(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Ukraine Invasion Day 446: de-occupying territory [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-05-14 Ukraine Control Map @UAControlMap 57/57 Russian Milbloggers Rybar released this map showing Russian forces had withdrawn from Kuzemivka, and then withdrew the statement. We've seen no geolocations to indicate it's true, and thus haven't adjusted anything. Extra weird one. And the goal remains the same — the de-occupation of our territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine will be ready to launch an anticipated counteroffensive after the delivery of weapons is completed and favorable weather sets in. He said this in an interview with The Washington Post. Zelensky added that Ukraine would be ready for a counteroffensive after the delivery of weapons is completed. "As soon as the delivery of weapons that were agreed upon with our partners is completed, we will be ready for a counteroffensive, of course taking into account the changes in weather. And the goal remains the same — the de-occupation of our territory," Zelensky said. Commenting on doubts about the transfer of long-range missiles by other countries due to fears that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will carry out strikes inside Russia, Zelensky said that Ukraine is not interested in the aggressor's territory. "I would always tell our partners, “Listen, our task is to de-occupy our territory. [...] We have a priority target for which we are spending the ammunition package we have. And we spend it on the de-occupation of purely Ukrainian territories.” But we would need to do that with long-range missiles and systems. So now I don’t quite understand, I’ll tell you frankly, why we can’t get long-range artillery. Because the objective of long-range artillery is definitely not to use it on Russian territory. And I believe that we will cope with this deficit," he said. www.ukrinform.net/... In late January, with his mercenary forces dying by the thousands in a fight for the ruined city of Bakhmut, Wagner Group owner Yevgeniy Prigozhin made Ukraine an extraordinary offer. “Prigozhin said that if Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their soldiers from the area around Bakhmut, he would give Kyiv information on Russian troop positions, which Ukraine could use to attack them” Prigozhin said that if Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their soldiers from the area around Bakhmut, he would give Kyiv information on Russian troop positions, which Ukraine could use to attack them. Prigozhin conveyed the proposal to his contacts in Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, with whom he has maintained secret communications during the course of the war, according to previously unreported U.S. intelligence documents leaked on the group-chat platform Discord. www.washingtonpost.com/... Key Takeaways Russian forces conducted another series of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine on the night of May 13 to 14. Increasingly regular series of Russian drone and missile strikes are likely a part of a new Russian air campaign in Ukraine aimed at degrading Ukrainian abilities to conduct counteroffensive offensive operations in the near term. Ukrainian forces continued counterattacking around Bakhmut on May 14. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) is attempting to distract from recent Ukrainian successes near Bakhmut by praising Russian defensive efforts against the Ukrainian counterattacks. Former Russian officer and ardent nationalist Igor Girkin’s newly formed “Club of Angry Patriots” is continuing efforts to expand its presence and influence public discourse. Russian forces conducted ground attacks northeast of Kupyansk and along the Kupyansk-Svatove line. Russian forces have not made additional confirmed gains in or around Bakhmut and continued limited offensive operations on the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line. Russian forces continued to fire on areas west of Hulyaipole in southern Ukraine. Russian forces continue efforts to replenish manpower losses using prisoners. Russian officials and occupation authorities continue to prepare for the September 2023 elections in occupied territories. understandingwar.org/... Q: Mr. President, Ukraine has not published its military casualties count over the course of the war. What do you gain from hiding this number? Should the world not know the cost of this war to Ukraine by knowing the numbers? A: This is just a general decision. A general decision from our military. All this will be [made public] after we end the war. We know the losses. We value every person, and this is one of the things that, of course, will be fully accessible to the whole world. I think, to be honest, it is first of all important for the relatives and friends of those people who lost their loved ones, and then, I think, for everyone else. But, nevertheless, this is the decision [that has been made]. The fact that the number is many times less than that of Russians is understood by everyone in the world. And if you have the relevant documents, maybe you can tell us how many people have died, how many were wounded and what their names are? www.washingtonpost.com/... x ⚡️ WAR IN #UKRAINE - MAY 14 5 🇷🇺 jets & helicopters added by @Rebel44CZ 🇨🇿 VISUALLY CONFIRMED: 3.1x losses to date ➡ 2.7x since 🇺🇦 counteroffensive (Aug 29) ➡ 1.2x 30-day average ➡ 📈 https://t.co/Utt00HxqlH pic.twitter.com/DuuneCEdKx — Ragnar Gudmundsson 🇮🇸🇺🇦 ragnarbjartur@masto.ai (@ragnarbjartur) May 14, 2023 understandingwar.org/... Russian Main Effort – Eastern Ukraine 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 forces conducted ground attacks northeast of Kupyansk and along the Kupyansk-Svatove line on May 14. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations near Masyutivka (12km northeast of Kupyansk), Synkivka (8km northeast of Kupyansk), Novoselivske (14km northwest of Svatove), and on the eastern outskirts of Stelmakhivka (15km northwest of Svatove).[22] A prominent Russian milblogger claimed that Russian and Ukrainian forces continue “sluggish” fighting between Novoselivske and Kuzemivka (13km northwest of Svatove), and that elements of the Russian 1st Guards Tank Army (Western Military District) have established first lines of defense along the eastern side of the rail line near Novoselivske.[23] The milblogger claimed that Russian forces withdrew from Novoselivske on an unspecified date because the settlement is destroyed and not worth defending, and emphasized that Russian forces still control Kuzemivka. understandingwar.org/... understandingwar.org/... Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Donetsk Oblast (Russian Objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas) Russian forces have not made additional confirmed gains in or around Bakhmut as of May 14. