Timeline: day 81 of Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression
Photo by Reuters
Today is May 15. russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for 81 days. We're reporting on all the current news. The article will be constantly updated.
What about today?
Key points
Ukraine is the winner of Eurovision 2022! The next Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be held in Ukraine, definitely a peaceful one! "Save Mariupol, save Azovstal right now!" these words were uttered by the soloist of the Kalush Orchestra at Eurovision, despite the danger of disqualification. How does it work? The search for "Azovstal" has grown several times since the call of the Kalush Orchestra. Eurovision proved to be more effective in publicizing than the UN Security Council.
Thank you for your votes, Europe! Ukrainians, let's keep the spirit! There are many more challenges and even more victories ahead!
During the day, on May 14, in the area of the East operational and tactical group, russian fascist troops carried out 9 attacks, and fighting continued. Ukrainian defenders destroyed:
- personnel – up to 80
- tanks – 3
- APC – 2
- artillery – 1
- mortars – 4
- AT-T – 3
- UAV – 3
Soldiers of the Defense Forces in the Zaporizhzhia direction continue to perform tasks to repel and deter russian aggression, provide an adequate response to the enemy and destroy its manpower and equipment. During the past 24hrs, the following items have been destroyed:
- personnel/ 56 people, 18 wounded;
- armored combat vehicles / 8 units;
- automotive equipment / 10 units;
- mortars / 4 units;
- UAV / 1 unit
In the Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian army shot down a russian fighter jet. This is the 201st downed plane of the occupiers!
In total, on May 14, 8 air targets of the occupiers were hit. The Air Force of the Armed Forces abolished:
- 1 aircraft (Su-30/Su-34)
- 7 UAVs (OTL);
- platoon base;
- KSP company;
- 10 armored vehicles;
- about thirty occupiers.
According to British intelligence, the russian military offensive in the Donbas has slowed and is behind schedule. They also report that russia lost a third of its forces, which were concentrated around Ukraine on February 24.
"The situation in Donbas remains very difficult. russian troops are still trying to show at least some victory. On the 80th day of the full-scale invasion, it looks especially crazy, but they do not stop these efforts. I am grateful to everyone and everyone who keeps the defense and brings Donbas, the Azov Sea area, and Kherson closer to the same thing that is happening now in the Kharkiv region. Step by step we are forcing the occupiers to leave the Ukrainian land. We will force them to leave the Ukrainian sea as well," President Zelensky assured in a night video address.
Nearly 5 million Ukrainians have lost their jobs since the start of the war, according to the International Labor Organization. If the fighting intensifies, the number of jobs lost could rise to 7 million. 3.4 million jobs could be restored if hostilities ceased immediately.
Who's coming to Ukraine?
About financial assistance, weapons, and politicians
Сергій Притула, який коментував Євробачення у Twitter, зібрав за час проведення фіналу конкурсу 2,5 мільйона гривень для ЗСУ. Попередньою ціллю було зібрати один мільйон гривень. Це лише та частина грошей, яка надійшла йому на особисті банківські картки, – без врахування криптовалюти та переведень на рахунок його фонду.
The giant flag of Ukraine, which was sewn by a German family in Australia, went to Berlin. Then the flag will travel around Europe and overseas. They plan to unfold it on the main streets of many cities. Anyone can leave wishes for Ukraine on the canvas. And it will finish his travels in Kyiv.
Serhii Prytula, who commented on Eurovision on Twitter, raised 2.5 million hryvnias for the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the final of the contest. The previous goal was to raise one million hryvnias. This is only the part of the money he received on his bank cards, excluding cryptocurrency and transfers to his fund's account.
News from partners
The President of the European Council Charles Michel congratulated Ukraine on winning the Eurovision Song Contest in Ukrainian!
Sweden may apply to NATO on Tuesday (May 17th), Svenska Dagbladet reported, citing sources. "If all goes according to plan, Sweden will apply to join NATO on Tuesday," the newspaper said.
Life considering hostilities
Artists from Iceland and Germany also supported Ukraine on the Eurovision stage. Representatives of Iceland at Eurovision called for peace in Ukraine:
Peace for Ukraine! During the performance, the singers held guitars with the Ukrainian flag in their hands. And the singer from Germany Malik Harris turned his guitar over at the end of the performance, and the audience saw the inscription "Peace," on the background of the flag of Ukraine. Thank you to them and to everyone who voted for us!
Despite fears of disqualification from the Kalush Orchestra due to "political slogans," it didn't take place. "We understand the deep feelings around Ukraine at the moment and believe that the statements of the Kalush Orchestra and other performers who express support for the Ukrainian people are humanitarian, not political," said the Eurovision organizer.
Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Orcs carried out 11 artillery attacks on Sievierodonetsk; there are hits on the Azot plant, technical school, and high-rise buildings; four residents of the Luhansk region were wounded.
Yesterday, the occupiers used phosphorous bombs against the defenders of Mariupol for the first time, Petro Andriushchenko, adviser to the mayor, said. "Hell came down to earth. In Azovstal," he wrote. The occupiers claim that 9M22C incendiary shells with thermite layers were used. The combustion temperature is about 2-2.5 thousand degrees Celsius. It is almost impossible to stop the burning.
Chlorine is being imported en masse to Mariupol by russia to cover up war crimes. Mariupol Mayor's Adviser Petro Andriushchenko said: "There is information about a mass supply of chlorine to Mariupol for use in mass graves, possibly for sanitary purposes or simply quickly destroy the consequences of war crimes. As a result, the occupiers are literally continuing to turn the city into a cemetery."
Kharkiv region
On May 14, the occupiers struck with mortars, artillery, tanks, and helicopters on the territory of the Derhachi community, its chairman Viacheslav Zadorenko said. Nevertheless, rescuers began to clean up the debris near the russia-destroyed community center in Derhachi.
The enemy continues to strike at settlements in the region. Last night, the Chuhuiv district was hit again; 2 people were injured, including a 15-year-old child. Two people were also injured in Pervomaiske shelling.
People are gradually returning to Kharkiv. About 2,000 people come to Ukrzaliznytsia every day alone, and this number is growing every day.
The flashpoint is the Izium direction. In Barvinkove, the enemy is constantly trying to break through the positions of our Armed Forces, but has no success and again suffered heavy losses among its manpower and equipment. In particular, our military shot down a plane in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kharkiv region.
Sumy region
Today, on May 15, the terrorist country carried out a night strike on the Sumy region. In the Shostka district, a russian missile strike caused significant damage to infrastructure, and in the outskirts of Shpylivka, there was "a lot of damage to households," as a result of the strike, the head of the Sumy Regional State Administration Dmitry Zhyvytskyi said.
Dnipropetrovsk region
At midnight, the enemy fired twice at the Shyroke community in the Kryvyi Rih district. They were beaten by Uragan MRLS. russia hit between the villages. No one was injured. Now it is quiet, Valentin Reznichenko, the Dnipropetrovsk regional state administration, reports.
Zaporizhzhia region
The situation regarding russia's invasion in the Zaporizhzhia direction:
- The enemy focused its main efforts on artillery shelling of our positions.
- In the village of Kostiantynivka, Melitopol district, russians are digging trenches along the Molochna River. Similar trenches are being dug in the villages of Voznesenka, Mordvynivka, and Dunaivka.
- Confiscation of housing for arrived collaborationists continues.
- In Melitopol, the occupiers are trying to resume production of military products at the local auto parts plant; in particular, they summoned all workers and start the production process. Workers refuse en masse.
putin's russia's actions have signs of global terrorism, says Oleksandr Starukh, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration. "Cases of torturing people with electric shocks and other inhumane atrocities have been recorded. Many prisoners are forced into labor."
Starukh cites sad statistics, according to which during the ruscist aggression in the Zaporizhzhia region, 276 of our fellow citizens were taken, prisoner. 115 Ukrainians continue to be held hostage by the occupiers.
Kherson region
The occupiers plan to conduct a "census" of the population in the Kherson region, as was the case in the temporarily occupied Crimea in 2014, said Ombudsman Liudmyla Denisova. The census is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 16, and be completed by the end of the month.
Odesa region
A spokesman for the Odesa Military Administration Serhii Bratchuk: The night in the city and the region passed with air raid alarms, but without shelling. An enemy mine will be destroyed in the Odesa region today.
Ukraine's west
On May 14, an art installation was presented on Svobody Avenue in Lviv. This is a large map of Ukraine with bloody children's toys, destroyed houses, tanks, and ears of wheat sprouting through the scorched earth. The installation was created within the art project Screams of Souls.
Another missile strike in the Lviv region took place at night. "At about 4:30 a.m., there was a missile strike on one of the military infrastructure facilities. The presence and nature of the destruction are being clarified," wrote Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv Regional State Administration.
UPD: Units of the West Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed two cruise missiles of the occupiers over the Lviv region. They were launched by the enemy from the Black Sea. Probably from submarines. Four enemy missiles hit a military facility in the Yavoriv district, near the border with Poland. The object is destroyed. According to preliminary information, there are no victims. No one sought medical help.
