Brief facts:
- The US is sending 10,500 new troops to Europe to replace soldiers who were earlier deployed.
- Azovstal defenders call on Western leaders to help with evacuation of the wounded.
- The Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine states that invaders destroy bridges to complicate Ukraine’s counter-offensive.
- Germany is considering the possibility of supplying Ukraine with IRIS-T SLM medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems.
- Russia does not react to Ukraine’s proposal to withdraw troops from the areas seized after February 24, 2022 - Volodymyr Zelensky
- The European Union will provide a new tranche of EUR 500 million in military support to Ukraine
- The Russian Air Force has confirmed the names of 2,336 Russian servicemen killed in Ukraine
- CNN identified that russian Gen. Zhuravlyov ordered to shell residential districts of Kharkiv with cluster munitions
- Ukrainian air defense shot down a UAV from the "Leer-3" jamming system
- General Staff expects intensification of russian fire in Mariupol since the evacuation of civilians from the area has completed.
- the Ukrainian defense industry has restored $ 50 million worth of russian equipment.
Side note: news are marked in accordance with the Kyiv time zone: Eastern European Time (EET), GMT/UTC+2
Read more: The 78th Day of the War: Russian Casualties in Ukraine
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01:05 Ukrainian troops acting as a part of Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Group continue to conduct a defense operation in a certain area of responsibility in the Donetsk and Luhansk areas. The situation is difficult, but controlled. The Ukrainian military have repulsed 10 enemy attacks in Donetsk and Luhansk Regions on Friday, May 13.
The relevant statement was made by the Joint Forces Operation Task Force on Facebook.
“The enemy is using combat aviation, multiple rocket launcher systems, cannon artillery, tanks and mortars all over the defense line. They are launching missile and air strikes on civil infrastructure facilities, residential areas, destroying administrative buildings, hospitals, secondary and nursery schools,” the report states.
Find more details on the theme in a publication by Defense Express:
Defenders of Ukraine Repels 10 Enemy Attacks in JFO Area
00:45 US sending 10,500 new troops to Europe for new rotation.
The US is sending 10,500 new troops to Europe to replace soldiers who were earlier deployed, the Pentagon’s spokesperson John Kirby also announced in his briefing today, The Guardian reports. He said the deployments were “one for one unit replacements” and that the turnovers would happen in the coming weeks and into the summer: “It will be a rotation over time.”
Kirby explained: “These are not permanent moves. These moves are designed to respond to the current security environment. Moreover these forces are not going to fight in Ukraine. They are going to support the robust defense of Nato allies.”
00:30 Azovstal defenders call on Western leaders to help with evacuation of the wounded.
Russian troops continue to massively bombard the Mariupol-based Azovstal plant with planes. Many Ukrainian defenders, who have been seriously wounded, are remaining within the plant and need to be urgently evacuated.
The relevant statement was made by Azov Regiment Deputy Commander Captain Sviatoslav Palamar at a special panel session during the Kyiv Security Forum, Ukrinform reports.
“The enemy is cynical; the enemy does not follow any international conventions. The enemy does not adhere to the Geneva Conventions. Knowing that about 600 wounded fighters are remaining within the Azovstal plant, they continue to drop bombs on a military hospital. This way, as usually, they violate all international regulations,” Palamar said.
Palamar called on Western leaders to help with the evacuation of the wounded.
“I would like to address all representatives of this conference, thank you once again, and say that, perhaps, such a great nation and representatives of such a great nation, the United States of America, would help us to evacuate our wounded fighters,” Palamar stressed.
Palamar asked them to make every effort, if possible, to help with the extraction procedure for the Ukrainian garrison. In his words, the courage of Mariupol defenders prevented the enemy from advancing.
“Believe me, if we had not done this, this horde would have gone farther on. They would have seized other areas, advanced deep into the territory of Ukraine, and the front line would have looked differently now,” Palamar added.
00:10 Ukrainian military authorities loaded the bodies of Russian soldiers onto refrigerated rail cars on Friday, saying they were prepared to return the bodies to Russia in accordance with internal law, Reuters reports.
The authorities loaded the bodies after fighting in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.
From the news agency:
Volodymr Lyamzin, the head of Ukraine’s civil-military cooperation, said his country was acting in accordance with international law and was ready to return the bodies to Russia.
