[WonderMomma]

This drone, with munitions attached, weighs just over 82 kgs (180 lbs).

[WhiskeyOutpost]

DeepState map updates May 11th, 13th and 19th. Blue = recently taken territory by Ukraine

[WonderMomma]

"In recent weeks, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down at least one Russian fighter jet with the help of the Patriot air defense system, which was conducting a combat sortie, preparing to launch missiles towards Ukraine, - CNN"



"Every month, Russia produces 25 Caliber missiles, 2 Dagger missiles, 35 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 5 9M723 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, - GUR MO. This suggests that the aggressor, despite the sanction, arranged the purchase and supply of microelectronic parts for production."



VIDEO:
"the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation claims that Shoigu visited a control point in the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region.

There is no evidence in the video that this is Zaporizhzhia, and not some Russian Muhosransk."

[WonderMomma]

"Landings from river boats and river crossings - such exercises continued in the North of Ukraine"

[WonderMomma]

Originally Posted by WonderMomma ↗

"Poland confirms that the Ch-55 cruise missile found in Zamość near Bydgoszcz is Russian. It fell in the middle of December and was randomly found in the end of April.

It is possible, in my opinion, that the rocket that flew into Poland in the middle of November 2022, killing two people, was Russian as well. And it definitely landed in Poland as a result of Russian rocket attack on Ukraine.

I am confident that Polish government will have an adequate reaction to the Russian threat to Polish security."

Attachment 1179366

"The warhead of the Russian Kh-55 cruise missile that fell near Bydgoszcz a few months ago was discovered in Poland.

It does not contain explosives, as the missile was a false target for Ukrainian air defense.

But there is an interesting nuance. The Kh-55 missile is a standard tactical nuclear munition.

Those X-55s, which Russian war criminals are launching in Ukraine, are equipped with a massive simulator of a nuclear charge in the warhead. He is in the photo.

Whether such a charge simulator was installed on the missile that fell in Poland has not yet been announced."

[WonderMomma]

"Joint statement of the G7 countries at the Hiroshima summit:

▫️ Peace in Ukraine cannot be achieved without the complete withdrawal of Russian troops.

▫️Participants undertake to continue providing assistance to Ukraine in the field of security.

▫️G7 leaders supported the financial support program for Ukraine for the next year.

▫️ Russia must pay for the long-term recovery of Ukraine, until then the G7 intends to keep Russian assets frozen."



"Rheinmetall will send the first batch of ammunition for the Gepard Armed Forces in the fall, - Military .

This means that Switzerland still gave its permission to re-export military technology to Ukraine.

A decision that means much more than just a signature on a piece of paper."

[SDI]

Originally Posted by WonderMomma ↗

"Rheinmetall will send the first batch of ammunition for the Gepard Armed Forces in the fall, - Military .

This means that Switzerland still gave its permission to re-export military technology to Ukraine.

Attachment 1181256

Rheinmetall opened a new production line for 35mm Gepard ammo in Germany. 300.000 rounds were ordered so far, thats were this "first batch" is coming from. This was in in preparation since January and the production started end of march.

https://www.army-technology.com/news...ition-ukraine/

Everyone still pissed of Switzerland, nothing changed there. But there are rumours the will lift the ban of ammo re-exports near future. There's alot pressure, cause Switzerland is about to lose its defence industry. Cause no one will ever buy swiss made weapons, when they refuse to hand over neccessary ammuntion when you really need it.

[WonderMomma]

Originally Posted by SDI ↗

Rheinmetall opened a new production line for 35mm Gepard ammo in Germany. 300.000 rounds were ordered so far, thats were this "first batch" is coming from. This was in in preparation since January and the production started end of march.

https://www.army-technology.com/news...ition-ukraine/

Everyone still pissed of Switzerland, nothing changed there. But there are rumours the will lift the ban of ammo re-exports near future. There's alot pressure, cause Switzerland is about to lose its defence industry. Cause no one will ever buy swiss made weapons, when they refuse to hand over neccessary ammuntion when you really need it.

Thanks for the clarification. I was questioning if Switzerland really gave their permission. Maybe one day but by that time, as you said, they won't be needed.

[WonderMomma]

Originally Posted by WonderMomma ↗

They could have been doing this 4 months ago when they first started talking about it.

"President Joe Biden informed G7 leaders today that the United States supports joint efforts with allies and partners to train Ukrainian pilots for the F-16 , a high-ranking representative of the administration told CNN.

According to the official, training will take place in Europe .

"As the training takes place over the coming months, our coalition of countries participating in this effort will decide exactly when to provide aircraft, how many we will provide and who will provide them," the official added."
Attachment 1181196

Tweet from British PM Sunak:
Attachment 1181200

"Portugal will join the so-called coalition of fighter jets, help train Ukrainian pilots and mechanics, Kuleba said after a meeting with Portuguese Foreign and Defense Ministers."



"Denmark will train Ukrainian pilots, does not exclude the provision of F-16 - Acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen

According to him, the final format of training for Ukrainians will be finalized over the next month and discussed during a meeting of defense ministers from a number of countries in Warsaw in the near future.

