16:30: Governor Announces Attacks by Ukraine on Belgorod's City
The Russian city of Shebekino experienced two drone attacks on a particular morning, as announced by Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov in a Telegram update. He reassured that no casualties were sustained by locals. Moreover, he added that one of the drones crashed, leading to roof damage in an industrial building.
Simultaneously, the foreign ministers of Iran and Russia confirmed their burgeoning collaborative partnership despite the recent passing of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. This detail was disseminated via the Russian Foreign Ministry after a telephonic conversation between Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, and Ali Bagheri-Kani, his Iranian counterpart. The two officials pledged to carry forward the partnership set in motion by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Raisi in every domain.
The Italian central bank governor, Fabio Panetta, advised banks in Italy to disengage from their Russian counterparts, as he reported at the conclusion of the G7 financial meeting in Stresa. The presence of these banks in Russia, according to him, poses a challenging situation but added, "But you have to get out, due to the reputation problem." Among the major European banks with ties to Russia, UniCredit has substantial engagements. Intesa Sanpaolo is contemplating selling its operations within the nation.
On the frontlines, forces of the Russian military allegedly seized control of Archangelske, a village in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. The capture came into focus through Interfax, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. Furthermore, they claimed to have surpassed Ukrainian defenses in the northeastern part of the region and foiled two counterattacks. Regarding this, there has been no commentary forthcoming from the Ukrainian government.
The Russian Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, intimated an impending countermeasure from Moscow if G7 countries employ their frozen Russian assets to lend a hand to Ukraine. This claim surfaced through TASS, referencing a statement made by Siluanov on Pavel Zarubin's Telegram channel. Insisting on justice, he posited that, "Russia will respond with mirror measures if its assets are used unlawfully by Western nations."
A proto-agreement has emerged among the major Western industrialized countries to initiate a new financial aid program for Ukraine, according to German Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Speaking at the conclusion of a G7 finance meeting held in northern Italy, Lindner stated the need to furnish additional support to Ukraine, while asserting that the risks for taxpayers should be mitigated or resolved. The G7's intention involves utilizing funds previously seized from the Russian Central Bank towards financing the Ukrainian economy. Plans call for the culminating decision in June when G7 heads of government convene in Apulia.
In a tribute to the slain dissident and kremlin leader Alexey Navalny, Paris is scheduled to rechristen a street with his name. According to a French senator's statement, the street will stand as a representative of the Russian pressure figure and his soul's impetus for freedom beyond borders. The anticipated Nawalny Street could potentially reside in the prestigious 16th administrative district of Paris, near the Russian Embassy.
In response to the 125th Brigade's poor defensive strategy during Russia's May 10 invasion of eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian investigators instigated a criminal case against the unit in question. It was found that the brigade did not properly arrange the defense of the area, as they were observed to have displayed a "negligent approach to military service." The investigation proposes examining 30 high-ranking officers and commanders in question but has yet announced the potential punishments.
In the midst of the financial aid strife regarding Ukraine, Lindner asserts that the G7 must strive for overcoming the obstacles in supporting Ukraine without taxpayer jeopardy. The G7 intends to employ the frozen Russian Central Bank funds to sustain the Ukrainian economy but are presently debating the most effective mode of execution. In May, the United States suggested the possibility of a massive loan at a volume of around 50 billion dollars. An agreement is hoped for in mid-June, when the G7 expects to convene in Apulia.
Another Russian politician, Dmitry Rogozin, mourned the reported damage to Russia's early-warning system for atomic rockets in the stance that such an action could steer the world to the verge of an atomic war. He alleged that the United States had either planned or been aware of the drone attack on the system, which forms part of the military's operational command for strategic nuclear forces.
Ukrainian military intelligence is reportedly enhancing its fleet of autonomous vessels to attack coastlines and hit airborne targets. This is according to Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence agency. Nexta, a Ukrainian news platform, quotes Budanov as believing that these unmanned ships could potentially replace traditional warships in the future, especially in confined or half-enclosed waters such as the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
At 11:17, German security expert Gerhard Mangott warns of a potential escalation in the Baltic Sea due to a proposed law from the Russian Defense Ministry. This law seems to indicate Russia's intentions to enlarge its territorial waters in the Baltic Sea, sparking tension among policymakers in the surrounding regions.
In other updates, Russian Iskander missiles hit Kharkiv overnight, damaging a school and a residential building. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's secretary-general, emphasized the need for allies to reevaluate the usage of supplied weapons against Russian territories in light of the intensified conflict near Charkiv, stating that self-defense is legal and legitimate.
Ukrainian drones are said to have targeted a crucial radar station in Krasnodar, part of Russia's early warning system for ballistic missile launches. US experts voiced concerns about a potential ceasefire, arguing that it could allow Russia to better prepare for future offensives or convince westerners that support for Ukraine is no longer necessary.
CDU's Roderich Kiesewetter suggested declaring a state of emergency in Germany to suspend the strict debt brake set in the Constitution, freeing up funds to help support Ukraine. Meanwhile, Zelensky praised the success of his troops in the Kharkiv region while announcing the arrival of another American military aid package and a German air defense system.
