Ukraine officials 'realistic & pragmatic' about dubious success of counteroffensive

Behind closed doors, some high-ranking officials doubt that Ukraine will be able to gain ground in the new Russian regions of Zaporozhye and Kherson, as well as the Donetsk and Lugansk People's republics, at least this year, a publication in US media writes.

The puppet regime being used by the West in its proxy war with Russia appears to fear lest failed expectations about battlefield advances will result in the West becoming less inclined to provide financial and military support to Kiev.

Furthermore, anything less than victory could not only reportedly prompt the West to start questioning the point of propping up the authorities holed up in Kiev, but could witness Kiev facing pressure from its backers to agree to peace negotiations with Moscow this year.

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❗️An explosion occurred on Lugansk outskirts, Sputnik correspondent reports

Emergency services have rushed to the scene. Eyewitnesses report that the blast shattered windows in the surrounding houses.

Earlier on Friday, Lugansk was hit by two explosions as a result of a Ukrainian missile attack.

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❗️Ukrainian forces used a long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles and an ADM-160B MALD missile to shell Lugansk on May 12, local authorities say

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🇬🇧 Archbishop of Canterbury or Speed Demon? Reverend slapped with fine for speeding

UK media reported that the Most Reverend Justin Welby was caught speeding at a whopping 25 miles per hour, exceeding the posted speed limit by 5 mph on October 2 of last year.

It was not until Wednesday that the official faced the legal music - just a few days after he crowned King Charles III, and anointed the sovereign with holy oil during the king's weekend coronation.

Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court ordered the 105th archbishop of Canterbury to pay £300 fine, a £120 victim surcharge and £90 in legal costs, as well as added points to his driver’s license.

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🇹🇷 Erdogan likely to win in first round of Turkiye's presidential election, surveys show

Areda’s survey showed that 51.3% of respondents are ready to vote for Erdogan this Sunday, while 44.2% are going to support Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the main opposition candidate. The third candidate, Sinan Ogan, could receive almost 4% of the votes. The alliance of the ruling Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement Party will gain over 51% of votes, according to the poll.

Asal’s poll predicted that Erdogan would receive 50.6% of votes, and Kilicdaroglu 46.3%.

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🇺🇸 Congressmen call for Joe Biden to take cognitive test

Republican congressmen are demanding the 80-year-old president take a cognitive test or pull out from the presidential race as they are concerned by his "current cognitive state and ability to serve another term as President".

Previously, Biden’s physician Kevin O’Connor concluded that the president “remains fit for duty, and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations”.

Earlier this year, Biden's wife Jill called the idea to test the US President for mental competency "ridiculous”.

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🇷🇺🐕‍🦺 Shrapnel-proof vests created in Donetsk for service dogs in special op zone

Armor vests for service dogs assisting Russian servicemen on the front line as part of the special military operation have been created in Donetsk, Mikhail Kondrus, director of the company 3D Techno, said.

💬 "We have designed and manufactured a larger and a smaller anti-shrapnel vest. The larger vest is fully equipped with slings of the Molly system to accommodate additional payloads, such as a small amount of ammunition, first-aid kits and other payloads," he said.

Kondrus added that for regular tasks and everyday wear, a smaller vest with a ballistic anti-shatter package has been created. It can carry four Kalashnikov magazines and two grenades on each side.

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Fragments of a Storm Shadow cruise missile that the Kiev regime used to strike Lugansk on May 13

Local authorities said the windows of seven apartment buildings were shattered, while 25 garages, 15 cars, and a power line were damaged because of the strike.

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🇹🇷💰 Turkish foreign minister says Ankara won't wait for US F-35 jets, wants $1.4bln back

💬 "We want out money now. We want the money we paid there to be returned. Our friends from the ministry came together and reviewed the steps we will take from now on. We are now taking care of ourselves," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told media, adding that Ankara does not want the situation to "turn into a snake story like with the Patriot defense system."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously said that the country had paid $1.4 billion for the jets.

In April 2021, the US excluded Turkiye from the F-35 program after Ankara purchased Russia's S-400 air defense systems. Washington annulled the joint memorandum on the F-35 fighters with the country, while signing the document with seven other project partners — the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, Canada and Norway.

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🇩🇪 Germany plans to send Ukraine largest military assistance package worth $3bln

The German Chancellor’s office and other ministries have agreed during secret negotiations to send to Ukraine "additional weapons worth about 2.7 billion euros" in the coming weeks and months, media reported, citing sources.

Berlin plans to transfer Ukraine 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 30 Leopard 1 tanks, up to 200 reconnaissance drones, as well as Gepard anti-aircraft vehicles, additional IRIS-T anti-aircraft missiles, artillery shells and transports, the news magazine said.

This will become the largest arms package provided to Ukraine by Germany since the start of Russia’s military operation there in February 2022, according to media reports. The package’s announcement is expected to be made on Sunday, at the ceremony of awarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky simultaneously with the Charlemagne Prize in the German city of Aachen. The prize is awarded annually for contribution to the unification of Europe.

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❗️Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️In the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces destroyed up to 170 Ukrainian troops, as well as an Akatsiya and Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer;

▪️In the Krasny Liman direction, Russian forces neutralized up to 75 Ukrainian personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles as well as an Akatsiya and Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer;

▪️In the Donetsk direction, Ukrainian losses amounted to over 285 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, four armored personnel carriers, two Akatsiya and one Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, as well as one D-30 howitzer;

▪️In the South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, Russian forces destroyed over 155 Ukrainian troops and one US-manufactured M777 artillery system;

▪️In the Kherson direction, Russian troops neutralized up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, a Hyacinth-B towed gun, and an ammunition depot;

▪️Air defenses shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter, three HIMARS projectiles, and 18 unmanned aerial vehicles in the LPR, DPR, and Kharkov region.

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📹 First-person footage shows Russian drone destroying Ukrainian missile system in Ugledar direction

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Turkiye's election council says not going to nullify votes cast for withdrawn candidate

Ince, the leader of the Memleket party, announced the withdrawal of his candidacy on Thursday, three days before the election. Voting at polling stations abroad took place from April 27-May 9, with more than 1.8 million Turkish citizens cast their votes. Muharrem Ince's name was on the ballots.

"The Council decided that the votes cast for the candidate who withdrew his candidacy are valid," Yener said, as quoted by media.

Turkiye's presidential and parliamentary elections are set to take place on May 14. The second round, which will take place if no candidate gains 50% of votes, is scheduled for May 28.

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