Embassy of Ukraine in the USA
WAR BULLETIN
May 26, 6.00 pm EST
WAR ROOM
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 6.05:
personnel - about 29600 (+150),
tanks ‒ 1315 (+10),
APV ‒ 3235 (+22),
artillery systems – 617 (+11),
MLRS - 201 (+0),
Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 93 (+0),
aircraft – 206 (+0),
helicopters – 170 (+0),
UAV operational-tactical level - 502 (+11),
cruise missiles - 114 (+2),
warships / boats - 13 (+0),
vehicles and fuel tanks - 2225 (+8),
special equipment - 47 (+3).
Russian enemy suffered the greatest losses (of the past day) at the Avdiivka direction.
The ninety-second day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a Russian military invasion continues.
Russian enemy does not stop conducting offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone and continues to launch missile and air strikes on infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.
Command and staff and mobilization exercises are being held in the Volyn and Polissya areas with the personnel of the military units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus. The probability of missile and air strikes from the territory of this country remains.
The consequences of the deployment of units of the armed forces of the Russian federation involved in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine on the territory of the Republic of Belarus are being eliminated. Measures are being taken to prevent the illicit trafficking of weapons and ammunition that could be lost by Russian troops.
In the Siversky direction, Russian enemy is taking measures to cover the Ukrainian-Russian border in the Bryansk and Kursk regions and to prevent the transfer of our troops to other threatening areas.
In the border areas of these Russian regions, the increased level of terrorist threat has been extended until June 8 this year.
The enemy fired 120-mm mortars and artillery shells at the settlements of Bachivsk and Krasnopillya in the Sumy oblast and the Zarichche settlement in the Chernihiv oblast.
In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy carries out systematic high-intensity fire in the areas where our troops are concentrated. It also fired on civilian infrastructure in the areas of the settlements of Ternov and Cherkasy Tyshky.
Russian enemy is trying to improve the tactical situation in the Izyum area and resume the offensive on the city of Slovyansk. It fired artillery, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, mortars and tanks at the settlements of Chepil, Dovhenke, Kurulka, Bohorodychne and Studenok.
In the Donetsk direction, Russian enemy's main efforts are focused on taking full control of the village of Lyman and trying to improve the tactical situation near Sievierodonetsk and Avdiivka. Russian enemy is actively using electronic warfare in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. It used artillery and assault aircraft at the Russian enemy is trying to gain a foothold in the area of Sievierodonetsk. It carried out assault operations in the direction of the settlement of Ustynivka, had no success.
Fighting continues in the Bakhmut direction. Russian enemy unsuccessfully attempted an offensive in the Komyshuvakha, Lypovo, and Nagirny districts.
In the Avdiivka direction, the occupiers carried out assault operations in the Krasnohorivka, Kamyanka, Avdiivka and Pisky districts, but were unsuccessful.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy attempted an offensive in the area of the settlement of Zolota Niva, withdrew with losses. In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the enemy fired artillery at the areas of the settlements of Novopil, Charivne, Orikhiv and Kamyanka.
In the Mykolayiv direction, Russian enemy is trying to improve the tactical situation and ensure access to the administrative borders of the Kherson region. It carried out assault operations in the area of the settlement of Tavriyske, had no success.
In the Kryvyi Rih direction occupiers unsuccessfully tried to carry out assault actions around the settlement of Mykolayivka. Civilian infrastructure was shelled near Osokorivka, Trudolyubivka and Dobryanka.
Russian enemy continued the engineering equipment of positions in the areas of settlements Chornobaivka, Pravdyne, Zorya.
During the past 24hrs, ten enemy attacks were repulsed in Donetsk and Luhansk, four tanks, two artillery systems, an armoured personnel carrier, a car and one unit of special equipment were destroyed. Air defense units destroyed five Orlan-10 UAVs.
Strike aircraft of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck at enemy positions - destroyed personnel and up to ten units of light armored vehicles. Our fighters intercepted and shot down two cruise missiles.
In the Sivrersky direction, Russia continues to carry out engineering equipment positions in the border areas of the Bryansk region. According to available information, in order to strengthen the protection of the Russian-Ukrainian border in this direction, Russian enemy is engaging units of the airborne troops of the armed forces of the Russian federation.
Russia continues to fire mortars and artillery at the positions of the Defense Forces in the border areas of the Sumy region.
