June 17, 2022

Praise Reports

Success

  • Severodonetsk– Russian forces continued to launch ground assaults on Severodonetsk and settlements along the Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) to Lysychansk. Ukrainian military intelligence reported that Russian forces are no longer operating as concrete battalion tactical groups
  • Belgorod – Russian Su-25 crashed in Belgorod region, pilot ejected and safe
  • Bakhmut – Ukrainian military shot down Russian Mi-35M helicopter with MANPADS today
  • Slovyansk – Ukrainian military repelled attack near Dolyna
  • Snake Island – Ukrainian TB2 UCAV footage shows two missile strikes reportedly on the Russian Vasily Bekh rescue ship that was carrying a Tor-M2KM air defense system that was headed to Snake Island
  • Occupied Territories
  • Donetsk – Fire at Koagulyant chemical plant in Polohy.
  • Lughansk – Blast yesterday at ammunition warehouse in Khrustalnyi,
    Kherson – Missile strike at Russian base in Nova Kakhovka
  • Melitopol – The latest surprise for Russian troops came in Melitopol, where Mayor Ivan Fyodorov said local farmers had caused “mass illness” among Russians by poisoning cherries. “Our farmers prepared another gift for the [Russians]—recently treated sweet cherries, which caused mass illness among those who stole them from the farmers. It’s the latest kind of partisan resistance on the territory of Melitopol,” Fyodorov told local reporters on Thursday. “Melitopol residents fully ignored the celebration of Russia Day. The whole country saw—last Sunday only 15 people out of 70,000 residents who stayed in the temporarily occupied city stood in line for [Russian] passports,” he said.
  • Berdyansk – “Russian authorities are continuing to face difficulties implementing their occupation agendas due to pro-Ukrainian pressure in occupied areas,” the report noted, describing teachers “refusing to teach under Russian curricula”
  • Mariupol – Petro Andriushchenko, an aide to the Mariupol mayor, said two tractors and three large truck trailers parked outside the Russian Emergency Ministry’s headquarters “suddenly” went up in flames on July 9 due to an arson attack. Two days later, he said, on the eve of the city’s “Day of Russia” celebrations, a staffer for the same ministry was stabbed in the back while standing in a crowd” and unidentified Ukrainian partisans” targeting staffers of Russia’s Emergency Ministry in Mariupol. The injury turned out to be fatal.
  • Saboteurs – Security Service of Ukraine conducted a special operation in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, Zaporizhia, as well as in Dnipropetrovsk and Vinnytsia regions, 19 suspected Russian agents detained
  • Russian Gas – Russia’s largest gas field is ablaze after a pipe burst early Thursday, sending a huge plume of flames soaring into the sky. Energy giant Gazprom said the blaze broke out around 2.30am at the Urengoyskoye gas field in the Yamalo-Nenets region of Siberia. Urengoyskoye is the world’s largest active gas deposit with supplies mainly destined for Europe via the Yamal-Europe pipeline. Though Gazprom says the fire has been contained, the news will inevitably spark fears of supply disruptions and further price hikes in Europe which is already in the midst of an energy crisis. The last time a fire struck the region – in August last year – it led to a sizable drop in production and saw prices jump. However, that blaze took place at a processing facility through which large amounts of natural gas passes on its way to Europe. Gazprom said it is still analysing the extent of the damage, but there was no interruption to supplies. ‘The fire occurred at 2:30 am on June 16,’ said a spokesman. ‘There were no casualties. At 4 am the fire was extinguished. It is the latest in a series of blazes at key Russian installations amidst the war with Ukraine, which has led to suspicions of sabotage. Blazes have largely targeted facilities with links to the military or government, and has included at least one other which hit a pipeline supplying Europe

