"We appreciate that Germany plays a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine throughout the years of war Ukraine is also grateful for your personal commitment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 2:23 am)Drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5 Far-right Euroskeptic candidate George Simion head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan placed second with 20.99% of the vote and the candidate from the ruling coalition "It requires the continuation of contacts between Moscow and Washington which have been launched and are now ongoing," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said set to operate within the Council of Europe will focus on Russia's political and military leaders up to 20 Russian soldiers were killed and their equipment destroyed The move represents an apparent violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions passed in the wake of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests Currently, the water level in the Russian-occupied town is falling, but still reaches up to 2 meters in some areas, according to the head of the city’s Military Administration Svitlana Linnyk. “The city is blocked. The Russians closed all entrances and exits,” said Linnyk. As a result, volunteers are not able to transfer humanitarian aid to local residents. “I don’t yet know whether the delivery of drinking water and food will be organized,” she added. In addition, some local residents died as a result of the flood, but relatives can’t bury them. "Families cannot bury these people in the cemetery, even though it is located in a non-flooded part of the city. The occupiers do not allow people there,” said Linnyk. Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram Публикация от Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent_official) The day after the Kakhovka dam was blown up on June 6, Hola Prystan with  around 6,000 people was 85% flooded by noon Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported that as of June 11 were evacuated from the Russian-occupied left bank of the Oblast the average water level in the flooded region is  3,93 meters of which 32 are on the right bank and 14 are on the left bank We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent We are here to make sure our readers get quick essential updates about the events in Ukraine Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts "Streets in Hola Prystan are still flooded The electricity appears for a while and then disappears again Occupiers do not respond to appeals from affected households there may be bodies of people who died as a result of flooding," Oleksandr Tolokonnikov the spokesman for the Kherson Regional Military Administration the invaders are actively setting up military hospitals on the left bank because there are many wounded and those suffering from infectious diseases a certain rotation of the Russian military takes place in Henichesk community start their ‘work’ with looting health resorts and guesthouses They even have special warehouses in every community where they take the looted goods and sign them," the spokesman said While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 unsure whether they will return home again and spending the family's year income -- that is what fleeing costed the family this story is about our hometown Hola Prystan was still on the very first frontline," Sofia explains Sofia and her family have spent 14 months under Russian occupation which reached them at the beginning of the full-scale invasion After part of Kherson oblast was liberated by the Ukrainian armed forces in 2022 making the life of locals even more impossible large damage was done to the city after the Kakhovka dam flood Sofia's family left the occupied territory before the flood they heard from friends that only a peak of the roof The family had been waiting for Ukraine's liberation for over a year there were times when Russian troops paid no attention to the residents Russian authorities cut off all kinds of communication at once: mobile connection That is when Sofia's family sank into isolation "No one had any idea what was going on in our city and Ukrainian media couldn't reach us." The situation then deteriorated for everyone: medicine ran out Sofia could not afford to skip a dose of medicine This was when the group chats in messengers came in handy People were using the chats to share medication the Crimean Gypsies began selling medicine Some necessities became available as a result Sofia experienced the shortage of medicine until the day she left the only option was to go to doctors' homes "Ukrainian doctors worked until the last They were told that there would not be salaries at all they stated they would simply work as volunteers and she didn't leave because she was the only pediatrician in the city She was killed right in her home by mortar fire." people knew if someone or no one was killed after the city trembled from bombardment We've always been sharing information among ourselves somehow and even went to visit each other under shelling but with a good ending -- Russia let the family leave it was because much earlier all of them underwent Russian filtration She also made one more smart choice -- taking all the family photographs the entire family's history would be far gone with the devastating water of the Kakhovka dam three cats took up a lot of space in a ZAZ Sens car it is very expensive to keep cats in Europe." The furry three was the one and the only reason why the family was refused rent many times having no place to live in and at the same time obliged to undergo animal quarantine Leaving the cats to someone else was never an option Now that they found an apartment and job in Denmark they still consider it to be a temporary island of calm life and a possibility to earn money for rebuilding their house Ukraine cannot fight the war and refund all destroyed buildings at once The family's hard work paved the way they lived in Ukraine they stick to this virtue wherever they are like a blue-yellow flag waving from neighbor Bilohrudiv island Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Click here to see ISW’s interactive map of the Russian invasion of Ukraine This map is updated daily alongside the static maps present in this report Click here to access ISW’s archive of interactive time-lapse maps of the Russian invasion of Ukraine These maps complement the static control-of-terrain map that ISW produces daily by showing a dynamic frontline ISW will update this time-lapse map archive monthly Note: The data cutoff for this product was 3pm ET on June 7 ISW will cover subsequent reports in the June 8 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment The destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (KHPP) dam is significantly changing the geography and topography of the Kherson frontline sector in southern Ukraine Near-infrared (NIR) imagery captured at 0400 am ET on June 7 indicates that the flooding is heavily disrupting Russian prepared defensive positions on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro River – especially affecting Russian first-line positions in Hola Prystan and Oleshky and Dnipryany are almost entirely flooded with water levels rising to the height of a one-story buildings in some areas.