10:11 ISW: Russia lacks sufficient soldiers for a major summer offensive.
30,000 Russian soldiers are being enlisted every month, some of whom are deployed as reinforcements. However, the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) asserts that this reinforcement is not enough to carry out large-scale offensive operations on several fronts during the summer. These new reserves won't function as first or second line troops, which is crucial for a major offensive.
Over 174 Ukrainian civilians were killed and 690 injured in May, according to the UN Mission in Ukraine. This is the highest number of reported civilian casualties in a month, says the UN. The increase in civilian casualties is primarily due to intense attacks by the Russian army in the Kharkiv region. Over half of the fatalities occurred in this specific region.
Russia intends to offer courses for training officers in the occupied territories of Ukraine, reports the Kyiv Post, citing a report from the Ukrainian Special Forces. The trained officers will be offered "excellent positions within the framework of a contract." These courses reportedly focus primarily on electronic warfare, such as operating radar or jammers. The Russian military is using jammers so frequently that Western precision weapons often fail to hit their assigned targets.
The Ukrainian General Staff reports 1,270 Russian casualties over the past 24 hours. The grand total of casualties since the commencement of the full-scale invasion, according to the Ukrainians, now exceeds 518,000. Additionally, 26 Russian tanks, 26 armored vehicles, 60 artillery systems, and two air defense systems were said to have been destroyed. The General Staff noted a total of 37 destroyed drones.
The Ukrainians are counteracting Russian advances in the north. The Russians have been assembling soldiers near Ukraine's northeastern border for some time. The town of Vovchansk, near Kharkiv, has been under heavy bombardment for weeks. It was presumed that a greater attack would be launched in the area. However, it seems that the Ukrainians are now managing to thwart the Russian advance.
NATO is considering establishing a permanent representative in Kiev. A "high-ranking civilian representative" would coordinate NATO assistance for Ukraine, including military aid from Western countries. This resembles the role of NATO during their two-decade involvement in Afghanistan. The plans for a representative are sparked by the likelihood of NATO countries denying Ukraine member negotiations at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington. Subsequently, NATO is devising steps to draw closer to Kiev without committing to membership talks.
06:55 Ukraine Considers Direct Contracts with Weapons Manufacturers: Ukraine is allegedly adopting a new strategy centered on collaborating directly with arms manufacturers. The aim is to sign more direct contracts between Ukraine and the weapons industry. Vice Defense Minister Dmytro Klimenkov signed an agreement with a Bulgarian company over the weekend, according to the news portal "Ukrinform." "This allows us to get modern weapons directly from the manufacturer, contributing to a faster and more effective modernization of the Ukrainian army," stated Klimenkov.
06:19 Austrian Minister: Germany has "Overstepped a Red Line": Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner claims that Germany, France, and the United States have "exceeded a red line" by permitting Kiev to use Western weapons on Russian territory. In an interview with "Die Presse," she expressed satisfaction that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that NATO will not send troops to Ukraine. On the topic of Ukraine's necessity to defend itself from Russian border shelling, Tanner declined providing any comment. "As a militarily neutral country, it is not our obligation to pass judgment."
05:38 Bundeswehr: Reinforcing the Reserve Force: The German military is planning to significantly increase their reserve force. This force should also be trained and equipped at the level of the active force, capable of supporting or even replacing the active force in warfare, said General Lieutenant Alexander Hoppe, Deputy Inspector General and responsible for reservist affairs, in Berlin. The ambition of the military planners is to have approximately 60,000 individuals in the basic order, trained and task-specific.
04:37 German Government Opposes Macron Plan: The German government is refusing to support plans by French President Emmanuel Macron to send European soldiers to Ukraine to train Ukrainian forces on-site. "The security offered by training in the EU is desirable, whereas the risk that training facilities in Ukraine could be attacked makes the training inefficient," cited an internal EU document by "Welt am Sonntag." The German government raised serious security concerns during a meeting of European defense ministers on May 28.