Truth Revealed

  • Russia – The Kremlin said it hoped the leaders of France, Germany and Italy would not only discuss weapons supplies in their visit to Kyiv on Thursday, but rather to “push President [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy to take a realistic look at the state of affairs. I would hope that the leaders … will not focus only on supporting Ukraine by further pumping it with weapons,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters. “That’s absolutely pointless, it will prolong people’s suffering and cause new damage to the country.”
  • International Criminal Court – The Netherlands’ security service said Thursday it uncovered a plot by a member of Russia’s military intelligence service to use a false identity to infiltrate the International Criminal Court (ICC) through an internship.
    Why it matters: Netherland’s security service said the man would have had access to the headquarters and systems of the ICC, which is investigating war crimes committed during Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. It said that the intelligence officer posed a “potentially very high” threat to the court and may have been able to influence criminal cases. What they’re saying: “If this person had been given the opportunity to actually do work at the ICC, he could have gathered intelligence here, spot (or recruit) resources and gain access to digital systems,” Netherlands’ General Intelligence and Security Service said. “In this way, the man could have met the GRU’s intelligence needs to a significant extent. He may also have been able to influence criminal cases within the ICC,” it added. The big picture: It said the man, identified as Russia GRU member Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, sought to enter the Netherlands and the internship under a false Brazilian identity but was denied entry in April, declared an unwanted alien and sent back to Brazil.
  • Party of Peace – There are still enough supporters of peace between Russia and Ukraine among the Russian elites. Now they hope for the resumption of active negotiations between the two countries, which have been practically frozen since the beginning of April. Three interlocutors close to the Presidential Administration (AP) of the Russian Federation and one source close to the government told Meduza about this. Among the significant participants in the “Party of Peace” they named the head of VTB Andrey Kostin, the head of Rostec Sergey Chemezov and the head of Sberbank German Gref. Two Meduza sources also noted that the positions of the brothers Yuri and Mikhail Kovalchuk, who are believed to be in Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, are close to the “peace party”. All five peace advocates mentioned are under various sanctions imposed since the start of the war, but they hope that if negotiations are resumed, at least some of the international sanctions will be lifted and Russia will again be able to enter the international markets of technology and finance. At the same time, two Meduza sources close to the Presidential Administration emphasized that the members of the “party of peace” are not united in any way and are not making any joint efforts to lobby for negotiations: “They only have a common understanding that the special operation should be ended as soon as possible and search for some then points of contact in the West.
  • Party of War – Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev spoke with regular insults to Western countries in his telegram channel, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko went public with  speeches on the fight against Nazism, and Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev emphasized : “We are not chasing deadlines [of hostilities ]. Nazism must either be 100% eradicated, or it will rear its head in a few years, and in an even uglier form.” Now, according to Meduza’s interlocutors (public statements confirm this), in addition to Medvedev, Kiriyenko and Patrushev, the “war party” includes State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin , United Russia general secretary Andrey Turchak , as well as the leadership of law enforcement agencies, such as the FSB. At the same time, Meduza’s sources characterize the “party of war” as “an amorphous structure without a single center of coordination.” At the same time, some of its representatives have a tense relationship with each other. For example, Vyacheslav Volodin and  Andrei Turchak criticized each other even in public. According to two Meduza sources in the Presidential Administration, relations between Volodin and Kiriyenko also leave much to be desired. This conflict has been going on since 2016, since Volodin left the post of first deputy head of the Presidential Administration and Kiriyenko was appointed to this position.