[1] The Ukrainian headquarters established to remediate the consequences of the dam’s destruction reported that as of June 7 29 settlements are partially or fully flooded The destruction of the KHPP dam is affecting Russian military positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River The flooding has destroyed many Russian first line field fortifications that the Russian military intended to use to defend against Ukrainian attacks Rapid flooding has likely forced Russian personnel and military equipment in Russian main concentration points in Oleshky and Hola Prystan to withdraw Russian forces had previously used these positions to shell Kherson City and other settlements on the west (right bank) of Kherson Ukrainian Southern Operational Command Spokesperson Nataliya Humenyuk stated that Russian forces relocated their personnel and military equipment from five to 15 kilometers from the flood zone which places Russian forces out of artillery range of some settlements on the west (right bank) of the Dnipro River they had been attacking.[6] The flood also destroyed Russian minefields along the coast with footage showing mines exploding in the flood water.[7] Kherson Oblast Occupation Head Vladimir Saldo claimed that the destruction of the KHPP is beneficial to the Russian defenses because it will complicate Ukrainian advances across the river.[8] Saldo’s assessment of the situation ignores the loss of Russia’s first line of prepared fortifications The amount of Russian heavy equipment lost in the first 24 hours of flooding is also unclear Ukrainian officials continued to accuse Russian forces of destroying the KHPP dam out of fear that Ukrainian forces would land on the east (left) bank Kherson Oblast Representative of the Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Andriy Yusov stated that only Russian forces could have detonated the dam given its structural and engineering features and noted that Russians are “very happy that the islands on which [Ukrainian forces] were allegedly based A Kremlin-affiliated milblogger claimed that there were active engagements between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the Dachi area on the east bank of the Dnipro River (11km southwest of Kherson City) and on the contested islands near Kherson City as of June 5.[12] The milblogger claimed that the number of Ukrainian speedboats also increased in the Dnipro Delta as of June 5 Another milblogger speculated that Ukrainian forces were attempting to establish a bridgehead by seizing the KHPP dam.[13] ISW offers no assessment of whether the Ukrainians were attempting to cross the river or for what purpose they might have sought to do so The clear concern in the Russian military information space shows that the fear of such a crossing and belief that it was either underway or imminent was present in the minds of Russians closely following the war shortly before the dam was destroyed The New York Times (NYT) reported that engineering and munitions experts believe that a deliberate explosion was the likely cause of KHPP dam’s collapse on June 6.[14] NYT reported that a blast within an enclosed space would cause the most damage whereas external detonations – such as by targeted missile or artillery strikes – would only exert a fraction of the force necessary to breach the dam The NYT quoted the experts as acknowledging that the KHPP sustained damage from military operations prior to the collapse but questioning whether this prior damage alone was sufficient to collapse the dam NYT reported that the dam was first breached in its middle close to the KHPP on the Russian-held east (left) riverbank and that more of the dam collapsed throughout the day a pattern that one expert characterized as inconsistent with the dam failing due to prior damage Russian forces and occupation authorities are responding to the flooding in Kherson Oblast with a great degree of disorganization and thereby exacerbating harm to the civilian population of occupied areas The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian military personnel near Kozachi Laheri (30km southwest of the KHPP on the Russian-occupied east bank of the Dnipro River) purposefully prevented civilian populations from fleeing the area despite flooding.[17] Ukrainian Kherson Oblast Administration Advisor Serhiy Khlan stated that residents of east bank settlements are waiting on their roofs with no food or water for the occupation administration to provide aid and evacuate them while Russian soldiers abandoned their positions and fled.[18] Russian opposition outlet Verstka reported that civilians in Russian-occupied Oleshky (53km southwest of KHPP) have waited for almost two days on roofs for volunteers and Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations employees to arrive after which they helped civilians evacuate to dry areas of Oleshky but that Russian forces did not permit civilians to evacuate outside of Oleshky.[19] Russian forces’ and occupation authorities’ varied responses and slow reaction time indicate that they were unprepared to deal with civilian evacuations Civilian accounts about the lack of evacuations in Belgorod Oblast in response to the pro-Ukrainian all-Russian Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) and Freedom of Russian Legion‘s (LSR) raids suggest a similar pattern of Russian authorities struggling to coordinate evacuations even on their own territory.[20] Select Wagner Group-affiliated Russian senior military officers continue to posture as effective commanders to appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin by capitalizing on high-profile military events A Russian milblogger published a long interview with Russian Colonel “K Zalessky” in which Zalessky claimed that Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) Commander Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky played a decisive role in Russian forces’ ability to defend against the ongoing Ukrainian localized counterattacks near Velyka Novosilka Donetsk Oblast.[21] Zalessky confirmed prior claims that Teplinsky became an overall theater deputy commander responsible for southern Ukraine as of April 1 and praised Teplinsky for being intimately involved in Russian defensive preparations west of Vuhledar and throughout the south.[22] The interview notably portrays the Russian defense against these localized Ukrainian attacks as a significant undertaking contrasting with some Russian milblogger claims that these Ukrainian operations constitute a reconnaissance-in-force and were not part of a main counteroffensive effort.[23] The pro-Teplinsky interview is likely part of an information operation aimed at undermining the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) Zalessky claimed that Teplinsky praised the commanders of the 5th Combined Arms Army and 36th Combined Arms Army (both of the Eastern Military District) for their defensive efforts in the Velyka Novosilka area but claimed that not all of the Russian military command displayed similar bravery.[24] Zalessky claimed that Teplinsky personally arrayed Russian formations across their defensive lines echoing Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin’s June 6 criticisms that MoD officials need to visit the front lines.[25] The interview was published almost immediately after the MoD claimed that Chief of the Russian General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov took command of Russian operations in the south on June 5 and after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu characterized the defense as an MoD success on June 6.[26] Shoigu notably also praised elements of the 5th and 36th Combined Arms armies but failed to visit them on the frontlines as Teplinsky reportedly did.[27] Teplinsky notably had to use a Russian milblogger to claim credit for repelling claimed Ukrainian attacks in eastern Zaporizhia and western Donetsk oblasts The MoD has previously blocked Wagner-affiliated commanders from being featured on official platforms.