Poulsen also confirmed that Denmark is still open to discussing the possible transfer of F-16 fighters to Ukraine, but this issue is not yet on the table."



"France ready to train Ukrainian pilots right away

France is ready to train pilots immediately with the coordination of other European states and the US, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday evening, noting it could be the precursor to the delivery of planes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was on a trip to Europe last weekend, where he reiterated his request for fighter planes to be sent to the country.

France wants to “help Ukraine to resist, to organise, at the moment it chooses, a counter-offensive” against Russia, said Macron, confirming that France would deliver to Ukraine new ammunition and train battalions that will be engaged in this counter-offensive.

Macron also announced that the French army was ready to train Ukrainian pilots.

He added that such training is possible “starting from now” and can be done jointly with other European countries and perhaps with the Americans.

“There is no taboo”, Macron explained that talking about deliveries of fighter planes now “would be a theoretical debate”.

He also recalled France’s stance, which is clear about not delivering weapons “that can reach Russian soil” and that do not weaken France’s ability to defend itself.

Speaking of tank deliveries, Macron said: “We were the ones who triggered a wider movement”."

[WonderMomma]

Source: https://telegra.ph/Ukraine-is-cuttin...can-surr-05-19

NOTE: there are pictures of maps included in the report that aren't working on the site so I couldn't transfer them here.

Ukraine is "cutting" the Russians' flanks around Bakhmut, and the city is almost completely captured. But the Defense Forces can surround the occupiers. The situation at the front on the 450th day of the big war.
Live: UkraineMay 19, 2023



For the first time since last November, Ukrainian troops have launched serious attacks. They are simultaneously advancing on the northern and southern outskirts of Bakhmut to collapse the flanks of the Wagnerites who are storming the city itself. They only need to capture a dozen high-rise buildings and a small part of the private sector to fully occupy Bakhmut. But at the same time, the Ukrainian army is trying to break through the Russian defense around Bakhmut and, if successful, surround it. On all other fronts, the front line remains unchanged as the Russians run out of steam and prepare for a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Sabotage in the Russian rear continues

Local authorities in the regions bordering Ukraine report almost daily that unidentified drones have been shot down or crashed. No serious drone strikes have been reported in the last 10 days. But Russian channels reported that on May 10, drones hit a training ground in the Voronezh region, injuring 14 Russian soldiers. Also on May 18, a railroad exploded in Crimea - Eight railroad cars with grain derailed. The railroad in Crimea is strategically important, as it is used by Russians to move troops to southern Ukraine. But the network on the peninsula is not extensive - there is a line from Kerch to Dzhankoy. From there, there is a line to Simferopol and Sevastopol, and two others to mainland Ukraine.

Several helicopters and airplanes crashed in the Bryansk region on May 13. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not comment on the incident at all, while local authorities said that at least one helicopter and one airplane had gone down. Russian Telegram channels cited sources as saying that four planes had gone down. Two days later, self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that four Russian planes had gone down in the Bryansk region.

There are four versions of what happened. The first is the least likely - all four planes crashed simultaneously. The second is that the Russian air defense system worked on its own. The third is that a sabotage group worked. Fourth, the planes were shot down by Ukrainian air defense. Since then, the Russians have stopped dropping guided bombs on the northern regions of Ukraine.

Almost every night, Russians attack Kyiv with missiles and drones.

On the night of May 16, Russians fired aerial and cruise missiles and drones at Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that it had shot down as many as six Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles. Later, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the missile hit the Patriot air defense system. CNN, citing U.S. officials, first confirmed the damage to the system, but said it was not destroyed. Later, it turned out that the Patriot had sustained minimal damage.

On May 15, The Washington Post published another story based on leaked Pentagon documents. They stated that in late January, the owner of the Russian Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, allegedly offered the Ukrainian leadership data about the positions of Russian troops in exchange for the retreat of Ukrainian units from Bakhmut. He suggested storming areas in the south to reach the annexed Crimea. Prigozhin said that the Russian military was facing a shortage of ammunition and had poor morale. Prigozhin allegedly spoke with officers of the DIU and personally met with some of them in an African country. Another document said that Kyiv was aware of the Kremlin's knowledge of the DIU's contacts with Prigozhin. It also noted that Prigozhin's proposals were not trusted in Ukraine and the West.

When asked about his contacts in the DIU, Prigozhin recorded several sarcastic audio messages, and the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine refused to comment on this information. In fact, Prigozhin could probably have been in contact with Ukrainian intelligence in order to fulfill his task of capturing Bakhmut. Instead, due to his conflict with the Russian Defense Ministry, Prigozhin is interested in the failure or defeat of the regular Russian army, so he could offer Ukraine such things.

In the Kharkiv region, the front line has hardly changed.

Russians still control a small area in the northeast, near the Russian-Ukrainian border. The occupiers are trying to advance toward Kupiansk and along the Oskil River to push the Ukrainian army back beyond it.