In the Kharkiv and Sljvyansk directions, Russian enemy focuses its main efforts on holding the occupied positions and restraining the advance of our troops, shelling the Ukrainian positions. In order to clarify the position of our troops, it conducted an Orlan-10 UAV air reconnaissance. It carried out remote mining on the routes of possible deployment of units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
With the support of artillery, Russian enemy led the offensive in the direction of the village of Bohorodichne, had no success, and retreated to the position he held earlier.
On the territory of Belgorod and Voronezh regions, Russian enemy continues to prepare reserves. Replenishes stocks in order to further resume the offensive.
In the Donetsk direction, Russian enemy continues to shell units of our troops, launch missile strikes, conduct reconnaissance, increase air support, and regroup troops. Strengthens the group by moving reserve units.
In the Lyman direction, Russian enemy focused its efforts on the fire damage of our units in the areas of Ozerny and south of the settlement of Lyman.
In the Sievierodonetsk direction, the enemy is advancing in the directions of the settlements of Severodonetsk and Borivske. It is not successful. In the direction of the settlement, Ustynivka has partial success. In order to disrupt logistics and prevent the maneuver of our troop's strikes on bridge crossings.
In the Bakhmut direction, Russian occupiers are conducting an offensive in the directions of the settlements of Komyshuvakha, Nyrkove, Berestove, and Belohorovka, have no success, suffered losses, and withdrew. In the directions of Pokrovsky and Klinov the enemy has partial success, capturing the settlement of Midna Ruda. Performs regrouping.
In the Avdiivka direction, the enemy tried to resume the offensive, but without success.
In the Zaporizhzhya direction, Russian enemy group was additionally reinforced by a formed tank battalion on T-62 tanks.
Russian enemy did not conduct active hostilities in the South Buh area. It continues to fire on our troops and conducts air reconnaissance using UAVs. The occupiers' engineering units carried out measures to mine the coast of the Kakhovka Reservoir.
In the Bessarabian direction, in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova, the level of the terrorist threat has been reduced. At the same time, the personnel of the operational group of Russian troops in the region continues to serve in an enhanced mode.
The occupying Russian power continues the measures of the administrative-police regime in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Obstruction of civilians to the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities continues. In addition, the occupiers intensified the broadcasting of propaganda information materials through available and special means of television and radio broadcasting.
Ukraine's defense forces inflict losses on the enemy in all directions and are ready for any changes in the operational situation.
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights
In the temporarily occupied Kherson region, the humanitarian crisis is worsening due to the lack of medicine. As a result of the impossibility of supply, almost all pharmacies in the region have ceased operations. A small number of pharmacies that are still operating have increased the prices of medicines by 3-5 times. In this regard, there is a shortage of drugs for cardiovascular diseases and antipyretic drugs in the region.
At the same time, the occupants illegally import drugs into the Kherson region from the temporarily occupied Crimea and sell them in spontaneous local markets. All drugs are not certified and may pose a threat to life and health of people. The invaders do not allow entry to volunteers from the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government who are ready to deliver humanitarian aid. They loot such cargoes and then sell them to residents of the temporarily occupied territories.
Russia continues to resort to unprecedented pressure and intimidation of attorneys in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
The so-called "Kyiv District Court" of Simferopol fined lawyer Edem Semedlyaev 75 thousand rubles for someone else's publication on social media.
In particular, Eden was found guilty under Part 2 of Article 20.3.3 (public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the armed forces of the Russian federation), namely for the fact that his profile on the social network Facebook was marked by another user in a post about the actions of Russian army in Ukraine.
Edem did not personally post or share this post but deleted it immediately after noticing it. The officers of the “Federal Security Service of the Russian federation” placed on record his publication on the page and took a screenshot. Attorneys provided ample evidence during the so-called "trial" that marked the absence of the set of all elements of an offense of Eden's actions. Still, none of them were considered in the so-called "court decision."
Immediately after the "meeting" under the "Kyiv District Court" building in Simferopol, the “Federal Security Service of the Russian federation” detained Nazim Sheikhmambetov, who represented Edem Semedlyaev's defense today.‼ Nazim was taken to the “Central District Court” of Simferopol, where he was charged with violating sanitary norms under Part 1 of Article 20.2.2 (organizing simultaneous mass stay and/or movement of citizens in public places, which led to a violation of public order). These are the events of October 26th, 2021.
The attorney will spend the night at the Central Police Station in Simferopol. Until the court hearing, which will take place tomorrow at 1 pm, he will be in the room for administrative detainees and will be restricted in his freedom of movement.