[28] It is noteworthy that Russian commanders and senior military leaders appear to prioritize public posing in the midst of ongoing significant military operations and major catastrophes Wagner-affiliated commanders’ reactive public relations campaigns may not be sufficient to deflect from battlefield realities Though some large milbloggers amplified the Teplinsky interview on June 7 the broader Russian information space remained saturated with tactical claims of Ukrainian counterattacks near Velyka Novosilka and with the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (KHPP) dam disaster.[29] We do not report in detail on Russian war crimes because these activities are well-covered in Western media and do not directly affect the military operations we are assessing and forecasting We will continue to evaluate and report on the effects of these criminal activities on the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian population and specifically on combat in Ukrainian urban areas We utterly condemn these Russian violations of the laws of armed conflict and humanity even though we do not describe them in these reports Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Luhansk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast) Russian and Ukrainian officials each accused the other state of damaging an ammonia pipeline that runs through Kharkiv Oblast and of causing an ammonia leak Geolocated footage shows a large cloud of ammonia leaking from a section of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline just south of Masyutivka Russian forces continued to conduct ground attacks around Kreminna on June 7 The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations near Kreminna itself and south of Kreminna near Bilohorivka (10km south) and Vesele (32km south).[36] A Russian source claimed that Russian forces attacked Novoselivske (13km northeast of Svatove) and advanced near Bilohorivka on June 6.[37] Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Donetsk Oblast (Russian Objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas) Click here to read ISW’s retrospective analysis on the Battle for Bakhmut Ukrainian officials indicated that Ukrainian forces are conducting offensive operations in the Bakhmut direction as of June 7 northwest of Bakhmut near Orikhovo-Vasylivka (10km northwest) and in the Berkhivka area (6km northwest) and northeast of Bakhmut near Yakovlivka (15km northeast).[41] The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian troops repelled Ukrainian attacks on several settlements on the outskirts of Bakhmut.[42] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations towards Klishchiivka and Pivnichne (20km southwest of Bakhmut).[43] Russian forces continued limited ground attacks along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line on June 7 The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations towards Avdiivka and that Ukrainian forces repelled 13 Russian ground attacks in Marinka (on the southwestern outskirts of Donetsk City).[44] Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces counterattacked on the northwestern outskirts of Donetsk City near Nevelske and Opytne and that Ukrainian forces retreated from near Opytne with losses.[45] The Russian MoD claimed that Russian forces struck and destroyed two Ukrainian fuel depots in Avdiivka.[46] Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes) Russian sources continued to claim that Ukrainian forces conducted ground attacks on the administrative border between Donetsk and Zaporizhia oblasts on June 7 Zalessky” reported that Eastern Military (EMD) elements of the 60th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (5th Combined Arms Army) and the 127th Motorized Rifle Division (5th Combined Arms Army) – namely the 143rd Motorized Rifle Regiment and the 394th Motorized Rifle Regiment – are operating in the Vremivka-Velyka Novosilka directions.[50] Zalessky added that the Russian 37th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade (36th Combined Arms Army elements of the Donetsk People’s Republic Militia (DNR) Operational-Combat Tactical Formation ”Kaskad,” and other unspecified DNR units repelled Ukrainian attacks on the Velyka Novosilka frontline.[51] Zalessky noted that elements of the 29th Combined Arms Army previously stopped Ukrainian advances in the Pavlivka area (45km southwest of Donetsk City).[52] Russian and Ukrainian forces reportedly engaged in skirmishes in western Zaporizhia Oblast on June 7 Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces unsuccessfully attempted to advance into settlements south and southwest of Orikhiv.[53] Russian sources also claimed that fighting is ongoing southwest of Orikhiv.[54] A Wagner-affiliated milblogger claimed that elements of the Southern Military District’s 291st Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment and 70th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment (both part of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division 58th Combined Arms Army) repelled Ukrainian attacks on the Orikhiv-Tokmak-Melitopol line.[55] Russian milbloggers claimed that unspecified Russian reconnaissance and special forces continue to defend Russian positions in western Zaporizhia Oblast.[56] Russian and Ukrainian sources reported explosions in occupied territories in Zaporizhia and Donetsk oblasts on June 7 Ukrainian Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov reported a loud explosion in Myrne Russian Mobilization and Force Generation Efforts (Russian objective: Expand combat power without conducting general mobilization) Russian authorities continue to restrict international travel for those eligible for military service Russian regional governments continue efforts to incentivize military service Russian opposition outlet Mobilization News reported on June 7 that the Leningrad Oblast Legislative Assembly adopted a bill that will give all those who signed contracts to fight in Ukraine a 5-acre plot of land starting on June 1 The Russian MoD continues efforts to present the Russian defense industrial base (DIB) as an effective wartime organism Russian milbloggers criticized the Russian MoD for falsely claiming that Russian troops destroyed a Leopard tank in Ukraine The Russian MoD posted footage June 6 that claims to show a Russian strike destroying a Leopard tank.[68] Russian milbloggers were quick to notice that closer examination of the footage shows that the object resembles a piece of agricultural equipment and suggested that Russian forces actually destroyed a John Deere tractor.[69] Several Russian milbloggers criticized the MoD for posting the footage and urged Russian military authorities to vet their public posts more carefully.[70] Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin sardonically congratulated the Russian MoD for a “job well done” in reference to the tractor.[71] Activities in Russian-occupied areas (Russian objective: Consolidate administrative control of annexed areas; forcibly integrate Ukrainian civilians into Russian sociocultural Russian officials and occupation authorities continue to establish patronage programs between Russian regions and occupied territories in order to integrate occupied territories into Russia Zaporizhia Oblast Occupation Head Yevgeny Balitsky met with North Ossetia-Alania Republic Head Sergey Melyailo on June 7 to discuss a patronage program with Chernihivskyi Raion in occupied Zaporizhia Oblast.[72] Balitsky claimed that the North Ossetia-Alania will first help to restore a secondary school and a temple Balitsky also requested that North Ossetia-Alania send doctors and social workers to Chernihivkskyi Raion and that North Ossetia-Alania establish a recreation program in the Republic for children from Zaporizhia Oblast Significant activity in Belarus (ISW assesses that a Russian or Belarusian attack into northern Ukraine is extraordinarily unlikely) ISW will continue to report daily observed Russian and Belarusian military activity in Belarus but these are not indicators that Russian and Belarusian forces are preparing for an imminent attack on Ukraine from Belarus ISW will revise this text and its assessment if it observes any unambiguous indicators that Russia or Belarus is preparing to attack northern Ukraine The Russian military likely redeployed a significant number of its forces that were training in Belarus to Ukraine or staging areas near Ukraine ahead of Ukraine’s counteroffensive Ukraine’s State Border Service Spokesman Andriy Demchenko stated on June 7 that as of the beginning of June there are approximately 1,000 Russian military personnel in Belarus.