Support

  • EU – The leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Romania on Thursday threw their weight behind accepting Ukraine and Moldova as EU membership candidates, laying to rest doubts over their stance amid Russia’s war against Ukraine. “All four of us support the status of immediate candidate for membership,” French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters at a joint news conference in Kyiv, where the leaders had traveled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. To which Zelensky replied Ukraine is “ready to work” for its accession to the European Union (EU). Scholz delivered a similar conclusion: “Germany is in favor of a positive decision in favor of Ukraine. This also applies to the Republic of Moldova,” the chancellor said. “Ukraine belongs to the European family,” he added. Scholz stressed that EU enlargement “is subject to clear criteria that must be met by all candidates,” naming “especially democracy and the rule of law.” Ursula von der Leyen: We recommend to give Ukraine the candidate status, on the understanding that the country will carry out a number of important reforms. Ukraine has clearly shown commitment to live up to European values and standards. And embarked, before the war, on its way towards the EU.
  • Leaders – The leaders of Germany, France, Italy, and Romania committed to Ukrainian officials that the West would not demand any concessions from Ukraine to appease Russia and will support Ukraine to the end of the war during a visit to Kyiv on June 16. French President Emmanuel Macron declared that France, Germany, Italy, and Romania are “are doing everything so that Ukraine alone can decide its fate.” Macron added that Ukraine “must be able to win” and pledged to provide six more self-propelled howitzers. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Germany will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, and weapons assistance for “Ukraine’s war of independence.”Macron, Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis additionally vowed to back Ukraine’s bid to become an official candidate for European Union membership. Sustained Western military support to Ukraine will be essential to enable Ukrainian forces to liberate Russian-occupied territory.
  • France – will deliver ‘six additional Caesar’ long-range guns to Ukraine: Macron in Kyiv
  • NATO – Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says our focus now is support for Ukraine and also to help modernise the security capability of the country
  • Italy – “The Ukrainian people defend every day the values of democracy and freedom that are the basis of the European project, of our project. We cannot delay this process,” Prime Minister Mario Draghi said.
  • Latvia – Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs on Wednesday said European leaders must not be deterred by a fear of provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin and the international community must not pressure Ukraine into making concessions to end the war. Although Rinkēvičs did not name names in his critique of European leaders who he says maintain a “fear” of vexing Putin, he told CNN he was referencing “those who are well-known from time to time openly saying that they don’t want to see him humiliated or that we need to provide some off-ramp” — a seeming swipe at French President Emmanuel Macron, who in early June said “we must not humiliate Russia so that the day when the fighting stops we can build an exit ramp through diplomatic means.” Rinkēvičs said such an approach is “not rational,” telling CNN that the “mentality in many of the capitals needs to be changed.” He also noted that diplomatic outreach by world leaders to Putin in an attempt to get him to end the war had not yielded results, and said he believed the Russians “can be stopped only by Ukrainians, only by them fighting.”