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations within Bakhmut itself; within 9km northwest of Bakhmut near Hryhorivka, Bohdanivka, and Khromove; and within 14km southwest of Bakhmut near Bila Hora and Predtechyne.[25] Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed on May 13 that Wagner fighters advanced up to 500m in Bakhmut and that Ukrainian forces currently control 1.78 square kilometers of the city.[26] A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful ground attacks near Orikhovo-Vasylivka (11km northwest of Bakhmut).[27] understandingwar.org/... x Russian attacks continue in the Donetsk region #Ukraine #OSINT #GEOINT https://t.co/sx0HuoJHK2 — Geopolitical Report (@GeoPioneerInc) May 14, 2023 x Russian Brigades Keep Sending Tanks Into The Same Drone Kill Zone Near Donetsk https://t.co/UTmOBxR23S pic.twitter.com/PD95EFPc0k — Forbes (@Forbes) May 14, 2023 understandingwar.org/... Ukrainian artillery hit a Russian command post in Klishchivka, just south of Bakhmut. The Russian commander of the 4th motorized brigade and two other high-ranking officers were killed immediately. https://t.co/Pf4kJfNaam understandingwar.org/... x Russians continue to use incendiary munitions in Bakhmut pic.twitter.com/OO8SAEp980 — Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) May 14, 2023 understandingwar.org/... Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes) Russian forces continued to fire on areas west of Hulyaipole in southern Ukraine on May 14.[33] Ukrainian Southern Forces Joint Press Center Head Nataliya Humenyuk stated that Russian forces are trying to use sea missile carriers, kamikaze drones, and reconnaissance drones to distract Ukrainian air defenses.[34] Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command reported that Russian forces struck Kizomys and Stanislav, Kherson Oblast with four guided aerial bombs and targeted the Chornobaivka and Tokarivka areas with four loitering munitions.[35] The Southern Operational Command also reported that Russian shelling damaged critical infrastructure in Ochakiv Hromada.[36] Zaporizhia Oblast occupation deputy Vladimir Rogov posted footage on May 13 of the Russian 127th Motorized Rifle Division (5th Combined Arms Army, Eastern Military District) firing incendiary munitions at the Hulyaipole area.[37] The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed on May 14 that Russian forces struck a Ukrainian ammunition depot near Mykolaiv City.[38] understandingwar.org/... understandingwar.org/... x It looks like this is the first confirmed Ukrainian M55S tank supplied by Slovenia visually confirmed damaged/lost. pic.twitter.com/v40n38CJFT — NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) May 14, 2023 x American defense contractor AeroVironment to provide Ukraine with modern tactical drones, according to the Voice of America AeroVironment has begun the production of a new type of drone for Ukraine, namely the latest tactical drone Jump 20.https://t.co/mfd2tTlMYU — Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) May 14, 2023 x “The cost of delay can be observed in the Ukrainian territories that Russia still controls: the death pits, the torture chambers and the empty homes of kidnapped children. Tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides have unnecessarily died.”https://t.co/o83Oa1UOXL — Laurence Tribe 🇺🇦 ⚖️ (@tribelaw) May 15, 2023 When we understand that nuclear talk is itself the weapon, we can act to make the situation less risky. The way forward to strategic thinking is to free ourselves from our own anxieties and consider the Russian ones. The Russians talk about nuclear weapons not because they mean to use them but because they believe a large nuclear arsenal makes them a superpower. Nuclear talk makes them feel powerful. They see nuclear bullying as their prerogative and believe that others should automatically yield at the first mention of their weapons. The Ukrainians have not allowed this to affect their tactics. If Russia detonated a weapon, it would lose that jealously guarded treasure of superpower status. Such an act would constitute an admission that its army has been beaten — a tremendous loss of face. Worse still, neighbors would build (or build up) their own nuclear arsenals. That would deprive Russia of superpower status in the minds of the Russians themselves. That is, for the Russian leadership, the one intolerable outcome of this war. In my view, the greatest risk of a Russian nuclear action would therefore be one that (for which) Moscow would lay the blame for on Ukraine, such as the deliberate destruction of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. War is unpredictable. Military history is full of surprises. Mr. Putin has undertaken a war of atrocity, and further atrocities are certain as long as the war continues. Russia created not only needless suffering but also needless risk when it invaded Ukraine. We have to work within that world of risk and horror and evaluate it calmly. No option is without hazards; our responsibility is to reduce them. When Russians talk about nuclear war, the safest response is to ensure their very conventional defeat. www.nytimes.com/... x “The best way to end this war is to end any remaining doubt about Ukraine’s place in the Euro-Atlantic security architecture,” argues the former NATO policy planner https://t.co/rSTVKardK6 — The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 14, 2023 “Trump was president, we had a meeting. There was no full-scale invasion then, but there was a war. I’m not sure if he was deep in this issue then, but he didn’t solve this issue.Nobody has solved this issue. And because no one decided, we could not get out of this situation, Putin received a signal: that is, it can be done this way. We need to wait a bit, we need to work with countries and we can go further. That's why he went further," Zelensky said. x Former US President Donald Trump, who promised to end Russia's war against Ukraine in 24 hours, did not finish it before a full-scale invasion. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with RAI. “Trump was president, we had a meeting. There was… pic.twitter.com/2vUh1wH54O — GWAR69 🇩🇰🇺🇦 (@GwarWorin) May 14, 2023 x — China's use of yuan to buy Russian commodities surges since Ukraine war. — Yuan's share in Russia's import settlements in 2022 rises to 23% from 4%. — Imports of Russian oil, piped gas, coal, metals mostly settled in yuan.https://t.co/1niQIV5Wfa — Michael Sami ☭🇪🇬🇨🇳🇷🇺 (@mike4evolution) May 14, 2023 [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/14/2169326/-Ukraine-Invasion-Day-446-de-occupying-territory Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/