[73] This is a sharp decrease from spring 2023 when Ukrainian officials reported that about 9,000-10,000 Russian troops were in Belarus as of March 30.[74] Note: ISW does not receive any classified material from any source and Western reporting and social media as well as commercially available satellite imagery and other geospatial data as the basis for these reports References to all sources used are provided in the endnotes of each update [1] https://t.me/rybar/48127; https://t.me/rybar/48152; https://t.me/epoddubny/16281https://t.me/basurin_e/2628; https://t.me/svobodnieslova/2082; https://t.me/vanek_nikolaev/15174; https://twitter.com/666_mancer/status/1666407915857518593; https://twitter.com/Militarylandnet/status/1666333016967315456?s=20; https://t.me/readovkanews/60306; https://twitter.com/IntelCrab/status/1666484166874079232?s=20; https://t.me/m0sc0wcalling/25182 [2] https://armyinform dot com.ua/2023/06/07/pidtopleno-29-punktiv-evakujovano-ponad-1500-lyudej-pershi-pidsumky-shtabu-z-likvidacziyi-naslidkiv-pidryvu-kahovskoyi-ges/ [3] https://t.me/astrapress/29006; https://t.me/vrogov/10091; https://t.me/wargonzo/13030 [6] https://armyinform dot com.ua/2023/06/07/na-livomu-berezi-dnipra-hersonshhyny-vorog-vidtyagnuv-svoyi-syly-na-5-15-kilometriv-ta-prodovzhuye-gatyty-po-oblasnomu-czentru-nataliya-gumenyuk/; https://suspilne dot media/499231-ocevidno-armia-rf-ne-rozrahuvala-naslidki-akih-zavdast-pidriv-kahovskoi-ges-gumenuk/ [8] https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1666503125753012230 [9] https://armyinform.com dot ua/2023/06/07/pidryv-kahovskoyi-ges-czej-terakt-rosiya-gotuvala-dovgo-gur/ [10] https://suspilne dot media/499231-ocevidno-armia-rf-ne-rozrahuvala-naslidki-akih-zavdast-pidriv-kahovskoi-ges-gumenuk/ [11] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0byxfZYaK62wBcFHHShAVsvT2BxiERhszDmk7Xwui1GQtgQjpQVAezsGqw1ggNdsLl [14] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/world/europe/ukraine-kakhovka-dam-russia.html [15] https://t.me/VGA_Kherson/9970; https://t.me/SALDO_VGA/852; https://t.me/VGA_Kherson/9954; https://t.me/aakherson/356 [16] https://t.me/SALDO_VGA/850; https://t.me/VGA_Kherson/9952 [17] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0afjQN5md5u63joFS3BaL9BPbCcPJ5BM1gaH2yGczUzH4Bz4SBMejFmRBstMuforBl [18] https://www.facebook.com/sergey.khlan/posts/pfbid09ZR46k257dpatM68fRSMM8nunrZnX2hQ47QR2q3gba2eXRtsLebLWpAFkxR6SBdel [20] https://t.me/bbcrussian/47490; https://t.me/sotaproject/60428 [21] https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88170; https://t.me/rybar/48132; https://t.me/komdiv_76/1381; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88208; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88210; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88220 [22] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-30-2023 [23] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-4-2023; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-5-2023; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-6-2023; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88170; https://t.me/rybar/48132; https://t.me/komdiv_76/1381; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88208; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88210; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88220 [24] https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88170; https://t.me/rybar/48132; https://t.me/komdiv_76/1381; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88208; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88210; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88220 [25] https://t.me/concordgroup_official/1167 [26] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-6-2023; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-5-2023 [27] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-6-2023 [28] https://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Russian%20Offensive%20Campaign%20Assessment%2C%20May%202%2C%202023%20%28PDF%29.pdf [29] https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88170; https://t.me/rybar/48132; https://t.me/komdiv_76/1381; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88208; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88210; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88220 [30] https://twitter.com/LoLManya/status/1666186471512973313; https://t.me/poiskinfy/16586; https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1666368037883113474; https://twitter.com/LoLManya/status/1666186994114764803; https://t.me/readovkanews/60309 [31] https://t.me/astrapress/29024; https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1666164187091836935 [32] https://t.me/mod_russia/27177; https://t.me/vysokygovorit/11869; https://t.me/astrapress/29030 [33] https://m.gazeta dot ru/social/news/2023/06/07/20616458.shtml; https://t.me/readovkanews/60316 [35] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/warning-update-russia-may-conduct-chemical-or-radiological-false-flag-attack-pretext; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine-invasion-update-25; https://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Russian%20Offensive%20Campaign%20Assessment%20April%208%202023.pdf [36] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-26-2023; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0afjQN5md5u63joFS3BaL9BPbCcPJ5BM1gaH2yGczUzH4Bz4SBMejFmRBstMuforBl [41] https://t.me/readovkanews/60292; https://t.me/wargonzo/13013; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88206 [43] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0byxfZYaK62wBcFHHShAVsvT2BxiERhszDmk7Xwui1GQtgQjpQVAezsGqw1ggNdsLl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0afjQN5md5u63joFS3BaL9BPbCcPJ5BM1gaH2yGczUzH4Bz4SBMejFmRBstMuforBl [44] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0byxfZYaK62wBcFHHShAVsvT2BxiERhszDmk7Xwui1GQtgQjpQVAezsGqw1ggNdsLl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0afjQN5md5u63joFS3BaL9BPbCcPJ5BM1gaH2yGczUzH4Bz4SBMejFmRBstMuforBl [45] https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/48283; https://t.me/wargonzo/13013; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/88176; https://t.me/epoddubny/16273; https://t.me/epoddubny/16272; https://t.me/wargonzo/13008; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/46786; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/46777 [48] https://t.me/readovkanews/60292 https://t.me/RVvoenkor/46819; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/46841; https://t.me/rybar/48128; https://t.me/wargonzo/13013; https://t.me/negumanitarnaya_pomosch_Z/7863 ; https://t.me/z_arhiv/21875 [49] https://t.me/negumanitarnaya_pomosch_Z/7863; https://t.me/z_arhiv/21875 [53] https://t.me/vrogov/10109; https://t.me/bazabazon/18384; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/7847; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/7849 ; https://t.me/readovkanews/60312; https://t.me/wargonzo/13026; were large https://t.me/milchronicles/2019; https://t.me/rusich_army/9237; https://t.me/NeoficialniyBeZsonoV/26263; https://t.me/bazabazon/18384; https://t.me/rybar/48170 https://t.me/wargonzo/13036; https://t.me/bazabazon/18384; https://t.me/rybar/48158 [54] https://t.me/negumanitarnaya_pomosch_Z/7863; https://t.me/z_arhiv/21875; https://t.me/rybar/48158 [56] https://t.me/RVvoenkor/46826; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/46823 ; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/46822 [57] https://t.me/ivan_fedorov_melitopol/2180; https://t.me/andriyshTime/10502 [60] https://t.me/andriyshTime/10540; https://t.me/andriyshTime/10518 [61] https://t.me/vrogov/10109; https://t.me/bazabazon/18384 [62] https://www.interfax dot ru/russia/905212; https://sozd.duma dot gov.ru/bill/1231732-7 [63] https://www.interfax.ru/russia/905212 [69] https://t.me/milinfolive/101771; https://t.me/rybar/48121; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/7846 [70] https://t.me/rybar/48121; https://t.me/milinfolive/101771; https://t.me/Sladkov_plus/7846 [71] https://t.me/Prigozhin_hat/3629; https://t.me/Prigozhin_hat/3630 [73] https://suspilne dot media/500251-u-bilorusi-zalisautsa-blizko-tisaci-rosijskih-vijskovih-dpsu/ [74] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-30-2023 Ukrainian officials and residents of Russian-occupied areas downstream from the collapsed Kakhovka dam said Russian forces have shelled evacuees and sabotaged Ukraine’s rescue efforts “Russian terrorists are trying to further aggravate the situation they have caused with their ecocide,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message early Friday after visiting Kherson Kyiv and Moscow accuse each other of destroying the Russian-held dam in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region on Tuesday and unleashing a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe Ukraine and its Western allies called the dam collapse a war crime Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar published a video of what she said was Russian shelling during the evacuation of Kherson following Zelensky’s Thursday visit A BBC correspondent said she witnessed bloodied passengers on rescue boats in areas of Kherson that came under Russian artillery shelling Zelensky said the Russian shelling of evacuation points was “absolutely deliberate.” He also accused the Moscow-installed authorities on the other bank of “completely abandoning” residents The Financial Times, citing residents of the Russian-controlled left bank and volunteers, reported that Russian soldiers did not allow evacuations for two days before large-scale rescue efforts began on President Vladimir Putin’s orders Thursday Bodies have started to emerge,” Nina a volunteer in the flooded town of Oleshky “Hundreds have died,” another volunteer, Yaroslav Vasilyev, told the independent news outlet iStories on Thursday The Kremlin said Friday that rescuers were “acting selflessly” and working “energetically” in the flood-hit areas under Russian control deaths from direct Russian-Ukrainian clashes continued amid the evacuation efforts Kherson’s regional military administration said Russian strikes in the center of Kherson and the surrounding region killed two people and injured 17 more Moscow-installed authorities on the opposite bank said two evacuees were killed by Ukrainian shelling Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help please support us monthly starting from just $2 and every contribution makes a significant impact independent journalism in the face of repression andForbes Ukraine ShareSaveBETAThis is a BETA experience. opt-out hereBusinessMonday, February 6. Russia’s War On Ukraine: Daily News And Information From UkraineByKatya Soldak andForbes Ukraine ShareSaveThis article is more than 2 years old.People receive bread at a humanitarian aid distribution spot in Zaporizhzhya As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues and the war rages on reliable sources of information are critical Forbes gathers information and provides updates on the situation Ukrainian air forces have launched 11 strikes on Russian targets including two strikes on Russia’s air defense missile system positions according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Russian troops have launched five missile strikes and 12 air strikes and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) 36 times in Hola Prystan and Kherson damaging residential houses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on Russia’s nuclear industry today as proposed by his National Security and Defense Council “Today our country imposed additional sanctions against the terrorist state in order to bolster our diplomatic efforts to extend global sanctions to this part of the Russian aggression machine,” Zelensky said “Russia is the only country in the world that allows its military to shell nuclear power plants and use them as a shield,” “The terrorist state uses the nuclear industry as one of the elements of foreign expansion To threaten the sovereignty of other states All of these are sufficient reasons for Russia's nuclear industry to be subject to global sanctions And we are working on this with our partners.” designated the Russian mercenary military contractor Wagner Group as an “international criminal organization” on Feb calling on other governments to follow suit said Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk a resolution asking the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to bar Russian Federation members from its Parliamentary Assembly’s statutory bodies was also adopted The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is moving Christmas to Dec 7 in a turn toward the West and away from Russia The UGCC will begin using the Gregorian calendar for all fixed-date holidays but continue calculating moveable feast holidays like Easter using the Julian calendar The change is “in response to numerous requests from the faithful and having conducted preliminary consultations with our clergy and monastics,” the church’s press service said or current method of calculating Easter and a shared tradition with Russia a port on the sea of Azov in Ukraine’s south-eastern Zaporizhia region three loud explosions were heard at 1 pm local time the head of the town’s military administration there are three known explosions.” she adds “Two missiles apparently were shot down by the enemy’s air defense systems Mosca and RDNT presented their Autumn Winter 2023 collections on Feb 2 at Copenhagen Fashion Week “spotlighting incredible and resilient Ukrainian talent,” announced event organizers “wanted to emphasize the festivity the brand is famous for because you have to make a holiday out of every day you live!” organizers said describing their partnership with the Ukranian brands as way “to uplift their fellow fashion organization in turbulent times of war.” That’s according to the ATESH guerillas "These strikes were made possible thanks to accurate tip received from our agents who hand us data on the location and movement of the invaders If you have information that will help Ukraine destroy the enemy reach out to us!" ATESH urged residents of the occupied areas the ATESH movement had gathered sensitive data on the personnel of the 28th Arsenal manned by the Russian Aerospace Forces in Tambov region The toll from flooding sparked by a breach of a huge Ukrainian dam has risen to 41 in areas under Russian control "Unfortunately the number of dead has risen to 41," said Andrei Alekseyenko a senior official with Russian occupation authorities at least 16 people have died and 31 are missing The June 6 breach of the Russia-controlled Kakhovka dam inundated huge swathes of the Kherson region forcing thousands to flee and sparking fears of an environmental disaster Kyiv has accused Moscow of blowing up the dam on the Dnipro River Alexei Kovalev was found Sunday shot to death in his home in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Hola Prystan.  