I consider today's decisions of the so-called "courts" to be an example of pressure and intimidation of attorneys in the temporarily occupied Crimea and another evidence of the policy of persecution and repression of Crimean Tatars.
Security Service of Ukraine
In Zaporizhzhia region, former people’s deputy Yevhen Balytskyi, who had been elected a member of the regional council from the Opposition Bloc in 2020, has seen the full-scale Russian invasion as a chance to realize his own political ambitions.
He not only sided with the enemy, but also enlisted their support in seizing power in the region. With the invaders’ help, he forced employees of local government and utility companies to recognize him as the head of the ‘military-civil administration of Zaporizhzhia region.’
The traitor publicly criticized the current Ukrainian government and prepared for the Victory Day celebrations on May 9. He also issued the order on the so-called ‘Temporary Organization of Public Order’, which requires residents of the region to form ‘civil squads’ to counter any anti-Russian activities.
Another official is suspected of collaborating with Russians in Kherson region. A member of Kherson regional council Vitaliy Buliuk offered himself as a candidate for a position of the head of the so-called ‘Kherson customs’.
He took the initiative to allegedly begin customs clearance of goods through ‘Kherson Customs’, which is now controlled by the invaders.
Currently, both traitors have been notified of suspicion under Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - collaborative activities.
They face up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.
POLICY
President of Ukraine
Address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Ukrainians
Exactly eight years ago, on May 26, the Donetsk airport stopped working. There is still a message about this: "Attention! From 7 am, Donetsk Airport will temporarily suspend flights. The resumption of the airport’s functioning will be announced additionally."
On that day, apparently, no one foresaw how events in Donbas would develop over these years. And then - throughout Ukraine after a full-scale invasion. No one predicted for how long the word "temporarily" would be delayed in this announcement.
But that day and any day later, and today, two things can be said with confidence.
First. Ukraine will always be an independent state and will not be broken. The only question is what price our people will have to pay for their freedom, and Russia - for this senseless war against us.
And second. The catastrophic developments could have been stopped if the world had treated the situation in Ukraine as its own. If the strong of the world had not played with Russia, but really pressed to end the war.
Just look at the situation now. Look at the number of weeks the European Union has been trying to agree on a sixth package of sanctions against Russia. So far, it receives almost a billion euros a day from Europeans for energy supplies.
Of course, I am grateful to our friends who are promoting new sanctions. But where did those who block the sixth package get so much power? Why are they still allowed to have so much power, including in intra-European procedures?
Look at the number of weeks the world has not dared to block the Russian banking system - all banks without exception, to deprive the aggressor of the opportunity to finance not only the war against us, but also the policy of creating splits and crises around the world.
Look at how long we have been struggling to provide Ukraine with all the weapons it needs to change the nature of hostilities and start moving faster and more confidently to the expulsion of the occupiers. All weapons, including MLRS. The systems that are really needed to stop this aggression. We are confident that thanks to our efforts we will still be heard.
Starting from May 26, 2014, and even more so from February 24 this year until today, there have been many opportunities for those who really have the strength to do so to put an end to it and say: now Russia will really feel the full price for what it is doing against Ukraine, against European unity and against freedom as such.
The current offensive of the occupiers in Donbas can make the region uninhabited. They want to burn Popasna, Bakhmut, Lyman, Lysychansk and Severodonetsk to ashes. Like Volnovakha, like Mariupol. In cities and communities closer to the Russian border, in Donetsk and Luhansk, they gather everyone they can to fill the place of those killed and wounded in the occupation contingent. All this, including the deportation of our people and the mass killings of civilians, is an obvious policy of genocide pursued by Russia.
Today, the occupiers shelled Kharkiv again. At the moment, the list of the dead includes nine people. 19 wounded. All civilians. A child (five months) and a father were killed. The mother is in grave condition. Among the wounded in Kharkiv is also a nine-year-old girl.
Missile strikes again in the Sumy region, in Donbas again. Significant intensification of the occupiers' artillery in the Zaporizhzhia region again. Again, their efforts to burrow into the ground in the south.
Pressure on Russia is literally a matter of saving lives. And every day of delay, weakness, various disputes or proposals to "appease" the aggressor at the expense of the victim is new killed Ukrainians. And new threats to everyone on our continent.
