UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT
For: 2024-05-15
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 Operational Information update at 23:00 on May 14 stated that we are about to start day 812 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
During the past day, 145 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 3 missile strikes, 320 drone attacks, 70 air strikes, and 2,400 shellings 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.
The situation in the combat areas remains complex, however controlled by the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Today, the enemy concentrated his efforts in the Kharkiv region, as well as in the Kramatorsk and Pokrovsky directions.
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.
Settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts came under enemy fire.
Due to the fact that the GSAFU has called for Operational Security this publication will only be releasing information regarding the front from the GSAFU itself or official military spokespersons. I trust you understand the need for Opsec at this time
Air Force Daily Report
Nothing to report.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kharkiv axis: Ukrainian forces repelled 11 attacks of the enemy in particular, in the directions of Lyptsi, Lukyantsí, Borysevka, Buhruvatka and Vovčhansk, 3 combat clashes are still ongoing.
In separate areas, in the areas of Lukyantsí and Vovchansk, due to the influence of fire and assault of the enemy, to save the lives of our soldiers and avoid losses, the units manoeuvred to more favourable positions.
Kupyansk axis: Ukrainian Forces repelled 16 attacks in the vicinities of Synkivka, Kyslivka, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast), Stelmakhivka, Tverdokhlibove and Makiivka (Luhansk oblast),
Lyman axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 2 attacks in the vicinities of Terny and Ivanivka, (Donetsk oblast) where the enemy, with air support, attempted to breach Ukrainian defences.
Siversk axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 5 attacks in the vicinities of Verkhnokamyanske, Spirne, Ivano-Darivka and Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast).
Kramatorsk axis: Ukrainian forces repelled 12 attacks in the vicinities of Kalynivka, Novyi, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast). With the air support, the invaders attempted to improve their tactical position in that area.
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Pokrovsk axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 33 attacks near the settlements of Arkhanhelske, Novooleksandrivka, Yevhenivka, Novosélivka Persha, Umanske, Netailove, and Nevelske (Donetsk oblast), where the enemy, with air support, attempted to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions. 7 clashes are still ongoing
Kurakhove axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy near Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka and Kostiantynivka (Donetsk oblast), where the invaders, using air strikes, made 7 attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. 2 engagements are still ongoing
Vremika axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 10 attacks in the vicinities of Vodyane, Urozhaine and Staromaiors’ke (Donetsk oblast), where the enemy made attempts to dislodge Ukrainian units from their positions.
Orikhiv axis: The enemy launched 3 assaults on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinity of Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast) without success.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Prydniprovsk axis: The enemy continues to attempt to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro River. Over the past day, they launched 5 unsuccessful assaults on the positions of the Ukrainian troops in the vicinity of Oleshky, Pischanivka, and Krynky (Kherson oblast).
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing to report.
THE HOME FRONT
Russian air strikes on residential area in Kharkiv injure 21 people, including three children
A residential courtyard and multi-story apartment building were hit by Russian guided air munitions in Kharkiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district on 14 May injuring 21 civilians, including three children aged 8, 12, and 12. Euromaidan reported.
According to the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Dmytro Chubenko, three strikes were recorded at about 4 pm in the Shevchenkivskyi district: two in Oleksiivka and a third near the metro station, also within this district.
The Prosecutor’s Office reported 21 injured people, including six men, 11 women, and three children – two girls aged 12 and 8 and a 12-year-old boy.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the strike damaged a multi-story residential building in the city’s central part. “An 8-year-old girl was injured, among other injured people. There are no military facilities here. We will have to replace a lot of windows and interior doors. There is a lot of destruction,” the mayor said.
Russia systematically Russia destroys cultural and historical monuments in Ukraine
The UK Ministry of Defence in its May 15 Intelligence update has analysed how Russian missile attacks are destroying Ukraine's cultural, historical and religious heritage.
14 May 2024 was the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. As the war in Ukraine continues, Russia's bombardment of cities through long range aviation strikes, and glide munitions have had devastating effect on Ukraine's cultural, historical, and religious heritage.
Ukraine's Ministry of Culture and Information Policy states that as of 02 May 2024, a total of 1,987 cultural institutions have suffered losses and damage since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Ministry also estimates that as of 06 May 2024, 1,062 cultural heritage sites have been destroyed or damaged since the start of Russia’s invasion, and UNESCO has separately verified damage to 129 religious sites as of 10 April 2024.
In mid-February 2024, UNESCO estimated Russia caused $3.5 billion damage to Ukraine's cultural heritage which will require 10 years and $9 billion to replace. As the war continues, Russia's military apparatus will likely continue to cause damages to Ukraine's historical and cultural heritage.
Ukraine's Security Service detains associates of former Ukrainian lawmaker in Kyiv for organising acts of information sabotage
Ukrainian law enforcement officers have exposed individuals based in Kyiv who were working on media products for a pro-Russian project run by Viktor Medvedchuk. The latter is a former Ukrainian pro-Russian politician to whose daughter Putin is godfather and who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship, leader of pro-Kremlin Opposition Platform for Life (OPFL). The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) reported.