“According to the norms of international humanitarian law, and Ukraine is strictly following them, after the active phase of the conflict is over, sides have to return the bodies of the military of another country “Ukraine is ready to return the bodies to the aggressor, he said.
Lyamzin said there were several refrigerator trains stationed in different regions across Ukraine where the bodies of Russian soldiers were being kept.
Several hundred bodies were being stored at a facility on the outskirts of Kyiv filmed by Reuters.
23:50 The Pentagon spokesperson, John Kirby, urged Congress to pass the $40bn supplemental aid package for Ukraine during a briefing on Friday.
He said 19 May was a critical deadline, The Guardian reports citing CNN:
19 May is the day we really, without additional authorities, we begin to not have the ability to send new stuff in. By the 19th of May, it’ll start impacting our ability to provide aid uninterrupted.”
Kirby said: “We continue to urge the Senate to act as quickly as possible so that we don’t get to the end of May and not have any additional authorities to draw upon ... We’ve been moving at a fairly fast clip here both in terms of the individual packages that have been approved and how fast that stuff is getting into Ukrainian hands ... We’d like to be able to continue that pace for as long as we can.”
23:25 Head of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov: Most of active combat actions will finish by year-end.
Most of the active combat actions will have finished by the end of this year, and Ukraine will regain control over territories occupied by Russia.
“The breaking point will be in the second part of August. Most of the active combat actions will have finished by the end of this year. As a result, we will renew Ukrainian power in all our territories that we have lost including Donbas and Crimea," Head of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov told Sky News in an interview.
Budanov also said a coup to remove Vladimir Putin is already under way in Russia and the Russian leader is seriously ill with cancer.
Budanov noted that Ukraine has excellent intelligence information from Russia.
"We know everything about our enemy. We know about their plans almost as they're being made.
He said he was not surprised by Russia's setbacks in the war.
"Europe sees Russia as a big threat. They are afraid of its aggression. We have been fighting Russia for eight years and we can say that this highly publicised Russian power is a myth. It is not as powerful as this. It is a horde of people with weapons," Budanov summed up.
22:55 The Armed Forces of Ukraine have destroyed about 260 enemy troops and four tanks in eastern Ukraine over the past day, Friday, May 13
The Operational and Tactical Group East reported this on Facebook.
“During the day, May 13, in the area of responsibility of The Operational and Tactical Group East, Russian fascist troops carried out 9 attacks. In addition, damage was inflicted on a forward command post of the 1st separate motorized rifle brigade of the so-called DNR,” the statement said.
According to the Operational-tactical group "East" report Ukrainian defenders eliminated:
- up to 130 troops;
- 2 tanks;
- 5 infantry fighting vehicles;
- 1 airborne infantry fighting vehicle;
- 2 mortars;
- 2 trucks;
- 2 UAV.
Find more details on the theme in a publication by Defense Express:
Operational-tactical Group "East" Repulsed Nine Russian Attacks During the Day, Defited Enemy Forward Command Post
22:05 South Operational Command: Russian warships in Black Sea carry over 30 Kalibr missiles
The Armed Forces of Ukraine are ensuring a stable situation in Odesa Region, although Russian invaders are threatening the entire territory of Ukraine with missile strikes, creating an offensive base on Zmiinyi Island and attempting to destabilize situation in Transnistria.
The relevant statement was made by South Operational Command Spokesperson Vladyslav Nazarov on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.
“In Odesa Region, the situation is stable and controlled. Russia’s naval group in the Black Sea has not changed significantly, posing a threat of missile strikes. There are also hostile activities around Zmiinyi Island,” Nazarov told.
In his words, the enemy forces continue to promote provocations in Transnistria.
“There were an attempt to set a military commissariat on fire in Tiraspol and a fake attack on an oil depot. Shaking up the situation should create the basis for accusing Ukraine of encroaching on the territory of the self-proclaimed republic,” Nazarov noted.
According to Nazarov, now there are four Russian warships and two submarines in the Black Sea, which are carrying over 30 Kalibr missiles. This is posing a threat of missile strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine.
21:30 The Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine: Invaders destroy bridges to complicate Ukraine’s counter-offensive.
