Victory Chronicles
-DAY 502

NATO agrees to cancel MAP for Ukraine

Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, has said that after a discussion, NATO member states agreed to cancel the Membership Action Plan for Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance. “Following intensive talks, NATO allies have reached consensus on removing MAP from Ukraine’s path to membership.” wrote Kuleba on Twitter. The Foreign Minister has welcomed the decision, which he noted would shorten Ukraine’s path to NATO. “It is also the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become a member,” Kuleba added.

Latest news

• ABC News: Zelenskyy urges US to maintain ‘bipartisan support’ for Ukraine
• UK Defense Intelligence: Russian medical system unprepared for influx of wounded
• Ukraine’s Defense Forces: During the day, 440 more Russians were killed and 7 tanks were destroyed
• Chairman of Munich Security Conference: Ukraine should become member of NATO as soon as circumstances allow
• Heroes’ return from captivity: Azovstal Commanders returned to Ukraine from Turkey

Symbolic number of the Day - 89

89% of Ukrainians support joining NATO. There are results of a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on 26 May – 5 June. “89% of Ukrainians now want to see Ukraine become a member of NATO, and the vast majority in all oblasts support this step, ranging from 79% in the East to 93% in the West. It means society has finally consolidated on this issue and is demonstrating a unified view.” – wrote KIIS. 

War in Pictures

The Russians hit the city of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast with a guided aerial bomb when humanitarian aid was being distributed in a residential area, killing four people, and there may still be people trapped under the rubble. “The Ruscists have committed a war crime in the frontline city of Orikhiv; they struck the city with a guided aerial bomb while humanitarian aid was being distributed in a residential area. Four people were killed on the spot: women aged 43, 45 and 47, and a 47-year-old man,” reported police office of Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Facebook. 

Video of the Day

The struggle for freedom and identity has united Ukrainians with different professional and life experiences. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published a video of a heroic cinematographer Serhiy Mykhalchuk.  He shot such popular films as Mamai, Parajanov, Povodyr (The Guide), Dyke Pole (Wild Field), and Dovbush. Mikhalchuk’s works are known in Ukraine and worldwide: his films have been nominated for Oscars and won prestigious film awards, including the Silver Bear at the Berlinale.

Currently, Serhiy Mykhalchuk is serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in hot spots in the east of the country and has been documenting the invaders’ aggression against Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale invasion. His photos of the evacuation from Irpin, the destruction of the world’s largest Mriya aircraft, houses destroyed by missiles, and civilians killed have been shared worldwide, demonstrating the aggressor country’s cruelty.

ISW report

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Ukrainian forces are attempting to soften Russian defenses before liberating territory, accepting a slower pace of advance. The WSJ also reported that Ukrainian forces are focusing on dislodging Russian forces from fortifications and minefields, which are over 24km deep in some areas of Russian occupied territory.

Lieutenant Colonel Oleksiy Telehin of Ukraine’s 108th Territorial Defense Brigade told the WSJ that Russian forces are continually able to bring in replacements even if Ukrainian forces destroy entire units.

ISW has assessed that Russian forces lack operational reserves. Telehin’s statement likely refers to locally available tactical reserves. Another unit commander in the 108th Territorial Defense Brigade stated that the shortage of armored vehicles makes it difficult for Ukrainian forces to advance on well-prepared positions. WSJ sources also cited the lack of Ukrainian air superiority as one of the factors slowing down Ukrainian counteroffensives. ISW continues to assess that the current pace of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is reflective of a deliberate effort to conserve Ukrainian combat power and attrit Russian manpower and equipment at the cost of slower territorial advances.

War Heroes

Vsevolod Tatkov, a water polo player from Kharkiv, died in the war. He was only 19 years old. Vsevolod was a player in the Kharkiv Oblast team, and a multiple winner of the Ukrainian water polo championships among juniors and seniors. 

Vsevolod Tatkov heroically defended Ukraine from the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion. On February 24, 2022, on his 18th birthday, the young man joined the ranks of the terrorist defense, and after training, he joined the Kraken special forces. He was killed on the night of July 4-5, 2023, on a special mission to rescue his fellow fighters in the Bakhmut sector.