Victory Chronicles-DAY 810

On the night of May 12-13, Ukraine’s Security Service reportedly carried out a drone attack on an oil depot near the city of Stary Oskol and a substation in Russia’s Lipetsk and Belgorod regions. 

The attack caused a fire at the oil depot and at the 500 kV Elets substation, which powers various important facilities in the area. Local news channels in Russia were filled with reports of loud explosions near the oil depot, and the governor of the Lipetsk region confirmed the fire at the substation. 

Ukrainian security services have not officially recognized the drone attacks, but have previously stated that military-industrial complexes and oil refineries in Russia are legitimate targets in their conflict with Russia. 

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In the Kharkiv Oblast of Ukraine, 5,762 civilians have been forced to evacuate their homes as a result of intense fighting. Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported this on May 13. Russia launched a new offensive on May 10, targeting the towns of Liptsy and Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast. Over the past 24 hours, more than 30 localities in the Oblast have come under artillery and mortar fire, with Vovchansk suffering a series of powerful attacks. The Ukrainian General Staff stated that the enemy currently has a tactical advantage in the battle for Vovchansk. Nine civilians were injured in shelling across the region. 

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The Ukrainian Navy has been actively engaging in training and professional development activities for military divers since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These efforts aim to maintain and enhance the skills of existing specialists while also training new divers. The training includes simulated diving descents in various environments, including aggressive and non-aggressive settings, both in sea and fresh waters.

Key aspects of the training involve practicing underwater breathing and diver signaling, navigation, search and detection of explosive devices, inspection and repair of ships, and hull cleaning. The training is challenging, especially given the constant attacks on the Ukrainian coast and Black Sea. Instructors focus on imparting practical experience gained during the war with Russia to the divers, as maintaining training is crucial for effective combat missions.

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The 63rd Brigade destroyed 10 units of enemy vehicles at once, with the assistance of attached units and combat-sworn brothers from the 60th Brigade. As a result of accurate artillery shots and drone strikes, 5 tanks and 5 armored personnel carriers that tried to storm Ukrainian positions were burned. The official channel of the 63rd separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.

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Russian forces are reaping the benefits of the West’s long-term restriction on Ukraine using Western-provided weapons to strike legitimate military targets on Russian territory — territory that Russian forces now depend on to sustain their offensive operations in northern Kharkiv Oblast. Western officials have prohibited Ukraine from using Western-supplied weapons to strike targets on Russian territory, and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated their adherence to this condition.

UK Foreign Minister David Cameron only recently greenlit Ukrainian forces to use UK-provided weapons to strike targets in Russian territory, but this is insufficient for Ukraine’s interdiction needs in Russian territory and came too late to allow Ukrainian forces to inhibit Russia’s ability to concentrate forces along the international border.

Ukrainian forces have previously used US-provided HIMARS to devastating effect, particularly in forcing Russian forces to withdraw from the west (right) bank of Kherson Oblast in November 2022 and continue to use HIMARS and other US- and Western-provided weapons to strike Russian force concentrations in rear and deep rear areas in occupied Ukraine. Ukrainian forces regularly conduct drone strikes against infrastructure and airfields in Russia, but these lack the same interdiction effects that Ukrainian forces now need to generate to undermine the Russian offensive operations.

Ukrainian forces would greatly benefit from being able to use advanced long-range weapons systems to disrupt Russian logistics nodes and routes that are currently supplying the Kharkiv offensive but must instead rely on their limited and depleted stock of indigenous weapons.

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31-year-old fighter Andriy Yaremchuk, with the call sign Yankee, died on October 17, 2023, near Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast. During a battle with the enemy, he climbed a hill with NLAW to destroy Russian tanks. However, on the other side, the occupiers brought other tanks and began shelling, as a result of which the fighter was fatally wounded. He took the brunt of the attack, saving his fellow fighters.

Andriy Oleksandrovych was born in the village of Yakymivtsi, Ternopil Oblast. In 2011, he graduated from the Ternopil Higher Vocational School of Technology and Design with a degree in woodworking. In 2016, he graduated from the Kremenets Oblast Taras Shevchenko Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy, where he received a physical education and biology degree. However, he decided to devote himself to the military. For the last 5 years, he served in the French Foreign Legion and participated in a military operation in Africa.

The man returned home and volunteered for the front when a full-scale war broke out. At first, he was in the United Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine “Rage,” where he fought as a company commander. Later, he was transferred to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. He commanded a detachment of the Artan special forces. He defended Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Kharkiv Oblasts.

The serviceman was awarded the combat order of the Special Forces Regiment “Safari” of the NPU “For Courage” and the DIU decoration “For Combat Merit” (posthumously).

“Yankee is an incredible titan of his craft. A professional, a military man from God. He devoted his life to military affairs, even at home he followed the daily routine, was a perfectionist in any business. He could not imagine life without sports. He started every morning with training and shared his military experience with his comrades. He led a healthy lifestyle and never drank alcohol. A true patriot. He returned from France, where he lived for the last years, to save his homeland. He always said that he was ready to give his life for the sake of his comrades-in-arms to stay alive, because he would not be able to attend their funeral. He was fluent in French and loved to read books. He always improved himself in his profession, read military literature. In his notes, he planned his next day, made training programs for his group. He considered his son Daniel to be the most significant reward in his life. He loved me and was a very family man,” said Diana, the wife of the fallen fighter.

The Hero was buried in his native village of Yakymivtsi. Andriy is survived by his parents, brother, wife and son, who was not even a year old at the time of his father’s death.

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

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