Date—May 28, 2022

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Stories

1. For the second time, border guards did not allow the fifth president, Petro Poroshenko, to leave Ukraine, even with new permits. Member of the European Solidarity Victoria Sumar wrote on Facebook that “today Scanner read the QR code, the business trip is valid, Stefanchuk confirmed … But border guards now say that (Poroshenko)” provided not all documents, “but do not say which” not all ” Poroshenko’s allies accuse the authorities of “political order.” abroad for the session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. (Source: Liga).

Announcements

1. The European Union is considering launching a naval mission to unblock Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. It applies to the departure of warships to escort cargo ships with grain from the port of Odesa. The naval operation to export Ukrainian grain threatens the excessive risk of possible military clashes with the Russian fleet. “A debate on a common security and defense policy mission is inevitable,” a community source said. The draft conclusion of the summit states that the EU “strongly condemns the destruction and misappropriation of Ukraine’s agricultural products by Russia.” EU members plan to address hunger at a summit in Brussels on May 30th. According to the European Commission, Tunisia imports 53% of its wheat from Ukraine; Libya – 44%, Egypt – 26%. In India and Pakistan, where almost 1.7 billion people live, dependence on Ukrainian wheat is nearly 50%. In early May, the UN said that nearly 25 million tons of grain were stuck in Ukraine because Russia had blocked seaports and land logistics were not designed for such a large number of products. (Source: El Pais).

War

1. Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar refuted the Russians’ statement about the occupation of the Lyman on a nationwide telethon – the situation there is difficult, but the fighting continues. During a morning briefing, the Russian Defense Ministry said that a terrorist organization of the DNR, together with the Russian military, allegedly ultimately captured Lyman. The painter called for trusting only information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, as “information is also a weapon.” The Deputy Defense Minister believes that the Russian authorities “can say anything” to lift the spirits of the Russian military and Russian society. “As of now, fierce fighting is going on there. Until a certain stage of fighting and operation is completed, it is incorrect to talk about any final results and draw any conclusions,” Malyar said. She stressed that a particular part of the settlement might be temporarily under the control of one of the parties during the fighting, but the situation may change due to the battle. However, Malyar stated that the situation there is difficult. Commenting on a railway junction in the Lyman and the prospect of strengthening Russian troops by capturing the city, Malyar said that we should not consider the situation in fragments. “There are many factors. In addition to the fact that there may be a favorable geographical position or a favorable railway junction, there must be ways to deliver the same provisions and fuel, and we must establish logistics <…> This is a very complex issue, so measure their abilities alone “, – said the Deputy Minister of Defense. In the morning report, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian troops were conducting surveillance in the Lyman direction and were trying to gain a foothold in the Lyman with artillery support. According to British intelligence, by May 27, Russian troops had probably captured most of the estuary. The British Ministry of Defense believes that the attempt to capture the Lyman is perhaps a preparatory operation of the Russians for the next stage of the offensive in the Donbas – creating a bridgehead to advance on Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. (Source: Liga).

2. UK Intelligence: If complete control of the Lyman in Donetsk is established, the Russians will gain a strategic advantage in the next phase of the battle for Donbas. On May 27, Russian troops captured most of the strategically important city of Lyman, as it is the site of a major railway junction and provides access to essential bridges across the Seversky Donets. In the coming days, Russian units in the area will try to force the river. The bridgehead near the Lyman will give Russia an advantage in the potential next phase when it tries to advance to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. If Russia did manage to seize these territories, the Kremlin would most likely see it as a significant political achievement and present it to the Russian population as a justification for the invasion. However, the Armed Forces continued to conduct a well-organized defense in the Donbas and inflict heavy gates on the Russians. (Source: Twitter).

Economy, Social life, and Culture

1. The ROC is divided on reacting to the UOC-MP’s “declaration of independence”: some say that everything is fine and will strengthen unity, others – that the US State Department is to blame for everything. The head of the department of external church relations of the MP, Metropolitan Hilarion, said: “The unity between the ROC and the UOC-MP is preserved. The ROC will continue to strengthen it.” Alexander Shchipkov, deputy head of the Synodal Department for Relations with the Church and Society and the Media, said: “On May 27, the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate stated that it disagreed with Patriarch Kirill, the head of his church, on Russia’s war with Ukraine, and the UOC would continue to act as “independent and autonomous.” they later clarified that the UOC-MP decided on administrative separation from the ROC, but with the preservation of spiritual communication. (Source: Telegram).

Foreign news

1. Reznikov: Ukrainian 155-mm artillery fleet is being replenished – the Armed Forces have already received one of the modifications of the M109 ACS. “This is very high-quality equipment. And its receipt was the result of cooperation between several countries,” wrote Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov. Earlier, the media reported that the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy have agreed to provide Ukraine with additional self-propelled artillery units of 155 mm caliber – howitzers M109 or PzH 2000 SP. Three types of 155-mm artillery are already working successfully on the front line: M777 howitzer, FH70 howitzer, and CAESAR ACS. The Minister of Defense announced that Ukraine’s coastal defense will not just be strengthened by Harpoon missiles – they will be used by trained Ukrainian teams. “I am confident that the fighting fraternity of Harpoons and our Neptunes will help liberate and make our Black Sea safe again, in particular, to reliably protect our Odesa,” Reznikov wrote. He mentioned more than 100 American UAVs of various types among the latest receipts. “Like any minister in my position, I would like to have many more weapons the day before yesterday. Because we are talking about the lives of our people. At the same time, we must be aware that we have received more NATO artillery shells in the last month and a half.” than is within reach of Soviet-style shells, “the minister said. (Source: Facebook).

2. On May 28, Putin signed a law amending Article 34 of the Law on Conscription and Military Service. The amendments remove the upper age limit and allow the conclusion of a contract with persons under the age of 65 (until the end of working age). Previously, the first military treaty could be concluded by citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 40, and citizens of other states – from 18 to 30 years. (Source: Liga).