UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT
For: 2024-05-24
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 23:30 on May 24 stated that day 821 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was about to begin.
During the past day, 88 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 3 missile strikes, 37 air strikes, 387 drone strikes and 3000+ shellings across the positions of our troops.
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 and continue to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deep into the territory of Ukraine.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kharkiv axis: During the past day there have been 4 combat engagements, the Russians were actively using air strikes.
Kupyansk axis: Over the past day there were 20 combat engagements
Lyman axis: There were 5 Russia assaults in the area of Terny and Torske
Siversk axis: During the day the Russians attempted to breach Ukrainian defences in the area of Bilohorivka. There was no loss of positions.
Kramatorsk axis: In this area there is currently fighting around Andriivka. The situation is under control.
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Pokrovsk axis: The Russians made 22 assaults in this direction today. There is a tense situation in the area of Novoselivka Persha and Umanske.
Ukraine shoots down another SU-25
Soldiers from the 110th Separate Mechanised Brigade reported they had shot down another Russian Su-25 attack aircraft on 23 May. This is the second day in a row this unit has shot down a Russian aircraft.
Kurakhove axis: The situation has not changed significantly, and is under control.
Vremika axis: The situation has not changed significantly, and is under control.
Orikhiv axis: The situation has not changed significantly, and is under control.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Prydniprovsk axis: Ukrainian soldiers repelled 9 attacks of the enemy in the area of the settlement of Krynky Kherson region.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Multiple explosions heard in Qirim overnight, occupying authorities claimed casualties due to attack
A series of explosions hit Russian-occupied Crimea overnight, with strikes reported in multiple locations across the peninsula, including the cities of Yevpatoria, Saky, Simferopol, Yalta, and Alushta. Euromaidan Press reports.
Local media outlets reported on 24 May that a series of explosions occurred in various parts of the Russian-occupied Qirim overnight.
Russian air defence systems claim to have shot down missiles over the Yevpatoria, Saky, Simferopol, Yalta, and Alushta. The occupation authorities have confirmed the missile attack near Alushta and Simferopol.
The Russian occupying authorities didn’t provide specific information about the consequences of the attack. Sergei Aksyonov, the head of the occupation administration, claims that “two random passersby” were killed in the Simferopol district. In the Alushta area, “a hit on an empty economic facility was recorded.”
The partisan movement Atesh claims that the “empty economic facility” in Alushta is “an important communications and control point” of the 28735 military unit in the village of Solnechnogorskoe. The partisans report significant damage to equipment, a significant number of killed Russian military personnel, and the likely destruction of the command post.
THE HOME FRONT
Court releases 50 more convicts who requested to be mobilised
On 22 May, the Khmelnytskyi City District Court approved all 50 applications for the conditional release of convicts who have expressed a desire to enlist in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to participate in the war, reports the court’s press service.
"The court established the circumstances under which these applications had been made and that they were voluntary. As some of the men put it, they expressed a desire to serve and defend the country while their cases were still being heard in court, but at that time the legislation did not yet provide for such an opportunity. At the same time, the convicts wrote that there are still a large number of people in the penal colony who do not want to be released on parole in this way," the court said.
It is reported that the vast majority of volunteers are young men, mostly convicted of theft. During the court hearings, they said that they had no special skills for military service, but expressed confidence that they would be able to master them quickly enough.
The court is also imposing administrative supervision over the men for a period of one year, but no longer than until their discharge from military service. Such supervision will be carried out by the commanders of their military unit.
Ukraine urgently bought electricity to overcome shortage
Ukraine has been urgently supplied with electricity to overcome the deficit in the power system last night the press service of National Power Company Ukrenergo reports.
"Yesterday, on 23 May, emergency electricity supply to Ukraine was activated from 09:00 to 24:00 from the power systems in Romania, Poland, and Slovakia at the request of Ukrenergo to overcome the deficit in the power system."
Last night, from 02:00 to 07:00, emergency power supply was provided from Poland and Romania.
In addition, electricity imports in the total amount of 15,315 MWh from Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Moldova are planned throughout the day, with a maximum capacity of up to 1,350 MW during some hours.