Pray Points – Latest

  • Weapons – Pray for the German, French and Italian leaders today to bring to Kiev heavy weapons and not pressure to concede to Russian demands.
  • Severodonetsk – Thousands of civilians, including women, children and elderly people, are trapped in Sievierodonetsk with a diminishing supply of food, clean water, sanitation and electricity. An urgent situation is developing in the bunkers beneath the Azot chemical plant in the city, a UN spokesperson said. About 500 civilians believed to be trapped alongside soldiers inside Azot were preparing to flee the city through a possible humanitarian corridor. Serhai Haidai, Ukraine’s governor of Luhansk, has said “Fierce battles are fought for every house” in Sievierodonetsk, as Russia continues its attempts to capture the city in eastern Ukraine. The last bridge connecting Lyschansk with the city has been destroyed and now all communication has been cut off with the defenders, particularly those in the Azot chemical plant where hundreds of civilians are sheltering, the region’s governor said on Saturday, after a Russia-backed separatist claimed 300 to 400 Ukrainian fighters were also trapped there. Ukraine has said some 800 people were hiding in several bomb shelters underneath the plant, including about 200 employees and 600 residents of Severodonetsk. Ukrainian lines are holding despite intense Russian artillery fire but that it was now impossible to evacuate people. About 10,000 civilians remained in the city. Governor Haidal: “Silence in Severodonetsk lasts only when guns are reloaded. Street fights continue in the regional center. Russians adhere to their primitive tactics: heavy artillery fire, then – attempts to break through. The same thing happened in the already destroyed Rubizhne and Popasna. The enemy is powerfully pursuing the industrial zone, which we control. If we quickly get western long-range weapons, an artillery duel will begin, the (Russia) will lose to the west, and our defenders will be able to clean up Severodonetsk in two or three days. Evacuation from Severodonetsk is still impossible, as is the transportation of goods. Currently, the hospital has everything necessary to stabilize the wounded.” He has also again emphasized that “Russians do NOT control the Lysychansk-Bakhmut route, but constantly storm it. We do not use this road.”
  • Zaporozhia – 34 different Ukrainian positions were shelled in Zaporizhzhia region yesterday. Russian army shelled Malynivka, Temyrivka and Uspenivka with MLRS GRAD. Su-25 planes and Mi-8 helicopters conducted airstrikes at Kamianske and Mali Sherbaky, Ka-52 helicopters attacked Zelene Pole village
  • Kryvyi Rih – Russian forces bringing more reinforcements at Kryvyi Rih direction
  • Logistics – In the last 24 hours it is obvious deep in force to destroy logistics – shells, equipment, guns, bombs, food and supplies – in Donetsk before they reach the front
  • Navalny – on Tuesday, the Russian opposition leader has been moved secretly prison IK-2 in Pokrov, 100km to the northeast of Moscow without notifying any of his people or supporters of where he is being taken. Alexei Navalny said in May that he could be transferred to the maximum security colony IK-6 in Melehovo in the Vladimir region. “My sentence has not yet entered into force, but the prisoners from the strict regime colony Melehovo (another 150 km further to the east) write that they are equipping a “prison within a prison” for me,” Navalny said.
  • Casualties – Approximately 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia’s invasion of the country in February, according to a military adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He added that the daily numbers of Ukrainian casualties were around “200 to 300 die, no less.”
  • Donbas – Shelling continues incessantly
  • POWs – Occupation authorities in parts of Donetsk region of Ukraine sentenced POWs, Britons Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48 and citizen of Morocco Saadun Bragim to death. All three were charged under the articles of the Criminal Code of the DPR “Forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power” and “Mercenary”. According to Alexander Nikulin , presiding in the court, the convicts pleaded guilty to all charges. They have a month to appeal the court’s decision. All three intend to appeal. One of the lawyers for the convicts, Pavel Kosovan , said that, most likely, foreigners would ask the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, for a pardon. UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, has said the men are entitled to combatant immunity as prisoners of war. “The judgement against them is an egregious breach of the Geneva convention,” Truss said. “The UK continues to back Ukraine against Putin’s barbaric invasion.”
