Victory Chronicles-DAY 1175

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces used drones to destroy a Russian Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system and an Uragan-1 multiple-launch rocket system.

The Buk-M3, a critical component of Russia’s air defense capable of targeting threats in the air, at sea, and on land, was spotted during a reconnaissance mission. SOF operators launched drones that accurately struck and destroyed both systems. The Buk-M3 alone is estimated to be worth around $45 million. The operation marks another successful strike by Ukrainian forces on high-value Russian military assets.

Russia illegally detains 13 Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant workers. Russian occupation forces are unlawfully holding 13 employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) – Europe’s biggest –  in captivity, Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company Energoatom reported on May 13.

The ZNPPhas been under Russian military control since March 2022. Since the occupation began, Russia has applied increasing pressure on Ukrainian staff who refused to sign contracts with the Russian state nuclear energy firm Rosatom.

Energoatom said about 5,000 specialists managed to flee temporarily occupied Enerhodar, with many rehired in other divisions of the company. However, 13 employees remain in captivity. Of those, seven have been sentenced to prison terms by Russian occupation courts, three are jailed awaiting sham verdicts, and three others are missing and presumed detained.

Five civilians injured in Russian attacks on Donetsk region. Russian forces attacked 13 population centers in Donetsk region over the past day, injuring five civilians and damaging dozens of civilian sites, the regional police reported.

The targeted areas included the towns or cities of Dobropillia, Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, Lyman, Pokrovsk, Rodynske, and the villages of Vasylivska, Pustosh, Hryshyne, Leontovychi, Nove, Sviatohorivka, Serhiivka, and Toretske.

A total of 41 civilian structures were damaged, including five residential buildings. In the village of Nove, Lyman community, two civilians were wounded in a drone strike. Another civilian was injured by Russian artillery fire in Hryshyne. Additional injuries were reported in Pokrovsk and Leontovychi following separate Russian attacks.

Ukraine modifies S-200 missiles to strike Russian ground targets. Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) has confirmed the use of long-range S-200 surface-to-air missiles, originally designed to hit aerial targets, in strikes against Russian ground positions.

Exclusive footage released by HUR shows the loading, fueling, and launch of 5V28 missiles, which weigh over 7 tons and carry a 220-kg warhead. Used since the 1960s though decommissioned in 2013, the systems have either been modified and are believed to be sourced from Poland.

Russia has previously accused Ukraine of using modified S-200s to hit occupied Crimea and targets deep inside its territory. The missiles, with a range of over 300 kilometers (186 miles0, now function similarly to ballistic weapons.

Key Takeaways:

• Russian officials appear to be setting conditions for  Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin to reject Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s invitation to meet on May 15 in Istanbul for bilateral ceasefire negotiations.
• Russia has reportedly deployed a largely ceremonial regiment of the Federal Security Service (FSB) to the frontline in Donetsk Oblast, likely in an effort to generate fear of more rapid future Russian advances.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Toretsk direction. Russian forces recently advanced in the Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka directions.

In memoriam: Ukrainian soldier Serhii Hnieushev, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces

Pvt. Serhii Hnieushev was killed in action on Feb. 24, 2024, during a combat mission near the village of Novomykhailivka in Donetsk region. He was 52. Hnieushev was born in Astana, Kazakhstan, and lived in the city of Pivdenne in Odesa region. He trained as an electric train operator at a vocational school and worked as a senior operator of a railcar dumper. A passionate music and film enthusiast, he built a personal collection of songs and music videos. At the time of his death, he was also a student at Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding, studying electrical engineering.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Hnieushev joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served as a rifleman in military unit A4991.

“We met after he completed his service in the air defense forces in Dnipro,” said his wife, Nataliia. “I jokingly told him he ruined my dream — I always wanted to wait for a guy to return from the army. Thirty years later, on the first day of the full-scale invasion, he left again, saying: ‘See? I’m still fulfilling your dreams.’ That was who he was — full of love and support, a true man, a loyal friend, a loving father. Strong, wise, with a sharp sense of humor. He loved life, dreamed of becoming a grandfather, and always kept his promises. He was always by our side — and always will be in our hearts.”

Hnieushev was laid to rest in his hometown of Pivdenne. He is survived by his wife, Nataliia, and daughters, Khrystyna and Kateryna.

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

• Reuters: Trump envoys Witkoff and Kellogg to go to Turkey for Russia-Ukraine talks
• EU awaits Putin’s readiness to meet Zelenskyy on 15 May and threatens Russia with sanctions
• Ukrainian troops capture Uzbek citizen on the Lyman front
• FT on the real prospects of the US subsoil deal: no benefits for another 10 years
• Trump’s envoy Witkoff: Trump has issued ultimatum to Ukraine and Russia on peace talks
• Russia strengthens its air defense in Crimea, sacrificing other areas