Victory Chronicles
-DAY 429

Above: Dobropark botanical gardens, 40 km west of Kyiv, opened its door to the public on April 27 for tulip season – three million tulips in 136 varieties. Flower growers in the Netherlands donated 400 thousand bulbs for the 2023 season. (Dobropark)

Above: Dobropark, a year ago. The invaders moved in at the beginning of the invasion and used the park as a military base. They ruined fields and greenhouses before blowing up the main building when they left. (Photo: Dobropark)

Above: Uman, Cherkasy, is home to one of Ukraine’s most beautiful arboretums, Sofia National Dendropark. It’s located close to the geographic center of Ukraine and has been a crossroads since ancient times. In Ukraine, it is well-known as a famous Kozak defensive outpost and as the birthplace of Breslav Hasidic Judaism, which brings happy pilgrimages of Jews from around the world. (Sofiivka)

Above: Spring training of tens of thousands of fresh troops continues across Ukraine and allied countries. While Ukraine has dazzled the world with its iron will, intelligence and creativity, the coming counteroffensive will be by far the largest and most complex operation of the war. The enemy still has massive numbers and has learned from its mistakes. Ukraine will go to battle with tens of millions of dollars worth of heavy military equipment from allies, most of which arrived in the last few months. (RFERL)

Video: The Armed Forces are calling for the 5-week physical training Q-course. Successful graduates will go to work in Special Ops. Here’s the recruitment video.

Above: Demonstration at the United Nations in New York. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the first time used “genocide” in an official document to describe the Kremlin’s campaign to deport and brainwash Ukrainian children. PACE issued a resolution which called on the International Criminal Court to examine the options for criminal prosecution. (Suspilne)

Above: UK Ministry of Defence

• A Russian dictator has signed a law that will deport anyone without Russian citizenship from TOT. Holders of Ukrainian passports AND those of the Luhansk and Donetsk puppet republics must take citizenship or formally decline. Those who decline will be considered foreigners from 1 July 2024 subject to deportation.
• The Danish military released information that on 22 Sep 2022, a Danish patrol boat photographed a Russian ship near the location of the Nord Stream pipeline explosions that was carrying a SS-750 specialized underwater operations vessel that would be capable of sabotaging the pipelines. On 26 September 2022, news broke of three explosions at the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines. The blasts rendered three of the four lines inoperable and released vast quantities of methane into the Baltic Sea.
• Crazy Ivan continues to shuffle military leadership like peas in a shell game. In one instance of many they fired the head of the uber-elite Rosgvard for logistics and supply citations, who previously commanded a division attacking Mariupol in spring 2022. His replacement is a Wager ally who wants better distribution of ammunition. ISW lists other top personnel shuffles associated with force generation, troop sustainment and logistical oversight, items absolutely critical to the present theater. The Russian National Defense Control Center is essentially the nerve center of the entire Russian MoD. Moscow may be scrambling to fix something as fear over a Ukrainian counteroffensive mounts.
• NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg reiterated US statements of the day before, that allies have trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, emphasizing that Ukrainian forces are in a strong position to liberate territory. Mr Stoltenberg said that NATO and its partners have delivered over 98 percent of promised combat vehicles to Ukraine, totaling over 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks, and other unspecified equipment.
• Russian forces are using new tactics to complicate Ukrainian air defenses’ ability to detect Russian missiles. Ukrainian sources reported that during a April 27 Kalibr missile attack on Mykolaiv, Russian forces directed the missiles using different terrain features, different heights of launches and multiple trajectory changes to complicate their detection.
• The Washington Post reported that leaked US intelligence documents state that Russia wants to stealthily enlist 815,000 soldiers without further alarming government officials concerned about critical labor shortages caused by the war. Russia is facing its worst workforce shortage in 20 years. The Russian Federal State Statistics Service stopped publishing monthly state oil production statistics to cover up decreased production and falling revenue.

General Staff’s Daily Video Digest with English subtitles

Above: 25th Separate Sicheslav Airborne Brigade destroyed an infantry fighting vehicle. (Suspilne)

Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces estimated enemy losses since February 24, 2022 (with daily additions)

• Liquidated personnel, 189,460 (+540)
• Tanks, 3,694 (+2)
• Armored personnel vehicles, 7,181 (+3)
• Artillery systems/MLRS, 2,905/543 (+18/1)
• Anti-aircraft systems, 294 (+1)
• Aircraft/helicopters, 308/294 (0)
• Unmanned aerial vehicles, 2,467 (+6)
• Cruise missiles, 911 (0)
• Warships/boats, 18 (0)
• Vehicles and fuel tanks, 5,819 (+14)
• Special equipment, 353 (+1)

Above: Overnight, the enemy sent missiles into an apartment highrise in Uman, Cherkasy. “Around 4 o’clock in the morning Russian occupants attacked Ukraine from strategic aviation TU-95 planes from the Caspian Sea area.” Dnipro City and Ukrainka near Kyiv were also hit. Dozens of casualties. (Ministry of Internal Affairs)

Glory to Ukraine!
The 429th day of the Russian large-scale invasion has begun.