  • Artillery – “Everything now depends on what [the west] gives us,” said Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence. “Ukraine has one artillery piece to 10 to 15 Russian artillery pieces. Our western partners have given us about 10% of what they have.” Ukraine is using 5,000 to 6,000 artillery rounds a day, according to Skibitsky. “We have almost used up all of our [artillery] ammunition and are now using 155-calibre Nato standard shells,” he said of the ammunition that is fired from artillery pieces. “Europe is also delivering lower-calibre shells but as Europe runs out, the amount is getting smaller.” Skibitsky emphasised the need for the west to supply Ukraine with long-range rocket systems to destroy the Russian artillery pieces from afar. This week the Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych told the Guardian that Ukraine needed 60 multiple-rocket launchers – many more than the handful promised so far by the UK and US – to have a chance of defeating Russia.
  • Izyum – increased efforts by Russia to move toward Slovyansk and the key transportation routes that keep the east supplied. Russians have now advanced to the southwest outskirts of Bohorodychne.
  • Mariupol – Now there is a major outbreak of cholera as the officials of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) continue to fail to provide the residents of Mariupol with basic social services or quality-of-life assurances. Advisor to the Mayor of Mariupol Petro Andryushchenko stated that DNR authorities are unable to provide water, humanitarian aid, or medical services to residents and that corruption amongst DNR collaborators is further complicating the situation. Head of the DNR Denis Pushilin stated that his priority is restoring the school system in Mariupol despite continual administrative failures to provide even the most basic food and water services.
  • Odessa – For the first time, such a large grouping of the Russian Navy operates in the Black Sea, which consists of twelve large landing ships of the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets. These BDKs (large landing vessels) are now ready to perform their intended tasks as part of a special military operation.” Each BDK Can carry up to 25 armored personnel carrier, or 313 infantry or 500 tons of useful goods. All of which can be used in an amphibious landing directly onto the beach. Also Russia still has 6 airborne divisions and two guided missile cruisers, and apparently some control of Snake Island all of which together with consistent attacks on the damaged Zatoka bridge means a real danger of an amphibious assault on the far southeast corner of the Odessa region to build a bridge to the Russian controlled Transdniestra region of Moldova and to encircle Odessa and Mikolaiv.
  • Kharkiv – continues to face intermittent bombardment that targets civilian infrastructure.
  • Zhytomyr – A seemingly random attack on an apartment building hundreds of miles from the front might be a part of a larger Russian plan of intimidation, whereby they are contacting Ukrainian soldiers on their cellphones threatening their families by using location data.
  • Negotiations – Negotiations with Russia will only resume after new weapons arrive from the west and Ukraine’s position is “strengthened”, said David Arakhamia, a member of Ukraine’s negotiation group with Russia. Another negotiator, Mykhailo Podolyak, said there was no point in talks with Russia until Moscow’s forces are pushed back as far as possible towards Ukraine’s borders.
  • Slovyansk – coming from Lyman near Staryi Karavan, the Russian army is attempting to seize area on the left bank of Sieversky Donets river, to move toward Slovyansk, as well as another force coming from Izyum.
  • Negotiations – Representatives of the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom have been meeting regularly over the past few weeks to discuss a plan to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations. In particular, according to the interlocutors of the TV channel, the Italian plan was discussed. Ukraine does not directly participate in these discussions, which contradicts the statements of the US authorities – “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” At the same time, as emphasized, the United States does not put pressure on Ukraine, insisting on a certain plan, and does not push it to negotiate with Russia.
  • People of the West – pray that they rise up against their governments and demand they back Ukraine with more than words and do NOT negotiate with Russia, giving Putin land for grain or a ceasefire, rather than a military tribunal for him and the other war criminals.
  • Belarus – Lukashenka still has Belarusian armed forces as a part of an organized southern operational command, on the border with Ukraine
  • Kherson – There is a threat of flooding in Kherson and Kakhovka due to Russian army actions at Nova Kakhovka hydro power plant – General Staff of Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time half the population has fled. And the Russians are actually shelling occupied villages
  • Black Sea – Threats of missile strikes, particularly from the sea, remain relevant. The deteriorating weather makes it impossible to land marines and increases the risk of landmines being dumped along the coast. As of 26 May, the enemy naval grouping in the Black Sea of 6 airborne corps and 2 missile ships does not come with any changes in strength or objectives.
