Russian military convoy has advanced from Ivankiv to outskirts of Kyiv, satellite images show (17 miles long)

CNN ^ | February 28th, 2022 | Paul P. Murphy

[AdmSmith]

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A short biography of Prigozhin before he headed Wagner PMC.

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1662490212394496001

[AdmSmith]

Nice PSYOP from Ukraine

http://crimeabridge404.online/
Background: the Crimea bridge
Text:

We can repeat

countdown (now) 16 days 4 hours 5 minutes 11 seconds

Smoking is bad for your health.
Avoid smoking in inappropriate places.

[AdmSmith]

If I had to guess, I'd say that the Global Hawk's somewhat strange track was to observe the Russians tending to their damaged #IvanKhurs spy ship. Could also be that they're watching the place where it sunk. No other civilian ships are within 13 nmi.

Here is where I make the Russian ocean recovery vessel #Commander. It's moving dead slow almost like it's drifting at anchor but it's way too deep there. So it could just be station-keeping near the vessel preparing to tow it or hovering over the spot where it sank.

https://twitter.com/TimInHonolulu/status/1662201192133574656

The above was 20 h ago, 15 h 46m ago "Commander" disconnected AIS

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Tim Hogan: I remain of the view the Russian reporting on the #IvanKhurs is a cover story. The recovery vessel #Commander remains near the approximate site of the drone ship attack and is not making for Sevastopol. The longer it stays in the area the more likely it's guarding the wreck.

A sunken spy ship would be an irresistible treasure. Interesting coincidence that the #IvanKhurs incident occurred not far from the area that our Reaper drone was forced down. Perhaps it gives us a pretext to take a look in the area. Just looking for our drone. 😎

https://twitter.com/TimInHonolulu/status/1662688077096325120

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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 27, 2023

Wagner Group mercenaries appear to be withdrawing from Bakhmut city to reconstitute and regroup in the rear as Russian offensive operations decrease in and around the city.
The Russian military command may be transferring Donetsk People's Republic's (DNR) forces to relieve Wagner Group forces in Bakhmut city.
The Russian transfer of DNR elements to Bakhmut may decrease the tempo of Russian offensive operations on the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line.
The Russian military command appears to be reinforcing Bakhmut’s flanks with regular formations, however.
Ukrainian officials denied Western reporting that suggested that a Chinese diplomat expressed interest in a negotiated ceasefire in Ukraine amidst the likely renewal of Russia's information campaign surrounding negotiations.
Russian forces continued limited offensive operations northeast of Kupyansk and south of Kreminna.
Russian forces continued to launch unsuccessful offensive operations on the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line.
Ukrainian forces continued to strike rear logistics nodes in southern Zaporizhia oblast.
The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) warned on May 26 that Russian forces are preparing to conduct large scale provocations to create radiological danger at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
The Russian Ministry of Justice registered the civil society group “Council of Mothers of Wives” as a foreign agent on May 26, likely to curb resistance to ongoing and future Russian force generation efforts.
Russian authorities are escalating efforts to portray Russia as a safe guardian of Ukrainian children.

Former Russian officer and ardent nationalist Igor Girkin accused Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin of planning a coup against the current Russian leadership. Girkin openly accused Prigozhin of planning to conduct a coup amid the upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive and of continuously violating Russian censorship laws against the discreditation of the Russian army and military command.[19] Girkin warned of “mutiny” if Prigozhin is “allowed” to lead the Wagner Group. Girkin noted that Prigozhin ordered for the Wagner forces to withdraw to the Wagner bases deep inside of Russia on the eve of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. He also claimed that Wagner personnel had never taken oaths promising not to engage in combat against Russia or its military.[20] Prigozhin stated on May 27 that Wagner will decide later on if it will fight in Ukraine or in another country, which indicates that Prigozhin retains the ability to command his own army outside of the formal Russian military command structure.[21] Girkin also recently criticized the Russian military command for failing to address Prigozhin’s open and vulgar conflict with the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD), even warning that Prigozhin will “devour” the Russian military officials who “bet” in his favor as he seeks to increase his political power.[22] A member of Girkin’s Angry Patriots Club claimed that the conflict between Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Prigozhin is developing into a conflict between the Russian military and Wagner forces but that Putin is not paying attention.[23] Girkin’s and his associates’ criticisms are largely consistent with Prigozhin’s continued prioritization of his own personal aims over those of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the broader operational situation near Bakhmut.[24] Prigozhin’s decision to withdraw his forces from Bakhmut and, apparently, from active combat on the eve of the Ukrainian counter-offensive is strategically questionable.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-27-2023

