Ukraine updates in English

[US7IGN]

Ukraine signed an agreement on security guarantees with Spain. This is another agreement that does not change anything. But everyone pretends to do something...
https://gazeta.ua/articles/politics/_ukrayina-pidpisala-ugodu-pro-garantiyi-bezpeki-z-ispaniyeyu/1182447

Brazil and China are calling for an international conference recognized by both Russia and Ukraine to discuss proposals to halt the war, throwing up an alternative to a push by Kyiv for its own Western-backed peace plan.

China and Brazil both released a statement outlining “common understandings” on a path to resolving the war, which started when Russian invaded Ukraine in February 2022. It is the first time China has signed a joint declaration with another country about the conflict.

The statement came after a meeting on Thursday between China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Brazil’s Celso Amorim, chief adviser to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

“China and Brazil support an international peace conference held at a proper time that is recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties as well as fair discussion of all peace plans,” read the joint-statement signed in Beijing, which repeats language used by President Xi Jinping on previous occasions.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-23/brazil-china-call-for-peace-conference-on-russia-ukraine-war

EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday (27 May) vented their anger with Hungary’s “pattern of behaviour” which increasingly often blocks EU foreign policy decisions and prevents progress on crucial military aid for Ukraine.

The foreign ministers gathered in Brussels focused on how the bloc could unlock funds from the EU’s off-budget European Peace Facility (EPF).

Hungary has been blocking partial reimbursements for weapons earmarked for Ukraine under the EU’s off-budget European Peace Facility (EPF) for almost a year, with the amount estimated at €6.5 billion – three reimbursement tranches and the new €5 billion-heavy Ukraine Assistance Fund (UAF).

Budapest initially cited Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency for having blacklisted Hungary’s OTP Bank as an “international sponsor of war” as one of the main reasons for their blockage. But while the bank has since then been removed from the blacklist, Hungary has kept the veto in place.

“There is growing frustration (to say the least), as the EU currently sits on €5 billion of support and very soon on the [Russian] windfall profits stemming from immobilised assets, which are at risk of not being used properly if there is no agreement,” one EU diplomat said.

In Monday’s discussion, Budapest was now quoted as saying that its economy is being discriminated against in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the discussions. The new explanation had drawn significant pushback from other EU counterparts, they said.

Inside the room, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on Budapest “to finally allow aid to Ukraine once again, because Europe is only strong if it is united.”

An increasing number of EU member states are starting to point to Hungary’s overall track record, rather than the fact that Budapest has ‘not yet completely vetoed’ any EU decision on Ukraine.

“We looked into this and about 41% of resolutions by the EU on Ukraine have been blocked by Hungary,” Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrelius Landsbergis told reporters.

“The EPF is blocked; Ukraine’s accession talks are being held hostage by Hungary – and I could go on and on – the [EU’s] declaration on Georgia, the EPF [support] to Armenia – basically, almost all of our discussions and needed solutions and decisions (…) are being blocked by just one country,” Landsbergis said.
https://www.euractiv.com/section/europe-s-east/news/eu-countries-vent-anger-at-hungarys-blockages-of-ukraine-aid-decisions/

Overall, I agree with the conclusions of this article and the future is uncertain - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/06/03/ukraine-faces-a-crucial-moment-in-the-war

It is no secret that russia has concentrated its troops near the northern border, but it seems that the Ukrainian authorities are ready for this as before. It is good that, although they are no longer urging not to panic and prepare for the holidays as in 2022. https://informator.ua/uk/rosiyski-drg-namagayutsya-probratisya-v-ukrajinu-po-vsiy-protyazhnosti-kordonu-iz-sumskoyu-oblastyu-dpsu

In Germany, they plan to open schools with the study of the Ukrainian language. They want to introduce Ukrainian as a second foreign language in the schools of Hessen. At the same time, the local Ministry of Culture stated that such a measure should help the federal state in the competition for future specialists and teachers, and on the other hand, simplify the integration into the education system of schoolchildren who fled Ukraine.
https://www.bild.de/politik/inland/als-fremdsprachen-fach-1-bundesland-fuehrt-ukrainisch-an-schulen-ein-6650568cbade7176939c3603?t_ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

