Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 20:36 Soldiers of the 110th separate mechanized brigade reported that they shot down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft in the Donetsk region. In two weeks, this is already the fourth Su-25 shot down by the 110th Brigade.
18:57 On Sunday, May 19, emergency outages of household and industrial consumers in the Poltava and Kharkov regions are possible during the day, Ukrenergo reported. The reason is emergency restoration work at power facilities after drone strikes on May 18. No outages are forecast for other areas.
17:49 The next meeting in the Ramstein format will be held on Monday, May 20, online, chaired by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and US Chief of Joint Staff Charles Brown, the Pentagon said. Before the start of the meeting, Austin will make a statement at 15:00 Kyiv time.
16:35 The Russians once again shelled Volchansk - one person was killed, four were wounded, the prosecutor's office reported. Another person was injured as a result of shelling. Ukrainian Volchansk community.
16:11 The Russians hit Kharkov again - there is destruction of housing infrastructure, five people were injured, including two teenagers 13 and 16 years old, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. He also said that the number of deaths as a result of yesterday's attack in the city had increased to four - one of the wounded died in the hospital. 16 people remain in hospital, two of them are in serious condition. Sinegubov also said that about 100 people remain in Volchansk, “even fewer” in settlements along the Lipetsk direction, and the evacuation continues.
15:48 The Ministry of Defense announced the start of testing a new service - an electronic queue at the TCC. Pre-registration is already possible at 19 TCCs - testing is taking place in separate centers in Kyiv, Kharkov, Odessa, Dnepr, Sumy, Vinnitsa, Kropyvnytskyi. They promise to connect “much more” soon.
14:40 A car with civilians came under enemy fire in Volchansk, Kharkov region, the prosecutor’s office reported. According to the investigation, on May 16, four civilians tried to leave Volchansk by car, but on the way to the city they came under Russian fire. Two people were killed and two were injured.
12:59 In the Kharkov direction, the Russians are trying to attack in the direction of the settlements of Liptsy and Volchansk, but they are not successful. Defense forces are trying to push the enemy in the direction of Glubokoe, the General Staff said. In the Kupyansky direction, the Defense Forces continue assault operations in the Sinkovka and Ternov areas, and have partial success in certain areas.
11:57 Ukraine recently sent a request to the United States asking for help in identifying targets in the Russian Federation that Kiev could hit with its own weapons. Ukraine is also asking to lift the restriction on US strikes on Russian territory, The Wall Street Journal writes. Previous similar requests, as well as the request to allow the United States to use weapons, were invariably rejected by Washington, the newspaper notes.
10:54 The Ministry of Defense reported that as of now, 150 thousand Ukrainians have successfully logged into the Reserve+ application, and hundreds of thousands more requests are in the queue. The department notes that the application is protected from DDOS attacks and enemy attempts to hack it, so the authorization function may not work for everyone at the same time.
09:31 In the Donetsk region on May 17, three people were killed as a result of Russian shelling - two in Krasnohorivka and one in Chasovoy Yar. Five more people in the region were injured during the day, said the head of the OVA, Vadim Filashkin.
09:27 The number of victims as a result of yesterday's attacks on the Shevchenko district of Kharkov increased to 31, three people were killed, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. One person was also wounded as a result of enemy shelling. Liptsy, Kharkov district, another one - in the village of Kupyansk-Uzlovoy.
09:23 In the Kherson region over the past 24 hours, five people were injured as a result of Russian shelling, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. In particular, two high-rise buildings and 14 private houses, an educational institution, agricultural enterprises, a store and gas pipelines were damaged.
09:20 Ukraine and Western allies often have “different views” on what the end of the war might look like, Zelensky said in an interview with AFP: “We want the war to end with a just peace for us... The West wants the war to end. Period. As soon as possible. And for them this is a fair world... We are in an absurd situation where the West fears that Russia will lose the war and does not want Ukraine to lose it."
At the same time, the president emphasized that “no one is going to give up.” “We must be sober and understand that they are going deeper into our territory,” he said. According to Zelensky, in the Kharkov region the situation is controlled, but not stabilized. The Russians want to attack Kharkov, but they understand that it will be difficult. The President believes that the Russian offensive “may consist of several waves”; in the Kharkov region “there was the first wave.” As for Kyiv, according to the head of state, the Russians do not have enough forces for a large-scale offensive.
Zelensky also said that Ukraine has only about 25% of the required amount of air defense systems. In addition, Ukraine needs 120-130 modern F-16 combat aircraft.
