UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT
For: 2024-05-05
Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. Since June 2023 I have provided a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 60 sources daily, much of which forms the basis of the script. While the Podcast is on hiatus I will make this Draft available here both on my own Substack and The People’s Media for those who wish to keep up with events on a daily basis.
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its situation update at 06:00 on May 5 stated that it was day 802 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
During the past day, 95 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 5 missile strikes, 69 air strikes, and 74 MLRS attacks across the positions of our troops and settlements. As a result of the Russian attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Destruction and damage to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure.
At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line.
More than 110 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts came under enemy fire.
Ukrainian missile forces struck 1 command post, 1 concentration of troops, 1 radar station, and 1 other important target
Ukrainian soldiers down Russian Su-25 attack jet
Ukraine’s 110th Separate Mechanised Brigade has shot down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft in Donetsk Oblast. This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his video address on May 4.
Zelenskyy thanked all the soldiers, "all those who despite the intense Russian pressure, despite all the difficulties of the current situation destroy the occupier".
"Every combat brigade of ours that holds its positions firmly, every warrior who ensures the result for himself, for his brothers-in-arms, and for his unit, defends the whole of Ukraine and preserves the opportunity for Ukraine not only to withstand but also to repel the occupier", the President said.
He also thanked the military in mobile fire groups, the Air Force and the air defence forces of other branches of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, "all those who are protecting now and will continue to protect the Ukrainian skies from Russian terror".
Air Force Daily Report
The Ukrainian Air Force in its situation update at 06:00 stated that during the previous day they launched air strikes on 7 concentrations of troops, 3 command posts, 3 anti-aircraft missile systems, and 1 ammunition depot. Also, the Ukrainian Air Defense forces and means destroyed 1x Kh-59/69 air-launched guided missile.
On the night of May 5, 2024, Russian occupiers attacked from the northern and southern directions 24 Shahed UAVs. from the - Kursk region (Russia) and Cape Chauda (TOT Ukrainian Qirim).
As a result of air defences, 23 Shahed UAVs in Kharkiv, Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts were destroyed.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the Kupyansk, Lyman, and Bakhmut axes, in the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kupyansk axis: Ukrainian troops repelled 12 attacks in the vicinities of Synkivka, Kyslivka, Pishchane, Berestove, (Kharkiv oblast), and Stelmakhivka (Luhansk oblast). Where the occupiers, with air support, attempted to breach Ukrainian defensive lines.
Lyman axis: The enemy launched 9 attacks on the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinity of Serebryans’ke forest (Luhansk oblast), plus Terny (Donetsk oblast). Where, with air support, they attempted to breach Ukrainian defensive lines.
Bakhmut axis: Ukrainian troops repelled 12 attacks in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Spirne, Rozdolivka, Novyi and south of Ivanivske (Donetsk oblast). Where with air support, the invaders attempted to improve their tactical position in that area.
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the Avdiivka, Novopavlivka, and Orikhiv axes, in the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Avdiivka axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 20 attacks in the vicinities of Novooleksandrivka , Sokil, Novopokrovske, and Umanske (Donetsk oblast). Where, with the air support, the invaders attempted to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions.
Novopavlivka axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Paraskoviivka, Vodyane, and Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast).Where,with the air support, the invaders made 16 attempts to breach Ukrainian defence in that area.
Orikhiv axis: The enemy conducted 5 attacks, with air support, on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinities of Staromaiors’ke (Donetsk oblast), Novodarivka and Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Kherson axis: Ukrainian defenders continue to maintain their positions. Over the past day, the enemy carried out 10 unsuccessful assaults on the bridgeheads of the Ukrainian Defence Forces on the left bank of the Dnipro River attempting to dislodge them from their positions.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Ukrainian prisoner of war sentenced to 18 years in Russian prison
A Russian court in Rostov Oblast has sentence a member of the Ukrainian armed forces Vladyslav Plakhotnyk to 18 years in prison having been found “guilty” of being a member of a terrorist organization namely being a serving member of a unit of the Ukrainian army - The Azov Brigade.
The prosecutor's office stated that in July 2023, 18-year-old Plakhotnyk voluntarily signed a contract for military service in the Azov battalion, after which he was sent to the training centre of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and subsequently took part in hostilities in Luhansk Oblast.
The Russian court sentenced Plakhotnyk to 18 years in prison, with the first 3 years in prison and the rest in a strict regime penal colony.
Russian media outlet Vazhnye Istorii, citing Verstka, noted that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian courts in the occupied territories have passed more than 160 sentences on Ukrainian military personnel. The average sentence imposed on Ukrainian defendants is 21 years. The minimum sentence handed down to Ukrainian servicemen is eight years in a penal colony.
It is a violation of the Geneva Convention to prosecute a Prisoner of War for their direct participation in hostilities. Their detention is not punitive.
The Geneva Convention goes on to say that following the end of hostilities, all POWs must be released and repatriated without delay.
THE HOME FRONT
Zelenskyy briefed on all operational issues by Ukraine's commander-in-chief and intelligence chief
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has received reports from Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR). he stated in his May 4 evening address.
Zelenskyy said “We are aware of all the aspects of the current situation."
