Victory Chronicles-DAY 828

A Ukrainian Navy strike group targeted a ferry crossing and an oil terminal in the port of Kavkaz in Russia’s Krasnodar Territory in the early hours of May 31. This operation took place following actions by the Ukrainian Armed Forces the previous night that disabled the ferries at the Kerch Ferry in occupied Ukrainian Crimea. These ferries, which connected to the port of Kavkaz, were instrumental in the occupiers’ military logistics. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has confirmed these details.

Several missiles from Ukraine’s Neptune coastal missile system were launched at an oil terminal near the port of Kavkaz. Objective control evidence has verified explosions at the targeted sites. The precision of the strikes is currently being evaluated. This complex operation was executed in coordination with other elements of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Additionally, Ukrainian Armed Forces’ strike UAVs hit another oil terminal in the Krasnodar Territory.

“‘Modern’ and ‘effective’ Russian air defense system once again proved to be powerless against our missiles and unmanned aerial systems and failed to protect important logistics and supply facilities of the Russian army,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement.

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Under the Czech initiative, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be receiving a monthly supply of 50,000 to 100,000 large-caliber artillery shells. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky confirmed that the first batch of shells is expected to arrive in Ukraine in June. Tomáš Kopeční, the Czech Government Commissioner for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, responsible for this initiative, also mentioned the same timeline and stated that there would be a significant increase in supplies in June. These shells are specifically for use in large-caliber artillery.

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On the night of May 31, Russian troops launched five S-300/S-400 guided missiles from the Belgorod region, targeting Kharkiv in Ukraine. The missiles hit a residential building, resulting in the complete destruction of three to five floors and causing a fire. Five people have been killed, including a child, and 25 people have been injured, two of whom are children. Rescuers have managed to save six people from the collapsed building, but there may still be more people trapped under the rubble. In addition to the residential building, another missile hit a three-story administrative building. The repeated shelling also damaged a fire truck, an ambulance, and resulted in the death of a man on the premises of a civilian enterprise. The enemy used double-strike tactics during the attack, according to the head of the Kharkiv Oblast police.

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The Strategic Communications Directorate has published a video of the elimination of an enemy Grad with a munition. The video captures the combat work of UAV pilots of the 14th separate mechanized brigade.

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Western countries continue efforts to increase artillery production and procurement for Ukraine. The Financial Times (FT) reported on May 30 that the Czech-led initiative to purchase artillery ammunition for Ukraine is struggling to compete with Russia to purchase ammunition from non-NATO countries.

Czech Governmental Envoy for Ukraine’s Reconstruction Tomas Kopecny stated that some unspecified countries are supplying ammunition to both Russia and Western procurement efforts for Ukraine. Kopecny suggested that Russia can make cash pre-payments to ammunition suppliers faster than the West and that this could allow Russia to purchase millions of rounds from the same suppliers. The owner and chairperson of Czech domestic arms producer Czechoslovak Group (CSG), Michal Strnad, stated that about half of the components CSG acquired from countries in Africa and Asia for the Czech-led initiative required more work before CSG could send it to Ukraine and that some of the shells had missing components.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated on May 28 that the first “tens of thousands” of 155mm artillery ammunition sourced through the Czech-led initiative will arrive in Ukraine within “days.” The New York Times (NYT) reported on May 30 that US defense company General Dynamics will open a new facility in Mesquite, Texas that will make 30,000 artillery shells each month once it reaches full capacity.

The NYT reported that US production facilities in Pennsylvania produce about 35,00 artillery shells per month and that IMT, an Ohio-based defense firm, will reportedly produce about 34,000 artillery shells per month. The NYT noted that this would allow the US to reach the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) production target of 100,000 shells per month by the end of 2025.

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Hospital nurse Iryna Tsybukh, with the call sign Cheka, died on May 29, 2024, during a regular rotation in the Kharkiv sector. On June 1, the combat medic would have turned 26 years old.

Iryna was born in Lviv and pursued her higher education in journalism at Lviv Polytechnic National University. She completed an internship at the Express newspaper and built her career across several media outlets, including Gazeta po-Ukrainsky, Krayina magazine, and later as a regional broadcasting project manager at Suspilne TV, where she also created documentaries. In 2020, she began studying at the Kyiv School of Economics.

Known for her strong pro-Ukrainian stance and civic engagement, Iryna’s commitment to the cause preceded the full-scale invasion. She began volunteering in 2015, dedicated to aiding others wherever possible, deeply affected by every loss. Those close to her knew it was only a matter of time before she joined the fight directly, which she did in 2022 by becoming a paramedic with the Hospitallers volunteer unit. From the onset of the invasion, she was constantly stationed at the front lines, saving lives and keeping the public informed through social media, podcasts, and interviews. She actively raised for military needs, fostered a culture of remembrance for the fallen, and supported veterans’ reintegration into civilian life.

Iryna placed her personal aspirations on hold, driven by a belief that defending Ukraine was her foremost priority. “I want children. I want a house. I want to plant tomatoes… but ending the war is the most important thing… The only choice about freedom in a country at war… the only story about freedom in this context is the struggle for this freedom… I recently realized that this trend that we are all going to die soon is already sounding quite high, and everyone is preparing to die somewhere sooner or later. And when you have the opportunity to return to civilian life, you see that, okay, maybe living can be a good trend too. I just discovered this for myself. And I started thinking, wow, I can live!” she reflected in one of her last interviews.

Her final tweet read, “My birthday is coming up and I’m very proud to be 26.” After her passing, social media was flooded with tributes, as a vast number of people shared memories of her impactful life.

“You were the best of all – holistic in service, in words and principles. even in fear, though you looked at death with great confidence, even laughed in its face. Ira, you saved so many, we did not save you. There is no justice in this, no strength, no words, no tears… I didn’t need to explain anything to you, you knew everything, always, you were always your own, honest, crystal clear about the truth and freedom. You taught me to keep going, even when you lose, you taught me not to exchange for men “to whom I need to shrink”, you had strength and heart – more than hundreds of others I have met…” Yulia Kochetova wrote.

“At 25, she thought and spoke better than some famous people at a much older age. And she not only spoke, but also acted, saved lives. So much energy, confidence, faith. One could only admire her and never, never think that the war would take her away, such a bright, such a fair soul. For some reason, I was sure that she would later go on to reform the system, change it, perhaps head a ministry or department. Such energy, such potential…” wrote Nadiia Babynska-Virna.

Iryna is survived by her loving family, many friends, colleagues and associates, for whom this loss was unexpected and brought unimaginable pain.

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

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• Biden allows Ukraine to hit some targets in Russia with US weapons
• Norwegian Foreign Minister Bart Eide: Ukraine has undisputed right to strike at targets in Russia to defend its territory
• Ukrainian forces control 70% of Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast
• China says it won’t join Swiss Peace Summit on Ukraine
• German Defense Minister in Odesa announces new €500 million aid package
• Macron wants to form a European coalition of military instructors in Ukraine