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Girkin/Strelkov 2 h ago:

Some people are outraged that Vladimir Rudolfovich Solovyov is calling for immediate criminal prosecution against me for “discrediting the army.” I don't share this outrage myself.

For me, the hysterical accusations of Vladimir Rudolfovich are confirmation of two positive facts at once:
1) If Solovyov (a talented nit of rare meanness and total venality) “waters” me from his mouth opening, then I (with a high probability) are moving in the right direction;
2) Since he reached such radical appeals in his rhetoric, it means that I am not only advancing correctly, but I have also achieved some results in my field. It's like a kind of “medal” (although I - the “cavalier” of a life sentence in absentia in The Hague, the generally recognized “international terrorist”, etc. - I don't really need it, but it's still nice).

Once again: I AM NOT AFRAID of any threats of this kind. If they put someone in jail, then he deserves it. In a positive sense, “no quotes”. You must be able to answer for your words and actions. This is what distinguishes an honest and capable person from Messrs. Shoigu, Lavrov, Naryshkin, Gerasimov, Medvedev and a great many other rubber products, as well as their torn servants, such as Solovyov, Simonyan, Norkin and other small-town “gurus” who have occupied all the places where you can earn a lot of money by arrogantly hanging “noodles on the ears” to the population.

https://t.me/strelkovii/5100

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Day 458: May 27: ALL WEAPONS UNLEASHED: Ukrainians Conduct AN EXTENSIVE STRIKE

Ukrainians increased the frequency and intensity of precision strikes on the Russian bases in the Zaporizhia region. If previously, Ukrainians conducted around 10 strikes per week, then now they are conducting 10 strikes per day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBLeHGBH—A
5 min

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Medals, anyone?

[AdmSmith]

Lukashenko collapses a second time, hospitalised in Moscow.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko collapsed for a second time this month after a meeting with President Vladimir Putin and was hospitalised in Moscow on May 27.

Valery Tsepkalo, Belarusian opposition leader, said that after his meeting with Putin Lukashenko was taken to the Central Clinical Hospital of Moscow in critical condition.

In April Lukashenko issued a decree saying that in the event of his death the Security Council of Belarus should take over running the country and not the prime minister, as according to the constitution.

The council is a powerful body headed by the chief of the KGB security services, Alexander Volfovich, who is a key ally of Lukashenko, and pro-Russian.

Amongst Lukashenko’s civilian loyalists, Natalya Kochanova, the head of the upper chamber of the nation's parliament, also stands out, as it appears Lukashenko has been grooming her as a possible successor. She supported Lukashenko’s crackdowns following the 2020 demonstrations, calling him “a wise and experienced politician” to whom she's pledged loyalty “for the rest of her life.” Lukashenko called her an “almost a ready-made president” in 2020, as cited by Politico.

Lukashenko has been trying to change the constitution so that he could stand down as president but then be automatically appointed as permanent head of the Belarusian People's Assembly, which has no powers at all under a recent reform in 2022 in a constitutional referendum. However, Lukashenko has been unable to complete these changes.

https://www.intellinews.com/lukashenko-collapses-a-second-time-hospitalised-in-moscow-279929/

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Perun May 28, 2023: Storm Shadow & Long Range Weapons in Ukraine - Russian adaptations & Ukraine's growing capabilities.

Frontlines in Ukraine often move only slowly - but that does not mean the war is being fiercely fought day by day. Often this takes the form not of territory taken, but of exchanges of fire either over the frontlines or, critically, against operationally or strategic targets behind the lines.