The National Bank of Ukraine notes the growing shortage of qualified employees in banking and non-banking financial institutions. https://psm7.com/uk/company/nbu/nbu-povidomlyaye-pro-deficzyt-kadriv-u-finansovomu-sektori.html

The European Business Association appealed to the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and the heads of parliamentary factions with a request not to support bill No. 11195 - on a mechanism for protecting the property rights of third parties.
According to the association’s experts, although the draft law contains a title regarding a mechanism for protecting the property rights of third parties, in essence it is intended to establish a new legal mechanism for the recovery of shares, and not only of sanctioned persons, but also non-sanctioned ones, into the state’s income.
That is, any one minority shareholder in an enterprise on which the National Security and Defense Council will impose sanctions is sufficient, and this gives the Cabinet of Ministers the right to appropriate shares belonging to non-sanctioned persons. The draft law does not provide for any transparent and quick mechanism for restoring the property rights of all other non-sanctioned shareholders." https://www.unian.net/politics/biznes-vystupil-protiv-zakonoproekta-o-nezakonnom-lishenii-prava-sobstvennosti-12648195.html

Obviously this must be damn attractive to investors...

[US7IGN]

Today I slept all night and there is electricity all day. It `s very unusual. I walked a little this morning, but decided to rest and recuperate again today.

Ukrainians have a new vocabulary for some of the things that have appeared in their lives recently. I already said that Iranian drones are called “mopeds” because of their sound. The term "busification" is also widely used to refer to the process of forcibly transporting men to a mobilization center using buses. There is even a joke related to buses that it is a shame when you are taken to the mobilization center on a bus that you donated for the army.

Today on one forum I read an opinion that it debunked the myth about freedom-loving Ukrainians who took to the Maidan because cops beat a bunch of students. It seems that the Ukrainians are not capable of resisting the authorities without external help and thus resemble the weak-willed russians. It is very sad to hear this, but there is something in it...

Since citizens simply will not be able to physically update their data in 60 days and they may receive large fines, the deputies submitted a bill to increase the deadline for updating the data of conscripts from 60 to 150 days.
"Now the system of mobilization centers was not ready to accept the number of citizens who went to update the data. Since, after updating the data in the "Reserve+" application and the search information, you still need to go to the mobilization center. This shows that the application was developed very quickly and under tight deadlines. Not only that, it later turned out that the codes that were used to create the application were copied from the school curriculum. That is why, at the next meeting of the Committee on Digital Transformation, we summoned the Deputy Minister of Defense and also put a number of questions to the government. In particular, where did the funds for the creation of the application come from and whether a competition was held for a software developer," MP Aryev said.
https://espreso.tv/suspilstvo-reestruemo-zakonoproekt-pro-prodovzhennya-terminu-onovlennya-danikh-dlya-viyskovozobovyazanikh-do-150-dniv-nardep-arev

[ke6sls]

Good mornin' Wlad, Gene

Reading about your lovely mouse passing took me by surprise.  I certainly share the sorrow and loss of that beautiful little spirit.

I separated from the US Navy back in the 1980's.  While I was deployed, some thoughtful people back in Washington DC decided that sine the US no longer had "the draft" where individuals were selected at random to serve in the military, to a new Selective Service, where all kids were required to fill out paperwork with the military when they turned 18 years old.

I received a notice that stated that I had FAILED to file this paper with the government!  I made a copy of my military ID and sent it back! 

It is the day after Memorial Day.  Yesterday, I paid my respects to the fallen veterans at two cemeteries.  The little cemetery is just up the road from me and was abandoned by the city in the 1960's.  The city laid down all the head stones (to make mowing easier) and closed the gates.  It didn't take long before people started vandalizing everything inside the gates.  About 15 years ago, a group of volunteers began restoring the cemetery, righting & repairing head stones and markers.  Then they began the work of identifying all the dead veterans.  Once confirmed, they work with our military which then arranges a new, period correct head stone for each vet. 

It was a pleasure to see the new stones shining in the sunlight, flags flapping.

Thanks for the links you post Wlad.  They have helped me keep abreast with world craziness!

73
Jaye

[US7IGN]

  They have helped me keep abreast with world craziness!

Agree, Jaye. Every time I think that I am no longer capable of being surprised, they try to surprise me again.