I addressed the Latvian parliament and people today. Expressed gratitude for the help Ukraine received, including the defensive one. And for the help which the Latvian state and the Latvian people provide now. If everyone in the world had the same determination to defend our common freedom as Latvia and other partners who do not hesitate, there would simply be no evil that the Russian state has done to Ukraine, Europe and the world.
I spoke today with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte. I informed him about the situation on the battlefield, about the intensification of the occupiers' activities. We discussed how we can adequately enhance Ukraine's ability to defend itself and repel these attacks.
I signed a new decree on awarding our heroes. 180 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards, 28 of them posthumously. The total number of awarded servicemen as of today is over 16,000. Precisely - 16 thousand and 44. In 92 days. But it is clear that there are hundreds and hundreds of times more feats and victories of our defenders.
I am grateful to everyone who holds the defense. Who helps the army and all our defenders.
And finally. Usually these days in May we celebrate the last bell in schools and congratulate boys and girls on the beginning of a new stage in life. Frankly, a brighter stage than childhood. Because finally opportunities in life emerge. Adult opportunities. But childhood is still not over yet.
This year there is no traditional school holiday in Ukraine. And this is understandable. Such a time. Such a situation. And not all schools in Ukraine finish the education process in May this year. And not all graduates are now in our country.
But the constant thing is whatever the time and whatever the situation, we must not lose our opportunities. We have to fight. We have to develop. We have to defend our freedom and be able to use that freedom.
So, we have to be educated and brave. Don't lose a single day in your life. Know what you live the day for. And be sure to believe in Ukraine. Because it is here that Ukrainians have the best chance of success. And especially - after our victory. Which we will definitely gain. And we will definitely remove the phrase "temporarily occupied" in relation to our land, which will be liberated forever. No matter how difficult it may be.
Prime Minister of Ukraine
Finland will help rebuild infrastructure, Ukrainian cities and support educational reform in Ukraine, says Denys Shmyhal
Ukraine and Finland have continued the implementation of the project "Finnish support for the reform of the Ukrainian school" until 2023. The agreement was inked during a meeting in Kyiv by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and the Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin.
The project provides financial support for educational reform from Finland worth EUR 6 million and up to EUR 2 million from the European Union.
In addition to assisting Finland in rebuilding and reforming the education sector, Denys Shmyhal and Sanna Marin agreed to involve Finland in the future reconstruction of Ukraine's infrastructure using advanced technologies and European parameters and to participate in the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities and towns.
Moreover, the Heads of Government also agreed on close coordination of cooperation within the EU, in particular on assistance from Finland in implementing reforms in Ukraine on the way to membership in the European Union.
Sanna Marin stressed that Ukraine is already a member of the European family. According to her, Finland, together with the European Union, will support Ukraine at every stage of EU accession.
Ministry of Justice of Ukraine
The Minister of Justice of Ukraine Denys Maliuska met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Denmark to Ukraine Ole Egberg Mikkelsen.
Mr. Ambassador dwelled on the coordinated work of state institutions in Ukraine at such a difficult time for our country: people get married, newborn children are registered, registers are open.
The Minister of Justice confirmed that despite the existing problems, the system works and is managed. At the same time, during the war, the Government's priorities changed somewhat. Currently, the top priority for the Ministry of Justice is to create an appropriate legal basis to compensate for the damage caused to Ukraine by the Russian invaders at the expense of rusdian assets in Ukraine and abroad. Currently, the relevant law has been adopted and signed by the President of Ukraine.
The Ministry is also working in synergy with the national experts and international lawyers to develop a concept for setting up a commission to compensate for the damage caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
At the same time, it was stressed that it is very important for Ukraine as a democratic European state not to lose achievements in the implementation of anti-corruption reform and the creation of a European-style judicial system.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Dmytro Kuleba: "Spoke with my German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and briefed her on the difficult situation in the Donbas. We need more heavy weapons delivered as soon as possible, especially MLRS, to repel Russian attacks. Also discussed further sanctions on Russia and Ukraine’s EU candidate status".
Dmytro Kuleba: "Honored to have had a courtesy call with His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Alois. Grateful to Liechtenstein for supporting Ukraine and welcoming our refugees. Liechtenstein proves that true support depends not on the size of a country, but on the size of its people’s hearts".
Dmytro Kuleba: "First call with my new French counterpart Catherine Colonna. France’s support of Ukraine remains steadfast. We agreed on the need to ramp up sanctions pressure on Russia, including an oil embargo, and discussed Ukraine’s EU candidate status. Looking forward to welcoming her in Ukraine".