“The Security Service has exposed an underground cell of the pro-Kremlin political project Other Ukraine in Kyiv. In Russia, this organisation is run by Viktor Medvedchuk, who is accused of treason [in Ukraine] and coordinates his activities with [Russia's] Federal Security Service (FSB).
In Kyiv, the project was run by a group of [Russian] proxies engaged in information sabotage against Ukraine. In particular, its members disseminated video content discrediting the Defence Forces and calling on Ukrainians to lay down their arms and surrender to the invaders."
— Security Service of Ukraine (SSU)
RUSSIAN WORLD
Putin explains appointment of Belousov as Russia's Defence Minister
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has linked the appointment of Andrei Belousov as Russian Defence Minister to the increase in military spending at a meeting of military commanders, Russian propaganda outlet RIA Novosti reports.
"Andrei Belousov has been appointed as the new Minister of Defence. This is due, not least, to the fact that the costs of the military component are growing."
Putin said that in 2024, total spending on defence and security will amount to 8.7%, "perhaps a little more."
Putin reportedly "instructed [Belousov] to manage the funds allocated for the Ministry of Defence carefully and efficiently."
"The ratio between guns and butter should be organically integrated into the overall development strategy," he said.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
Protests, brawls as Georgia adopts Russian-style “foreign agents” law
As predicted, the Georgian parliament adopted a Russian-style “foreign agents” law on 14 May amid growing protests and police violence. Europmaidan reports.
The law will make it obligatory for any media or nonprofit organisation that receives more than 20% of its funding from abroad to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.” Failure to do so would result in fines. Georgian opponents of the bill have dubbed it “the Russian law”, comparing it to legislation used to target critics of President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin.
Ahead of the vote, Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, saw record round-the-clock protests. Yesterday, the law was sped through the legal committee, with opposition MPs reportedly blocked from attending.
President Salome Zourabichvili is expected to veto the bill. However, the veto will likely be overridden in parliament, where the ruling Georgian Dream party holds 75 seats out of 150.
The vote comes amid criticism of Georgia’s growing Russian shift, powered by the Georgian-Russian oligarch and Georgian Dream leader Bidzina Ivanishvili. With a net worth of 32% of Georgia’s GDP, Ivanishvili holds considerable power over Georgian political and economic life, and critics have denounced the country’s growing authoritarianism.
Slovak PM shot in assassination attempt
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has been shot after a government meeting and taken to the hospital. A spokesperson for the country’s Interior Minister Matej Neumann acknowledged that the Slovak government's leader was attacked. Aktuality reported.
According to Aktuality, the wounded Slovak premier was transported to the hospital by helicopter.
Denník N added that bullets were fired in front of the House of Culture during a cabinet meeting while the prime minister addressed the crowd.
A journalist from the publication reported he was nearby and heard many shots being fired, but did not witness the incident. Then he saw soldiers pull Fico from the ground, place him in a car and drive away.
Slovak media outlets have reported that the person who shot Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was a 71-year-old man from the city of Levice in the country's west. Media outlets reported that the shooter used a "short-barrelled rifle that he owned legally".
Blinken announces US$2 billion for needs of Ukrainian defence industry
Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv, has announced that the United States will provide an additional US$2 billion in contributions to a newly created fund to develop Ukraine's defence industry and finance weapons purchases. Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Blinken said that the US would provide an additional US$2 billion in foreign military funding for Ukraine.
"And we put this together in a first of its kind – the Defence Enterprise Fund – and it has three components," he stated.
The first area will be assistance in acquiring what Ukraine needs, the second will be investments in Ukraine's military-industrial complex so that this industry can be strengthened and Ukraine can produce more weapons "for itself and for others", and the third will be financing the purchase of weapons not only from the United States but also from other partners.
MILITARY & TECH
Australia pledges high-speed Sentinel 830R boats for Ukraine in $66 mn package
The Australian government has committed to providing Ukraine’s defence forces with Sentinel 830R rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) as part of a A$100 million ($66,27 million) military aid package. Euromaidan reports.
The Sentinel 830R vessels, built by Sentinel Boats, feature a high-density polyethylene hull designed for strength, impact resistance, stability and reduced vibration compared to aluminium alternatives, with this durable construction allowing the boats to withstand harsh operational conditions.
Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Australian visited Sentinel’s Hobart facility on 14 May to “inspect the vessels under construction and to experience the on-water performance of the 830R first hand,” the company reported.
According to Sentinel Boats CEO George McGuire, the 830R’s agility makes it well-suited for both riverine operations on Ukraine’s inland waterways and maritime missions and boarding operations at sea. According to Sentinel Boats’ press release, the polyethylene hull avoids electrolytic issues that limit aluminium boat lifespans, enabling decades of service without replacements.
Once completed, the Sentinel 830Rs will be delivered to Ukraine over the coming months alongside the other military aid pledged under Australia’s support package.
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