  • Odessa – Russia still has 6 airborne divisions and two guided missile cruisers, and apparently some control of Snake Island all of which together with consistent attacks on the damaged Zatoka bridge means a real danger of an amphibious assault on the far southeast corner of the Odessa region to build a bridge to the Russian controlled Transdniestra region of Moldova and to encircle Odessa and Mikolaiv.
  • Lughansk – the occupiers do not have control of the Lysychansk-Bakhmut route, but they are shelling there, so Ukrainian defenders and volunteers are looking for other ways to deliver supplies to the Ukrainian-controlled territory of the Luhansk region.
  • Ukrainian Prisoners of War – There are about 8,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war held in the Russian-backed self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, the Luhansk official Rodion Miroshnik has said.
  • Unity – there are movements beginning with Ukraine to begin to blame various people and parties for Ukraine’s situation, attempting to create division calling for various people to be charged with corruption, rather than waiting till after the war. Former president Petroshenko’s party in retaliation for the difficulties he’s had leaving the country to negotiate with the Lithuanians last week, has called for an investigation into why Zelensky and his party did not prepare better for the invasion.
  • Zaporozhia – Russian missiles are falling in Zaporizhzhia in what is most likely an attempt to intimidate civilian population ahead of their expected push toward the city. As Russian troops and military hardware continues to gather in preparation for a huge push toward Zaporozhia
  • Melitopol – there is a huge partisan movement among the people in this reason and they have taken out many railroad bridges and trains.
  • Ruble – the Russian currency is surging to 7-year highs, that although artificial indicate that funds are flowing into Russia rapidly (as Europe attempts to refill stockpiles and India and other companies take advantage of discounted oil) meaning that Russia is being kept afloat.
  • Italy & Germany – have set up ruble accounts with the EU’s blessing to circumvent sanctions and pay for Russian gas
  • EU – Hungary continues to block a true oil embargo
  • IMF – The head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, has said the war in Ukrainehas darkened the outlook for the global economy and could result in recession for more vulnerable countries and predicted that 2022 would be a tough year and declined to rule out a global recession if conditions worsened markedly.
  • Zaporozhia/Kryvyi Rih/Kherson – Shelling continues as the Russians attempt to move forward and Russia has blocked all exit from these regions as people line up at the borders
  • Kherson – Russia is stopping humanitarian aid from reaching hundreds of thousands of people in the region of Kherson, Ukraine said. Doctors could run out of medicine for chronically ill patients in two weeks, a Ukrainian official said. As they implement a ruble zone here it only increases the lack as people do not have rubles to purchase the need supplies.
  • Kharkiv – Fighting continues in the areas of Ternov and Borshchiv with heavy shelling with the Russians conducting enhanced aerial reconnaissance.
  • NATO – Even as Finland and Sweden apply to join along, Turkey continues to veto it even as negotiations continue.
  • Snake Island – Russia is spending a lot of resources to install anti-missile facilities and to protect paratroopers who are holding the island
  • Russian Navy – Russian Navy – All operating submarines of the Russian Black Sea Fleet went to sea from Sevastopol as seen by the fact that they are targeting military installations in Lviv
  • Fuel – Russia continues to strike fuel refineries and stores (including in Lviv yesterday) destroying its Ukrainian production capacity and fuel tanks, continuing to create dangerously low availability of fuel, meaning much of Ukraine’s economy and food supply could be affected, but also the military and humanitarian aid distribution.
  • Food – prices soar 60% as India, the world’s second largest producer, blocks exports due to low harvest from heat wave. Pray for the world food supplies as Wheat make up 15% of all the worlds calories consumed. And much higher for impoverished countries. Ukraine produces 7% of the worlds wheat and Russia 11% meaning 3% of the entire food supply for the world is cut off, and again a much higher percentage for developing world. While corn makes up 19.5% of global calories and Ukraine produces 2.6% and Russia with 2.3% of world supplies, meaning a further decrease in 1% of the world calorie intake for a total between wheat and corn of 4%. A response to this is that “the Russian invasion is a large shock for agricultural commodity markets, but not historically large. Markets and trade patterns will adjust to absorb it. Farmers around the world will produce more and consumers will cut back or substitute. The transition may be difficult in some places, especially countries such as Egypt that typically rely on wheat from Russia and Ukraine who must be helped to find alternate suppliers. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has warned of “a hurricane of hunger” if Ukrainian grain is not exported. The world’s 41 least-developed nations import a third of their wheat from Ukraineand Russia. Soaring food prices have already driven inflation levels in Egypt to the highest level since mid-2019.
