, the Freedom of Russia Legion, fighting on the side of Ukraine, recorded a video message calling on Russians to fight for a Russia free of Putin.
Then the legion published an appeal to the inhabitants of the border Russian oblasts: “Stay at home, do not resist, and do not be afraid; we are not your enemies. Unlike Putin’s zombies, we do not harm civilians and do not use them for our own purposes”.
They also promised to provide the details later.
Update: Later, the Legion reported that Kozinka, a settlement in Belgorod Oblast in Russia, had been liberated. The Freedom of Russia legion and the Russian volunteer corps are reported to be “advancing”.
Quote: “The Freedom of Russia legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps have liberated the settlement of Kozinka in Belgorod Oblast. Their units have entered the settlement of Graivoron.”
Details: Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod Oblast, claimed that a “reconnaissance and sabotage group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” has entered the territory of the Graivoron district.
He added that the Armed Forces of Russia, in cooperation with Russia’s Border Guard Service, the National Guard and the FSB, “are taking the necessary measures to neutralise the enemy”.
More at the link!
There are two distinct groups here. The Freedom of Russia Legion, aka the Russian Legion, are a group of Russians who have been fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Ukraine similar to the Georgian Legion. The Russian Volunteer Corps are somewhere between a militia and a partisan underground. Their leader is an anti-Putin white supremacist and Russian nationalist and their members join up for a variety of reasons. So two different groups here doing overlapping things.
The Financial Times has more details as well:
A group of anti-Kremlin fighters stormed Russia’s Belgorod region bordering Ukraine on Monday, moving along a main road in armoured vehicles as Russian forces rushed to respond.
The sabotage group, made up of Russians who have aligned themselves with Ukraine’s military, claimed to be “liberating” Russian territory. The Kremlin promised to “destroy” the group, and videos shared by Belgorod residents showed attack helicopters flying over houses in the area.
While the anti-Kremlin Russian groups have previously mounted operations within Russia, this appears to be the first in which the goal is to occupy territory. A Ukrainian military intelligence official confirmed his government’s knowledge of the operation but stopped short of claiming direct involvement.
The fighters in the videos appear to be from two Ukraine-based groups who oppose the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine: the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Free Russia Legion. Both have claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack inside their native country.
The Legion posted on its channel on the Telegram messaging app on Friday that it had “completely liberated” a tiny border settlement called Kozinka just inside Russia, and was moving inwards towards Graivoron, a settlement 60km from the regional centre. “Russia will be free!” it declared.
“We are Russians just like you. We are people just like you. We want our children to grow up in peace and be free people, so that they can travel, study and just be happy in a free country,” a fighter of the Free Russian Legion said in a video message.
A second video published by the group on a closed Telegram channel purported to show the body of a slain Russian border guard lying amid a mess of papers and Russian passports in an office, with a portrait of President Vladimir Putin hanging on the wall. The authenticity of the video could not be independently confirmed.
While Ukraine stopped short of claiming involvement in the attack, Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the country’s military intelligence department, told Ukrainian state media that Kyiv was aware of an operation being carried out by Russian citizens in order to create a “security zone” to protect Ukrainians near the border and to occupy territory there.
The Russian Volunteer Corps is headed by Russian far-right extremist and former mixed martial arts fighter Denis Nikitin and is composed of other Russians opposed to the Putin regime.
The Free Russia Legion claims also to be composed of Russian citizens, including Russian soldiers who defected to the Ukrainian side, and formed the unit with the help of Ukraine’s state security service. Its goal, the unit has said, is to “protect Ukrainians from real fascists”.
Much more at the link!
Take a closer look – the footage allwgedky shows Ukrainian armor attacking the Gaivoron border control point in Russia.
— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) May 22, 2023
Whether it was the Freedom of Russia Legion or the Russian Volunteer Corps or Russia’s own air defense mistargeting again, someone brought down another Russian chopper.
Strange things are happening in Grayvoron. Russian Legion liberates Russia. pic.twitter.com/k1kZd8rK31
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) May 22, 2023
Same time as the unexplained incident in Belgorod is taking place, Ukrainian GUR head Kyrylo Budanov published an appeal, in Russian, to all Russian servicemen to surrender via the "I want to live" project to save their lives from the "upcoming meatgrinder". "It will get worse",… pic.twitter.com/2Go048RQzv
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) May 22, 2023
Full text:
Same time as the unexplained incident in Belgorod is taking place, Ukrainian GUR head Kyrylo Budanov published an appeal, in Russian, to all Russian servicemen to surrender via the “I want to live” project to save their lives from the “upcoming meatgrinder”. “It will get worse”, says Budanov.
