Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Odesa have recently been the focal points of Russia’s unyielding military engagement in Ukraine. Despite the widespread damage and the tragic loss of life, Russian forces are showing no sign of ceasing their offensive, as they continue to leverage their technological and numerical advantages. On May 5th, on Orthodox Easter Sunday, Russian forces attacked a residential area in the center of Kharkiv, injuring at least 15 people, by glide bombs. Twenty apartment buildings have been damaged in the attack. On the same day, Russian missiles killed a woman, additionally injuring 24 people in a different residential neighborhood.
Meanwhile, in the Donetsk province, Russian rocket fire claimed two civilian lives and injured six more in the settlement of Hirnyk, with additional casualties still being accounted for. The southern city of Odesa has not been spared from the onslaught, facing ballistic missile strikes targeting civilian and industrial facilities. These attacks appear to be part of a broader campaign against Ukraine’s infrastructure, which has sustained over $1 billion in damages in recent months.
Analysts say that Ukrainian defenders apparently have decided to trade ground for time as they await emergency aid from the United States and other countries. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan even believes that this additional aid will help Ukraine launch a counteroffensive next year. Latvia, a staunch ally of Ukraine, has contributed NBS anti-aircraft guns and tactical reconnaissance systems to bolster Ukrainian air defense capabilities. With a yearly commitment of 0.25% of its GDP to military support for Ukraine.
On the technological front, Ukraine is receiving considerable support from the tech giant, Google. A grant program aiming to support Ukrainian startups has been established, which welcomes Ukraine-based start-ups to compete for $100,000 grants earmarked to ensure the operational consistency of their businesses. The Fund, announced for the years 2024 and 2025, amounts $10 million and will offer Ukrainian entrepreneurs, selected for financial aid based upon their applications, $100,000 in non-dilutive funding, as well as Google mentorship, product support and up to $350,000 in cloud credits. “This hands-on support is designed to help Ukrainian entrepreneurs maintain and grow their businesses and build a foundation for post-war economic recovery,”
Tragically, the toll of war is also felt in the loss of cultural icons, such as theater and film actor Yevhen Shumilov, who perished while serving as a combat medic in Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade.
In a stark contrast to the Ukrainian losses, France has estimated the human cost to Russia at around 150,000 soldiers killed since the beginning of the war, with total casualties including the wounded reaching half a million. Similarly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russian forces have suffered 180,000 fatalities.
On the geopolitical chessboard, discussions about the utilization of frozen Russian assets in the European Union have surfaced, with a proposal that they be employed to finance Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction efforts.
Amidst the tumultuous battlefield developments, French President Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to rule out the deployment of troops to Ukraine has elicited a stern response from the Kremlin, “The statement is very important and very dangerous,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday in Moscow.
Relevant articles:
– Sunday, May 5. Russia’s War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine , Forbes, 05/06/2024
– ‘Russia’s Military Setback is Apparent’ – France Estimates 150,000 Russian Soldiers Killed in Ukraine, Kyiv Post, 05/05/2024
– Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 3, 2024, Critical Threats Project, 05/04/2024
– Russia calls France leader Macron refusing to rule out troops for Ukraine “very dangerous”, CBS News, 05/03/2024
– Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russian fighter-bomber ‘shot down over Donetsk’; Ukraine faces another wave of Russian drones, Sky News, 05/03/2024
GOOD!!! The Ukranian Nazis (UKRANAZIS) brought this all upon themselves when they dishonored the Maiden 1 and Maiden 2 accords and began raining genocide down upon the good people of Donbass simply because they rejected the western, CIA/EU/UK coup of 2014! They were warned repeatedly to honor the agreements until Russia had no choice but to stage the February 2022 SMO!
I simply fail to understand (outside of the money angles) why the west is supporting DOCUMENTED left-over WWII Nazi’s and Nazi collaborators! Ukraine celebrates yearly a litany of Nazi ‘hero’s’, names streets and public places after notorious Nazi’s, past and present! What’s wrong with this picture?
Yet, you mental imps so casually buy every syllable of anti-Russia propaganda! I guess this all leads to the perpetual warmonger cash register MIC greased!!!