08:43 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of May 18:
personnel - about 491,080 (+1210) people,
tanks - 7560 (+13),
armored combat vehicles - 14,595 (+43),
artillery systems - 12,639 (+36),
MLRS - 1071 (+0),
air defense systems - 801 (+1),
aircraft - 354 (+1),
helicopters - 326 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 10 108 (+35),
cruise missiles - 2203 (+3),
ships/boats - 26 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 17,169 (+65),
special equipment - 2075 (+6).
08:29 At night, enemy UAVs damaged the energy infrastructure in one of the districts of the Poltava region, no people were injured, said the head of the OVA, Philip Pronin. Ukrenergo noted that at night Russian drones attacked two energy infrastructure facilities in the eastern and central regions; consumers did not lose power.
07:18 Air defense at night destroyed all 13 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type, which Russia attacked from Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Kursk, the Air Force reported. Drones were destroyed in Kharkov, Poltava, Vinnitsa, Nikolaev and Dnepropetrovsk regions.
00:37 In the Kharkov direction, the Russians tried to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Glubokoe-Liptsy, Bugrovatka-Staritsa directions, the situation is under control, the General Staff reported. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are conducting assault operations in certain areas in order to improve the tactical situation, and are also combing the area. In the Volchansk area, Ukrainian units are strengthening their defenses in order to improve the tactical situation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Russian aggressors used the hospital in Volchansk as a shelter and a gathering place for their assault units.
Ukrainian aviation struck the central hospital in the city of Volchansk, Khar'kov region, where dozens of Russian military personnel were located. This was reported by the Operative Inform Telegram channel on Saturday, May 18. Continued on Page 49
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully resist attacks from the invaders in all directions.
In the Khar'kov direction, the enemy lost 73 military personnel killed and wounded and 16 pieces of equipment, of which two were tanks.
During the current 24 hours, 77 military clashes took place at the front, seven of which are still ongoing. The hottest situation was in the Pokrovsky direction, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Saturday, May 18.
Thus, 10 clashes occurred in the Khar'kov direction. The Russians again launched an air strike on Khar'kov, using two KABs. They carried out assault operations in the directions Glubokoe-Lukyantsy, Lukyantsy-Veseloye, Bugrovatka-Staritsa.
In this direction, the enemy lost 73 military personnel killed and wounded and 16 pieces of equipment, of which two were tanks.
“The remaining data on enemy losses is being clarified. The defense forces are taking measures to stabilize the situation and regroup in certain areas,” the message says.
In the Kupyansky direction the number of battles per day increased to nine, and in the Limansky direction - to seven. The defense forces are taking necessary measures to contain the enemy.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the invaders are carrying out assault operations in the direction of the settlements of Ivanovskoye and Kalinovka. The total number of Russian attacks in the direction increased to 14.
The Pokrovskoe direction remains the hottest. Of the 23 military clashes since the beginning of the day, four are currently still ongoing. Netailovo was added to the list of settlements where the enemy is directing his attacks. The Russians carried out airstrikes using KABs in the area of Alexandropol, Voskhod, Evgenievka.
In the Kurakhovsky direction, the enemy made 10 attempts to overcome the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The battle continues near Krasnogorovka.
In the Dnieper direction, the number of Russian assaults stopped by Ukrainian defenders on the bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region has grown to four today.
Since the beginning of the current day, Ukrainian aviation has hit 18 areas where enemy personnel are concentrated and two of their air defense systems. Our rockets and artillerymen struck three more enemy concentration areas and one radar station.
Let us remind you that in one day on May 17, Russia lost more than 1,200 soldiers at the front. The total losses of the aggressor country are gradually approaching 500 thousand since the beginning of a full-scale war.
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[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
As a result of active actions, units of the Sever Group of Forces liberated Staritsa (Kharkov region) and continued advancing into the depth of the enemy's defence.
Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of the AFU 106th, 113th, and 129th territorial defence brigades near Veterenarnoye (Kharkov region), Miropoliye, and Loknya (Sumy region).
Four counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 42nd Mechanised Brigade, 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 82nd Air Assault Brigade, and 125th Territorial Defence Brigade were repelled near Liptsy, Tikhoye, and Volansk (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 150 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles.
In the course of counter-battery warfare, one 122mm Grad MLRS combat vehicle, one Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, one 155mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, and one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system were neutralised.
One AFU field ammunition depot was destroyed.
Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 14th Mechanised Brigade and 110th Territorial Defence Brigade near Sinkovka, Ivanovka (Kharkov region), and Artyomovka (Lugansk People's Republic).
One counter-attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 63rd Mechanised Brigade was repelled near Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 270 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, one U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzer, two 152mm D-20 howitzers, and one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line, as well as inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 59th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 72nd Mechanised Brigade, 105th, and 111th Territorial Defence brigades near Krasnogorovka, Konstantinovka, and Noviy (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 690 Ukrainian troops, one tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, and six motor vehicles.
In the course of counterbattery warfare, one U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzer, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, two 122mm D-30 howitzers, and one 100mm Rapira anti-tank gun were wiped out.
Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 68th Jaeger Brigade, 24th, 100th Mechanised brigades, and 2nd National Guard Brigade near Semyonovka, Mayorsk, Kalinovo, and Novgorodskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
Five counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 25th Airborne Brigade, 47th, 110th Mechanised brigades, and 142nd Infantry Brigade were repelled near Netaylovo, Umanskoye, Arkhangelskoye, and Solovyovo (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 420 Ukrainian troops, one German-made Marder infantry fighting vehicle, and five motor vehicles.
In the course of counterbattery warfare, one U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzer, one U.S.-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system, one 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, one 152mm Giatsint-B howitzer, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, two 122mm D-30 howitzers, and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery warfare radar station were neutralised.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines, as well as inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade and 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Urozhaynoye and Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
Four counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade were repelled near Vladimirovka and Novomayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 155 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155mm M198 howitzer, and one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 35th Naval Infantry Brigade and 65th Mechanised Brigade near Ivanovka (Kherson region) and Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 40 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, and three motor vehicles.
In the course of counter-battery warfare, four U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzers, one UK-made 155mm FH-70 towed howitzer, and one 152mm Msta-B howitzer were neutralised.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces wiped out one German-made IRIS-T air defence system radar station and uncrewed surface vehicle storage facility.
Enemy manpower and hardware clusters were engaged in 134 areas.
Air defence units shot down 37 unmanned aerial vehicles, one Tochka-U tactical missile system, 21 U.S.-made HIMARS, Czech-made Vampire, and Olkha MLRS projectiles.
Two AFU high-speed uncrewed surface vehicles were neutralised in the west part of the Black Sea and on the Dnepr River.
In total, 601 airplanes and 274 helicopters, 24,271 unmanned aerial vehicles, 522 air defence missile systems, 16,074 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,304 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 9,664 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 21,783 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:35 Explosions are heard in Khar'kov and the region,reportUkrainian channels.
They also write about explosions in the Sumy region and in Kherson, controlled by Kyiv.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Denis Davydov
[REGNUM] A small temple built on Starokievskaya Hill next to the foundations of the Tithe Church - an echo of legendary times - was mercilessly demolished at night. The fitted equipment destroyed the walls along with icons and church decorations; the debris was immediately thrown into trucks and taken out in an unknown direction. There are all sorts of rumors about the fate of the main icon of the Mother of God “Vladimir-Tithe ”, a copy of the original miraculous one - either the priest managed to remove it or not. In any case, the historical site is now a flat area, and rare brave souls mourn out loud what happened. They curse the evil spirits, who were not afraid of higher powers, and remember Batu Khan and the Soviet government, who destroyed the two previous temples. The “evil spirits” do not feel any remorse at all - they declared the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, to which the now defunct church belonged, a “sect” and are fighting it to the best of their ability.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kirill Velesov
[REGNUM] Odessa, May 18, city beach “Chaika”. One o'clock. The weather is sunny and warm, but there is not a single person on the beach, a favorite vacation spot for the townspeople. A local man with his wife and school-aged son is filming a video, amazed that the city has practically died out, and he is the “only man” left.
Same day, Khar'kov. A resident of the city carefully, without attracting attention, films how two employees of the TCC (territorial recruitment center - an analogue of Russian military registration and enlistment offices) almost drag a struggling young man along the street and throw him into a white minibus.
Another video is from a service station: three policemen are strangling a guy and trying to twist his arms. He shouts that he shouldn’t go to the TCC, the police respond with the official “We’ll sort it out there.” After about a minute of struggle, another “cop” standing nearby asks the guy why he’s not going to fight. He, trying to escape from the grip, exhales: “Because I’m not a military man!”
