Victory Chronicles-DAY 811

According to Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the situation with the Russian invasion in the Kharkiv Oblast has stabilized. 

While the enemy has managed to penetrate the region, they have been blocked at the frontiers and the Ukrainian Armed Forces are working to push them out. In the Sumy Oblast, the Russians are keeping small groups of forces on the border but are unable to take active actions due to the current situation. 

Budanov stated that the Russians will not retreat on their own and need to be pushed out, indicating that the fighting will continue. However, he emphasized that the situation is not catastrophic at the moment. The main goal of the current Russian operation on the border is believed to be psychological and information operations aimed at creating chaos and panic.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian losses in manpower during the period from February 24, 2022, to May 14, 2024, have exceeded 485,000 people. In the past day alone, the defense forces of Ukraine have eliminated 1,400 enemy personnel, 43 armored personnel carriers, and 28 artillery systems. The total combat losses of the Russians during this period include 7,496 tanks, 14,460 armored combat vehicles, 12,515 artillery systems, 1,070 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket Systems), 798 air defense systems, 351 aircraft, 325 helicopters, 9,985 operational and tactical level UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), 2,197 cruise missiles, 26 ships/boats, 1 submarine, 16,907 motor vehicles and tankers, and 2,054 special equipment.

Canadian instructors from the UNIFIER training mission are working with Ukrainian recruits in the UK to teach them first aid skills. This training is part of the multinational Operation INTERFLEX, which aims to train military personnel to respond quickly and save lives. Canada has been actively involved in helping Ukraine improve its combat capabilities, launching Operation UNIFIER in April 2015 to train Ukrainian troops on Ukrainian soil.

During search and rescue operations, the State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine utilizes dogs to help locate people trapped under rubble. The dogs, handled by trained personnel, play a crucial role in these situations where every minute is vital for saving lives. This was evident during a recent attack in Zaporizhzhia, where the SES dogs worked alongside rescuers to locate and rescue individuals trapped under debris. The dogs are seen following commands diligently and working tirelessly to assist in the search efforts. The inclusion of these four-legged rescue assistants adds another dimension to the effectiveness and efficiency of rescue operations in such critical situations.

Ukrainian forces reportedly conducted successful missile strikes against a Russian air defense base in occupied Crimea and successful drone strikes against Russian energy infrastructure in Russia. 

Russian opposition news outlet Astra reported, citing a source in the Crimean occupation Ministry of Emergency Services, that Ukrainian forces struck a Russian air defense base of the 3rd Radio Engineering Regiment (Russian Aerospace Forces’ [VKS] radio engineering troops) on Mount Ai-Petri in occupied Crimea on May 13, likely with several Storm Shadow missiles.

Astra reported that the strike killed an unspecified number of Russian personnel and likely the commander of the 3rd Radio Engineering Regiment. Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported on May 13 that one of its sources in the Ukrainian military confirmed the Mount Ai-Petri strike. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian forces shot down four Storm Shadow missiles and seven drones over Crimea.

Ukrainian outlet Suspilne reported on May 13 that its sources in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) stated that the SBU conducted a drone strike against the Oskolneftesnabzheniye oil depot near Stary Oskol, Belgorod Oblast, and the Yeletskaya electrical substation in Lipetsk Oblast, which supplies traction substations to Russian Railways, the Stanovaya oil pumping station, and transit between Lipetsk, Oryol, and Bryansk oblasts’ power systems. Lipetsk Oblast Governor Igor Artamonov claimed that Russian forces suppressed drones in Lipetsk Oblast and stated that a fire occurred at an electrical substation, presumably due to one of the Ukrainian drones.

Marine Mykola Drobush, with the call sign “Shaman13,” died on November 10, 2023, in Odesa Oblast Hospital from injuries sustained in an accident while performing a combat mission in the southern sector of the front. The defender was 32 years old.

Mykola Mykolayovych was a native of the village of Novosilky, Rivne Oblast. He received the profession of painter and plasterer at a vocational school. In civilian life, he was a deputy forester, and before the invasion, he worked in construction. He was interested in excavations and collected coins.

With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the man joined the ranks of the TRO. On August 24, 2022, he was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was trained in the UK, where he mastered the specialty of tank artillery gunner. He also studied in Poland to become an attack aircraft pilot. Later he fought in the 37th Separate Marine Brigade.

“Mykola was a professional, a loyal friend and a reliable fighter-in-arms. He was a pillar, heart and soul for his family. He was always smiling, positive, kind, genuine, courageous, strong, and always helped everyone. He had a lot of plans and dreams for his life, but the damn war changed everything…” said Inna Drobush, his brother’s wife.

The fighter was buried in his native village. Mykola is survived by his mother Tamara Viacheslavivna, brother Andriy, sister Daryna and a large loving family.

*Mykola’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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