(Image by NEIVANMADE)
A quick Rosie update: Today’s chemo session has been pushed back to next week. Nothing major, just one of the two white blood cell counts was a little low – 1,900 instead of 2,000 – and the vet wants to err on the side of caution because Rosie had really strong reactions to the first two rounds of chemo. All the rest of her bloodwork and her EKG were good/normal. Also, the vet said that her lymph nodes have shrunk down 90% to normal. So she’s about 90% in remission after three chemotherapy sessions. She gets this week off and then she’ll have the fourth and final chemo treatment from the first round next Monday.
As I begin writing tonight’s update – at 7:50 PM EDT – the only air raid alerts up over Ukraine are the two over Luhansk and Crimea, which are always up.
Sumy Oblast:
⚡️Russia attacks 11 communities in Sumy Oblast.
Russian forces attacked Sumy Oblast, firing 36 times and causing at least 166 explosions, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on May 13.https://t.co/83jFKs90dM
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 13, 2024
From The Kyiv Independent:
Russian forces attacked eleven border areas and settlements of Sumy Oblast on May 13, firing 36 times and causing at least 166 explosions, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported.
The communities of Khotin, Yunakivka, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Putyvl, Esman, Shalyhyne, Seredyna-Buda, Druzhba and Znob-Novgorodske were targeted.
No casualties were reported.
The Russian military struck the communities using artillery fire, multiple launch rocket systems, FPV drones, and mortar shelling, while also dropping mines.
The town of Bilopillia experienced the most attacks, with 42 explosions recorded in the area. Bilopillia, which had a pre-war population of about 15,600 residents, lies just eight kilometers south of the Ukraine-Russia border.
Russian strikes against the Sumy region have become increasingly destructive in recent months. Amid intensified attacks, Ukrainian authorities ordered further evacuations from the region.
Почалась евакуація з іще двох міст на Сумщині https://t.co/cxeHTKoT4z через @ukrpravda_news pic.twitter.com/mo8mei2hR2
— Українська правда ✌️ (@ukrpravda_news) May 13, 2024
Evacuation has begun from two more cities in Sumy Oblast https://pravda.com.ua/news/2024/05/13/7455627/ through @ukrpravda_news
From Ukrainska Pravda:
Evacuation of people from the cities of Bilopillia and Vorozhba has begun in Sumy Oblast.
Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration
Details: The relevant order was signed by the head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration (OMA), Volodymyr Artiukh.
Quote: “We have to protect our residents. This is our main task set by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is not a forced evacuation, but an early voluntary evacuation from those settlements where the number of attacks has significantly increased.”
The residents are currently being notified of the evacuation in the hromadas [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.].
Residents of Bilopillya and Vorozhba who wish to evacuate, especially families with children, should contact their authorities and heads of hromadas. The evacuated population will be accommodated in places of compact residence in the oblast.
In addition, the evacuation of the population from hromadas within a 5-km zone from the border with Russia, which began in July 2023, continues in the oblast. Residents of 115 border settlements in 15 hromadas in 4 districts of the oblast, which are under constant hostile fire, are eligible for evacuation.
The OMA recalled that from January to April, 40 residents were killed by Russian attacks and airstrikes in Sumy Oblast, and 110 were injured, including 13 children.
Background: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, reported in his evening address on 13 May that the Russians sent sabotage and reconnaissance groups and launched attacks on Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts.
Kharkiv Oblast:
“Dаmn them to hеll," says an elderly woman, crying, who survived World War II and is now leaving her home in Kharkiv Oblast due to the threat of a second occupation by russian troops and constant shelling.
📹place_kharkiv pic.twitter.com/JuLxIBeplV— Iryna Voichuk (@IrynaVoichuk) May 13, 2024
Russian forces attacked a farm in the town of Korotych, Kharkiv Oblast, with a missile, resulting in the death a 38-year-old man and injuries to four other workers. pic.twitter.com/gul7wOAfWm
— Iryna Voichuk (@IrynaVoichuk) May 13, 2024
unfortunately russians entered Buhruvatka in #Kharkiv – #Vovchansk axis and immediately started looting and pillaging local houses.
the biggest issue that I hear from the defenders is that we lack firepower, we don't have enough ammo, and SPGs.
Ofc readiness of the TDF forces… pic.twitter.com/vkHDtwgFbK
— ✙ Constantine ✙ (@Teoyaomiquu) May 13, 2024
unfortunately russians entered Buhruvatka in #Kharkiv – #Vovchansk axis and immediately started looting and pillaging local houses.
the biggest issue that I hear from the defenders is that we lack firepower, we don’t have enough ammo, and SPGs.
Ofc readiness of the TDF forces also played a big role here.
🗺️The geolocation: https://maps.app.goo.gl/cwkAx1S48zyBicSU6
📍50.258105, 36.824445
More on this after the jump.
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.