As a person who knew about previous wars not only from official propaganda, but also from surviving members of my family, I long ago came to the conclusion that new wars begin when people forget about the previous ones. Then everyone talks about victories, but they prefer not to remember all the tragedies and those who did not live to see victory.

Ukraine is not allowed to use Western air defense against attacking russian aircraft; it has to wait until the bombers have released their cruise missiles and they are already over Ukrainian territory to fight them. According to BILD information, the Ukrainian army used a “Patriot” system from Germany at least once to take action itself. The reaction: angry calls from Berlin and Washington and threats to stop supplying anti-aircraft missiles if such an incident were to happen again.
https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland-und-internationales/mega-nachteil-im-krieg-ukraine-darf-nicht-gegen-putin-zurueckschiessen-6654744307be9453db597adb

Sweden is being asked to pause plans to send the Jas Gripen to Ukraine, Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) tells TT. The announcement comes in Brussels after Jonson had "intensive talks" with other countries in the air defense coalition that helps Ukraine with both aircraft and air defense systems.
- We have been urged by the other countries that run the coalition to wait for the Gripen system. It has to do with the fact that the focus is now on introducing the F-16 system, Jonson explains.
https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/Rr77qd/aftonbladet-direkt?pinnedEntry=1257789

Jeremy Bowen: Ukraine faces its worst crisis since the war began https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9xx15pe311o

Interesting things are happening with energy. This is what the rivers from which they took water for power plants look like https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7eC0V-oHnC/?igsh=NWN3dHhqNXloOXB5
But there has been no rain yet and drought is expected. I don't know what consequences will happen soon because of this.

[UT7UX]

Good mornin' Wlad, Gene

Good morning Jay, good morning everybody.

[US7IGN]

Once again Ukraine strikes russian strategic radars. If the attack was successful, it means 50% of russian OTH radars responsible for detecting an incoming ICBM strike from the "southern axis" are down. This time, the Voronezh-M radar system was hit, located about 1,500 km from the Ukrainian border. Considering the earlier attack on the similar Voronezh-DM radar in Armavir on May 23, the effort has signs of being systematic at this point. The facilities affected by these strikes are the strategic "eyes" of russia that are designed to detect intercontinental and medium-range ballistic missiles; they are an integral component of the russian system of early warning about an incoming strategic missile strike. While one of these radars in Armavir could observe a small part of the russian-occupied Crimea, focusing more on the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea and Turkiye, the Voronezh-M near Orsk did not look in the direction of Ukraine at all. That is because the task of this radar on the border with Kazakhstan is to warn about ballistic missiles flying in the sector stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Japan. That is, the responsibility of Voronezh-M near Orsk is, first of all, China, as well as India and Pakistan, and besides them the possible launch areas in the Indian Ocean. https://en.defence-ua.com/news/strategic_blindness_the_effect_of_ukraines_attack_on_voronezh_m_over_the_horizon_radar_in_orsk_explained-10643.html

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland may send their troops to Ukraine if russia makes serious progress on the front, writes the German Spiegel with reference to its sources. According to the publication, Baltic politicians fear that due to insufficient support from the West, in particular Germany, the russian army may achieve a serious breakthrough. On the sidelines of a recent conference on foreign and security policy held in Tallinn, representatives of the Baltic states warned their German counterparts that Berlin's moderate position on armed support for Kyiv is drawing criticism in their countries, and also warned of the consequences of such a course. It is, in particular, about the refusal to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons and the prohibition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike with Western weapons on the territory of the russian federation.
"If russia achieves a strategic breakthrough in the east of Ukraine due to the fact that the West is only half helping Kyiv, the situation may escalate sharply," Baltic officials said. And they warned their German colleagues that they will not wait for the russians to approach their borders, so they will introduce their military contingent into Ukraine. The publication states that this will make NATO a participant in the conflict, which is what German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden are so afraid of. "Those who want to limit war through excessive restraint actually risk getting it out of control," Spiegel sums up.
https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/ukraine-die-angst-vor-dem-grossen-krieg-a-2d8b49c8-ca5f-473c-8299-cbb737c26a02
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cmmmj78n4qpo