Really interesting messaging by the RDK, too – they're not "attacking" or "invading" anything, they are liberating occupied Russian territories from Kremlin. This puts a different spin to the story.
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) May 22, 2023
Full text of the first tweet:
While the situation is still developing, the incursion into the Belgorod territory today reminds me of the raids a few months back, but with several major differences.
The attack is much more brazen, a larger number of combat vehicles are being used this time, with much heavier artillery and mortar support. It is also being conducted in broad daylight, and drone footage is immediately being published online, to reach the maximum psychological effect.
In the previous incident, we began finding out details when forces were already withdrawn, and the attack began early in the morning when it was still dark.
What is also interesting is that both “Russian Volunteer Corps” and “Free Russia Legion” have left their marks today, they could potentially be operating in two separate areas (Legion in Dronivka, RDK in Grayvoron).
If we consider this incident a part, perhaps the first one, of the counter-offensive, then it's a symbolic one: Russians liberating Russian territory from Kremlin.
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) May 22, 2023
Above was my best attempt at translating what he actually said directly.
It can be a bit hard to follow though, so here's a non-literal translation that's hopefully a bit easier to understand. pic.twitter.com/LQSznMwQga
— Dmitry Grozoubinski (@DmitryOpines) May 22, 2023
Magyar says to prepare popcorn🍿:
"Get popcorn ready for the evening.
A lot.
The movie will be great."(it's not an old post, he just probably made a mistake saying 20.05) pic.twitter.com/kGuvsEiEoC
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) May 22, 2023
Together with the video, a photo was shared showing Russian military IDs against the backdrop of a sign reading "RF FSB … BORDER POINT FOR BELGOROD AND VORONEZH OBLASTS" … "BORDER CHECKPOINT GRAYVORON".
This could indicate that the BTR was captured exactly at the checkpoint… pic.twitter.com/39K8lqwhSp
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) May 22, 2023
Here’s the full text of the first tweet:
New video emerged apparently showing two Russian Volunteer Corps fighters driving what they claim to be an FSB BTR-82A. It appears as if they don’t have much experience driving the vehicle as they thank a certain “Shayba” for coming through to them and, possibly, helping them evacuate the vehicle.
It is therefore reasonable to assume they are taking it back to where they came from. Regardless, having two soldiers from a reportedly small (80 people) unit freely leaving the combat area could be showing things were going quite well for them.
It is currently 9PM in Belgorod, so the video is from a few hours ago, at least.
And of the second tweet:
Together with the video, a photo was shared showing Russian military IDs against the backdrop of a sign reading “RF FSB … BORDER POINT FOR BELGOROD AND VORONEZH OBLASTS” … “BORDER CHECKPOINT GRAYVORON”.
This could indicate that the BTR was captured exactly at the checkpoint we saw being run over this morning.
And I give you the stupidest take of all!
Here are some reports which if accurate would indicate a US-backed land invasion of Russia is currently underway pic.twitter.com/PmBu67tPZp
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) May 22, 2023
And if the reports are inaccurate, presumably Twitter will be promptly punishing all these purveyors of destabilizing disinformation
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) May 22, 2023
That guy gives butter goblins everywhere a bad name!
This is, however, an excellent assessment:
That awkward situation when you have carried out mobilization, and hold 90% of you military in Ukraine, and have slaughtered tens of thousands of convicts and mercenaries to spend a year seizing a provincial town — and end up not able to defend your own fucking state border.
— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) May 22, 2023
As you can see, its pretty much all Belgorod all the time for right now.
However, the Biden administration has announced another tranche of aid to Ukraine:
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Biden Administration Announces Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine
May 21, 2023 |Following President Biden’s meeting with President Zelenskyy in Japan, the Department of Defense (DoD) today announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine’s critical security and defense needs. This authorization is the Biden Administration’s thirty-eighth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. It includes additional ammunition for U.S.-provided HIMARS, artillery rounds, anti-armor capabilities, and critical enablers valued at up to $375 million that Ukraine is using on the battlefield to push back against Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression.
The capabilities in this package include:
• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
• Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
• Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
• Laser-guided rocket system munitions;
• Demolition munitions;
• Armored bridging systems;
• Armored medical treatment vehicles;
• Trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment;
• Logistics support equipment;
• Thermal imagery systems;
• Spare parts and other field equipment.The United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements.
That’s enough excitement for one evening.
Your daily Patron!
A new video from Patron’s official TikTok. Apparently the embedding process has resolved itself!
@patron__dsns Коли прийшов до грумінг салону на декілька процедур одночасно🤭
Here’s the machine translation of the caption:
When you come to a grooming salon for several procedures at once 🤭
Open thread!