Russian invaders destroy bridges in Kharkiv region and may resort to similar actions in Kherson region to complicate a counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"Speaking from an intelligence point of view, we foresaw this [destruction of bridges] because there is nothing new in the actions of the Russian-occupation forces. Let's recall the retreat of Russian troops from Kyiv, in Brovary direction. When they retreated, they blew up everything on their path that could be blown up. In addition, heavy mining was carried out, and the mine clearance will take much time. The most critical and important infrastructure was destroyed," Vadym Skibitsky, representative of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said during the nationwide telethon, commenting on the complication of the Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kharkiv and Kherson due to the destruction of bridges by Russians.
He believes that such actions of the enemy really affect the counter-offensive in Kharkiv direction.
"Yes, it will have an impact, because there are powerful water barriers, and we will need to build a crossing or rebuild these bridges in order to continue the counter-offensive and reach the state border, restore our presence there, further conduct other counter-offensive actions," the representative of the Ukrainian intelligence considers.
Asked whether the occupiers may destroy bridges in Kherson region, Skibitsky said that Russia would do everything possible to stay in that territory.
"Our assessment is very simple: in general, Kherson region is a very important region for Russia, we understand that. First of all, it is a land bridge that connects Russia with the occupied Crimea and, second, it is an element of ensuring the livelihood of Crimea: it's water, it's electricity. Our nuclear power plant was seized for a reason and Russia will do everything possible to stay in this territory," Skibitsky stressed.
He did not rule out that the occupiers would try to hold a referendum in Kherson region in one form or another.
“Will it be the so-called ‘Kherson People's Republic’ or other forms, for example, the accession of Kherson region, part of Zaporizhzhia region to the Crimean Peninsula and the creation of a ‘federal union of territories’, but it’s still Kremlin's plans. Everything will depend on the efficiency of our Armed Forces and the assistance from the international community,” said the military intelligence representative.
20:50 EU expects that decision to allocate another EUR 500 mln of military aid to Ukraine to be approved soon.
Brussels expects that the EU member states will approve the proposal to provide Ukraine with the fourth tranche of military assistance in the amount of EUR 500 million in the near future.
A senior European diplomat told reporters in Brussels on Friday that EUR 490 million will be allocated for lethal and EUR 10 million for non-lethal weapons. According to the official, there is a consensus among member states on the main direction, as the EU must continue to support Ukraine in many aspects, in particular, in the military. He said the EU must continue to supply weapons as it works and they see a difference on the battlefield. At the same time, this proposal was made not so long ago. He believes they need days, it may be three, days or ten days. In the end, there will be agreement, but he cannot say when.
Commenting on this proposal, made this morning in Germany by High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell, the journalists' interlocutor said this is another illustration of the fact that the EU wants to continue its military support to Ukraine in conjunction with the efforts of the EU partners, the United States and the UK.
According to the European diplomat, the issue of further support for Ukraine, against which Russia is waging war, will be the subject of discussion by EU defense ministers, which will also be attended by Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
He said the EU officials must continue to support the efforts that Ukraine is making and try to see how they can help the Ukrainian army, which is opposed to Russia, they must continue to supply equipment. Therefore, the EU support to Ukraine is important, as Ukraine is counting on their equipment and resources, according to the diplomat.
The European diplomat also expressed the opinion that this war will not end in the near future, and the EU will continue to support Ukraine.
20:30 Germany is considering possibility of supplying Ukraine with IRIS-T SLM.
Germany is considering the possibility of supplying Ukraine with IRIS-T SLM medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems, Reuters reports.
The German daily newspaper Bild previously reported that the German Cabinet Security Council is discussing the matter, and IRIS-T SLM systems, produced by private German arms manufacturer Diehl Defense, could be deployed in Ukraine from November.
According to Bild, Ukraine is interested in receiving 10 IRIS-T SLM systems. The document says the system can launch missiles up to 40 kilometers away to shoot down fighter jets, helicopters or missiles.
Training for Ukrainian soldiers could begin as soon as the German government approves the plan.
19:55 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has released an operational update on the state of warfare as of 18.00 on May 13, 2022.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff operational report, in the Slobozhansky direction, enemy's main efforts are focused on ensuring the withdrawal of its units from the city of Kharkiv and preventing the withdrawal of units of the Defense Forces to the rear of the russian group of troops concentrated in the city of Izyum. russian enemy units fired on the positions of Ukraine’s troops in the areas of the settlements of Petrivka, Pytomnyk, Ruski Tyshky and Ternova.
