Victory Chronicles-DAY 783

In an interview with PBS, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed the urgent need for military help from Ukraine’s allies, particularly the United States, to effectively resist the Russian invasion. 

Zelenskyy highlighted the significant disparity in firepower between Ukraine and Russia, with Ukrainian artillery shells outnumbered 1 to 10 and airplanes outnumbered 1 to 30. He emphasized the need for Ukraine to be much stronger than its enemy and called for the necessary weapons to defend Ukrainian territories and move forward against the enemy. 

Zelenskyy stated that there is a clear plan to destroy the enemy, which requires specific weapons for offense, defense, and unlocking the sky. He noted that all partners have this plan, and Ukraine technically needs it. Zelenskyy also mentioned that Ukrainians are focused on living for tomorrow and are unsure of the future support Ukraine will receive or potential wars that could arise.

The Czech-led artillery initiative has contracted the first 180,000 rounds of ammunition for Ukraine out of a total order of 300,000. These artillery shells will be delivered to the Ukrainian front soon. The Czech Republic had previously discovered 500,000 155mm shells and 300,000 122mm shells outside of Europe, and once funds were allocated, they could be purchased and shipped to Ukraine. Other countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Poland, France, and Denmark, have also allocated funds for this initiative. 

Russian military dropped a bomb on a residential building in Beryslav, Kherson Oblast, causing damage to several civilian objects. 15 local residents suffered from barotrauma as a result of the attack. The injured individuals received medical aid but did not require hospitalization.

During reconnaissance operations in the Donetsk sector, operators of the 3rd SSO Regiment discovered an enemy T-90 tank that had just fired on the positions of the Defense Forces. Using an FPV drone, the operators of the Medoid tactical group hit the target. The tank was immobilized, and the commander and gunner were wounded.

Ukrainian officials continue to warn that US security assistance is vital to Ukrainian forces’ ability to defend against current and future Russian offensive operations forecasted to begin in late spring and summer. Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Head Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov stated that Ukrainian forces are preparing to repel a future Russian major offensive expected in late May or the beginning of June but noted that this will be “catastrophically difficult” without Western military assistance.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated on April 14 that the current situation in eastern Ukraine is “tense” and that Russian forces are focusing their efforts west of Bakhmut in the Chasiv Yar direction. Umerov stated that Ukrainian forces are successfully using modern technology against Russia’s larger quantities of personnel. The spokesperson for the Ukrainian Khortysia Group of Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn, stated on April 15 that Ukrainian forces in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions can only use one to five artillery shells for every 10 artillery shells that Russian forces fire, but that Ukrainian artillery is more precise than Russian artillery.

Ukrainian forces’ ability to repel recently intensified Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine has degraded due to materiel shortages and will likely continue to degrade in the near future should delays in US security assistance continue. ISW continues to assess that Russian forces are currently capitalizing on Ukrainian materiel shortages resulting from the lack of US security assistance to make marginal tactical advances but that future Russian assaults may be able to achieve more significant and threatening gains, particularly west of Bakhmut, should the US continue to withhold assistance to Ukraine.

Chief Sergeant Vladyslav Aleksa died on April 11, 2022, during the liberation of a settlement near Huliaypol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, after engaging in a heavy and unequal battle with the occupiers. The defender was 24 years old.

Vladyslav was originally from Henichesk, Kherson Oblast. He often went on vacation to Chernivtsi Oblast, where his father was from. He studied dog training in Lviv. He was very fond of dogs.

Until 2021, he served under contract in the Kherson Oblast, and with the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he voluntarily came to the defense of Ukraine. At the front, he served with the 110th separate Territorial Defense Brigade. He held the position of machine gunner.

During his service, the fighter was awarded the medal “For Valor” and posthumously – the Order “For Courage” III class.

Vladyslav was buried in the village of Molnytsia, Chernivtsi Oblast. In the fall of 2022, a memorial plaque in honor of the deceased appeared on the facade of the local village school. Vladyslav is survived by his parents, two brothers, a sister, grandparents, and aunts.

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

• Ukrainian survivor of Russian torture files legal complaint in Argentina
• Johnson gambles on plan separating Israel aid from Ukraine funds
• Zelenskyy: calls for same defense from allies as for Israel
• Scholz to discuss “just peace” in Ukraine with Xi Jinping in Beijing
• Air Force: Ukraine downs 9 out of 9 Russian drones launched overnight
• Netherlands allocates $4.7 billion to support Ukraine until 2026