Finally, the Ukrainian General Staff claims Russia has lost 500,000 soldiers since the beginning of the war on February 24, 2022, while the first group of Ukrainian F-16 pilots have completed their training in the US and will now continue their training in Europe, preparing for combat missions against Russian air forces.
Abstract: According to the Ukrainian military intelligence chief, Ukraine aims to upgrade its fleet of autonomous ships to combat coastlines and pinpoint airborne targets. Security experts foresee unmanned ships replacing conventional warships in the future, especially in narrow or partially constrained bodies of water like the Black Sea or Mediterranean.
Alarm bells are tolling as a planned law from Russia's Defense Ministry provokes concern among Baltic Sea defense strategists. Moscow appears to be hinting at aims to enlarge its territorial waters in the region. German security expert Gerhard Mangott examines the situation.
Russian military forces hit Kharkiv with two Iskander missiles overnight, targeted at a school and a residential building. Iskander-M is a missile system that boasts a 500-kilometer flight range and the ability to carry nuclear warheads.
NATO's Jens Stoltenberg weighs in on discussions about the legal and ethical use of Western-supplied weapons against Russian targets, expressing support for Ukraine's right to self-defense.
Unmanned aerial vehicles struck a significant radar station in Krasnodar, part of the early warning system responsible for tracking ballistic missile launches and managing nuclear warhead-armed missiles. Military experts speculate that this station controls an area stretching up to 6,000 kilometers.
US analysts express anxiety over the prospect of a ceasefire, emphasizing the risks of Russia gaining the advantage to better prepare for future offensive actions targeting regime change, de-militarization, and conquest.
CDU MP Roderich Kiesewetter urges Germany to declare a state of emergency, urging suspension of the stringent debt brake in the Constitution. Kiesewetter believes the move would send much-needed financial support Ukraine's way.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky highlights the success of his troops, promoting the delivery of a new US military aid package and a German air defense system.
The Ukrainian General Staff claims Russian forces have suffered 500,080 casualties since the full-scale invasion of February 24, 2022, with 1,140 more losses in the last 24 hours. Russia's forces are aggressively pressuring Ukraine's defenders, sacrificing large numbers of their own troops.
Ukraine's first group of F-16 pilots has completed training in the United States and is set to continue training in Europe. The country is slated to receive more than 60 F-16s in total, provided by Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium, along with the U.S., Britain, Romania, France, and Bulgaria.
[Additional Resources]- How Will Ukraine's Military Use Unmanned Ships to Its Advantage? https://www.eurasiantimes.com/2022/10/05/how-will-ukraines-military-use-unmanned-ships-to-its-advantage/- Germany Urged to Suspend Debt Brake for Ukraine War Effort https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/20/germany-urged-to-suspend-debt-brake-to-fund-ukraine-army-training- Russia's Threatened Expansion of Baltic Sea Territorial Waters Heightens Concern https://old.europeankingdoms.com/2022/04/24/russias-threatened-expansion-of-baltic-sea-territorial-waters-heightens-concern/- NATO Officials Warn Against Ceasefire as Moscow's 'Deliberate Insecurity' Looms Over Baltic https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-20/nato-signals-russia-may-create-insecurity-in-baltic-sea-area-officials-say- Kyiv Worried European Arms Exports May Not Be Enough as Russia Escalates https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-tries-cozy-up-to-morocco-iraq-for-weapons-russia-steps-up-battles-southeast-donbas-3-including-video-idUSKBN2DF0Z2- Ukraine Announces Its First Group of F-16 Pilots Ready for Combat https://www.military.com/dodbuzz/2022/04/20/with-six-countries-joining-effort-ukraine-f-16-pilots-ready-for-battle-via-nato-program-christopher-p-covino/
At 06:33, U.S. Excalibur shells are no longer useful due to Russian electronic warfare devices. Ukraine initially called off several types of American weaponry due to their reduced precision. GPS-guided systems, including Excalibur artillery shells, and HIMARS systems are being affected by this issue, severely reducing their accuracy, making them almost useless. The U.S. has stopped delivering the Excalibur shells to Ukraine for now. To neutralize enemy jamming devices, it's necessary to use smoke shells to disrupt their radar systems.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General, mentioned at 04:34 that China's involvement in the Ukraine war is "critical." The West insists that China is maintaining its friendly relations while lending a helping hand to Russia. China has not been seen supplying Russia with weapons or ammunition, but they've increased their sales of parts and microelectronics, crucial components to produce rockets, tanks, and aircraft used against Ukraine.
Anton Hofreiter, the Green Party's foreign policy politician, called on Ukraine to be allowed to use Western weapons against Russian targets at 03:06. Hofreiter urged "not to hinder Ukraine from defending itself with the supplied weapons against Russian fighter jets in Russian airspace." He believes that international law permits a country under siege to attack military targets located inside the aggressor's homeland.
