Ukraine Invasion: Part 49

[MagicFox]

Welcome to our 49th thread with the usual thanks to all regular contributors and lurkers 🇺🇦

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A. The agreed purpose of the thread is for the sharing of information and commentary on current events

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@ShambalaAnna, you had numerous posts deleted earlier and then you changed your name - just a bit to @ShambalAnna. Is your first username barred?

Yes, something smells off here doesn’t it?

yes, assuming they were banned.

Given the number of posts from ShambalaAnna that were deleted, that usually happens when someone's been banned.

reflective sniff autocorrect keeps trying to change 'ShambalaAnna' to 'Shambolic'

Another name change.

Oh, you know the reasons.

Also, if your account is banned, it's a clear message that your contributions to Mumsnet are not welcomed.

And my contributions aren't welcome because...?

If Mumsnet banned you, ask Mumsnet.

I’ve been busy with a collaborative report that needed to be ready for June. One with a colleague who has been… difficult, so am slow with mumsnetting.

Dead relatives: the 3-member family group in occupied Kherson oblast we lost contact with. Eventually my Dnipro relatives found someone else who had relatives nearby (the area is largely depopulated with just some hold-outs and occupying Russian troops who are often not ‘Russian’) who could confirm that the parents were dead. They didn’t know about the fate of adult daughter, but it is assumed she is dead too. I don’t know any more than that. She would have found a way to contact if she was alive. The fourth member of that family group who is alive is serving in the Ukrainian military.

You'd said you were afraid of the worst when you hadn't heard from them. I'm so very sorry to hear it's been confirmed.

Devastating for the fourth member of the family.

I'm so sorry MMBaranova

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️US Deputy Treasury Secretary Adeyemo warns https://kyivindependent.com/us-deputy-treasury-secretary-adeyemo-warns-china-over-support-for-russia/China over support for Russia.
"We must make the choice stark for China: Chinese firms can either do business in our economies or they can equip Russia's war machine with dual-use goods. They cannot do both," Adeyemo said.

‘We took out so many of them:’ Ukraine stabilizes Kharkiv front https://kyivindependent.com/we-took-out-so-many-of-them-ukraine-stabilizes-kharkiv-front-after-brutal-russian-offensive/ after brutal Russian offensive
According to open source mapping, little to no further gains have been noticeable in the past week; on May 24, Ukraine’s General Staff announced that Ukrainian forces had already begun counterattacking operations in the area.

⚡️Chechen man arrested https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-can-strike-inside-russia-with-american-arm-near-entire-region-in-north-us-official-says/ in France for plotting terrorist attack on Olympics, authorities say.

⚡️Ukraine can strike (https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-can-strike-inside-russia-with-american-arm-near-entire-region-in-north-us-official-says/) inside Russia with American arms near entire northern border, US official says.
“The recommendations apply to the northern border in Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts, where Russian forces are firing on Ukraine,” said Michael Carpenter, senior director for Europe at the U.S. National Security Council.

⚡️Ukraine to receive (https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-to-receive-2-2-billion-from-imfs-extended-fund-facility/) $2.2 billion from IMF's Extended Fund Facility.

⚡️European IT Coalition raises https://kyivindependent.com/european-led-it-coalition-raises-58-million-euros-for-ukraines-it-cybersecurity-defense-capabilities/ 58 million euros for Ukraine's IT, cybersecurity defense capabilities.

⚡️SBU drones destroyed Russia's long-range radar in Crimea, sources say.
The system, worth around $100 million, was positioned near Armiansk, a town in the north of the occupied Crimean peninsula, the source said. https://kyivindependent.com/sbu-destroyed-russian-nebo-svu-radar-station-sources-say/

⚡️Mobilization in Ukraine ramps up as new law comes into effect, Zelensky says. He said that the country has "never stopped mobilizing" since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, but that mobilization "has increased" after the new law came into effect. https://kyivindependent.com/mobilization-in-ukraine-ramps-up-after-law-was-passed-zelensky-says/

⚡️Polish state news agency hit by cyberattack https://kyivindependent.com/polish-state-news-agency-hit-by-cyber-attack-officials-claim-russian-involvement/ officials claim Russian involvement.