The russians did not stop the offensive in the Eastern Operational Zone. The enemy continues to launch missile strikes on industrial infrastructure and fire on civilian targets in Ukraine. In their turne Ukraine's Defense Forces are inflicting losses on the enemy and are ready for any changes in the operational situation
Find more details on the theme and key points of the report a publication by Defense Express:
Ukraine’s General Staff Operational Report: Occupiers are Afraid of Being Surrounded Near Izyum
19:40 The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine: Russia plans to hold pseudo-referendum in occupied territories on September 11.
The Russian Federation may hold a pseudo-referendum in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular in Kherson, Mariupol and other occupied cities, on September 11.
"Indeed, military intelligence has such data, we monitor the situation, we make an analysis that may precede the referendums <…> According to our estimates, such a referendum may be held on September 11 – a single voting day in Russia. And we must not forget that about 800,000 passports of Russian citizens have been issued in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in the occupied territories. This is such a powerful factor that Russia will use as an excuse to ‘protect Russian citizens' living in Ukraine," Vadym Skibitsky, representative of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said during the nationwide telethon, answering questions whether the intelligence is aware of plans to hold referendums in Kherson, Mariupol and other occupied cities.
At the same time, he noted that the Russian invaders had not yet managed to reach the borders of Luhansk and Donetsk regions as they had planned earlier.
19:11 For the first time since February 18, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart Shoigu. A Pentagon statement said Austin "called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and stressed the importance of maintaining liaison lines."
18:40 Russian occupiers have killed 226 Ukrainian children; more than 420 children have been wounded and injured.
"To date, 226 Ukrainian children have been killed, I emphasize, killed by the Russian occupiers. More than 420 children have been affected, these are the children who were injured and wounded," Darya Herasymchuk, Advisor – Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights and Rehabilitation, said during a briefing at Ukraine Media Center.
According to the Commissioner, these data are tentative as it is impossible to obtain complete information from the occupied territories.
Read more on the topic:
Chronicle of the Russian Federation Crimes in Ukraine (May)
18:10 Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has data on Russia's deployment of Pantsir air defense missile system and Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile system on Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea.
"Clearly, the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense estimates that this is a strategic object that will be used by Russia to control, in fact, the entire northwestern part of the Black Sea. And it is no coincidence that from the first days of the war, Russia captured the island and began to install the necessary equipment to monitor the air, surface and underwater situation near the island. And this, in fact, made it possible for Russia to gather more accurate intelligence data on the developments in this region," Vadym Skibitsky, representative of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said during the nationwide telethon, answering questions about the enemy's plans for Zmiinyi Island.
17:23 Journalists of the "Skhemy" project noticed in the satellite images of Zmiyiny Island marks in the form of the letter "Z" and a floating crane, which could be transported from Sevastopol to raise the sunken landing craft type "Serna". These pictures were taken on May 12 by a satellite of Maxar.
Read more on the topic:
Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 UAV Sunk Two More Russian Raptor Boats (Video)
16:55 Fundraising platform UNITED24 reported for the first week of operation. Through it, the accounts of the National Bank of Ukraine received $ 25,804,580. The amount was gathered during the period from 5 to 11 May.
- $ 25,762,896.72 was transferred to the account of the Ministry of Defense (Defense and Demining Division);
- $ 25,191.34 — to the account of the Ministry of Health (direction "Medical care");
- $ 16,491.94 — to the account of the Ministry of Infrastructure (Reconstruction of Ukraine).
The report of the ministries will be published on May 19 on the website of the platform u24.gov.ua.
Another $ 735,673 was raised through the Ukraine House DC Foundation: $ 506,456 for Medical Care and $ 229,217 for Reconstruction of Ukraine.
$ 362,379 was collected in cryptocurrency through the Whitepay payment company: $ 37,248 — for the Defense and Demining division; $ 319,872 for Medical Care, and $ 5,259 for Reconstruction of Ukraine.
This money will come to the accounts of the NBU in the near future.
16:05 Ukraine has forced Russia to reduce the scale of its targets to the operational and tactical level and is entering a long phase of the war.
Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said this in a Facebook post, Ukrinform reports.
"By May 9, Russia suffered a strategic defeat - it could not destroy the Ukrainian state by military intervention and change of power with Russian puppets. We forced it to reduce the scale of targets to the operational and tactical level. Against this background, we are entering a new, long phase of the war. In order to win it, we must carefully plan resources, avoid mistakes and project our strength so that the enemy finally fails to hold up," he wrote.