More than 20,000 confirmed PTSD cases in Ukraine
Ukraine’s Health Minister Viktor Liashko stated during an interview that as of the end of 2023, more than 20,000 people in Ukraine have been officially diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Liashko said that in 2023, there were 23,000 confirmed diagnoses of PTSD in the healthcare system.
This does not include members of the armed services Information regarding the military staff will not be disclosed until after the war ends.
The Minister noted that PTSD is curable, but the process is not easy. Therefore, when symptoms appear, the person affected should consult a psychologist or family doctor to avoid complications.
"We are looking for innovative treatments and we are open to clinical trials. We are now starting to study psychedelic therapy in more detail at our Forest Glade centre in the settlement of Pushcha Vodytsia and are ready to create a clinical base to develop it. Therefore, we need to move in this direction," Lyashko said.
RUSSIAN WORLD
More Russian military leaders face corruption charges, dismissals
[Or - The purge is underway]
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in their May 23 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment stated that the Kremlin is pursuing an effort to remove senior Russian defence officials and has likely expanded this effort to senior officers commanding Russian combat operations in Ukraine.
The Russian Investigative Committee announced on May 23 the arrests of Russian Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Head of its Main Communications Directorate Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, which we reported yesterday and Head of the Russian Ministry of Defense's (MoD) Department for State Procurement, Vladimir Verteletsky. The latter is accused of corruption and accepting a large bribe with total damages of 70 million rubles (about $763,000).
Five senior Russian MoD officials and former military commanders have been arrested on corruption charges since the arrest of Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov on April 24, and a Russian insider source previously claimed that six more MoD officials plan to resign following former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's removal from the MoD.
The Kremlin is likely using the guise of corruption charges as an excuse to hide the real reasons for ousting specific individuals from the MoD who have fallen from favour, as ISW has recently assessed.
Official Kremlin statements and milblogger speculation about the arrests and command changes signal that more senior officers could face removal. Russian state newswire TASS cited Russian law enforcement on May 23 as saying there will be continued investigations in connection with Shamarin's arrest.
Some Russian milbloggers and insider sources have alleged that some of the arrested officials have ties to Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov but have largely not gone so far as to claim that Gerasimov himself will be removed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov oddly stated on May 13 that "no changes are foreseen yet" when specifically asked about Gerasimov's position, however, suggesting that Gerasimov's tenure over the longer term is not assured.
Peskov notably denied on May 23 that there is a "campaign" against Russian MoD officials,[which of course means that it is true] instead asserting that the MoD arrests are part of a consistent fight against corruption.
Peskov has previously deflected reporters' questions about the Russian MoD, and his decision to answer questions about the MoD's command changes and arrests indicates that the Kremlin may want its support of these purges. His claim that the removals are part of a consistent effort are difficult to square with the sudden flurry of dismissals and arrests at an anomalous rate and with high publicity.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
Poland and Greece call EU to establish common air shield for Europe
Polish and Greek prime ministers submitted a letter to the European Commision on Thursday urging the creation of a Europe-wide air defence system, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. Reuters reported.
The importance of air defence has been in sharper focus for Poland, which borders Ukraine and has seen missiles enter its airspace.
"I sent a letter to the European Commission, together with (Greek) Prime Minister Mitsotakis, regarding a common European defence policy," Tusk said during an interview with TVP Info on Thursday evening.
"There is already a very positive reaction from the European Commission to make anti-missile air defence a common task for Europe, because it is a huge amount of money," he added.
He also said European countries should stop competing while creating their air defence systems and start cooperation, including on joint investments in the defence industry.
"We need less fragmentation and common projects. Like an air defence shield as proposed by Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Donald Tusk," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media platform X on Thursday.
In April Tusk said Polish generals and the head of the National Security Bureau Jacek Siewiera had told him it was a good idea for Poland to be part of several air defence projects.
"Only a strong, united Europe that pursues a common defence policy... will be able to prevent war. We are preparing for war not because this war is going to happen, but so that it won't happen," Tusk said on Thursday.
Biden Set to Skip Ukraine Peace Summit for Hollywood Fundraiser
President Joe Biden will likely miss a Ukraine summit next month because it conflicts with a campaign fundraiser in California he’s set to attend alongside George Clooney, Julia Roberts and other stars. Bloomberg reports.
