Author: Cheng Mo
Executive summary: 1. The Russian army's multiple small-scale attacks on Kharkiv were all repulsed; 2. The United States announced a new round of $400 million in military aid to Ukraine; 3. The illegal Starlink terminal in the hands of the Russian army will be immediately shut down; 4. Czech F-16 fighter simulator for Ukraine; 5. Canada provides additional funding for strengthening Ukraine's air defense system; 6. Ukrainian drones successfully attacked the first oil refinery in Kaluga, Russia; 7. Ukraine will allow petty offenders to voluntarily sign up for war on parole; 8. The Ukrainian army destroyed 1,320 enemies in a single day.
On the morning of May 10, the Russian army launched a large-scale offensive in the Kharkiv border area in multiple directions. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense later confirmed that the Russian army had tried to "break through the line of defense under the cover of armored vehicles", that "battles of varying intensity" had taken place in many places, that all enemy attacks had been repulsed, that some places were still fighting, and that troops were being sent to further strengthen the defense.
On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky listened to the report of the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Syrsky, on the latest situation on the front. He then said in the media that "fierce fighting" was taking place in the Kharkiv region, and said that Ukrainian artillery fire had stopped the Russian advance. At the same time, Zelenskyy said that more reinforcements were being sent to Kharkiv and other warring areas.
The main battles took place in two directions: one in the direction of Liptsy, north of the city of Kharkiv, and the other near Volchansk, northeast of the city of Kharkiv. According to the Ukrainian side, fighting took place in the villages of Borisovka, Krasnoe and Goptovka on the border of the Kharkiv region. The head of the Kharkiv region, Sinehubov, said that the Russian reconnaissance group had tried to break through the border, but the Ukrainian side "did not lose 1 meter of territory."
Based on all sources, the Russian army did not have many troops dispatched this time, and many conflict sites only had company-platoon-level attacks, and the intensity of Russian artillery fire was even inferior to that of the Ukrainian army. The Russian army may be trying to implement Putin's March statement to create a buffer zone on the Ukrainian side to stop the Ukrainian-based "Russian Freedom Corps" and "Russian Volunteer Corps" from attacking and harassing the Russian border.
Previously, Ukrainian officials have repeatedly publicly stated that the Russian army may attack the Kharkiv region, and the Ukrainian side is ready to defend against the enemy's attack. I insist that the Russian army does not have the ability to reoccupy the Kharkiv and Sumy regions; The Russian army's attempt to create a so-called "buffer zone" in Kharkiv is also unlikely to succeed.
Many media outlets were taken aback, grossly exaggerating the scale of the Russian army's attack on Kharkiv and falsely claiming that the Russian army had captured a number of Ukrainian villages. There are many people who like this kind of fake news, and I try to tell everyone the truth, and I can't convince everyone not to believe the rumors and not spread them.
(Ukrainian artillery on the front line opened heavy fire)
The U.S. State Department announced on the 10th local time that it would provide $400 million in military aid to Ukraine. The new round of aid weapons and ammunition will be taken directly from US military warehouses. U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly said that the U.S. and its allies will continue to provide strong support to Ukraine, the statement said.
This list of assistance includes additional ammunition for the Patriot air defense system, additional ammunition for the NASAMS air defense missile system, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, equipment for the integration of Western anti-aircraft missile launchers, missiles, radars with Ukrainian Soviet-style systems, additional Hippocampus rocket systems and ammunition, 155 mm and 105 mm artillery shells, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, M113 armored personnel carriers, anti-mine and anti-ambush vehicles, trailers for transporting heavy equipment, Tao anti-tank missiles, Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank individual missiles, air-launched precision-guided munitions, high-speed anti-radar missiles, light weapons and ammunition, grenades, ammunition for dismantling and demining equipment, offshore and river patrol boats, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protective equipment, spare parts, training ammunition, maintenance and other auxiliary equipment. The contents of this list are similar to the previous list of $1 billion in military aid.
In the last two rounds of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, in addition to anti-aircraft missiles, seahorses and supporting ammunition, the most eye-catching Bradley infantry fighting vehicle is the most eye-catching. Actual combat has shown that the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle carrying the Tao anti-tank missile, due to its excellent maneuverability, has better comprehensive performance on the battlefield than the expensive main battle tank, and can kill any main battle tank in seconds, but the artillery power against a strong fortress is not as good as the main battle tank. It is not clear whether the U.S.-aided Hippocampus is the same three Hippocampus systems that Germany announced yesterday. U.S. Army tactical missiles are included in the Seahorse munitions.
Zelenskyy said on international social media, "I thank President Biden, Congress and the American people for the new military assistance package proposed today. Timely and vital U.S. support will save civilian lives and strengthen Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines. He also said, "The United States remains the leader in providing support to Ukraine, which is historic." By thwarting Russia's offensive plans, we are bringing a just peace to Ukraine and long-term stability to the entire Euro-Atlantic community. ”
Zelenskyy has always tied the resistance of the Ukrainians to the defense of European security, a very clever strategy that is a powerful weapon to win the support of the Western camp.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, John Plumm, said U.S. defense officials worked with SpaceX to prevent the Russian military from unauthorized use of Starlink internet terminals in frontline areas of Ukraine.