Reznikov noted that after an open full-scale Russian attack on February 24, Moscow was planning -- and many in the West shared the view -- that Ukraine will capitulate in a few days. The Kremlin hoped to establish a new, "Russian" system on Ukrainian territory in a few weeks.
However, Ukrainian defenders and all people of Ukraine repulsed the occupiers and thwarted these plans.
15:45 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke on the phone with Putin. According to him, the conversation was long. Scholz named three issues that were discussed — a ceasefire, Russia being responsible for the global food crisis, and false statements by Russia about the Nazis in the Ukrainian government.
Read more on the topic:
German Goverment Approved Sending PzH 2000 to Ukraine - Media
15:30 Russia does not react to Ukraine’s proposal to withdraw troops from the areas seized after February 24, 2022.
The relevant statement was made by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Porta a Porta on Italy’s Rai 1 TV Channel, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“There are no compromises on our independence but, nevertheless, we are ready to say as part of our talks: at least you need to leave the areas occupied after February 24. Yes, unfortunately, you will stay within some temporarily occupied areas, but it will be the first clear step to start talking about something. Let’s do it. We do not hear the response to this,” Zelenskyy told.
Answering the question about what victory Ukraine would like to get, President Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine was seeking for ordinary things, such as respect for its sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, traditions, language and nation.
“I have just named trivial things, but these are the normal, usual, trivial things that the Russian Federation has broken. They need to be restored. What does it mean to restore? To withdraw troops from our land. To withdraw troops, deoccupy our homes, our villages. I don’t say they would need to bring everything they looted from ordinary homes back, as this is not valuable to us. The living are valuable to us. So, whatever they had looted, let they go. They will be brought to justice anyways,” the President of Ukraine stressed.
Talking of Russia’s responsibility, Zelenskyy expressed confidence that reparations, court rulings and verdicts are waiting for them ahead. But, this will not bring the fallen Ukrainians back.
“There is no price to this. And this cannot be forgiven,” Zelenskyy added.
A reminder that Ukraine and Russia have been holding peace talks since the war started. Last time the Ukrainian and Russian delegations met in person in Istanbul on March 29, 2022.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, negotiations are becoming more complicated every day, as the new atrocities committed by Russian troops within the temporarily occupied territories get revealed.
15:10 The Russian Air Force has confirmed the names of 2,336 Russian servicemen killed in Ukraine. This is almost twice the last figure of losses, officially announced by the Russian Defense Ministry. 443 of the 2,336 casualties are officers ranging from junior lieutenant to general. This is 19% of all servicemen on the list of confirmed losses of the Russian army.
Journalists note that the real losses of the Russian military in Ukraine are higher. Now they are studying new graves that appear in cemeteries in various cities of Russia.
14:06 Britain has expanded sanctions against Russia and added Russian gymnast Alina Kabayeva, known as Putinʼs mistress. In addition to Kabayeva, sanctions were imposed against:
- Kabayevaʼs grandmother Anna Zatseplina;
- ex-wife of Putin Lyudmila Ocheretnaya;
- Putinʼs cousins Igor Putin, Roman Putin and Mikhail Shelomov;
- another relative of Russian President Mikhail Putin;
- a close friend of Putin, Alexandr Plekhov;
- Mikhail Klishin, Executive Director of Russia Bank;
- the son of Putinʼs childhood friend Peter Kolbin, Vladimir;
- brother of Putinʼs former son-in-law Yuri Shamalov, etc
According to the British government, all of them have amassed their wealth through corrupt actions of the Russian government, and may also be the owners of the property of the President of Russia.
13:57 The European Union will provide a new tranche of EUR 500 million in military support to Ukraine.
The relevant statement was made by EU High Representative Josep Borrell ahead of the G7 Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting in Weissenhaus, Germany, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“This is the seventh meeting of the G7 [Foreign Ministers] since the Ukrainian war started. And I am sure that we will come out with a strong message. The recipe is clear – more of the same. I mean, more support to Ukraine, including military support. I will announce that we, the European Union, we will provide a new tranche of 500 more million [EUR] to support the military of Ukraine. It will make about EUR 2 billion in total,” Borrell said.
In his words, this EUR 500 million will be allocated for heavy arms, including armored vehicles, tanks, heavy artillery, ammunition, and the things needed for the war. But, this sum is not enough to provide a lot of fighter jets.
