Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday that 1,730 Ukrainian fighters from Azovstal had surrendered since Monday. Of these, 771 surrendered in the last 24 hours, the ministry also transmitted, on the Telegram platform. 80 were injured, and those in need of care received medical care in Novoazovsk and Donetsk hospitals.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had registered “hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war” in Azovstal, Mariupol.
The deputy commander of the Azov regiment, Svyatoslav Palamar, also reportedly surrendered during the night, according to Russian propaganda. However, Nexta states that there is no confirmation yet.
On the other hand, the Azovstal resistance commander refuses to surrender. On Wednesday, Bohdan Krotevich posted a photo of him inside the factory on Twitter, the image being accompanied by the message “The fight continues”.
I’ve been sure to die a few times before, but humor has always helped me to endure calmly. Death will come anyway. When a warrior dies protecting his country, I personally consider it a dignified death, Krotevich had said a few days ago in an interview with the Wall Stree Journal.
On May 11, the WSJ published a photo of Bohdan Krotevich, tired but calm. Next to him was a dog. The dog was later killed by a Russian mine, the 29-year-old Ukrainian soldier said.
Ukraine: Russia’s fatality rate among soldiers: 28,500
On the other hand, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army says that Russia has lost another 200 soldiers and that its total death toll climbed to 28,500.
Moreover, the main intelligence department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry claims that Russian troops are increasingly refusing to take part in fighting in Ukraine.
General Intelligence of Ukraine also reports that as of mid-March, almost 100 Russian tankers surrendered to Ukrainian captivity.
On May 15, the General Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine published on its Facebook account information on the number of occupiers who surrendered almost as soon as they arrived on Ukrainian land.
“Ukraine’s military intelligence has obtained documentary evidence of the loss of manpower and equipment of the 1st panzer army of the occupying forces. As of March 15, the total losses of the 1st Russian Panzer Army amounted to 409 people. Ukrainian soldiers killed 61 and wounded 209 occupiers. 44 Russian tankers and 96 occupiers of the army decided to save their lives and surrendered.” Read the entire report here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ridiculed Russia’s military for announcing that it has created a laser that can fry enemy drones “in seconds.” Comparing Moscow’s propaganda with that of the Nazis who spoke of the German army’s “superarms” in World War II, Zelensky said it showed Vladimir Putin’s “total failure of the invasion.”
10 Ukrainian civilians dead in a missile attack in Donetsk
Meanwhile, an intense rocket fire took place on Wednesday evening on some targets in the Donetsk region. The regional governor announced that at least 10 civilians were killed during yesterday’s bombings, two of whom were children. Another 7 people were injured.
The Pentagon says Moscow troops have changed tactics. Russia now attacks in smaller groups with reduced targets. Instead of fighting units of hundreds of soldiers, companies of dozens of people are conducting attacks in the Donbas region. It focuses its efforts on villages and crossroads, instead of big cities. Moscow’s planned major offensive is blocked by modern weapons and equipment received by the Ukrainian army. The Ministry of Defense in Kyiv announces that its troops have blown up an armored train carrying Russian troops to Melitopol in the south. On the other hand, the UN warns that the war in Ukraine has contributed to fueling a global food crisis that could last for years if it is not controlled.
Zelensky extends martial law and the general mobilization period in Ukraine by 3 more months
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday signed a decree on the three-month extension of martial law and the period of mobilization in the country in the face of the possibility of prolonging the war with Russia, EFE and Interfax-Ukraine news agencies report. “How long will it take (liberation of the occupied territories)? Only the real situation on the battlefield can answer that question. We are trying to get it as soon as possible. That’s for sure. We are obliged to expel the occupants and to secure a real security for Ukraine,” Zelensky said during the night in his daily video message to Ukrainian citizens, which was reproduced on Thursday by local media. Therefore, “I have signed the decrees on the extension of the legal regime for martial law and the term of general mobilization. I hope that the Verkhovna Rada (unicameral parliament) of Ukraine will support this decision in the near future. Our army and all those who defend the state must have all legal instruments to act with perseverance“.