⚡️EU imposes sanctions https://kyivindependent.com/eu-imposes-sanctions-on-iranian-individuals-entities-involved-in-the-transfer-of-drones-to-russia/ on Iranian individuals, entities involved in transfer of drones to Russia.

⚡️ G7, EU want to target banks and third-party lenders https://kyivindependent.com/g7-eu-banks-sanctions/ helping Russia evade sanctions, Bloomberg reports.

⚡️Warsaw considers https://kyivindependent.com/warsaw-may-form-unit-of-military-aged-ukrainians-living-in-poland-fm-says/ forming unit of draft-aged Ukrainians living in Poland, FM says.

⚡️US philanthropist to fund restoration https://kyivindependent.com/us-philanthropist-to-finance-the-restoration-of-kharkivs-printing-house-destroyed-by-russia/ of Kharkiv's printing house, destroyed by Russia.
The Howard G. Buffett Foundation will finance the restoration of Kharkiv-based Faktor Druk printing house, destroyed in a Russian missile attack, Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on May 31.

⚡️ Update: 2 thermal power plants https://kyivindependent.com/russia-launches-large-scale-attack-on-ukraine-damage-to-critical-infrastructure-reported/ targeted in Russian attack, DTEK says, resulting in "serious damage" to the equipment.
“This is the sixth major attack on DTEK’s thermal power plants in two and a half months,” the company said.

⚡️ Update: 2 hydroelectric power plants hit https://kyivindependent.com/russia-launches-large-scale-attack-on-ukraine-damage-to-critical-infrastructure-reported/ in Russian attack on energy infrastructure.
Two hydroelectric power stations and nearby infrastructure were hit during a massive Russian attack on June 1, inflicting "critical damage," said Ukrhydronergo, the state-owned hydroelectric energy company.

The Counteroffensive: Some aren't evacuating https://kyivindependent.com/the-counteroffensive-people-arent-evacuating-ukraines-front-line-towns-why/ from Ukraine's front-line towns. Why?

Swiss volunteer injured in Russian attack on Vovchansk. He had come to Ukraine to help evacuate people and animals from the areas of active combat operations. He was injured on May 30 during a humanitarian mission in embattled Vovchansk and received medical treatment, Kharkiv Oblast prosecutors said. https://kyivindependent.com/swiss-volunteer-injured-in-russian-attack-on-vovchansk/

⚡️Russia launches https://kyivindependent.com/russia-launches-large-scale-attack-on-ukraine-damage-to-critical-infrastructure-reported/ large-scale missile attack on Ukraine, damage to critical infrastructure reported. [as of 03:30 local time]

⚡️Update: Russian mass attack injures at least 20 people https://kyivindependent.com/russia-launches-large-scale-attack-on-ukraine-damage-to-critical-infrastructure-reported/ including children.

⚡️Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast village kill 1, injure 3
⚡️2 injured in Russian missile attack on Odesa port infrastructure.
⚡️Russia attacks 9 communities in Sumy Oblast.
⚡️Updated: At least 4 injured in Russia's overnight attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
⚡️ Update: 12 people injured in Kharkiv Oblast, official clarifies
⚡️ Death toll of Russia's May 31 attack on Kharkiv rises to 7.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson

• JUN 1, 2024

■ Engagements >100 & casualties >1k ■ Massive equipment losses incl. 7-day record for special equipment & most vehicles in 2024 ■ Record month for both casualties & equipment losses ■ Fewer strikes on both sides

I wonder how the Ukrainian counteroffensive will go near Kharkiv. There was a comment that US aid will take weeks to fully arrive at the front line but I imagine the Kharkiv area is a high priority.

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

Germany is handing over another Patriot air defense system to Ukraine and allocating an additional €500 million, — German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers.

Antony Blinken stated that the NATO summit in Washington in July should provide a “bridge” to Ukraine's membership in the Alliance.
He also mentioned that the summit would adopt a “strong package of support for Ukraine”.

🇹🇷 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Ankara does not want NATO's direct "participation" in the war in Ukraine but supports providing military aid to Kyiv.
He emphasized that Türkiye "supports the continuation of aid to Ukraine and the ability of Ukraine to contain" Russia.