13:23 The morning Russian strikes on the Lozova community in Kharkiv Oblast destroyed a dozen private households, a critical infrastructure facility and a cultural centre. The mayor of Lozova, Serhiy Zelensky, said that one woman was injured.
12:32 Ukraine launched the "Living Diary" – real stories about the war from ordinary Ukrainians
International Project #MyWar was launched. It is an online collection of real stories in 74 languages about the war written by ordinary Ukrainians who were forced to be at the epicenter of the Ukraine-russia War. The project was initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the Association of Innovative and Digital Education and Totonis Company.
"From now on, every citizen of any country can monitor the course of the Russian-Ukrainian war personally, receiving truthful information directly from thousands of Ukrainians who became witnesses of tragic but at the same time heroic actions," reads the statement on the website of the Ministry of Culture.
It says, more than 2,700 stories have already appeared on the Project portal that garnered over 4 million views. In addition to the real stories, there are videos and photos that demonstrate what is happening in Ukraine.
12:26 More than 200 jets downed by the Ukrainian air defense
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has published a new summary of total russian combat losses from 24.02 to 13.05. A few significant "milestones" have been surpassed:
- now more than 1,200 tanks;
- > 200 jet aircraft;
- > 400 UAVs of operational-tactical level.
More figures you can find here:
The 79th Day of the War: Russian Casualties in Ukraine
12:09 Ukrainian "tractor troops" stole another piece or russian equipment
This time, it's the TZM-T, a fire support system of the TOS-1A "Solntsepyok" heavy flamethrower system, Ukraine NOW reports.
According to the General Staff, a TZM-T loader-transport vehicle works in pair with the launch vehicle. As Defense Express earlier reported, one of those had been previously captured by Ukrainian defenders in late March 2022.
And now this:
Read more on the topic:
Russian Occupiers Lost 3 TOS-1A MLRS While Running Away From Kyiv Region
11:50 Russians shelled evacuation columns with children
Russian occupation forces have opened fire on an evacuation column in the Kherson region on May 12, said the report from the Prosecutor General's Office. In one of the villages, a column of civilian autos was shelled with a "Grad" MLRS. In both cases children were injured. According to the statistics, provided by the Office, more than 646 children were hurt due to russian aggression.
11:01 Russian General who ordered attacks on residential areas identified
CNN has done an investigation into attacks on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on February 27-28 and confirmed that 11 locations impacted by "Smerch" cluster munitions. The US-based TV channel has found out that it was colonel general Alexander Zhuravlyov who ordered a rocket artillery brigade to launch a cluster munitions attack on residential districts of Kharkiv. That brigade reports directly to the leadership of the Russian military's Western Military District and, as CNN's experts say, Zhuravlyov is the only officer with the authority to order such an attack. Because, as a high-value weapon, it needs senior sign-off.
According to the investigation, Alexander Zhuravlyov is responsible for "one of the most brutal chapters of Syria's war". He led an attack on Aleppo for some time and that period stood out with an increase in the use of cluster munitions.
10:17 More than 2,000 pieces of russian equipment deployed to the Luhansk region
Russian invading forces strike with everything they have to break through the Ukrainian defenses in the Luhansk region of Eastern Ukraine, said Serhii Haidai, Head of the region's administration. The invaders attempt to assault Rubizhne, Zolote, Nyzhnye cities and the outskirts of Severodonetsk.
Russians also try once more to create a pontoon over the Siverskyi Donetsk River near Bilohorivka where many equipment and personnel had been previously destroyed at least four times.
According to the official, russians are trying to "deliberately destroy the region, turning it into a desert", because they cannot defeat the defenders. Most of the settlements are 70% ruined, those under the occupation are damaged even more.
09:47 Ukrainian air defense shot down a UAV from the "Leer-3" jamming system
A scout of the 79th Air Assault Brigade has downed an unmanned aerial vehicle of the "Leer" electronic warfare complex for suppressing GSM communications. The UAV was shot with a rifle, as said in the report from the 79th Brigade.
According to the InformNapalm international volunteer community, the RB-341V Leer-3 system is designed to jam the GSM-communication using radio interference transmitted from Orlan-10 drones (2 units in the complete set). It should be mentioned that these drones have been shot en masse in Ukraine since the start of russian invasion.
