Day 76 – Tuesday

May 10, 2022

Praise Reports

Truth Revealed

• Donbas – The United States has seen “anecdotal reports” that some Russian troops in Ukraine are not obeying orders, according to a senior US defence official. The US believed Russian troops and “mid-grade officers at various levels, even up to the battalion level” were refusing to move forward in the Donbas offensive.
• Deportations – The Pentagon said it had seen indications that Ukrainians caught up in Russia’s invasion were being forcibly removed to Russia. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said he “can’t speak to how many camps or what they look like”.
• Russia – Until the end of April, a group of volunteers worked in Penza to help refugees from Ukraine get to St. Petersburg, where they were met by other volunteers and passed on to the next – already on the side of Estonia. However, threats in anonymous Telegram channels and direct pressure from unknown people – painted doors, cut car tires – forced the Penza volunteers to curtail their activities.
• Russian Military – Russian authorities in Ukraine’s occupied city of Donetsk are tossing the bodies of their dead soldiers in a secret dump “by the thousands” and charging their loved ones money to find them. That’s according to a new audio recording released by Ukraine’s Security Service on Tuesday, which is purportedly an intercepted telephone conversation between two Russians discussing how one of their missing friends was finally found.
• Russia Journalists – Reporters Egor Polyakov and Alexandra Miroshnikova appeared to post at least 30 articles on Monday that criticized President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine making several claims in their articles, including that Russian defense officials were “lying to relatives” of those killed on the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet flagship. They directly accused Putin of launching one of the “bloodiest wars of the 21st century.” “Putin and his circle are doomed to face a tribunal after the end of the war,” Polyakov and Miroshnikova published to the news site Lenta.ru. “Putin and his associates won’t be able to justify themselves or flee after losing this war.”
• Ukraine Refugees – over 5.5 million have fled the country and over 8 million are internally displaced, which means over 30% of the total population of Ukraine has been forced to flee
• Holland/Germany – Foreign Ministers touring Bucha & Irpin, declared the int’l community will hold accountable those responsible for the killings there
• Germany – Chancellor Otto Scholz, “I call on President Putin unequivocally to end the war of aggression against Ukraine.”
• Kherson – internet access is back outside of Russian control
• EU – President of the European Council Charles Michel: “In the port of Odesa with Denys Shmyhal, I saw silos full of grain, wheat and corn ready for export. This badly needed food is stranded because of the Russian war and blockade of Black sea ports. Causing dramatic consequences for vulnerable countries. We need a global response.” While there Russia struck with missiles forcing Charles Michel to take shelter.
• EU Membership – Ukraine has submitted the second part of a formal questionnaire to obtain candidacy for EU membership. “Today we have taken another step – a very important and not just a formal step – on our path to the European Union,” Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced in his national address late on Monday evening.
• UN – The human rights council is due to hold a special session on Thursday to address alleged Russian human rights violations during its war in Ukraine. More than 50 countries, including Britain, Germany, Turkey and the US, backed a request by Ukraine and demanded an extraordinary meeting of the UN’s top rights body.
• France – Macron said Ukraine’s EU bid would “take several years, indeed, probably several decades”. Speaking to the European parliament in Strasbourg, Macron suggested creating a “parallel European community” for countries aspiring to join the bloc or, in an apparent reference to Britain, countries that had left the union. Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, described Macron’s suggestion as “very interesting”.
  Lithuania – parliament voted unanimously to describe Russia’s actions in Ukraine as “genocide” and “terrorism” and called for an international tribunal to prosecute suspected war crimes.

Arms

• US – yesterday, Biden signed the Ukraine Lend-Lease Act, which passed with broad bipartisan support, to streamline the supply of US weapons and other material to Ukraine or eastern European countries. US congressional Democrats also agreed to provide another $39.8bn in aid for Ukraine
• US – has trained 310 Ukrainian troops on M777 howitzers, up from about 200 a week ago: senior U.S. defense official Another 50 Ukrainian troops are in training, and U.S. also starting maintenance courses on the howitzers