reportedly badly injured with stab wounds to her neck Prior to Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February Kovalev was a deputy in the Ukrainian parliament and a member of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party — but after much of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region was seized by Russian troops in the first weeks of the invasion Appointed the deputy head of the Moscow-installed administration in Kherson Kovalev appeared to have been murdered for working with Russia.   The tempo of such killings in Russian occupied Ukraine has risen in recent weeks as the Kremlin looks to accelerate the political integration of occupied Ukraine into Russia and Kyiv pushes forward with an offensive to retake land around the strategic city of Kherson.  A tally by volunteer project WarTranslated that was corroborated by The Moscow Times shows nine such assassination attempts took place last month there have been at least 19 attempted assassination in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine since the invasion.  While many assume these are political killings ordered by Kyiv to deter collaborators and undermine Moscow’s political integration plans experts said that some could have been part of local power struggles or business disputes Despite regular Russian media reports about Kremlin plans for referendums on joining Russia in occupied Ukraine no concrete timetable for such votes has yet been put in place.  “I think Moscow has not yet made a final decision on the referendums — it will depend on the situation on the ground and how well Russia controls the territories Kyiv understands this very well,” political analyst Ivan Preobrazhensky told The Moscow Times As well as a politician, Kovalev was also closely involved in the agricultural business for which southern Ukraine is famous, reportedly playing a key role in arranging shipments of Ukrainian grain to Russia after the invasion.  Kovalev met top Kremlin official Sergei Kiriyenko, who oversees occupied Ukrainian territory, in June, after which he posted on Facebook: “Russia is here seriously and forever!” Two weeks later Perhaps the most exotic assassination attempt so far, took place in early August when the Moscow-appointed head of Kherson region Vladimir Saldo — Kovalev’s boss — was apparently poisoned Saldo, 66, a former Kherson mayor and local businessman, was transferred to a Moscow hospital after reportedly eating a meal prepared by a new cook and Russia’s Defense Ministry said he may have ingested a nerve agent Despite reports Saldo’s health had “significantly” improved The day after Saldo’s alleged poisoning another pro-Kremlin official in the Kherson region,Vitaly Gurа, was shot dead outside his home And, as Ukraine stepped up preparations for an offensive near Kherson last week, the Moscow-appointed deputy head of domestic policy for Kherson region, Igor Telegin, survived when what is reported to have been a remote-controlled explosive was detonated by the side of the road While most attacks — 10 of the 19 tallied by WarTranslated — seem to have taken place in the Kherson region other regions of occupied Ukraine have also witnessed a spate of killings.  In occupied Zaporizhzhia region last week, traffic police officer Alexander Kolesnikov died after being injured in an explosion in the city of Berdyansk and Ivan Sushko, the Russian-appointed head of the town of Mykhailivka was killed in a car bombing Oleg Shostak, apparently affiliated with Russia’s ruling party United Russia, was severely injured in an attack in Melitopol earlier this month Yevgeny Yunakov, the Russian-appointed head of a small town in the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine, was killed by a car bomb last month.  While the local Russian-installed authorities have blamed Ukraine for most of these assassinations Kyiv has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.  The exiled mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov said earlier this month that Ukrainians working with Moscow “will be held accountable” and that “the hunt for collaborators preparing for the pseudo-referendum has begun.” Ukrainian investigators have said that some 1,150 people across the country are currently being investigated for treason or collaboration with Russia.  The attacks “are a warning to people who are collaborating with Russia,” said Konstantin Skorkin an expert on the politics of eastern Ukraine at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace One result of the killings is that Russia is likely to face staff shortages for political and administrative roles in the occupied regions And there is evidence some officials have already left for safer areas.  Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the Russian-installed Kherson administration once accused of attacking a local newspaper office with tear gas was seen Tuesday in a video filmed in the Russian city of Voronezh.  Contacted by journalists, Stremousov confirmed that he had left Kherson but said that his work meant he was “constantly traveling.”  While many believe Ukrainian partisans have been behind the killings other analysts have pointed out that some could be part of local power battles or business diagreements.  “Ukraine’s south is a rich area active trade and smuggling usually cause a high crime level Some are also fighting over money and power,” Skorkin told the Moscow Times “We have to take into account various pre-war showdowns between Ukrainian businessmen and officials — for example Saldo is a prominent figure in local political and economic life and he has a lot of enemies,” Skorkin added Saldo, who stated shortly before switching sides that “Kherson is Ukraine," was accused of kidnapping his former business partner in 2016 and was arrested in the Dominican Republic he was also subsequently accused of killing Pashchenko’s brother — a claim he also rejected.  “The [occupied Ukrainian] regions have always had a stormy life,” Skorkin said.  if Kyiv’s counteroffensive in southern Ukraine stalls the number and frequency of assassinations by Ukranian partisans could rise as “spreading chaos” in the rear of Russian troops becomes a substitute for retaking territory.   The “goal is to make it obvious that the Russian-installed administrations do not really control anything,” analyst Preobrazhensky said.  This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Recently, there has been an increase in the number of suicides among Russian military personnel stationed in the occupied Kherson region, reports the partisan movement ATESH. According to ATESH, the suicides involve Russian soldiers from the Russian Dnepr group stationed in the occupied part of the Kherson region. The likely cause of these tragedies is repression by the command, especially against those who refuse to participate in combat operations. In recent times, several suicide cases have been recorded in various settlements of the Kherson region. "Two weeks ago, in Hola Prystan, a young man who had recently signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense hanged himself, likely not fully aware of the consequences. In Kalanchak, another soldier shot himself after learning he was being transferred to an assault unit," reports ATESH. In Skadovsk, another Russian soldier took his own life by drowning in the sea. Initially, the command tried to portray it as an accident, but later it became known that the soldier had been tortured by his commander beforehand. The cause of this mistreatment was the soldier's refusal to participate in combat on the Dnipro Islands. Earlier, partisans reported panic within the Russian Dnepr military group. According to an agent from the organization, Russian officers received orders to prepare for an offensive on the right bank of the Kherson region. SupportEN Meet the Cadet Who Sang Ukraine’s Anthem in Crimea During Annexation Of the 20,000 security officials in Crimea only 6,000 returned to mainland Ukraine