Zelensky said that Putin will give a "standing ovation" if Biden does not come to the Peace Summit in Switzerland: "I know that America supports the summit, but you and I do not know at what level. I believe that this is not a very strong decision" https://ua.korrespondent.net/ukraine/politics/4449684-vtorhnennia-rosii-v-ukrainu-onlain

I wonder what Biden thinks about this? I would be offended.

pootin questioned the legitimacy of President Volodymyr Zelensky for the second time in the last ten days https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c0jj1jx7lx7o pootin's opinion is clear, but really, what prevents canceling martial law for two days and holding elections? Just don't talk about the war, refugees and the army, who won't be able to vote. In 2014 and 2019, this did not prevent elections to be held under the same circumstances. Regarding the powers, it is also interesting. Who among you would risk buying an apartment on the basis of a power of attorney whose term of authority expired just a couple of days ago? If I were making a legal opinion, I would point out such risks and recommend refusing such a transaction. However, it seems to me that the most dangerous thing is the lack of an alternative. However, few people talk about this out loud.

A while back I mentioned an amazing company Brave1 that came out of nowhere with fantastic "unhackable" walkie talkies being promoted to the military. I suspected that this might be related to corrupt procurement. Now this company is personally supported by the Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov https://t.me/zedigital/4571
Everything is falling into place...

[US7IGN]

 
Ukrainian crews working on US-supplied Abrams tanks have told CNN of a series of the weaknesses and flaws with the armored vehicles, calling into doubt their utility on the war’s ever-changing frontlines. The donation was announced by US President Joe Biden as evidence of the United States’ “enduring and unflagging commitment to Ukraine.” Crews trained in Germany said the vehicles – the US military’s main $10 million battle tank used in Iraq against Saddam Hussein’s forces and insurgents – lacked armor that could stop modern weapons. “Its armor is not sufficient for this moment,” said one crew member, callsign Joker. “It doesn’t protect the crew. For real, today this is the war of drones. So now, when the tank rolls out, they always try to hit them.” His colleague, Dnipro, added they are the “number one target.” “Without defense, the crew doesn’t survive at the battlefield,” he said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/europe/ukraine-war-us-tanks-intl/index.html

The Czechoslovak Group (CSG), the largest supplier of ammunition in Central Europe, said that half of the shells that were supposed to be sent to Ukraine will not reach the front as quickly as planned. About 50 percent of the supplies that his company purchased on behalf of the Czech government in Africa and Asia turned out to be of poor quality and need to be refined before being sent to Ukraine. CSG is forced to add missing components of its own production to some shells. Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala noted that 15 EU and NATO countries have so far provided 1.6 billion euros to the Czech initiative, the goal of which is to provide Ukraine with 1.5 million artillery shells. The first batch of tens of thousands of 155 mm shells will arrive in Ukraine next month, he said. The Czech government asked CSG and other Czech defense companies to act as intermediaries and supply shells from countries outside the EU. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cqll0ngejn1o

Looks like another good opportunity to cash in on the war, which the Czech Republic took advantage of.

To keep Ukraine’s artillery crews supplied, the Pentagon set a production target last year of 100,000 shells per month by the end of 2025. Factories in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., together make about 36,000 shells per month. The new General Dynamics facility in Mesquite, Texas, will make 30,000 each month once it reaches its full capacity. The 100,000-per-month goal represents a nearly tenfold increase in production from a few years ago. An Ohio-based defense firm called IMT is expected to make up the difference. Less than a year ago, the surrounding area here in North Texas was just a dirt field. But with millions of dollars from Congress and help from Repkon, the American defense firm General Dynamics was able to open the factory about 10 months after breaking ground.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/29/us/pentagon-ammunition-ukraine-russia.html

This is what smart people do - they produce weapons in their own country and use them in other countries. But looking at all these wonderful technologies, I continue to wonder what genetically determined mental deviations of humanity prompt them to use these technologies to kill, instead of improving their lives?

[US7IGN]

Ukraine will not move further on its path to membership of Nato at this year’s annual summit, The Telegraph can reveal, amid fears the alliance could be drawn into a war with russia.