Pray Points – Latest

• Mariupol – Aviation conducted 34 sorties against Azovstal in last 24 hours, including 8 sorties of strategic bombers. Also naval artillery, MLRS, UR-77 and tanks shelling the territory of the plant, while at least 100 civilians and 500 wounded soldiers remain in Azovstal steelworks under heavy Russian fire in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, an aide to the city’s mayor has said.
• Odessa – Russian forces pounded away at the vital port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday, as part of an apparent effort to disrupt supply lines and weapons shipments. Many missile strikes including at least three that were hypersonic.
• Mikolaiv – also under missile attack
• Zaporozhia – Russian army shelling Huliaipole, many vehicles moved from Polohy towards the frontline
• Slovyansk – missile strike into center of city
• Severnodonetsk – Russia has almost completely encircled the city with all water, electricity and cell service cut off
• EU – Hungary is holding up the oil embargo
• Donbas – Ukrainian forces continue to hold strong defensive positions
• Food – 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
• Ukraine – Military – Defense Forces of Ukraine move to counteroffensive in Kharkiv and Izyum directions – Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Valery Zaluzhny
• 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.
• Testing the West – Distractions – the overturning of Roe vs. Wade has kicked all coverage of a Russia and Ukraine to the back page.
• 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
• Russia – Default – The Russian finance ministry announced it paid nearly $650 million it owed holders of two of its dollar bonds. Two creditors told Reuters they had not yet seen the money in their accounts, but a senior U.S. government official confirmed that the payments had been made and that the source appeared to be outside the limits of the current sanctions. The Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee, representing major global banks and asset managers, met on Friday and acknowledged the reports of Russia’s payments, but nonetheless made plans for a credit default swap auction next week “solely in order to prepare for the possibility of a Failure to Pay Credit Event.” If Friday’s announced payments clear, attention will shift to two events at the end of May:
  1. Transactions between U.S. persons and Russia’s finance ministry, central bank or national wealth fund are only allowed under a temporary license issued by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that will expire on May 25. The U.S. Treasury has not commented on whether that deadline will be extended.
  2. Russia faces coupon payments due on May 27 on a dollar bond issued in 2016 and an euro bond issued in 2021. The payment on the euro bond could be done in ruble as a last resort, but the dollar bond does not have that provision.
• Belarus – starting emergency military exercises today, claims it does not pose a threat to its neighbors.
• 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.
• Putin – Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to undergo cancer surgery and temporarily hand over power to a hardline former federal police chief, according to a new report. Putin will transfer control of Russia’s government to Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Russian federal police’s Security Council, while he is incapacitated during and after the procedure, according to a video from the mysterious Telegram channel “General SVR” on Saturday. Putin will transfer control of Russia’s government to Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Russian federal police’s Security Council, while he is incapacitated during and after the procedure, according to a video from the mysterious Telegram channel “General SVR” on Saturday. The channel — which is purportedly run by a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service lieutenant general known by the pseudonym “Viktor Mikhailovich” — reported that Putin has been told by doctors that he must undergo an operation. The anticipated surgery and recovery are expected to incapacitate Putin for “a short time,” according to the unconfirmed report. “Putin is unlikely to agree to hand over power for a longer period of time,” the narrator of the video states, adding that the control of the country will likely be in Patrushev’s hands for no more than two to three days. “I will say that this is the worst option,” the narrator adds. “Patrushev is an outright villain. He is no better than Vladimir Putin. Moreover, he is a more cunning, and I would say, more insidious person than Vladimir Putin. If he comes to power, Russians’ problems will only multiply.” “Viktor Mikhailovich” ominously hinted that he and his allies “will make certain efforts so this does not happen, and I hope we will succeed.”
• 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.
• Russian Military – Russian forces have made gains in the area of Lyman and Velyka Novosilka, but the progress is relatively slow. Ukrainian troops continue its defensive war and prepare for possible Russian offensive operation towards Kryvyi Rih and Mykolaiv as troops continue to amass in The Kherson Region.Mariupol – Pray that any evacuations actually successfully remove civilians to Ukraine and do not end in deportation. Also pray that the Ukrainian soldiers are able to be resupplied and continue to hold out.
• Russia – Military – shelling of Kharkiv continues and intensified as well in eastern Donbas and but all is relatively quiet near Izyum and Kherson and on Zaporozhia front shelling has ceased but with no sign of the threatened ground offensive.
• Fuel – with dangerously low availability of fuel, much of Ukraine’s economy and food supply could be affected, but also the military and humanitarian aid distribution.
• PTSD – they are seeing that those fleeing the Russians are holding on for about 10 days and then face complete mental breakdown.
• Russian Military – time is running out and so their attacks and tactics will become increasingly desparate as these are the true last roll of the die. Because on May 4^th the financial default hits and true victory would give them means to negotiate.
• 6 Russian Key Objectives to Pray Against
  1. Kharkiv – Destroy, Encircle, Capture
  2. Izyum – push south to encircle Donbas
  3. Slavyonsk and Kramatorsk – in the east to complete a smaller encirclement of the cities
  4. Mariupol – completely destroy all opposition and export the populations
  5. Zaporozhye – Russian troops are building up forces and building logistics a massive concerted attack
  6. 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.
• Izyum/Kherson/Zaporozhye – there is much evidence that Russia is desperately attempting to catch and conscript any and all able men in the occupied regions and force them to fight for them.
• Ukrainian Artillery – all of the defensive positions are using Soviet Era 152mm ammunition and NATO has been scrambling to provide Ukraine with all that it needs but they are running out. As the US is finally willing to send artillery (theirs is 155mm) it will still be months until it can reach the front lines and be used effectively.
• Deportations – Russia has deported over 500,000 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 5.2 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.
• Belarus – Secretary of security council of Belarus warns of provocations from Ukraine to get Belarus involved in the war
• 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
  1. Sanctions – Loopholes would be closed and sanctions rendered effective
  2. Oil Embargo – That Europe would make the choice to stop immediately at the very least paying for gas & oil
  3. 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