Ukraine: 1210 more Russian soldiers reported killed

Russia Suffers Loss of 1210 Soldiers in Ukraine

Every morning, the Ukrainian army takes to Facebook to reveal their own estimates of the previous day's Russian casualties. The reported figures state that on Saturday, the Russian losses amounted to 1210 soldiers. The cumulative Russian losses in the war, according to the Ukrainian army, are now 492,290 soldiers. Additionally, they claim to have destroyed 16 tanks and 35 armored vehicles. However, the veracity of these claims cannot be confirmed.

06:34 ISW: Russia pressures Chassiv Yar Russian troops have stepped up their attempts to capture the strategically significant city of Chassiv Yar in the eastern part of Donetsk, as per the latest analysis by the Institute for the Study of War. The ISW asserts that Russia's intention is to force Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the areas surrounding Chassiv Yar by launching an offensive in the Kharkiv region. The Russian military forces are also making progress in the city of Kharkiv.

Russia's ultimate goal, according to the ISW, is to create a buffer zone that encompasses the entirety of Ukraine. This belief is based on the demands made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council and a key figure within Putin's inner circle. Despite his demand, the 'buffer zone' is perceived as being merely a euphemism for Russia's longstanding intention to dominate Ukraine.

06:09 Drone crash in Slavyansk-na-Kubani In the southern Russian city of Slavyansk-na-Kubani, a drone has collided with the site of an oil refinery, the Krasnodar region's authorities have reported. The incident has resulted in a "local fire," but there have been no casualties or damage. Ukraine has been targeting refineries in Russia for some time.

05:40 Danone leaves Russia French dairy giant Danone has completed the sale of its Russian business to a businessman with ties to Chechnya, marking the conclusion of 30 years in the country. This was confirmed by the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, citing the company. The Russian businessman, Mintimer Mingasov, had previously agreed to pay 17.7 billion roubles (180 million euros) to acquire Danone's Russian division. Experts estimate the actual value of the deal to be around 80 billion roubles. Danone's Russian subsidiary was headed by Yakub Zakriyev, a nephew of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, since July last year.

04:37 Explosions in Crimea: air strike on Sevastopol Crimea, the Russian-occupied Black Sea peninsula, experienced explosions throughout the night. Sevastopol's air defenses were able to thwart a missile attack, according to the Crimean governor, Moscow-appointed Mikhail Razvozhaev. Reports suggest that although the civilian infrastructure remained intact, there were no reported casualties.

03:33 Air alerts across Ukraine: extensive drone attacks Russia has once again conducted widescale drone attacks throughout Ukraine during the night. Kiev, along with other regions including Sumy, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Mykolaiv, and Odessa, has been affected. Numerous explosions were heard across the country. No information on casualties or damage has been provided as yet.

02:20 Civilians shelled in Kharkiv region There are reports of civilians being targeted in the Kharkiv region, according to Ukrainian sources. The Ukrainian public prosecutor's office is investigating a Russian air raid on a residential area in Kharkiv as a potential war crime. Six civilians, including three youths, were injured in the incident. Moscow denies deliberately attacking civilians. The war in Ukraine has claimed thousands of lives and caused significant casualties since its inception in February 2022.

01:04 Pistorius requests nearly €4bn for Kiev The German government seeks to substantially increase military aid for Ukraine. In a statement, the Federal Ministry of Defense has announced an additional requirement of €3.8 billion for the current year. Up to now, the coalition government has allocated a total of €7.1 billion for military assistance. This extra-budgetary expenditure is planned to be taken to parliament for approval in June. The Ministry of Finance of Germany has given its approval.

00:05 Ukrainian General Staff logs 77 battles Ukrainian General Staff reported 77 battles over the past day. Seven of these conflicts are still ongoing. The Ukrainian army has launched four counterattacks to dislodge Russian forces from occupied positions, according to the General Staff's Telegram channel. "The Russian troops are attempting to strengthen their tactical position," it says in their statement.

Denys Vasyliuk, an accomplished Ukrainian pilot honored with the "Order of Valor," has tragically passed away during a combat mission, according to a recent Facebook post by the 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade. Vasyliuk held the position of chief of staff at the brigade and served as deputy commander of an aviation squadron. He had completed numerous missions throughout his career as a pilot. While no additional information is available at this time, the Ukrainian air force has yet to address the incident.

Meanwhile, at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Polish filmmaker Patryk Vega introduced his biopic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The movie, which concludes with Putin's fictional death, left viewers intrigued. "It was supposed to have a happy ending," Vega remarked. Upon attempting to secure Putin's participation in the film, Vega jokingly stated, "I called Putin and asked if he wanted to take part." Despite real Putin's unavailability, Vega opted for creating the president as a deep fake with the aid of artificial intelligence (AI).

In the initial stages, Vega had considered utilizing actual footage of Putin, but the quality was not high enough for a theatrical release. Vega elaborated, "AI must be trained. It requires 20,000 high-resolution images." Consequently, the innovative filmmaker created a new technology designed to fashion a realistic actor's face resembling Putin using AI. Vega proudly declared, "This is the first movie to utilize this technology." The audience was shocked by the incredibly realistic portrayal of the Russian leader in various settings, including sitting behind ornate desks and playing the piano, as well as more vulnerable moments in his hospital bed.

In a captivating interview with the Kyiv Independent, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu stated that his country's future is intertwined with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Wu elaborated on the importance of this connection by referencing a potential Russian victory, suggesting that China might attempt to "reunify" the mainland with Taiwan through force. Wu continued to emphasize the gravity of the situation, emphasizing that "the future of Taiwan depends on the war in Ukraine." In more recent comments, officials continue to discuss the possible ramifications of a Russian win in Ukraine. (WiGD) Links: 13