The Russian colonel, who praised Ukraine, changed his mind in less than 24 hours
The retired Russian colonel, who two days ago publicly praised Ukraine and criticized Russia’s strategy, backed down in less than 24 hours and made statements to the contrary, writes CNN. Colonel Mikhail Hodarenok made new statements on Wednesday on a Russian state television station. In the interview, he said that any discussion about the fact that Ukraine could counterattack is a “big exaggeration”. Just a day earlier, he had said that the situation in Russia could “get worse”.
“When people talk about Ukraine’s ability to counterattack, well, that’s a big exaggeration. And when it comes to the actions of our Supreme Command, there is every reason to believe that the implementation of these plans will give Ukraine an unpleasant surprise in the very near future.” Mihail Hodarenok said on Wednesday. He also said that it would be impossible for the Ukrainian armed forces to win the air battle in the next few months and that “it is impossible for Ukraine to gain naval supremacy” as long as the Russian fleet is in the Black Sea.
Ukrainian Mariupol Becomes Chechen
Russia plans to take Mariupol and give Kadyrov’s people control.
Mariupol has not yet come under the control of the Russian occupiers. Ukrainian fighters prevented the complete capture of the city. Azovstal metallurgical plant helps the last Ukrainian fighters to hold the defense and not allow Mariupol to be called a city of Russia. However, the Russian government is already making plans for this city.
On May 17, the occupiers held a meeting with the occupation administration and Dmytro Sablyn, a deputy of the lower house of the Russian parliament. It should be noted that Dmytro Sablyn has been the curator of the occupation since 2014. Representatives of militants from Chechnya were also present at the meeting. The meeting was attended by Adam Delikhanov and Akhmed Dolgaev. They are part of the political power of Chechnya. More details here.
Russians Raped Old Men, Babies, Boys and Girls Under 10 Years-Old
De-occupied Kharkiv. Over the past 24 hours, 56 raped people have contacted the helpline. 8 victims – children under 10 years old, 2 more — men 67 and 78 years old.
Russian atrocity knows no bounds. The cruel perversions they have done have no definition or justification. The immoral gut of the Russian soldier is filled with hatred. You will be convinced of this now.
A few days ago, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated the Kharkiv region from Russian occupation. The departed evil spirits of the Russian presence exposed the deformities that the Russians did to civilian Ukrainians. Further, the verbatim message of the Ombudsman of Ukraine, Lyudmila Denisova. Read more here.
Russian Conscripts Threatened the Child in Bucha
Occupation forces threatened to kill a 7-year-old girl after killing her mother and brother.
The period of occupation of Bucha, Kyiv region is one of the most famous crimes of Russia against the Ukrainian people. The Russian military committed more than 1,000 crimes against the civilian population. Each murder is atypical, similar to the thoughts of psychopaths and maniacs.
Konstantin Kyastutisovich, a native of Kazakhstan, told about one of these crimes. The man saw Russian soldiers shoot a woman with two children. A woman and a child (a boy) died on the spot as a result of the shelling. The second child (a girl) survived — she was injured in the head. Konstantin Kyastutisovich took the girl and tried to rescue her from Bucha. The man remembers that the girl needed surgery because of a shrapnel wound. The entire story here.
The US Embassy Returned to Kyiv
On the 83rd day of the war, the American embassy resumed its work in Ukraine. The return of ambassadors is a strong message for the international community.
On May 18, the full staff of the United States Embassy in Ukraine resumed its work in Ukraine. The information is confirmed by Reuters.
On February 24, Russia attacked Ukraine. A few days and weeks before this, embassies had begun to move to a safer part of Ukraine — the west, or to Poland. Some ambassadors, for example, the ambassador of Poland and the Vatican, did not leave Kyiv for a day. The US embassy left Kyiv 2 weeks before the start of the war: first to Lviv, then to Poland. The entire article here.