  • Russian Military – trying to create panic among the Ukrainian civilian population and to disrupt the supply lines in the rear, but has minimum success on the battlefield.
  • Mines – Almost half of the territory of Ukraine needs humanitarian demining – this is about 300,000 square kilometers, according to the State Emergency Service. Every day, an average of 2,000 to 6,000 explosive items are seized and rendered harmless in the country. One day of active hostilities is equal to 30 days of demining. For example, it will take about a year and a half to clear mines in the Kyiv region, where the fighting lasted a month. “Spring is coming, overgrown with grass, and in a week explosive devices cannot be installed visually, only devices. A few months later, due to rains, they sink underground to a depth of 3-5-7 centimeters, they are not visible at all, but they are still working,” the minister said. (As a sign of what supernatural resolutions can be possible, but during the Vietnam War, the United States strategically placed mines in North Vietnamese waters area that were set to detonate when a ship was in close proximity. In August 1972, a large number of these magnetic mines simultaneously started exploding. Upon investigation, the US found out that the cause of these explosions, which were estimated to be as many as 4,000, were not enemy ships. As it turned out, the culprit was a powerful historical series of solar storms with an extreme solar flare, solar particle events, and geomagnetic storm components hit the Earth.)
  • Testing the West – multiple alternative narratives are being focus-grouped by politicians – Like assuming Russia taking half of Ukraine is a done deal. Or turning Ukraine into Cyprus – divided state with Chinese soldiers occupying
  • Narrative – probing attacks from many directions in the media and with politicians continue as they attempt to discover a way to distract, divide or dissuade support for Ukraine and for Russia’s total expulsion from Ukraine and for Russian government to be held accountable. Continue to pray for solidarity and truth and those in occupied territories who are suffering and/or have been deported will be heard and not forgotten or abandoned.
  • Social Media – Russia’s online trolling operation is becoming increasingly decentralised and is gaining “incredible traction” on TikTok with misinformation aimed at sowing doubt over events in Ukraine, a US social media researcher has warned.
  • PTSD – they are seeing that those fleeing the Russians are holding on for about 10 days and then face complete mental breakdown.
  • 6 Russian Key Objectives to Pray Against
    • Kharkiv – Destroy, Encircle, Capture
    • Izyum – push south to encircle Donbas
    • Slavyonsk and Kramatorsk – in the east to complete a smaller encirclement of the cities
    • Mariupol – completely destroy all opposition and export the populations
    • Zaporozhye – Russian troops are building up forces and building logistics a massive concerted attack
    • Kherson – Russia is facing sabotage from the people but is still attempting to push north toward Kryvyi Rih and west toward Mykolaiv, then to Odessa and to Transnistria and eventually to Moldova.
  • Occupied Conscription – there is much evidence that Russia is desperately attempting to catch and conscript any and all able men in the occupied regions of Izyum, Kherson & Zaporozhye and force them to fight for them.
  • Deportations – Russia has deported over 750,000 people from Ukraine to Russia. 134,000 of those from Mariupol alone.
  • Mercenaries – Continue to pray for all mercenaries to be neutralized in any way!
  • Logistics – Russia logistical challenges are still problematic even though the supply lines to the Donbas are shorter, and much will depend on the condition of the roads and railways.
  • Refugees – now 6.5 million have fled Ukraine. Pray for their safety, provision and care.
  • West – pray that the pressure would continue to mount on western leaders to ban oil and gas imports and to continue to increase meaningful heavy arms donations.
  • Russia – pray that the emotional need to make a huge statement and reaction to the sinking of Moskva will lead to Russia moving prematurely and without adequate preparation and coordination and thereby dooming their own assault. Or to make a move that so steels international resolve that it makes supporting Russia impossible even for China and India.
  • Russian People – pray they understand the Truth and reject the lies they’ve been told and rise up
  • US – pray that Lend/Lease gets fast-tracked and raise on the House floor and approved today
  • China – has doubled down and the Russian propaganda and refused to admit the atrocities were committed by Russia or any other point