The decision is expected to frustrate Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, who has been warned by counterparts not to demand the “impossible” from the alliance.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/05/28/ukraine-no-nearer-to-joining-nato-this-year-zelensky-told/

Sharp fractures are opening between Kyiv and its Western backers, including the United States, over the future of Ukraine’s defense against russia’s invasion. Ukrainian leaders have increasingly complained that Washington is restricting their ability to respond to russian attacks as U.S. policymakers push them to do more to fight corruption even amid the worsening war. Meanwhile, European and American officials are quarreling about strategy to turn the tide on the battlefield.

U.S. officials — and some Ukrainian ones — have been alarmed in recent weeks by the targeting of reformist officials who were willing to battle corruption inside their own ministries and who appeared especially close to Washington.

The dismissal this month of deputy prime minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, who had been focused on infrastructure and rebuilding Ukraine, was especially alarming, U.S. and European officials said.

The coming months will bring more flash points. European elections in June are likely to bolster far-right forces that are skeptical of Ukraine’s path to joining the European Union. A NATO summit in Washington in July is unlikely to offer Ukraine the clear track toward alliance membership that Kyiv desires.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/05/30/ukraine-us-strategy-disagreement-corruption/

May 29, the government presents the 16th and largest military aid package to date to Ukraine since russia's full-scale invasion began. Sweden is assisting Ukraine with a completely new capability that strengthens Ukraine's combined air defense. The package that will be included in an upcoming additional amendment budget amounts to a value of SEK 13.3 billion and meets Ukraine's prioritized needs.
https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2024/05/militart-stodpaket-16-till-ukraina--ny-formaga-som-starker-ukrainas-luftforsvar-och-stod-som-moter-ukrainas-prioriterade-behov/

In the "Oberig" registry (the only automated information and telecommunication system that will accumulate data on all conscripted citizens of Ukraine), 710,000 citizens had the status of "wanted" without legal grounds. This was reported by Deputy Minister of Defense Kateryna Chernogorenko. https://pravdatutnews.com/society/2024/05/29/42325-ponad-700-tysyach-ukrayinciv-buly-v-bezpidstavnomu-rozshuku-u

Thus, what I said earlier was officially confirmed - the state first declared everyone criminals, and then admitted that it had done so by mistake. How many more such mistakes has the state made and will make, and how can it count on the patriotism of its citizens? So far, citizens are trying with all their might to avoid any contact with the state, so as not to receive punishment without being able to prove their innocence.

Meanwhile, the young and strong are trying to cross the dangerous river, trying to leave Ukraine.
https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/05/29/ukraines-desperate-draft-dodgers-drown-in-the-river-of-death

There is even a joke that if you have killed someone and want to get rid of the corpse, just throw it into Tysa river and everyone will think that it is just another dodger.

[US7IGN]

War has always been a stimulus for scientific progress, and Ukraine seems to be the best testing ground for many new military technologies. As ukraine’s stocks of artillery shells have dwindled, its army’s reliance on drones has grown. These are able to deliver ammunition with great precision over long distances—provided they can maintain connections with gps satellites (so they know where they are) and their operators (so they know what to do). Such communication signals can be jammed, however, and russia’s electronic warfare, as signals scrambling is known, is fearsomely effective. With large numbers of its drones in effect blinded, Ukraine’s drone technologists have been forced to get creative. Machine sight software packages have been developed that allow drone to navigate the terrain and identify targets even if communications or satellite positioning systems are lost. https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/05/29/many-ukrainian-drones-have-been-disabled-by-russian-jamming

Electricity restrictions, which were absent for the past two days, may return due to the repair of nuclear units. There are no electricity restrictions for two days due to the fact that two power units were taken out of repair. The units that are planned to be sent for repair will return to work in two months. https://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/events/vidklyuchennya-svitla-mozhut-povernuti-na-pochatku-chervnya-cherez-remont-atomnih-blokiv-50422941.html

[US7IGN]

Today at about 4 am I was woken up by a loud explosion, then I heard the sounds of air defense. An electrical substation in a neighboring area was destroyed and cars were damaged. There is much more destruction in Kharkiv and there are dead and wounded there. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c6ppvqgygy6o

The price of electricity has almost doubled, but people are more worried about its availability. Today in Kyiv it was not turned off again, but they warned that the shutdowns would return soon. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cv22pm8mn7lo