A similar thing is happening today throughout Ukraine - on May 18, a law on tightening mobilization came into force. Men are caught everywhere. Another video from Odessa: several TCC employees literally burst into a minibus and, trying to detain a guy, beat him and spray him with pepper spray. And the minibus passenger filming on her phone is insulted, and the phone is promised to be broken.
There is a catastrophic shortage of people at the front, so even those who were previously considered untouchable have to be taken away. Last week, the new head of the territorial recruitment center of the Cherkasy region, Roman Bogdan, invited to a meeting of the City Council, handed out subpoenas to six deputies. Bogdan urged them to make the “right decision.”
DISENFRANCHISED MEN
The law that came into force established new requirements for those liable for military service in Ukraine and minimizes their rights.
All men between the ages of 18 and 60 were required to carry a military ID at all times. Without it, citizens will also be limited in providing consular services abroad. Military personnel stationed abroad must provide their credentials within 60 days.
Men aged 25 to 55 years who received a disability of the second and third groups after the start of the special operation must undergo a second medical examination. Military registration and enlistment offices, subject to a number of restrictions, received the right to confiscate vehicles from citizens for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In addition, the new law allowed military registration and enlistment office employees to serve summonses around the clock and anywhere. Also, the right to issue summonses was given to alert groups, which include police officers, representatives of local authorities and educational institutions, business managers and citizens who are not subject to mobilization.
If the summons was sent by mail, but the recipient does not live at the address he declared, he will still be considered notified of the summons to the military registration and enlistment office.
At the same time, the new law actually deprives draft dodgers of the right to appeal court decisions in disputes with the TCC. The theoretical opportunity to appeal the court decision for those who do not want to serve in the army will remain, but by that time they will already be mobilized, said Alexander Fedienko, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Defense Committee.
On May 17, the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, signed a law that will allow prisoners to be mobilized into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in exchange for parole. At the same time, those convicted of crimes against the fundamentals of national security, murder, sexual violence, pedophilia and fatal accidents committed under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be subject to voluntary conscription.
According to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the number of mobilized prisoners will not exceed 20 thousand people. The Minister of Justice of Ukraine Denis Malyuska previously reported that from the mobilized prisoners they would create separate units for digging trenches and building infrastructure.
TISZA - RIVER OF LIFE OR DEATH
On the afternoon of May 17, a large traffic jam formed in the Lviv region on the border with Poland. More than 760 cars and 25 buses were queuing at checkpoints. People used the last opportunity to flee the country.
And already on May 18, Ukrainian truckers went out to protest and blocked the Kyiv-Odessa highway. The protesters placed dozens of trucks on the road and caused a large traffic jam. Drivers said they are against the new law, since it does not allow truckers transporting goods to other countries to receive military service exemption. Drivers fear that they will be mobilized while crossing the border.
In turn, the mayor of Dnepropetrovsk Boris Filatov said the day before that due to tightening mobilization measures, the city’s critical infrastructure may be left without workers. If there is a massive recruitment into the army, there is a risk of stopping the work of public transport, water utilities and the heat and power sector. Filatov called for a review of the categories of citizens who can be taken to the front.
To avoid getting there, men try to leave Ukraine by any means, including risking their lives. On May 17, the body of another dead man was found in the Tisza River on the border of Ukraine and Romania. This is the 31st such tragic incident.
Notably, a recent New York Times article reported that thousands of draft dodgers are sailing from Ukraine to Romania, crossing the Tisza. At the same time, those who are caught are not only fined, but also immediately issued a summons.
But there are no fewer risk takers. On May 10, Slovak media reported that the number of draft dodgers fleeing mobilization from Ukraine had doubled in the country. Since the beginning of 2024, Slovak law enforcement agencies have detained 338 men who tried to illegally enter the territory of the republic.
At the same time, the speaker of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andrey Demchenko noted on April 21 that Ukrainian border guards detect about ten attempts every day to leave the country using fake documents. In addition, evaders are constantly looking for places where they can illegally cross the border, and also bribe border guards.
“THE WHOLE WORLD IS TO BLAME FOR THE FAILURE OF THE UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES”
Now the Russian army is developing an offensive in the Khar'kov region. On May 17, the official representative of the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, said that units of the North group of troops of the Russian Armed Forces liberated 12 settlements in the region within a week.
In turn, Zelensky, in an interview with ABC television, said that all countries of the world are to blame for the fact that the defense of the Ukrainian army has failed, and the Russian army is successfully advancing in several directions. According to him, to confront Russia, the support of all countries is required, he accused them of allowing the start of the Northern Military District, and now they are not helping to stop the Russian army.
