Victory Chronicles-DAY 821

The 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Lieutenant General Marko Bezruchko of Ukraine has shot down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft, marking the fifth aircraft shot down by the brigade in recent weeks. 

The Brigade announced on its Facebook page. On May 4, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that fighters from the same Brigade had shot down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft in the Donetsk Oblast. On May 11 and May 13, the brigade shot down two more Su-25 aircraft. The fourth downing was reported on May 18, and on May 22, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces also confirmed the downing of a Su-25.

Ukraine has successfully returned six children from the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast. Three families with five girls and one boy aged 1 to 9, were brought back to the government-controlled area. The parents stated that living under occupation had become unbearable, as they had no access to fundamental rights such as healthcare and employment due to their lack of Russian citizenship. The families had faced constant searches of their homes by Russian forces, which had severely frightened the children. However, all the families are now safe and receiving support from doctors and psychologists.

Russian occupation forces struck civilian railroad infrastructure in Kharkiv Oblast during a nighttime shelling. The railroad operator Ukrzaliznytsia reported that the shelling damaged railroad tracks, infrastructure, idle freight cars, and an electric train car. Fortunately, there were no casualties. Despite the shelling, long-distance and suburban trains are still running as scheduled. Railroad facilities in the Kharkiv Oblast have been particularly targeted, resulting in six employees being injured.

Defense forces are actively using American ATACMS missiles. A video has been posted online showing how the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed another S-400 of the Russian occupiers using ATACMS.

Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) conducted a series of drone strikes against Russian defense industrial facilities in the Republic of Tatarstan on May 23. 

Sources in Ukrainian special services told Ukrainian outlet Suspilne that the GUR’s drones attacked Russian defense industrial facilities in Kazan and Nizhnekamsk, which is notably just south of the Shahed-136/131 drone production facility in Tatarstan’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

Suspilne and Russian media outlets reported that Russian officials evacuated employees from the Nizhnekamsk Thermal Power Plant, Teneko oil refinery, Taif-Nk oil refinery, Nizhnekamskneftekhim petrochemical facility, and Nizhnekamskshina tire production facility in Nizhnekamsk and the Kazanorgsintez chemical plant in Kazan.

Yelabuga City Mayor Rustem Nuriyev stated that Russian air defenses destroyed a Ukrainian drone near the city and denied that the strikes caused any damage in the area. Footage published on May 23 purportedly shows Russian air defenses destroying at least one Ukrainian drone near Nizhnekamsk. Ukrainian forces conducted a long-range strike against Russian defense industrial and oil refining infrastructure in the Alabuga SEZ on April 2, and ISW assessed that the April 2 strike represented a significant inflection in Ukraine’s demonstrated ability to conduct long-range strikes far into the Russian rear.

National Guardsman Dmytro Degtyarenko, with the call sign Deimos, died on December 24, 2023, near the village of Novoprokopivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. While performing a combat mission, he came under enemy artillery fire. His injuries were fatal. In two days, the warrior would have turned 24 years old.

Dmytro Vyacheslavovych was born in Vorozhba, Sumy Oblast. He studied at the Vorozhba Lyceum. He graduated from the National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine. He planned to become a programmer or teach at the academy where he studied. He was interested in technology.

After graduating from the academy in March 2023, he joined the military. He joined the 3rd Operational Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, where he held the position of platoon commander. Together with the unit, he defended the Zaporizhzhia direction.

“Dima was a man who loved his family and was constantly worried about them because they lived 8 kilometers from the border with Russia. He worried and cared about each of his fighters, his fighters-in-arms (he knew what hurt them, what they couldn’t do because of their health), he worried about me and always said: “I am here so that you can live in peace.” And despite having a lot of his own worries, he never took it out on anyone. He never showed how hard it was for him. He loved his job and was responsible. He never refused to go out and always worried about his guys who were there! He was always happy to help everyone, he could give the last, but he never asked for help for himself. He is a calm, balanced and kind person. At the age of 23, he gave the most valuable thing for the people and the country – his life,” said the beloved of the fallen fighter.

“The terrible news killed me… You are no longer with us, my Dimasik is gone… God, I’m going crazy, I don’t believe it… I don’t believe that I won’t be able to hug you, tell you how much I love you, shake your matured hand. I love you infinitely… Heroes do not die…” wrote his uncle Oleksandr Mukhopad.

The Hero was buried in his hometown. Dmytro is survived by his parents, Iryna Petrivna and Viacheslav Anatoliiovych, his younger sister Yuliia, his girlfriend Olena, relatives, friends and fighters-in-arms.

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

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