• The russian aggressor does not abandon his intentions to occupy our territory, continues to wage a war of aggression.
• The enemy continues to use terror tactics, while ignoring the laws and customs of warfare, strikes civilian objects.
• Today, russian terrorists launched another massive missile attack on Ukraine. Information about the consequences is currently being clarified.
• Last day, the enemy carried out 8x missile and 31x air strikes, carried out 56x rounds from MRLS on the positions of our troops and populated areas. Civilians suffered, private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged.
• The threat of further missile and air strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine remains high.
• The enemy continues to focus its main efforts on conducting offensive actions on the Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mar’yinka axes. During the past day, they carried out more than 65x attacks on the specified areas of the frontline, but all of them were repelled by units of the defense forces. Bakhmut and Mar’yinka remain at the epicenter of hostilities, our soldiers bravely defend themselves.
• Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: during the past day, the enemy carried out airstrikes on the settlements of Seredyna-Buda and Chernatske; carried out mortar and artillery shelling of Gremyach settlements of Chernihiv Oblast; Novovasylivka, Ukrainyske, Baranivka, Bachivsk, Kucherivka, Volfine, Oleksiivka, and Myropyllya in the Sumy Oblast, as well as Basove, Bugaivka, Kozacha Lopan, Strelecha, Hlyboke, Gatyshche, Vovchansk, Vilkhuvatka, Bologivka, Dvorichanske, and Kolodyazne in the Kharkiv
• Kupyansk axis: Kam’ianka, Krasne Pershe, Figolivka, Novomlynsk, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Liman Pershi, Doroshivka, Berestov in the Kharkiv Oblast and Novoselivske in the Luhansk Oblast got under enemy artillery and mortar fire.
• Lyman axis: Makiivka, Nevske, Dibrova, Belogorivka of the Luhansk Oblast and Terny, Verkhnokamianske, Spirne of the Donetsk Oblast were hit by artillery fire.
• Bakhmut axis: Vasyukivka, Orihovo-Vasylivka, Hryhorivka, Khromovka, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Ivanovske, Predtechine, Kostyantynivka, Severnye, Pivdenne, Nelipivka and New York of the Donetsk Oblast were affected by enemy shelling.
• Avdiivka axis: They shelled the settlements of Novokalynove, Stepove, Berdychi, Lastochkine, Avdiivka, Severne, Vodyane, Pervomaiske of the Donetsk
• Mar’yinka axis: during the past day, our defenders repelled enemy attacks in the areas of Krasnohorivka and Mar’yinka settlements. At the same time, Krasnohorivka, Georgiivka, Mar’yinka, Paraskoviivka and Novomykhailivka of the Donetsk Oblast got under enemy fire.
• Shakhtars’ke axis: the enemy carried out airstrikes on Vugledar and Velika Novosilka, shelled the settlements of Bogoyavlenka, Novoukrayinka, Zolota Niva, Prechistivka, and Vugledar in the Donetsk
• Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: the enemy carried out shelling of populated areas, which are next to the line of military confrontation. Among them are Vilne Pole, Novopil’ of the Donetsk Oblast; Olhivske, Gulyaipole, Mala Tokmachka, Orihiv, Novoandriyivka and Kam’ianske of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Kherson and Beryslav, Kherson Also last day, at night, the enemy launched a missile attack on Mykolaiv.

Support the Armed Forces! United we will win! Glory to Ukraine!

Above: The Kharkiv Oblast Administration reported that Kharkiv farmers sowed about 56 thousand out of a goal for 570 thousand hectares before spring rains interrupted operations. (Kharkiv ODA)

Video: Farm general director Ivan Hlyan in Kharkiv talks to the Kharkiv deputy governor, subtitles in English.

• Russian forces conducted defensive operations in the Kupyansk direction on April 27. Russian forces in the Kupyansk direction did not conduct any offensive actions and are continuing to fortify their positions and use UAVs to adjust artillery fire.
• Russian forces conducted a limited ground attack in the Kreminna area on April 27. Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in the direction of the Serebrianska forest area (10km south of Kreminna).

Above: Spring planting season near Bakhmut. (Suspilne)

Above: The first of several planned communal apartment complexes for displaced Mariupol residents was opened in Dnipro city. Thirty-five families received keys, most of whom are moms with children. One new resident, Oleksandr (pictured), was an emergency responder working 24/7 in Mariupol last March. His pregnant wife and son took refuge in the basement of the fire station. “We decided that we would die together.” At the last minute, the family escaped and have been living in Odesa. They want to return closer to home. Oleksandr wants to go back to emergency services in Donetsk. (Suspilne)

• Russian forces did not make any confirmed gains in or around Bakhmut on April 27. Russian forces continued to attack within Bakhmut, and Ukrainian forces repelled Russian ground attacks near Orikhovo-Vasylivka (11km northwest of Bakhmut), Bohdanivka (5km northwest of Bakhmut), and Ivanivske (6km west of Bakhmut).
• Russian forces may have relocated Eastern Military District elements to reinforce Wagner in the Bakhmut A Russian milblogger claimed on April 26 that the Russian 305th Artillery Brigade has been operating in the Bakhmut area for the past month, which is the first mention of EMD presence near Bakhmut.
• Russian forces continued to conduct ground attacks along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line on April 27. Ukrainian forces repelled Russian ground attacks near Avdiivka, Sieverne (5km west of Avdiivka), Pervomaiske (11km southwest of Avdiivka), Krasnohorivka (22km southwest of Avdiivka), and Marinka (27km southwest of Avdiivka).

Above: Good morning from Operational Command South.

• Russian forces are further militarizing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to defend against Ukrainian counteroffensive operations on the east bank of the Kakhovka Reservoir. Satellite imagery shows that Russian forces have constructed firing positions on the roofs of several reactor buildings at ZNPP.
• Ukrainian forces continue to strike Russian logistics and concentration areas on the east bank of Kherson Oblast. Ukrainian forces struck Russian concentrations in Kakhovka Raion and along the entire east bank of the Dnipro River. Geolocated footage shows Ukrainian forces striking Russian positions north of Korsunka (43km northwest of Kherson City) and southwest of Rybalche (35km southwest of Kherson City) as well as a Russian observation post in Kozachi Laheri (30km east of Kherson City).