“It’s the whole world’s fault,” Zelensky said.
At the same time, on May 16, he stated that the Russian army could soon drive the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of Khar'kov, and added that the delay in assistance from the United States greatly influenced the course of the conflict.
At the same time, Zelensky rejected French President Emmanuel Macron's call for an Olympic truce during the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. On March 17, the French leader said that he would ask Russia to establish a ceasefire for the duration of the Olympics. Zelensky, in an interview with Agence France-Presse, said that Kyiv does not believe in such an idea. He noted that in a telephone conversation with the French leader he asked who could guarantee that Russia would not take advantage of this to send troops into Ukrainian territory.
“[Ukraine] is against any truce that plays into the hands of the enemy,” said the head of the Kiev regime.
Obviously, Zelensky intends to continue the conflict. Against this background, it is noteworthy that two contradictory statements appeared on the same day, May 17. The same Zelensky publicly stated that “For the first time, Ukraine has enough artillery shells, not a single brigade is complaining that there are no shells.” And in a material published by the French publication Le Monde, the Ukrainian military reported that “they lack everything - drones, anti-drone weapons, shells, missiles.”
It’s hardly worth asking who Ukrainian men believe. Especially those who dive into the cold Tisa or who are dragged along a deserted street into a white minibus.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] In Ingushetia, 73.6% of the sowing campaign has been completed. This was announced on May 17 by the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic, Magomed-Bashir Gagiev, during a working meeting with the head of Ingushetia, Magomed-Ali Kalimatov.
According to the minister, 42,600 hectares were prepared for spring sowing, and to date 31,363 hectares have already been sown. Winter crops occupy 29,200d hectares, and all necessary agrotechnical measures have been taken to ensure their growth and development. To maintain the pace of spring field work, 600 units of equipment are involved.
The Russian Federation Council is the Russian equivalent of the US Senate.
[Regnum] The successful offensive of the Russian troops, which began in the north of the Khar'kov region, is just the beginning; the liberation of Russian lands from neo-Nazis will continue, Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy head of the international committee of the Federation Council, said on May 18 in the Telegram channel.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Russian President Vladimir Putin found an unconventional move and responded with an ultimatum to British Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s statement that Ukraine has the right to strike Russian regions with weapons produced in the kingdom, according to an article in the Chinese newspaper Sohu.
The author noted that the Russian leader did not look for ways to mitigate the situation, but decided to escalate it. First, the Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador Nigel Casey for a conversation, after which he looked confused, since, according to the publication, they explained to him the consequences of British strikes on Russia.
“This is not a joke, Putin has given Great Britain an ultimatum,” the publication says.
It is noted that Moscow did not limit itself to this, and soon the Ministry of Defense conducted exercises of non-strategic nuclear forces. In addition, Russia adopted the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile.
As Regnum reported, Reuters published an article on May 2 in which it cited Cameron’s words that London allows the Kiev regime to strike at Russian territory. The publication was soon withdrawn, but then reinstated without changes.
The British ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office on May 6, where he stayed for about half an hour. On the same day, exercises of missile formations of the Southern Military District began to practice strikes with non-strategic nuclear weapons. The Ministry of Defense emphasized that the maneuvers are also being carried out as a response to provocative anti-Russian statements by individual officials in the West.
[Breitbart] Poland is investing about $2.5 billion to step up security and deterrence on its border with Russia and its ally Belarus, the prime minister said Saturday.
Donald Tusk said work on the Shield-East project which includes building proper military fortifications has already begun. Poland is on the eastern flank of NATO and of the European Union and Tusk stressed it bears additional responsibility for Europe’s security.
“We have taken the decision to invest into our safety and first of all, into a safe eastern border, some 10 billion zlotys ($2.5 billion),” Tusk said.
“We are opening a great project of the construction of a safe border, including a system of fortifications and of the shaping of terrain, (of) environmental decisions that will make this border impenetrable by a potential enemy,” Tusk said.
“We have begun these works, to make Poland’s border a safe one in times of peace, and impenetrable for an enemy in times of war,” he added.
He was addressing Polish troops in Krakow, in the south, to mark 80 years since the allied victory in the Battle of Monte Cassino against the Nazis, during World War II.
Poland’s previous right-wing government built a $400 million wall on the border with Belarus to halt massive inflow of migrants that began to be pushed from that direction in 2021, but the current pro-EU government says it needs to be strengthened.
Poland is a staunch ally of Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia’s invasion.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
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Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