However, there is an opinion that there is fraud in the energy sector and the increase in prices is not related to the destruction. A redistribution of the market and the emergence of new energy oligarchs are also expected. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMjAHsPYlpA

The number of Ukrainians living in poverty has grown by 1.8 million since 2020, bringing the total to about 29% of the population as russia's 2022 invasion continues to ravage the country's economy, the World Bank said in a report. The situation would be much worse if Ukraine had not received substantial foreign budget support to pay old-age pensions and salaries for teachers, doctors and others, according to Arup Banerji, the World Bank's regional director for Eastern Europe. "If international partners, especially the U.S., had not crowded in resources specifically tailored to these social expenditures, then there would have been three million more people in poverty," he told Reuters in an interview.  It noted that nearly one-quarter of Ukrainians surveyed did not have enough money to buy food at some point in June 2023, although a rebound in economic growth and slowing inflation had helped to improve food security in the second half of the year. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/world-bank-says-18-mln-additional-ukrainians-poverty-russias-war-drags-2024-05-30/

At present, there is an acute shortage of specialists in labor professions in KP "Kyiv Metropoliten". In particular, there are 83 vacancies for electric train drivers, 48 ​​for electromechanics, and 161 for turners and locksmiths in the respective fields. The reason for the increase in the number of vacancies is partially forced migration, the specifics of professions and mobilization work in connection with martial law. In particular, about 7% of subway workers are currently in the ranks of the Armed Forces, and their number is constantly increasing. "Kyiv Metropoliten" constantly conducts intensified personnel work to attract specialists. In particular, it cooperates with specialized education institutions and the city employment center. At the same time, the metro is a narrow-profile enterprise, and the preparation and adaptation of some professions requires long-term special training. Yes, the driver of an electric train, before the moment of his independent work on the line, studies for more than 12 months. http://www.metro.kyiv.ua/node/7959

Russia has accused NATO and the US of "provoking a new level of tension" after the US and Germany became the latest allies to let Ukraine's military use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets inside russia. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqq2zn3zw6o

However, I have seen that this permission does not apply to all weapons and to a depth of no more than 40 km.

China will not attend a Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland next month because it does not meet its expectations, which include both russia and Ukraine taking part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday, confirming an exclusive Reuters report. https://www.reuters.com/world/china-will-not-join-swiss-peace-conference-ukraine-sources-say-2024-05-31/

Also, everyone is closely following events in the United States, which will likely greatly influence the upcoming presidential elections. Donald Trump said on Friday he would appeal the guilty verdict that made him the first U.S. president convicted of a crime, though he will have to wait until after his sentencing on July 11 before taking that step. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-race-plunges-into-uncharted-territory-trump-awaits-july-sentencing-2024-05-31/

I talked to the doctor today and he said my blood pressure and pulse numbers are good, but ordered me to take the same meds in the same doses. Still, I feel bad from time to time and confirm that my condition is stable, but without improvement. I began to eat a little less and lost two kilograms. Apparently, under these circumstances, I'm still holding up pretty well.

[US7IGN]

Today I heard the opinion that the stockpiles of weapons in the West are much larger than they say, and the reference to their shortage is only an excuse for the reluctance to provide more to Ukraine. I don’t know how true this assumption is, but it seems that the West’s calculation is based on containing russia, but not defeating it. It seems to me that this plan has a couple of vulnerabilities that do not take into account the destruction of the energy and economy of Ukraine and the mood of the population. I think I'm beginning to understand why Afghanistan chose a dictatorship that was close to the people instead of a corrupt democracy. Ukraine has no choice at all.

Yesterday, a missile exploded in Odesa https://24tv.ua/odesi-prolunav-duzhe-silniy-vibuh_n2566971 , and this night the scale of the attack and destruction was much greater. The target of the attack was energy, said relevant minister Herman Galushchenko. According to his data, there is destruction of objects in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kirovohrad and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. The military airfield in Starokostyantyniv was also attacked. Also, every day air bombs and missiles destroy Kharkіv. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cn33zmllr00o

Institute for the Study of War issued an russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 31, 2024 https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-31-2024.

ISW has observed evidence confirming that russian forces have only seized approximately 752 square kilometers in 2024. I liked the word "only". It sounds like sarcasm.

