Victory Chronicles-DAY 832

Ukrainian missile forces have successfully targeted a ferry crossing in Crimea, which is currently under Russian occupation, as well as an oil terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar Territory. 

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported these attacks, along with other successful strikes against enemy manpower concentrations, air defense systems, artillery systems, and ammunition depots. In a separate incident, an S-300/400 air defense missile system in the Belgorod region of Russia, near the combat zone in the Kharkiv Oblast, was shot down using the HIMARS system. The attacks on the ferry crossing and oil terminal indicate Ukraine’s efforts to disrupt Russian operations in Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory.

The German army plans to order an additional 200,000 artillery shells from weapons manufacturer Rheinmetall, according to a letter from the German Defense Ministry. This order is in addition to the €1.2 billion deal that the army has already agreed upon. The new shells, worth around 880 million euros, are meant to replenish army stockpiles as Germany helps supply weapons to Ukraine, which is engaged in a war with the Russian ocupants. Western governments are increasing their military capabilities and replenishing stockpiles after providing weapons to Ukraine. This surge in demand has led to a significant increase in orders for Rheinmetall, which has seen its market value quadruple since the start of the war in Ukraine. The German Ministry of Defense also aims to support Rheinmetall in establishing a new production line in Unterluss, a central German city.

The Public Relations Service of the Support Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a photo report of the Ukrainian military’s training to prepare for the first battle.

“Specialists of the 143rd Joint Training Center ‘Podillia’ know how to prepare fighters for the first battle. In the context of modern wars, when battles are becoming more complex, psychological training is no less important than physical or professional training! The development of stress resistance, self-regulation methods and team spirit are the keys to success. Psychologically trained fighters remain calm and confident in their knowledge and skills even in the most difficult situations,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces Support Command said in a statement.

The Luhansk Oblast Military Administration released a video of the fighting for the village of Bilohorivka. The video is by drone operators of the 81st separate airmobile brigade. “Destruction of the occupiers by discharges, high-quality mining of the area, repulsion of enemy assaults by armored groups – thanks to these titans in cooperation with neighboring units, Bilohorivka is standing!” the statement reads.

Russian forces continue to abuse Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in violation of the Geneva Convention on POWs. Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lyubinets amplified footage on June 2 showing a group of three Russian servicemen beating, threatening, and harassing a group of four Ukrainian POWs.

The footage shows one Russian serviceman shooting the ground immediately next to a POW’s head and the Russian servicemen forcing the POWs to sing the Russian national anthem. Lyubinets stated the preliminary information suggests that the incident was filmed in the Kharkiv direction, where Russian forces recently began offensive operations. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office reported on June 3 that it opened an investigation into the incident.

Russian opposition outlet Vazhnye Istorii identified the Russian serviceman who filmed the video as Alexei Kirpin, a former soldier in the far-right “Rusich” assault formation. Ukraine-based ZMINA Human Rights Center reported that Russian authorities are also mistreating and beating Ukrainian POWs in pre-trial detention centers in Russia.

ISW has observed evidence of widespread violations of the Geneva Convention on POWs committed by the Russian military in recent months, including Russian forces executing Ukrainian POWs and using POWs as human shields on the battlefield.

Defender Yevhen Shyshov, with the call sign Shysh, died on September 8, 2022, repelling an enemy attack near the village of Zelenyi Hai, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The defender was 29 years old.

Yevhen Andriyovych was originally from the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. He studied at school #13, and because of his interest in football, he later moved to school #24 to a special football class. He played in the Nika football team, traveled half of Europe with his teammates, and participated in many international football tournaments. After graduation, he entered the Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas. He worked at various enterprises and private firms in his hometown and abroad.  

Despite everything, Yevhen’s biggest passion in life was football, and he participated in football matches until the full-scale invasion. He played for various football clubs. However, in early March 2022, the man volunteered for the Territorial Defense of Kalush, as there were no vacancies in the Ivano-Frankivsk Territorial Defense. On March 14, 2022, he took the oath of allegiance to Ukraine, and on April 25, he went to the front. Yevhen served in the 102nd separate territorial defense brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was a machine gunner in a fire support platoon of the 79th separate battalion.

“When Zhenya told me that they were going to the front, he said that no one was going there to die, they were going to destroy the enemy who came to our land. We believed that everything would be fine, we were waiting for him at home, but not like that… He was big and strong, we still can’t believe that it’s real. Now we have a big and strong angel… All his friends from civilian life and colleagues from the military service describe Zhenya as an extremely kind person, a good and reliable friend. Zhenya was a good son, brother, grandson and friend. He lived a short life, but he lived every day, did what he loved, and had plans for the future…” said his sister Olena Shyshova.

He was posthumously awarded the Mayor’s Award “For Honor and Victory”, the medal “For Merit to Prykarpattia” and the Territorial Defense Forces Honorary Award. Yevhen was buried in the Alley of Heroes of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Cemetery in the village of Chukalivka. The defender is survived by his parents and sister.

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

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