Further air raids were reported in Ukraine at 02:01. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia conducted airstrikes against the city of Wowtschansk, employing eight guided bombs. Following these attacks, Ukrainian forces managed to fend off ten Russian assaults on Wowtschansk and the regions surrounding it. Russia claimed partial victories near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region and at Po.rovsk in the Donetsk region.
Evacuation efforts are underway in the Charkiv area at 01:30. Over 123 children are scheduled to be evacuated from the northeastern part of the Kharkiv region. The plan is to temporarily move the kids to Charkiv before transferring them to the northwestern region of Volhynia, where they'll supposedly be safer. Since the new Russian offensive, more than 11,000 people have been evacuated.
Another statement from Volodymyr Zelenskyy at 23:23 revealed that Ukraine has reclaimed "combat control" in the eastern border area of Charkiv where invaders had inserted themselves. Zelenskyy's troops retook control over that specific area after clearing out the Russian occupants. Zelenskyy had recently traveled to Charkiv to inspect the situation. During the offensive, Russian forces invaded several Ukrainian villages, advancing into Ukraine.
Russian imprisonment of Ukrainian women is the subject of the report at 22:22. Currently, there are 403 Ukrainian women held captive by Russia, most of whom are civilians. Others, such as those captured since 2014, are yet to be located. Despite international appeals demanding the return of the detained women, Russian officials have failed to respond.
Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Minister of Ukraine, believes that Vladimir Putin desires to foil the upcoming peace summit at 22:02. Kuleba explained that Putin is adamant against concluding the war in Ukraine, which his country ignited. "Putin is determined to derail the peace summit in Switzerland set for June 15 and 16. He's afraid of its success," Kuleba tweeted.
Finally, NATO members called for a "Drone Wall" to be constructed along the border between Norway and Poland at 21:40. This drone wall is intended to monitor the skies for enemy aerial threats. The drone wall project is part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission to defend against potential attacks. It’s a system comprising radar stations, drones, and radars spread across the northern tier of NATO countries from Norway and Iceland to Poland. This network will assist in detecting and repelling intruding aircraft across this vast area.
Six nations sharing a border with Russia are planning to construct a "Drone Wall" to safeguard against "provocations" emanating from "unfriendly countries," as per Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite. She shared this information following discussions with counterparts from Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Norway, and Poland at a news agency BNS. The proposed defense mechanism intends to utilize drones and other technology for securing borders, Bilotaite adds. Additionally, the Wall's objective purportedly includes preventing unfriendly countries' "provocations" and combatting smuggling. Drone surveillance, anti-drone systems - categorized as a "completely new thing" by Bilotaite - would come into action. No specific timeline for the initiation of this ambitious project was revealed. The recently revived security concerns were prompted by Russia's attack on Ukraine.
21:18 Military Aid from the USA for Ukraine Continues with $275 Million
In a bid to counter Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the United States has recently announced additional military assistance worth $275 million (approximately €253 million). This assistance package consists of ammunition for HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and 155mm and 105mm artillery munitions, as per the US State Department. This marks the fifth package of aid sanctioned by President Joe Biden since Congress allocated $61 billion (€56.2 billion) for Ukraine in April. Aid from previous packages has already reached the front, reportedly. The US pledges to deliver the new support "as quickly as possible" so that Ukraine's military can effectively safeguard the country and protect its citizens. Since Russia's attack on Ukraine over two years ago, the US has delivered military assistance to Kiev valued at over $50 billion, as per Pentagon data.
8:30 Training Teens in Russia: Cold War Era Education System
The Russian education system, held over from the Cold War era, demands that children and teenagers engage in an additional compulsory subject this school year: "Fundamentals of Personal Security," teaching them basic military functions such as shooting and dressing wounds.
7:55 Negotiation Conditions: Putin Refuses to Address Previously Occupied Territories
In the wake of Russia's prolonged aggression against Ukraine lasting more than two years, President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his readiness for negotiations but with a crucial condition - not considering the return of previously occupated and unlawfully annexed territories. "We'll return to discussions," Putin said during his visit to the neighboring ally, Belarus, according to Interfax agency. Putin went on to assert, "Let's go back to them. But not commencing from what one side expects, but (...) based on the current realities that have manifested on the ground." Russia currently retains approximately one-fifth of its neighboring country, prompting Ukraine's insistence on Russian troop withdrawal from their territory as a prerequisite for lasting peace.
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- The Ukrainian military is reportedly enhancing its fleet of autonomous vessels to engage in attacks on coastal regions and pinpoint airborne targets, as per Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence agency.
- In response to the escalating conflict near Charkiv, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's secretary-general, emphasized the need for allies to reconsider the use of supplied weapons against Russian territories, stating that self-defense is legal and legitimate.
- Russian military forces are accused of seizing control of Archangelske, a village in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, as claimed by the Russian Defense Ministry, with no commentary from the Ukrainian government.
- The Ukrainian military announced that Russia has lost 500,000 soldiers since the beginning of the war on February 24, 2022, while the first group of Ukrainian F-16 pilots have completed their training in the US and will now continue their training in Europe, preparing for combat missions against Russian air forces.
Source: www.ntv.de