Meanwhile, mobilization continues to be used very selectively and from time to time as a means of cracking down on regime opponents.
On May 30, Suspilny Chanel published an article in which Ukrinform correspondent in Chernihiv and Cherkasy regions, Yuriy Strygun, reported that in December 2023, he received a "temnik" from the editor with desirable and undesirable speakers in Chernihiv region.

In journalistic jargon, the "temnik" - a word derived from the word "thema" - means an instruction from the authorities, which is disseminated among the media, regarding topics or people that are allowed or prohibited to be discussed.

On May 29, "Ukrainian Pravda" published the article "All of them. How the Office of the President takes control of Ukrinform", in which it was reported that journalist Oleksiy Matsuka, who is considered a protégé of the Office of the President, introduced censorship and "dungeons" in the position of director general of Ukrinform.

Ukrinform correspondent in Chernihiv and Cherkasy regions Yuriy Strygun, who on May 30 publicly confirmed the fact of sending "temniks" in the agency, received today, May 31, a summons with a demand to appear at the mobilization center at the place of registration. Yuriy Strygun calls it a strange coincidence that such attention was paid to him by the Military Commissariat just after disclosure of the "temnik". According to the journalist, he is 57 years old and has never served in the army. https://texty.org.ua/fragments/112606/zhurnalist-ukrinformu-sho-rozpoviv-pro-temnyky-v-ahentstvi-nastupnoho-dnya-otrymav-povistku/

The Ministry of Defense calls for the creation of the Military Police, which will have the right to search for and detain military personnel. https://meta.ua/uk/news/war-in-ukraine/167834-minoboroni-zaklikae-stvoriti-viiskovu-politsiyu-yaki-yiyi-budut-zavdannya/

Today there was a thunderstorm and rain in Kyiv and there is still no propagation.

[US7IGN]

Today it rained all night and sometimes during the day. There was not a single air raid in Kyiv and the electricity was not turned off all day.

But there was an explosion in Odesa https://informator.ua/uk/v-odesi-prolunav-potuzhniy-vibuh-pid-chas-povitryanoji-trivogi-nad-mistom-vidniyetsya-dim

The same drain on personnel that’s weakened Ukrainian forces staving off russia’s onslaught on the battlefield is also sapping the productivity of the war-battered nation’s factory floors, construction sites, mines and restaurants.
A mobilization law that went into effect last month is aimed at replenishing Ukraine’s military ranks with hundreds of thousands of troops. But the lack of able-bodied men and women is emerging as a burden for businesses large and small that make up the backbone of a wartime economy.
It’s a conundrum for President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is desperate to replenish his forces while ensuring that the shortage doesn’t damage an economy he needs to keep afloat.
“We are now in a war of attrition,” Ukrainian Deputy Central Bank Governor Sergiy Nikolaychuk said in an interview in Kyiv. “It is very difficult to choose between butter and guns.”
Nikolaychuk said a collapse in economic output compared with 2021 was linked with a contraction of about 27% in the available labor force from pre-war levels. In addition to an estimated more than 6 million people who fled the war, the vacuum has been exacerbated by men who’ve disappeared into a shadow economy of unregistered employees ducking conscription.
It’s a policy challenge that can’t be fixed with help from allies, who are dispatching ammunition and air-defense equipment. Manpower is a finite issue — one that gives russia and its vast resources an advantage.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-01/ukraine-s-shortage-of-manpower-is-hitting-its-wartime-industry

It seems that the authorities still have not realized that they are the main reason for this situation and are not going to change anything. I foresee big problems in the coming months. Ukraine is full of people, but no one wants to deal with the authorities and their attitude towards people. In 2022, millions were ready to fight for freedom and democracy, but in 2024 no one wants to fight for dictatorship, corruption and slavery.

I heard that one large construction company has begun to hire workers from the Middle East who are not afraid of mobilization. Well, this trend could lead to Ukraine becoming very similar to russia, which suffers from clashes between locals and migrants from the east.

