Summary of the Events of the Day
Russian forces inched closer to Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region by taking Nyzhnye. They also destroyed the historic Svyatohirsk Cave Monastery. Ukrainian forces liberated five more communities north of Kharkiv pushing Russian forces farther back to the border.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol)
Luhansk – The main goal is to take Severodonetsk, the easternmost major city controlled by Ukraine. Its fall would give all of Luhansk to the Russians. To the north of Severodonetsk, Russian forces attempted to take Voevodivka but were repulsed. They had a little more luck in the south taking Nyzhnye and now advancing on Toshkivka.
Siversky Donets – Russian forces continue their attempts to move on Lyman and Oleksandrivka but had no success on Monday. They did manage to build a pontoon bridge over the Siversky Donetsk River and entered Bilohorivka. But by the end of the day, they were pushed back over the river and the pontoon bridge was destroyed.
The mid-19th century Svyatohirsk Cave Monastery was destroyed by Russian troops. The monastery had been founded in the 15th century but shut down by Catherine the Great in 1787. Sixty years later Prince Potemkin revived the monastery.
Donetsk – Russian forces moved against Avdiivka and Novoselivka but were repulsed on both fronts.
Mariupol – The remaining soldiers of the Azov National Guard within the Azovstal steelworks have vowed to never surrender. Many of them had suffered as POWs under Russia when they surrendered during the beginning of the war in 2014. Because of the atrocities that they suffered under torture as prisoners, they will never go through that again. Here is a video of one of the defenders telling his story.
Battle for Southern Ukraine (Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhia, and Odesa)
No major battles were fought in Southern Ukraine, but Ukrainian forces were able to destroy a Russian reconnaissance group killing over 50 Russian soldiers and destroying much military equipment.
Russia did continue shelling Ukrainian cities such as Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Zelenodolsk. In Odesa a power station was hit as well as a shopping mall.
Battle for Kharkiv
Ukrainian forces continue their push of Russian forces back to the border north of Kharkiv. Great progress was made liberating four more communities north of Stariy Saltiv – Bairak, Zamulivka, Verkhnii Saltiv, and Rubizhne. The goal is to take all the communities on the western side of the Siversky Donetsk River and then liberate the town of Vesele from the eastern side.
Ukrainian troops continue their push north taking Rus’ki Tyshky. The next goal is to liberate all the way up to Lyptsi and then turn east to move on Vesele on the western side.
That would leave Kozacha Lopan as the only town north of Kharkiv still under Russian control west of the Siversky Donetsk River. Russia is bunkering down there and is building trenches as their last stronghold in the region. Once Kozacha Lopan falls, then the bulk of the troops defending Kharkiv can move to rescue their brothers and sisters in the Donbas.
Other News
Ukraine has completed and turned in the second part of the questionnaire to obtain the status of candidate for membership in the European Union.
Three more bodies of civilian men executed with shots to the back of their head were uncovered in shallow graves in Makariv.
Hungary announced they will not abide by the EU oil embargo imposed on Russia. Ukraine has requested that Hungary be expelled from the EU because of this decision.
International Support
Canada pledged another $40 million in military aid to Ukraine which will include more ammunition for the howitzers they had sent earlier, 18 military drones, and satellite imagery equipment. Canada has lifted all tariffs on Ukrainian goods for one year and widened their sanctions against 40 more Russian individuals and five organizations providing services to the Russian military.
The US has expanded its sanctions against Russia to include organizations and individuals associated with Russia’s energy giant Gazprom and several more banks. U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Lend-Lease bill making it easier to send military assistance to Ukraine as it did for the allies in World War II. Symbolically, he signed it during Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.
Britain increased its tariffs on Russian palladium and platinum by 35%. They also banned the export of some chemicals, plastics, rubber, and machinery.
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe visited Kyiv in support of Ukraine. She also viewed the northwestern suburbs where all the horrendous war crimes had taken place in Irpin and Bucha.
As the Russian ambassador and his entourage visited a cemetery on Victory Day of Russian soldiers killed during World War II, Polish crowds threw red paint on them yelling “Fascists!”.