after annexation Among them were 200 cadets from the Nakhimov Naval School when the institution was transitioning to Russian jurisdiction about two dozen cadets sang Ukraine’s national anthem – they immediately became symbols of loyalty to Ukraine most of the Ukrainian servicemen and law enforcement officers serving there joined the Russian ranks and remained on the peninsula Hromadske brings you the story of one of them – Pavlo Hladchenko a second-year cadet at Sevastopol’s Nakhimov Academy did not join the ceremonial formation remained in the building and watched what was happening on the parade ground out the window The school changed flags and came under new leadership When the Russian and St Andrew's flags were hoisted onto the flagpoles ran out of the building to the courtyard and began to sing the national anthem of Ukraine They quickly got the attention of television crews Ceremonial music was then turned up to drown out the singing of the cadets patted each other on the shoulder and returned inside READ MORE: The True Cost Of Remaining Ukrainian in Crimea We are sitting with Senior Lieutenant Pavlo Hladchenko in the cabin of the anti-sabotage boat “Hola Prystan,” which he commands The now 24-year-old Pavlo has barely changed from his days as a cadet – he still has a boyish face and a slightly shy smile He occasionally comments on the video; when a cadet takes down the Ukrainian flag he says: “He doesn’t understand what he is doing I think he cries there anyway.” When the footage becomes shaky – the cameraman evidently started running toward the cadets – Pavlo laughs: "I thought they were running to beat us up then." Around two dozen cadets sing Ukraine’s national anthem Nakhimov Naval School in March 2014 as Russia was annexing Crimea That’s not how this conflict should have been solved.” watches the video of cadets singing the Ukrainian anthem in Crimea during 2014 Memorabilia from participation in naval exercises Pavlo visited Crimea for the first time in 2009 Back then he was a cadet at the Kyiv Military Lyceum named after Ivan Bohun growing up in a village in the Zhytomyr region he wanted to be a soldier – although nobody in his family had served in the military Pavlo says that he was fond of the history of the Second World War watched war films – perhaps this had shaped his desire to pursue a military career It was later in the lyceum that he decided to become a sailor “We often dreamed that he would be flying a fighter plane – he’d land on an aircraft carrier and ask: Who is the commander here Pavlo Hladchenko on the deck of the boat Hola Prystan Crew members of the boat Hola Prystan during morning formation Lyceum students went on excursions in military uniform Pavlo says local residents would give them disapproving looks Crimea remained somewhat hostile for him – again the problem was in the Ukrainian military uniform “The locals looked at this uniform with a sort of disgust,” he says The military was a common sight in Sevastopol – although more Russian than Ukrainian The main headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet have been based here since 1997 Russia and Ukraine signed a 20-year agreement and in 2010 they extended it by another 25 years The only all-Ukrainian population census conducted in 2001 showed that 70% of Sevastopol residents considered themselves “Russian” Pavlo at first didn’t understand what was happening in the city: “I saw cars driving around with these [Russian] flags When we walked through Sevastopol and saw tricolors we didn’t run amok because we knew that these were Soviets people fanatically speeding down the street I thought then – maybe it’s some Russian holiday?” Communication boat “Pivdenny” on the Ukrainian Navy base in Odesa Pavlo learned that pro-Russian people had gathered on Nakhimov Square calling for help from Russian President Vladimir Putin the deputy of the Batkivshchyna political party (Fatherland) The day before it became known that President Viktor Yanukovych had fled the country amid Euromaidan protests in such situations the head of parliament would be responsible for taking over the president’s duties The largest and most noticeable ship on the Ukrainian Navy base in Odesa is the multi-purpose frigate “Hetman Sahaidachny” In Sevastopol local deputies condemned the “seizure of power in Kyiv” Up to 25,000 people converged on Nakhimov Square where they spontaneously selected Aleksei Chaly was booed when he called for Crimea to be united with Ukraine increase combat readiness,” Pavlo recalls how the “Crimean Spring” reached the school “They gave us body armor – old and ragged; helmets – like a cauldron; handed us automatic rifles and stationed us at different posts They said one thing: if you notice movement or a violation of charter requirements – do not open fire to kill.” Cadets stood at their posts the entire “Crimean Spring” During this time things were changing daily on the peninsula Russian servicemen appeared in Crimea wearing unmarked uniforms – they were called "green men." They blocked Ukrainian military units but didn’t use weapons – so the pro-Russian activists and the Russian propaganda media outlets called them "polite people" who called them "forces of local self-defense." Only after the annexation did the Russian president acknowledge that the Russian military was present on the peninsula READ MORE: Separated: Life for Family Members of Political Prisoners From Crimea The academy was also blockaded by Russian ships from the sea and by armored trucks on land some wanted to see their girlfriends,” says Pavlo “Nobody thought it would end the way it did They thought – maybe this will go on for a couple of months maximum and then everything will go back to the way it was.” Pavlo Hladchenko as a second-year cadet at the Sevastopol Nakhimov Academy in the spring of 2014 in Crimea If at first the self-proclaimed authorities spoke of a “special status” within Ukraine then they quickly changed their plans and set a vote on joining the Russian Federation the school began to persuade the cadets to stay on the peninsula Russian generals and parents of Crimean cadets would visit them Pavlo says they promised a scholarship of $800 – at the time the cadets received 208 hryvnia ($26 according to the 2014 exchange rate) He had a map of Ukraine hanging on his wall He traced around the territory of Ukraine and said: Pavlo Then he traced a circle around Crimea: This is the main thing For the first time arguments broke out among cadets Some said they would go to mainland Ukraine But there were more than a few cadets from other Ukrainian cities who also wanted to stay The motivation was simple: For this much money “I had a friend from the Lyceum – he’s from just outside of Kyiv,” says Pavlo the salaries are big here and I can help my mother.” “This is no longer a friend – this is an enemy of Ukraine.” the cadets at the Nakhimov Academy were able to leave their posts and return to their studies Those who decided to return to mainland Ukraine were told to stay in the crew’s quarters Most went to join the ceremonial formation Andrew’s flag were being hoisted up the flagpoles to the sound of the Russian anthem Pavlo and others ran out to sing the Ukrainian anthem "We sang and then went back to the crew’s quarters and sat down," recalls Pavlo "The commander came and began to scold us: What have you done One of the guys then said: You are not our commander anymore There were two weeks left before they were to move back to the mainland And there was now the question of where would they live until their departure Pavlo said that after the leadership change new – better – produce was brought to the school “Now we couldn’t eat in the same dining room with the Russians (as he calls those who decided to stay in Crimea They only allowed us to come for breakfast.” the cadets