NATO plans to allocate $40 billion to help Ukraine every year, but Hungary will participate in it only if it is a war in Europe, — the head of the Foreign Ministry of Hungary, Peter Szijjártó

According to a declassified Pentagon report, North Korean missile debris has been found throughout Ukraine. The report reveals that Russia is extensively using North Korean missiles to attack Ukraine, targeting not only front-line cities, Reuters writes.

💡The Russians massively attacked the Ukrainian energy sector in the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Donetsk, Kirovohrad and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. The consequences of the strikes are being clarified, and energy workers are already working on their elimination.

🇵🇱 Poland declared a "long and tense night" during the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The operational command of the Polish Armed Forces reported that on the night of June 1, Polish and allied aviation were involved in response to the threat of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian territory.

The G7 countries and the EU are considering imposing sanctions on banks that use the Russian Financial Messaging System (SPFS), according to Bloomberg.
The agency reports that discussions are ongoing about sanctioning banks in other countries that utilize SPFS, Russia's alternative to the SWIFT system. The G7 countries prioritize preventing Russia from obtaining key technologies for weapon production, as Russia often circumvents existing restrictions by importing goods through third countries.
A source notes that the use of SPFS has tripled in 2023 compared to 2022, with around 150 financial organizations from 20 countries, including China, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, currently using the system.

Ukrainian border guards showed what the defenders of Ukraine, released from Russian captivity, look like

Any idea what they mean by this:l?:

🇵🇱 Poland declared a "long and tense night" during the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The operational command of the Polish Armed Forces reported that on the night of June 1, Polish and allied aviation were involved in response to the threat of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian territory.

According to a declassified Pentagon report, North Korean missile debris has been found throughout Ukraine. The report reveals that Russia is extensively using North Korean missiles to attack Ukraine, targeting not only front-line cities, Reuters writes.

And what's good for the goose .....

Hopefully declassified with a view to paving the way for a complete lifting of the ban on using NATO supplied missiles on military targets within Russia.

Wasn't there talk of neighbouring countries offering air defence on their border with Ukraine to ensure missiles didn't stray into their territory - is this the first instance of this being put into operation?
It seems Europe is getting bolder 💪

This is the full info from United24 Media:

🇵🇱 Poland declared a "long and tense night" during the Russian attack on Ukraine.

The operational command of the Polish Armed Forces reported that on the night of June 1, Polish and allied aviation were involved in response to the threat of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian territory.

The Polish military noted that Russia's night attack covered the entire territory of Ukraine, including border regions with Poland. The attack was carried out using cruise missiles, Shahed-type drones, and ballistic missiles launched from the Black Sea region

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Zelensky: the UK had not given "100% permission" to strike military targets with UK-made Storm Shadow missiles.
In an interview with the Guardian he implied that that is unlikely to change until the White House changes its policy on strikes deep into Russian territory.

🇺🇦🇸🇬 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Singapore
He will speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference and meet with the President and Prime Minister of Singapore, local investors, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Maryana Chechelyuk, a police officer from Mariupol, is among 75 POWs freed from Russian captivity today.
She was captured from the Azovstal Steelworks, where she was during the siege with her family.
According to her mother, she was tortured, beaten and starved regularly.

In the morning, Russians fired missiles at Balakliya in the Kharkiv oblast
At the time of the attack, 12 people were in two houses: 4 adults (including one pregnant woman) and 8 children. A fire broke out. All twelve victims are in moderate condition and hospitalized. https://t.me/liveukrainemedia/21478

Six cruise missiles struck three critical infrastructure facilities in the Lviv oblast, according to the Regional Military Administration. Four people were injured at one of the sites and have been hospitalized
Attached is a map showing the trajectory of Russian missiles and UAVs during the combined missile and drone attack that occurred overnight.

Russian top TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov said with a laugh that Russia should repeat the bombing of Dresden 1945, because Dresden is “used to this”

Ukrhydroenergo reports that Russia attacked two hydroelectric power plants during the night attack, equipment was critically damaged