Pray Points – Continued

  • Ukraine – Almost two-thirds of Ukrainian children have fled their homes, the UN says. About 4.8 million out of 7.5 million children had to leave their homes, said Manuel Fontaine from UNICEF. He confirmed the deaths of 142 children, but added that the number is “almost certainly higher”
  • Economy – Ukraine economy to contract 45.1% this year, Russia 11.2%: World Bank
  • Rage – Pray against rage as videos have come to the four about Ukrainian soldiers summarily executing Russian soldiers. Although they can obviously feel incredibly justified, this is destructive to them and provides ammunition to Russia their attempt to create an alternative narrative in Ukraine.
  • Russian Military – Russia is sending an 8-mi long convoy of 100s of vehicles, including armored vehicles and artillery southbound through the Ukrainian town of Velykyi Burluk. The convoy is moving about 60 mi east of Ukraine’s 2nd-largest city of Kharkiv, as Russian focuses on Donbas. Russian Ministry of Defense claims destruction S-300 SAM at Chuhuiv airbase and Starobohdanovka in Mykolaiv region. Also claimed destruction of National Guard base in Zvonetske of Dnipropetrovsk region
  • TRUTH – pray that an ever-increasing steady stream of the atrocities committed by the Russians will be revealed and documented to maintain the ever-increasing pressure on political leaders and parties to act with speed, vigor and determination.
  • Russian Lies – pray that all their various alternative narratives would be revealed as rags and shadows for all to see.
  • Evacuation & Panic – Ukraine has urged civilians to leave the east of the country “while the opportunity still exists” before a massive Russian military assault that it expects in the coming days. The governors of the Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions were calling on people to move immediately to safer areas. “It has to be done now, because later people will be under fire and face the threat of death. There is nothing they will be able to do about it.
  • May 9 – Reports are that Putin needs the invasion successful in time for the Victory Day parades, thereby threatening great attacks over the coming month. Putin would want to have an “announceable success” by then, which could create “some tension” with Russian commanders as exhausted forces were likely to be thrown into battle fairly soon in an attempt to gain ground in Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv. This also is at the end of the 30-day default negotiation period (ending on May 5) meaning incredible pressure is on Russia to achieve victory by then.
  • Europe/US – pray they will block all gas imports and provide truly meaningful military support.
  • Oil – Pray that Europe would have the political will to do a complete embargo of Russian fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal, etc.)
  • Occupied – Many villages completely cut off from all supplies and food and water!
  • Global Food – there could be a global food crisis as Ukrainian farmers are being forced to limit what they plant due to the war. And also due to the fact that the main ways that they have a reaching global markets through the Black Sea is now blocked by Russia. Russia and Ukraine together produce 25% of all green in the world!
  • Refugees – According to Polish border guards, more than 2.4 million people have fled Ukraine to Poland . However, supplies have dropped off and now the whole regions are struggling.
  • For the Weak – Russia has flown more than 300 air sorties over Ukraine in the past 24 hours: senior U.S. defense official
  • Russian Elites – to turn on one another and on Putin
  • Russian Military – continuing to press in the north, but the real danger is that Russia seems to preparing for an all-out push in Donbas to encircle the Ukrainian army and to take the entire region and to create a united front against Ukraine.
  • Russian Soldiers – pray for their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being and for them to have the courage to face the Truth and the opportunity to receive the Gospel which is the ONLY answer to the atrocities they’ve already committed.
  • Russian Opposition – that those in the inner circle will see a way out and that Russian Opposition would be able to gather together in a meaningful way
  • The Truth – In all things that the Truth would be painfully evident and unavoidable in all public discussion
  • Ukrainian Army – Russia is attempting to encircle the Ukrainian Army in Donbas
  • Russia – for the people to wake up to the Truth and rise up
  • Putin’s Inner Circle – to fragment and turn on one another
  • Protection of the Weak
  • The West – to not grow numb to atrocities, but be compelled to action
    • Sanctions – Loopholes would be closed and sanctions rendered effective
    • Oil Embargo – That Europe would make the choice to stop immediately at the very least paying for gas & oil
    • Heavy Weapons – provide planes, tanks, heavy artillery and high-altitude weapons

Prayer Strategies

  • Corruption & Domination Falls
    • Russia, Belarus & Ukraine
    • The Former Soviet Union
    • China, India, UAE & Saudi Arabia
  • Truth & Freedom prevail
  • The Gospel is spreads like wildfire
    • From Ukraine
    • To Russia
    • To the whole world

Prayer Encouragement

“Each time, before you intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!”  — Andrew Murray