03:20 Ukrainian Army: Russians Seek to Breakthrough: The Ukrainian General Staff documented a total of 76 military interactions within the last 24 hours. The most heated state of affairs was at the Pokrovsk Front. Here, 27 Russian attacks took place. According to the Army Command in Kiev, the Russians are attempting to break through from Otscheretyne to Evheniwka and Nowooleksandriwka.
01:42 Russian Soldier's Coffin in Paris: Three Moldovans in Detention Pre-Trial: Several news outlets in Europe, including France's Europe 1, claimed that a soldier's coffin containing three Moldovans had been discovered in Paris. Reportedly, these individuals were held in pre-trial detention and sent back to Moldova. The details of this incident remain sparse.
The emergence of Soldier's Coffin Graffiti in Paris has led to three suspects from Moldova being held in pre-trial detention. The investigation isn't dismissing the possibility of foreign interference, says a spokesperson from the prosecutor's office. On Friday, graffiti was found on buildings in the French capital depicting a coffin and the words "French Soldier in Ukraine." On Saturday evening, police detained three individuals from Moldova near the scene, carrying paint cans and stencils with them. Less than a week ago, coffins with the inscription "French Soldiers in Ukraine" had been located at the Eiffel Tower. There were three arrests made, one of whom was a German.
00:39: UN Records 174 Civilian Deaths in Ukraine
As per a UN statement, May had the highest number of civilian fatalities in Ukraine since June 2023, with a minimum of 174 civilians killed. Ukraine has blamed Russia for intentionally bombing residential areas near the front lines to encourage displacement. Moscow disputes the deliberate targeting of civilians.
23:24: Ambulance Attack Reported: Drone Drops Explosives
The ambulance's driver was reportedly injured, according to Ukrainian reports, when Russian forces dropped explosives from a drone onto the ambulance. The attack took place in the village of Biloserka in the south of the country, as documented by the Oblast Kherson's governor.
22:23: Prosecutor General: Almost All Ukrainian POWs Tortured
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General, Andriy Kostin, alleges that the Russian military engages in widespread torture of prisoners of war or civilians. Nearly 90% of the returning Ukrainian POWs have suffered various forms of torture, inhumane treatment, physical (including sexual), and psychological violence, according to the "Euromaidan Press" news portal. "The initial screening - an informal conversation with returning military prisoners - reveals that up to 90% of our people encountered various types of torture, inhumane treatment, physical, including sexual, and psychological violence," Kostin shares.
21:42: Zelenskyy Views Russian Charkiv Offensive as a Failure
From Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's perspective, the Russian offensive in the Charkiv region has been a failure. In his evening address, he said he had spoken with General Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi about the overall situation on the frontline. A significant outcome was that the Russian troops did not carry out their operation in Charkiv. "We are defending them as well as we can and destroying Russian units that are infiltrating our country and terrorizing the Charkiw region," Zelenskyy reports. Additionally, the Charkiw front has been reinforced and will receive further reinforcement. The situation in the Donetsk region is considered the most challenging.
For more details on previous events, refer to this link. [txt].
Read also:
- Despite Russia's enlistment of 30,000 soldiers each month, Volodymyr Selensky and the Ukrainian General Staff argue that these reinforcements are insufficient for a major summer offensive, as stated by the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
- The increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine, with over 174 deaths in May, can be partly attributed to military operations carried out by Russian forces in the Kharkiv region, according to the UN Mission in Ukraine.
- Russia is reportedly planning to offer cyberwarfare training courses for officers in the occupied territories of Ukraine, focusing on skills such as operating radar and jammers, potentially increasing their capability in cyberattacks against Ukraine and its allies, including NATO.
- In light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the likelihood of NATO countries denying Ukraine membership negotiations, NATO is considering establishing a permanent representative in Kiev to coordinate assistance for Ukraine, including military aid from Western countries, similar to their role during Afghanistan.