At the same time, according to deputy Oleksiy Goncharenko, the Cabinet of Ministers plans to cancel the reservation of some employees of the State Service of Ukraine in emergency situations. As a result, they will be able to be mobilized into the ranks of the Armed Forces. The deputy called such an initiative of the officials a "crazy decision". He reminded that it is emergency workers who save the lives of Ukrainians after repeated enemy attacks, as well as eliminate the consequences of russian strikes. https://one.ua/15298-mobilizaciya-v-ukraine-rabotniki-gschs-mogut-poteryat-bron-goncharenko

Unfortunately, it is often very difficult to find out what is true and what is fake, although what you don't want to believe is often the truth. In social networks and forums, stories about the illegal mobilization of sick people appear every day. Sometimes there are simply crazy comments, such as under the message about the mobilization of an oligophrenic. People joked that this is a big loss for the Cabinet of Ministers where he could write laws. Others answered them that he was probably healthy enough to serve in the army, but not sick enough to work in the Cabinet. The most terrible thing is that over time, official comments of representatives of mobilization centers appear, where they recognize the shameful cases of mobilization, but say that the problem was only that the person did not have documents confirming their illness.

[US7IGN]

Former Minister of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine Ivan Plachkov pointed out the critical situation in Kharkiv. According to him, there is no heat generation there now. Thermal electric plant-5 and other critical infrastructure facilities were destroyed in the regional center. Currently, local boiler houses are brought to the city, but this will not be enough in winter. "I advise many people already now to look for friends and acquaintances in villages and district centers where there is traditional heating with wood, so that there is an opportunity to go there at least for a few weeks. Therefore, in general, the situation in the energy system of Ukraine during the heating season will be very threatening. The situation now it is critical, but in winter it can be catastrophic," the ex-minister emphasized. https://top.today.ua/v-ukrayini-vzymku-mozhut-vidklyuchyty-opalennya-gromadyan-zaklykaly-shukaty-u-selah-budynky-ta-drova/

Many U.S.-made satellite-guided munitions in Ukraine have failed to withstand russian jamming technology, prompting Kyiv to stop using certain types of Western-provided armaments after effectiveness rates plummeted, according to senior Ukrainian military officials and confidential internal Ukrainian assessments obtained by The Washington Post.

russia’s jamming of the guidance systems of modern Western weapons, including Excalibur GPS-guided artillery shells and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, which can fire some U.S.-made rockets with a range of up to 50 miles, has eroded Ukraine’s ability to defend its territory and has left officials in Kyiv urgently seeking help from the Pentagon to obtain upgrades from arms manufacturers.

Six months ago, after Ukrainians reported the problem, Washington simply stopped providing Excalibur shells because of the high failure rate, the Ukrainian officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive security matter. In other cases, such as aircraft-dropped bombs called JDAMs, the manufacturer provided a patch and Ukraine continues to use them.

russia’s ability to combat the high-tech munitions has far-reaching implications for Ukraine and its Western supporters — potentially providing a blueprint for adversaries such as China and Iran — and it is a key reason Moscow’s forces have regained the initiative and are advancing on the battlefield.

The success rate for the U.S.-designed Excalibur shells, for example, fell sharply over a period of months — to less than 10 percent hitting their targets — before Ukraine’s military abandoned them last year, according to the confidential Ukrainian assessments.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/24/russia-jamming-us-weapons-ukraine/

[N0TZU]

The report on heating capability for next winter is very concerning, along with the electricity supply of course. I hope that Biden will relent on the long range limits of using US weapons in Russia, especially shooting down the aircraft that launch cruise missiles while over Russian territory.

This war is demonstrating the continued dramatic cost reduction of effective weapons, particularly small drones and electronic countermeasures. Both sides have been inflicting numerous damaging strikes with relatively cheap drones, while disrupting some expensive weapons with ECM. Surveillance drones have pushed infantry forces back to camouflaged trench warfare. No one and no army escapes the laws of economics.

It suggests that this will bedevil even the best Western armed forces in coming years, causing sophisticated and expensive weapons to be used less often because of the risk of loss to opposing cheap weaponry. I’m sure there is much research and applied work being done on economically and reliably detecting and destroying low flying cheap drones.

[KD8ZM-Brady]

I hope that sophisticated weaponry is not rendered irrelevant in the future, since that will mean that nations who consider their subjects to be expendable (Russia, China, N Korea) will have a decided advantage in warfare, and will become aggressive.
But of course, hope is not a plan, and you could be right.