were told to leave the school altogether: "Saturday morning a Russian officer comes in and shouts: Ukrainian cadets must leave the territory of the academy because some kind of general or admiral is coming." rented an apartment in Sevastopol and lived there The academy’s new leadership allocated a small parade ground for them obliged them to come in every morning and check in “They had some kind of officer’s honor after all,” Pavlo recalls They barely spoke with the other cadets who “became Russian” When the school was expecting a visit from important generals one of the cadets asked Pavlo for black thread – to hem his uniform Pavlo Hladchenko with his wife Yulia and son Misha he doesn’t consider this an act of boyish stupidity The boat commanded by Pavlo seldom goes out to sea – about once a month and not for combat missions He says that he’s always wanted to be a commander of a ship so when he was offered this position almost immediately after graduation 200 cadets from the Nakhimov Academy left Crimea They warmly farewelled their former comrades – shook hands But Pavlo never made peace with what happened – he says that he wants to meet with these people at sea "in order to resolve all conflicts there." He hasn’t spoken to any of his classmates since 2014 and doesn’t know what’s happening with them now the cadets were first assigned to a military academy which specializes more in land-based professions they were relocated to the National Maritime Academy Few teachers and cadets came from Crimea – it was difficult to adjust pro-Russian meetings were organized in Odesa – they ended in a fire at the House of Trade Unions on May 2 But Pavlo says that he was much more comfortable there than in Crimea He didn’t think the Crimea scenario would repeat itself in Odesa she feared that everything could repeat itself in Odesa She says she started to feel safe only after she met Pavlo READ MORE: A Dystopian Reality: Crimea's Self-Proclaimed Authorities and Russian Bikers Celebrate 5 Years of Occupation [Ukrainian singer] Alyona Vinnytska came here for the concert,” he says “An officer gave me a bouquet of flowers and said – give it to her when she comes out I couldn’t resist and gave the bouquet to her instead.” The crew of the boat Hola Prystan on the deck at Ukrainian Navy base in Odesa Yulia didn’t realize at first that Pavlo was one of the cadets whom she often saw on TV She says that she followed the developments in Crimea and remembered the story of the Nakhimov cadets who sang Ukraine’s national anthem She and Pavlo began to talk and married two years later Yulia says that “everything somehow worked itself out,” Pavlo that “this was his thought-out strategy.” They have an 18 month-old son Pavlo plans to take him to the military lyceum in Kyiv and walk the corridors with him He’s sure that one day he will also walk the halls of Nakhimov Academy – after having shown his son the video of cadets singing the Ukrainian anthem Pavlo sheepishly says several times: “Don’t expect anything Then he proudly adds that the crew has looked after this boat well and it’s still in excellent condition He asks not to photograph the rusty part and explains that the sea water quickly eats away at the paint and the crew hasn’t had time to paint over it Labrador Koba is a favorite among the Hola Prystan crew and all sailors at the navy base The commander is greeted by a labrador named Koba – loved not only by the crew of the Hola Prystan but generally by all the sailors Koba has lived on the boat for the past six months since the death of his owner – a friend of Pavlo’s who asked him to take the dog “He is our sworn brother and mascot,” says Pavlo the crew’s morale has significantly improved The crew of Hola Prystan completes an exercise Most of the Nakhimov cadets who have left annexed Crimea work here One of them – commander of the boat "Nikopol" Bogdan Nebylitsa - was captured last November when Russian sailors seized Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait Pavlo points to one of the singers several times: "This is Bodya (Bogdan) Bodya Nebylitsa." Passing the boats docked near the Hola Prystan he explains: “These are new boats – 2016 make Bogdan Nebylitsa commanded one of them.” Former cadets have continued their friendship here We are not heroes,” Pavlo becomes silent and then continues in more solemn tone “We will show them what the Ukrainian Armed Forces are capable of.” Koba the labrador is always with the captain and often ties to “participate” in the team training Were his expectations fulfilled five years after he sang the anthem that the economic situation would be like this We just did what we thought was necessary,” Pavlo says READ MORE: 5 Years After Crimea Referendum, Was the World’s Response Enough? As the war in Ukraine approaches its third year the families of prisoners of war remain uncertain about the fate of their loved ones Olha travelled to Malta during the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting with a Ukrainian human rights organisation the Media Initiative for Human Rights to tell the story about her husband A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta) Oleksandr Babych was the mayor of Hola Prystan Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and Hola Prystan was occupied in the first few days of the war People quickly started to flee and the city’s resources began to deplete Despite having the opportunity to leave with his family Oleksandr felt duty-bound to stay and help those who hadn’t Oleksandr coordinated the delivery of groceries to the city dispersed hot lunches to vulnerable people and even organised patrols when crime arose from a lack of police presence he continued to fulfil his duties as mayor there was hope that the invasion wouldn’t last long the day his wife and children made it to safety was the day he was captured by Russian forces The only sign of his wellbeing was a note scribbled on toilet paper and given to a person who says to have shared a prison cell with him Olha received a photo of the note on 7th April love for Ukraine and belief that he will return Olha Babych is certain that her husband’s capture was instigated by Oleksiy Kovalyov Her husband likely became a target because he continued to serve his community after the invasion began and refused to collaborate with the occupying forces being held in Simferopol Detention Center 2 in occupied Crimea Russia has refused to provide any information about Oleksandr’s whereabouts or confirm that he is in their custody The lack of any formal charge indicates that he is being unlawfully detained and totally incommunicado Olha shared her story in Ta’ Qali two weeks ago alongside other victims of this war including former prisoners of war who managed to escape She’s confident that their part in the major international meeting “will not go to waste and will lead to something she was asked about rumours of a peace-deal potentially negotiated by US President-Elect Donald Trump which would allegedly allow Russia to keep the regions it occupied “There is a saying: If you let them bite your finger off they will bite your hand and then your whole arm off “People who used to have wonderful lives in Ukraine and now somebody is occupying them and they’re living in a prison and I’m not solving the fate of the world but why should somebody deprive all those people of their lives and decide their fate like that I don’t think they should be a bargain.” Despite the profound despair Olha has faced over the past two years she holds onto hope that she will one day see her husband again She has faith in his fighting spirit and is certain that he will stay alive for her “This is what keeps me alive and kicking Kindly check your inbox after sign-up to confirm subscription Kindly check your inbox after sign-up to confirm subscription.