More details:
Ukrainian Paratroopers Shot Down an Unusual "Orlan" UAV
09:21 A bridge in the Luhansk region, destroyed for the second time
A bridge that connected Severodonetsk and Rubizhne has been destroyed, said Serhii Haidai, Head of the Luhansk region administration. For the first time it was destroyed back in 2014, he said and then rebuilt in 2015. Therefore, it has been ruined by the war with russia twice already.
The official didn't mention, where it was Ukrainian military to blow up the bridge or it was russian shelling, only said the Borova river bridge was ruined because of the russian actions.
08:53 Russians attempt a risky maneuver in the Donbas – British Intelligence
UK Ministry of Defense has published an update on the situation in Ukraine. According to the report, Ukrainian forces have successfully prevented an attempted russian river crossing in the Donbas which led to at least one whole Battalion-Tactical Group as well as the deployed pontoon bridging equipment.
"Conducting river crossings in a contested environment is a highly risky manoeuvre and speaks to the pressure the Russian commanders are under to make progress in their operations in eastern Ukraine," the British defense ministry explains.
The invading forces' goal is likely to envelop Ukrainian troops in the JFO area, but they failed to make any significant advances despite having redeployed units from other axes of advance such as Kyiv in April.
08:22 Ukrainian defense industry has restored $ 50 million worth of russian equipment
The total worth of russian military equipment seized and repaired by the Ukrainian state concern Ukroboronprom is estimated at 1.5 billion hryvnias, or more than 50 million USD, said the briefing report from Ukroboronprom.
At the same time the damage caused by the invaders to the Ukrainian defense industry is already more than $ 3,3 billion.
07:46 The situation on the south from the Operational Command "South"
The Operational Command has posted an update on the state of affairs in the southern frontlines of Ukraine. As follows: russian invaders continue the shelling of Mykolaiv region with artillery and MLRS, hitting industrial and infrastructure objects, at the same time applying psychological pressure on civilians.
In the Odesa region, russians continue to maintain tensions around the unrecognized breakaway region Transnistria with fakes and propaganda.
Russian fleet in Odesa as of evening May 12 consists of four ships and two submarines that carry more than 30 "Calibr" cruise missiles in total.
Ukrainian artillery and aviation units struck 100 times over May 12. The invaders' losses are estimated at 57 personnel, six armored and three non-armored vehicles.
The Operational Command also said the russian occupiers fell into a "legislation trap" trying to include the Kherson region to russian federation. And while they seek for an opportunity to carry out a sham referrendum and make it happen, Ukrainian citizens come out in the streets to rally against the occupation authority.
07:15 Operational report from the General Staff
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has published an operational report regarding the situation on Ukrainian frontlines. According to it, russians continue shelling of Ukrainian positions on most operational directions, carry out offensive on certain ones while at the same time maintaining tensions in the others, thereby blocking Ukrainian units.
The General Staff expects intensification of fire on the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol since the evacuation of civilians from the area has completed.
More details:
Ukraine’s General Staff Operational Report: russians to Increase Shelling of Mariupol
05:30 France and Canada will continue to coordinate efforts to support Ukraine. That’s according to a statement by the Elysee Palace following President Emmanuel Macron’s phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The two leaders’ exchange mainly focused on Russian aggression in Ukraine, the statement reads.
“They stressed their commitment to the close coordination between G7 partners and allies that has prevailed since the start of the conflict, in order to support Ukraine militarily, politically, economically and on a humanitarian level, as well as to increase the cost of the war for Russia via unprecedented sanctions,” the two leaders agreed.
05:18 Ukrainian warriors showed how they liberate country from occupiers
92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine video with fragments of the brigade's warriors fighting the russian occupiers. The combat happens in the Kharkiv region where Ukrainian Army managed to go on the offensive in the last few weeks.
"Piece by piece, village by village, together with our brothers and sisters, we are returning our homeland, which is why there is no price all over the world," the brigade commented on the video.
More details:
00:32 According to the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine post on Facebook, on May 12, the units of the Army Forces, Air Forces and Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed seven air targets of the Russian occupiers: 5 UAVs (Orlan-10), 1 helicopter (Ka-52) and 1 cruise missile.
As Defense Express reported, russians are facing non-stop military losses on Ukrainian soil. About 26650 agressor's troops eliminated, 758 air targets (excluding cruise missiles) of invaders were shot down thousands of tanks, armored vehicles and tracks were destroyed by defenders of Ukraine from 24.02 to 12.05.22
Read more: Day 78th of War Between Ukraine and Russian Federation (Live Updates)