For nearly a year, Ukraine relied primarily on HIMARS and M270 to counterbalance Russia's advantage in longer ranged weapon systems, but successive Russian defensive adaptations (including pushing targets out beyond GMLRS range) mean that these systems are not always viable answers to Ukraine's pressing military needs. The arrival of British Storm Shadow missiles presents a step change in Ukraine's long range capabilities. Today I look at how that aspect of the war has evolved, the significance of the Storm Shadow system, and how Ukraine's allies are steadily building its ability to fight at Operational ranges using this and other systems. In that context it becomes clear that Storm Shadow is not a war winner or ‘game changer’ but that it does represent a major step forward in capability for Ukraine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVNjqX5HQGQ
1 h

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Former Russian officer and ardent nationalist Igor Girkin accused Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin of planning a coup against the current Russian leadership

and here is the video w Eng sub
https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1662429293719298049

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Mayor explained the unusual vibrations in Kyiv this night: Weapons are going to the front

The mayor was asked if he knew what caused the vibrations that residents of the city of Kyiv and its oblast confused with an earthquake.

Klitschko: “That is weapons going to the front, new and powerful ones. The vibration may be caused by that.”

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/05/28/7404247/

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Times Radio: Putin is losing control of his ‘warlords’ says Lt. General Ben Hodges

Incoherence and hatred between the various leaders on the Russian side guarantees that they will not have a coherent defence.” Russia could be ‘cracked open’ if Putin cannot get control of his ‘warlords’ Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges tells Kate Gerbeau on #timesradio Frontline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcRKBMQkCIw
29 min

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Jake Broe: Russia Fears What is Coming from Ukraine

May 29, 2023
The world continues to wait for the launch of Ukraine’s official counteroffensive. With the delivery of long range missiles, such as the UK’s Storm Shadow missiles, Russian military targets have been hit night after night in the Zaporizhzhia region. Prigozhin is also pulling his forces out of Ukraine with the intent of positioning himself and his forces in an advantageous place for the upcoming Russian civil war. Girkin has accused him of plotting a coup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc9gDuPEajQ

[AdmSmith]

[AdmSmith]

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 28, 2023

Russian forces conducted the largest Shahed drone strike against Ukraine since the start of the war overnight on May 27-28.
Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that the Russian relief in place operation in Bakhmut may continue past his initial June 1 deadline and last until June 5.
The tempo of Russian operations around Bakhmut remains notably low.
Prigozhin may be attacking Putin for failing to give Prigozhin some promised reward for seizing Bakhmut.
The Wagner Group held a reportedly illegal pro-Wagner rally in Yekaterinburg on May 28 despite the reported banning of the rally by Yekaterinburg authorities.
Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov criticized former Russian officer and ardent nationalist Igor Girkin on May 27.
Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks northeast of Kupyansk and along the Svatove-Kreminna line.
Russian forces conducted limited offensive operations along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City front.
Russian forces continued to fire on areas in Southern Ukraine.
The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) asserted that Russia is now demanding that Russian citizens make additional sacrifices to support the war effort.
Russian occupation officials continue to forcibly deport Ukrainian children to Russia under the guise of summer camps.

Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin appears to have again indirectly undermined Russian President Vladimir Putin's authority and regime. Prigozhin responded to a journalist's question about Russian state media banning any discussions about Wagner forces, stating that unnamed Russian bureaucrats will only benefit from such censorship in the near term of one to three months before the Russian people will push back and start hating the bureaucrats.[19] Prigozhin stated that Russian officials would have been able to enjoy their historic ability to censor Russian society if Russia had not started the war in Ukraine. Prigozhin then gave advice to an unnamed official: “If you are starting a war, please have character, will, and steel balls - and only then you will be able to achieve something.” Prigozhin implied that accomplishing real achievements would let the official avoid lying about the construction of new buildings, metro stations, and bridges in an effort to look good. Prigozhin notably shifted the discussion from talking about unnamed Russian officials to directly addressing a single man. Prigozhin’s comments are likely targeted at Putin whom the Russian state media has routinely portrayed as a leader minutely involved with small infrastructure projects and the lives of ordinary Russian people. Putin used to host annual hours-long “Direct Line” press conferences with constituents in which he often responded to inquiries that are best suited for local governments, for example.[20]

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-28-2023