"Russia can only be forced to leave Ukraine alone. And this will happen. Our strength will definitely make it happen. The strength of our people, our military strength, the strength of our unity with the world, the strength of our partners – the strength of our diplomacy," he said.
Zelenskyy stressed that the Global Peace Summit in June "will be held, and it has to be successful, no matter how hard they try to sabotage it."
"Putin does not want peace, he is insane, and every day his state does new things to prove it. And to overcome this evil, to overcome the war, we need the maximum unity of the world. We achieve the results together,"
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine
Russian drone and missile attack on Kharkiv leaves four injured, including a child
On the night of Saturday, May 4, 2024, Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine using 13 Shahed strike drones and four S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in land-to-land mode. All of the launches were carried out from the Belgorod region of Russia. Euromaidan reported.
According to Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Forces, anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Forces and mobile fire groups destroyed all 13 drones in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
At the same time, in Kharkiv, two impacts were recorded due to missiles and falling drone debris, resulting in a large-scale fire. Four people, including a 14-year-old child, were injured. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that both impacts occurred on civilian infrastructure in the Osnovianskyi district of the city.
There were three fires at different addresses. The largest fire broke out in warehouses with a total area of about 3,000 square metres according to emergency service.
Russian industry is currently on track towards producing 10,000 Shahed drones per year, enabling routine daily strikes to exhaust Ukraine’s air defences.
RUSSIAN WORLD
Hundreds of Cubans lured to Russian army by high pay and passports
Facing mounting losses in Ukraine, Russia has recruited hundreds of Cuban nationals by offering lucrative salaries and prospects of Russian citizenship to bolster its invasion forces. BBC reports.
In September and October 2023, passport details belonging to over 200 Cubans who allegedly joined the Russian army were leaked online by a pro-Ukrainian platform called InformNapalm. The passport details were obtained, the site said, by hacking the emails of a Russian military recruitment officer in Tula, south of Moscow.
Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has suffered heavy losses on the battlefield. A BBC investigation confirmed the names of more than 50,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine - but the real number is likely to be much higher. Ukraine's own estimate puts the number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded in the war at nearly 500,000.
Recruiting foreigners to replace some of the losses also helps the Kremlin avoid the risks posed by trying to mobilise Russians by force. When Russia declared a partial mobilisation in 2022, hundreds of thousands of men left the country.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
European intelligence services preparing for Russian sabotage activities across Europe
European intelligence agencies have warned their governments that Russia is planning sabotage across the continent. TheFinancial Times reports.
Representatives of European intelligence agencies believe that Russia has begun to actively plot covert bombings, arson attacks and damage to infrastructure on European territory, both directly and through proxies.
The FT has seen intelligence assessments from three European countries that show evidence of more aggressive and coordinated efforts to carry out sabotage. Intelligence officials are increasingly speaking out about this threat in an effort to increase vigilance.
"We assess the risk of state-controlled acts of sabotage to be significantly increased," Thomas Haldenwang, head of Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), said last month.
One intelligence official stated that Moscow's sabotage efforts should not be seen in isolation from other operations. He added that the increased activity reflects Russia's desire to exert maximum pressure. He said Russian ruler Vladimir Putin is now feeling "emboldened" and will try to push the dividing lines in Europe as far as he can on several fronts: through disinformation, sabotage or hacking.
Nato issued a statement on Thursday declaring its deep concern about growing “malign activities on allied territory” by Russia, citing what it said was an “intensifying campaign . . . across the Euro-Atlantic area”.
MILITARY & TECH
Rheinmetall Will Send Ukraine Advanced Prototypes Reaching 100 Kilometers Alongside Regular Artillery Ammunition
Rheinmetall is set to deliver a substantial number of regular artillery shells to Ukraine this year, along with prototypes capable of reaching 100 kilometers, as revealed by Rheinmetall’s CEO Armin Papperger. Defense Express reports.
Notably, the most advanced 155 mm artillery ammunition previously provided to Ukraine was the Vulcano series, though not from Rheinmetall.
These included versions like the Vulcano 155 BER shells with an approximately 50-kilometer range and the Vulcano 155 GPS/SAL shells with around 70 kilometers, totaling 255 units.
US prepares to transfer special JDAM-ER with Anti-EW homing warhead to Ukraine
This variant of JDAM has a seeker homing on enemy GPS jammers which hinder the effectiveness of other Ukrainian weapons, The Warzone reports.
With the update from May 3rd, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense announced a $23.5 million contract awarded to Scientific Applications and Research Associates (SARA) company for "the acquisition of Home-on GPS Jam seekers" and the "integration of the extended range seekers into existing Joint Direct Attack Munition wing kits," The Drive reports with reference to the official release.
Such an enhanced weapon not only will be resistant to electronic warfare devices but also able to use the jamming signals against them by locking on the source of emissions as the target. The terms of the contract provide, in particular, that part of the ordered kits will be supplied to Ukraine, however, without detailing the exact quantity and delivery deadlines.
Grumpy here — JDAM-ER are much superior in accuracy and reliability to their russian analogues but have been plagued in recent months by russian EW jamming. These weapons are designed to actively hunt those russian EW assets.
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