The occupiers claimed to have captured the village of Masiutivka on the eastern bank of the Oskil River. It is located opposite the village of Dvorichna. They also published a video of the attacks on the village. Before the war, 22 people officially "lived" in Masiutivka, although satellite images show that there are only a few buildings there.

Russians are not advancing in Luhansk region either.

The biggest battles are taking place near the village of Dibrova and in the forests south of Kreminna. The main goal of the Russians is to push Ukrainian troops away from the towns of Kreminna and Svatove, as well as from the highway between them.

On May 12 and 13, explosions occurred at Russian military facilities in occupied Luhansk. Throughout the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian military reached the outskirts of the city only a few times because they did not have such long-range weapons. On May 12, a workshop of the machine-building plant 100 ["Polypak"] exploded, followed by the buildings of the Luhansk Institute of Internal Affairs and the Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators. The occupiers turned all these facilities into their warehouses and barracks. The Russians immediately claimed that Luhansk was hit by Storm Shadow cruise missiles The UK has just handed over the first two of these missiles to Ukraine.

And on May 15, in Luhansk, the barbershop of the "Minister of Internal Affairs of the LPR" Igor Kornet was blown up. . He was seriously injured, underwent surgery, and is now in the hospital.

On the southern bank of the Siverskyi Donets River, the administrative border of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, Russians continue to attack the village of Bilohorivka and the villages of Verkhnekamianske and Spirne. These settlements cover the flank of the Ukrainian military, who are holding back the Russians behind Soledar and preventing them from reaching Siversk quickly and simultaneously from several sides. The occupiers will pay less attention to this direction until they capture Bakhmut.

In Bakhmut itself, Russians are storming high-rise neighborhoods in the west of the city. A dozen high-rise buildings and a small part of the private sector remain under Ukrainian control. The occupiers are gradually pushing the Ukrainian military out of the city.

However, the Russians had a problem on their flanks.

In February and March, the occupiers were close to surrounding Bakhmut and cutting off the roads to the city. They were held back by reinforcements, so the Russians got involved in urban battles. On May 9, the Ukrainian military began a counteroffensive to the north and south of Bakhmut. Earlier, the owner of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the Wagner people had transferred control of the flanks to Russian army personnel who were now "fleeing" from Ukrainian attacks. The Ukrainian defense forces have already managed to significantly push the Russians back from the Bakhmut-Konstantinovka and Bakhmut-Chasiv Yar roads. They continue to advance on the northern and southern outskirts of Bakhmut, moving toward Berkhivka and Klishchiyivka. If successful, Ukrainian troops can overwhelm the flanks of the Wagnerites and surround them in Bakhmut.

Around Avdiivka, the Russians are trying to attack, but are not making progress. A month ago, the Russians managed to capture several villages north of the city, but have had no further success.

In all other areas of Donetsk region, the situation has hardly changed. Fighting continues in the town of Maryinka, but the Russians are unable to advance there. The defense of the city has been going on for 15 months, and the occupiers have not been able to capture it since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. In the area of Vuhledar, the situation has also stabilized, and the occupiers are not trying to actively advance.

In Zaporizhzhia region, the front line is not changing. Neither Russia nor Ukraine is attempting a large-scale attack in this area, but they continue to exchange fire. The Russian army is preparing for defense in Zaporizhzhia region: it is building fortifications and digging kilometer-long trenches.

After the announced "evacuation", the occupiers began to gradually return to the settlements. near the front line. The number of Russian soldiers has increased in Enerhodar, as well as at Zaporizhzhia NPP. The occupation authorities also returned.

In Kherson region, the front line is not changing either - it has stabilized along the Dnipro River. Mutual fire across the river continues there. Most likely, the front line along the Dnipro River will remain unchanged until the occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia region is liberated.

On May 13-15, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited European countries and brought back new military aid packages for Ukraine.

Zelensky visited Italy, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

Germany announces the largest aid package for Ukraine on May 13

for more than €2.7 billion. It will include 18 wheeled howitzers, 4 IRIS-T SLM systems + 12 IRIS-T SLS launchers with missiles, artillery ammunition, 30 Leopard 1 A5 battle tanks, 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles and more than 100 armored combat vehicles.

France subsequently promised to provide dozens of armored vehicles and light tanks, such as the AMX 10-RC, and the United Kingdom said it would provide hundreds of long-range attack drones, as well as missiles for air defense.

The UK also announced that it will begin basic training for Ukrainian pilots to fly Western aircraft in the summer. Together with the Netherlands, they want to lead a "coalition of fighters."

Most importantly, Ukraine received long-range cruise missiles for the first time.

The United Kingdom handed over Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. And they began to be used just a few days after the official confirmation. Storm Shadow missiles can fly up to 560 kilometers (or 290 kilometers in the export version), and their warhead weighs almost half a ton. These missiles will allow Ukrainian troops to reach targets deep behind Russian lines - almost anywhere in the occupied territory of Ukraine. Storm Shadow missiles are launched from airplanes and are compatible with Western aircraft. However, it is not known how Ukraine launches them. Most likely, Ukrainian Soviet aircraft have been modernized so that they can now also launch Storm Shadow.