Switzerland scheduled the conference for June 15-16, after a meeting of the Group of Seven in Italy. Several G-7 leaders plan to join but neither Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to be there, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named discussing private deliberations. President Vladimir Putin wasn’t invited and leaders from other nations are also planning to skip.
Biden is scheduled to fly from the G-7 meeting in southern Italy to Los Angeles for the June 15 fundraiser. Along with Clooney and Roberts, former President Barack Obama and late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel are set to join him.
The decision underscores how Biden is further shifting into campaign mode as he looks to overcome former President Donald Trump’s polling lead in key swing states ahead of the November election. Adding to the urgency, Trump eclipsed Biden’s fundraising efforts for the first time in the current election cycle last month, raising $76 million to his $51 million.
It's good to have your priorities strait…
Poland strengthens security of main hub of military aid to Ukraine due to Russia's actions
Polish authorities are stepping up security around the main transit hub for foreign military aid to Ukraine over concerns about Russian-backed sabotage operations. Bloomberg reported.
Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak confirmed that measures are being taken to boost security around the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport. Located less than 100 km (62 miles) from the Ukrainian border, the facility has handled as much as 90% of western materiel headed to the frontline. It’s also become a main stopover point for foreign officials visiting Kyiv.
“We are facing a foreign state that is conducting hostile and — in military parlance — kinetic action on Polish territory,” Siemoniak said in an interview in Warsaw, without elaborating on security measures at the airport. “There has never been anything like this before.”
The minister said Poland is grappling with an unprecedented level of foreign interference after Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that as many as 12 people had been detained as part of a crackdown on alleged acts of sabotage directed from Russia. The cases involve arson, attempted arson as well as physical attacks.
The role of Rzeszow-Jasionka airport as part of Kremlin-backed operations came to light in April. Prosecutors said they arrested a male suspect accused of assisting a plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The man was allegedly prepared to collect information on airport security as part of the plan.
Siemoniak said recent acts were being ordered by Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, adding that similar methods are being deployed across Europe. They usually involve recruitment of what he described as “one-time agents,” such as football hooligans or organized crime groups who are prepared to carry out such acts for money, he said.
The minister called it a “very serious situation,” since Russian services were now acting much more deliberately on foreign territory.
“We’re no longer talking about agents of influence or some online activities,” Siemoniak said. “These are individuals who are ready to come and set things on fire.”
MILITARY & TECH
First batch of USAF trained Ukrainian F-16 pilots complete training in the US.
The first batch of Ukrainian pilots have graduated from U.S. F-16 training, a National Guard official told Air & Space Forces Magazine on May 23.
Multiple Ukrainian pilots have graduated from their F-16 training course at the Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing in Tucson, Ariz., Arizona National Guard spokesperson Capt. Erin Hannigan said. A Pentagon official confirmed the account. The 162nd Wing is the U.S. Air Force’s training unit for foreign F-16 pilots.
Hannigan declined to say how many pilots graduated or when they did so, citing operational security. But some Ukrainian pilots are still undergoing training in the U.S., she added.
Pilots arrived in Tucson in multiple tranches. At first, four Ukrainian pilots were undergoing training at the 162nd, which began in late October of last year. In late January, four more Ukrainian pilots arrived. The National Guard said it was planning to train a total of 12 Ukrainian F-16 pilots by the end of fiscal 2024.
The pilot training was expected to be completed between this month and August, Hannigan previously said. That is a longer timeframe than the Pentagon and the Air National Guard initially suggested in the fall when the first pilots began training in October.
“We’re thinking more long-term, so some of the requirements on them has shifted, and so that has necessitated a little bit longer [timeframe],” director of the Air National Guard Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh said at the AFA Warfare Symposium in February.
US prepares new military assistance package
The United States is expected to announce a new military support package for Ukraine on May 24. AP reports.
According to AP’s sources, the package includes HIMARS systems and 155-mm and 105-mm calibre artillery ammunition. Other details about the new military support have not been reported.
This will be the fourth aid package from the United States since late April, when Congress passed a long-awaited foreign finance measure for Ukraine and its allies.
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