Previously, there was evidence that the Russian army used a small amount of Starlink equipment on the front line in Ukraine, and it was technically very easy to shut down these unauthorized devices. Musk has publicly stated that all Starlink devices obtained by the Russian army are unauthorized and violate the rules for the use of Starlink terminals, and SpaceX is identifying these illegally used devices and shutting them down.
(The United States announces a new round of military aid to Ukraine)
The commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on May 10 that Ukraine received the first simulator of an F-16 fighter. It was handed over by the Czech Republic to a tactical aviation brigade. He also said that Ukrainian specialists are testing the main modules of the aircraft simulator and preparing them for service.
The "F-16 simulator" is the key equipment for training F-16 fighter pilots, after the pilot completes the basic course, he is familiar with the flying operation of the F-16 aircraft in the simulator, and only after completing the simulator training, can he get on the plane for training. Ukraine's receipt of F-16 fighter simulators means that Ukraine will establish its own F-16 pilot training institution. This will help expand the training of pilots of Ukrainian F-16 fighters.
Based on public information from all sides, there is no reliable evidence that F-16 fighters have entered Ukraine, but before the end of June, the Ukrainian army is likely to usher in the first batch of F-16 fighters, and the trained and qualified Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots will return to Ukraine.
Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced on May 10 that Canada will provide an additional 76 million Canadian dollars (about $55.7 million) in addition to the total aid originally promised to Ukraine for the German-led plan to quickly provide air defense systems to Ukraine.
"These systems will help defend against Russian airstrikes that have killed thousands of Ukrainians and destroyed hospitals, power plants and residential buildings," Bill Blair said. ”
Germany, which led the formation of an air defense alliance to aid Ukraine last month, is running around to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses, trying to persuade allies to squeeze out some advanced air defense systems to hand over to Ukraine, or to finance the strengthening of Ukraine's air defenses.
(Germany is rushing to strengthen the Ukrainian air defense system)
In the early morning of May 10, the No. 1 oil refinery in Kaluga, Russia, was attacked by long-range drones of the Ukrainian army, and four storage tanks filled with fuel exploded violently, and the flames were visible dozens of kilometers away. Judging by the video, the damage is quite severe.
The refinery was attacked for the first time by dozens of Ukrainian drones on March 15 this year, and the damage was severe; The Ukrainian side carried out a second drone attack on the refinery on the night of April 30 and May 1. This attack is the third time, and it seems that the Ukrainian side is determined to completely paralyze this large Russian oil refinery.
Kaluga Oblast, Russia, is located about 300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Ukrainian drones have repeatedly successfully attacked the Russian army's Shekovka airbase located in the state.
Ukraine's Justice Minister Malyuska said in an interview with the BBC on May 10 that about 10,000 to 20,000 convicts would be drafted into the army, a move that would not only bolster Ukrainian forces but also help alleviate overcrowding in Ukrainian prisons.
On 8 May, the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Uganda adopted a bill on the mobilization of criminals. After the bill is handed over to Zelensky for signature, it will officially enter into law. The bill will introduce conditional early parole for prisoners who are directly involved in defending the independence, territory and sovereign integrity of the Ukrainian state. Only prisoners who have been imprisoned for minor crimes and whose physical condition meets the requirements of the army will be able to sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and serve, but those who have committed serious crimes such as murder, rape, sexual violence or crimes against national security will not be mobilized.
Compared with Ukraine, the Russian army has long mobilized prison soldiers to fight, and many felons sentenced to more than ten years in prison can also sign up for war.
On the 808th day of the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Ukrainian General Staff announced that the battle losses of the Russian army (including Russian local, enterprise, and separatist groups) in the past 24 hours were as follows: 1,320 Russian troops were annihilated (dead and seriously wounded), and a total of 481,000 Russian troops were annihilated; Destroyed 15 tanks, 40 armored vehicles, 1 air defense system, 2 rocket launch systems, 64 fuel tankers and logistics heavy-duty vehicles, 9 sets of special equipment (mainly electronic warfare equipment), 55 artillery pieces, intercepted 42 large suicide drones, 1 missile.
(Russian army battle losses counted by the Ukrainian side on May 11)
Based on various information, I roughly estimated that the losses of Ukrainian officers and soldiers were about 98,000, of which the number of dead and seriously injured was also 1:1, and more than 20,000 Ukrainian civilians were killed. The warriors of Ukraine who died defending their homeland will return to heaven with glory and be with God.
Let us continue to pray persistently: May God give peace and stop wars; Let the wicked be rewarded, and the good be sheltered.