Putin Unveils Dramatic Reshuffling Of Closest Advisors: Shoigu Out As Defense Minister

"Russian state media is confirming a huge breaking development that President Putin has removed his longtime Defense Minister and personal friend Sergei Shoigu as defense chief, who has overseen the Ukraine war since its beginning in Feb. 2022. He will now serve as head of the nation's security council.

"Sergei Shoigu is likely to lose the post of Minister of Defense of Russia to acting First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov," English-language RT is reporting. "His candidacy was proposed by President Vladimir Putin, the Federation Council announced on Sunday." ZH

'The Russians just walked in' - Ukrainian troops in Kharkiv tell BBC

"Denys Yaroslavskyi is angry.

As the Commander of a Ukrainian Special Reconnaissance Unit, he fought in Ukraine’s surprise offensive in Kharkiv in the autumn of 2022.....Russian forces have, in recent days, made small but significant gains right along the border in the Kharkiv region.
Their advances are only a few miles deep but have swallowed up around 100km (62 miles) of Ukrainian territory. Denys wants to know what happened to Ukraine’s defenses.
“There was no first line of defense. We saw it. The Russians just walked in. They just walked in, without any mined fields” he says.
He shows me video from a drone feed taken a few days ago of small columns of Russian troops simply walking across the border, unopposed.
He says officials had claimed that defenses were being built at huge cost, but in his view, those defenses simply weren’t there. “Either it was an act of negligence, or corruption. It wasn’t a failure. It was a betrayal”." Ukrin

Thousands of civilians flee northeast Ukraine as Russia presses a renewed border assault

"Thousands more civilians have fled Russia's renewed ground offensive in Ukraine’s northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire.

The intense battles have forced at least one Ukrainian unit to withdraw in the Kharkiv region, capitulating more land to Russian forces across less defended settlements in the so-called contested “gray zone" along the Russian border..... the town of Vovchansk, with a prewar population of 17,000, emerged as a focal point in the battle. Volodymyr Tymoshko, the head of the Kharkiv regional police, said Russian forces were in the outskirts of the town and approaching from three directions. A Russian tank was spotted along a major road leading to the town." AP

Nikopol District Targeted in Latest Artillery Attack

"As darkness fell over the Nikopol district in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, the ominous sounds of artillery once again pierced the quiet evening.

This latest assault marked yet another chapter in the ongoing conflict, bringing disturbance and damage to the area.
Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, detailed the incident on his Telegram channel, describing how Russian forces targeted a village within the Chervonohryhorivka community." DN

Israeli Army Struck, Destroyed 5 Hezbollah Military Structures in Lebanon

"The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has made a series of strikes on southern Lebanon, as a result of which five military facilities of the Shia movement Hezbollah and one launch post of the movement were destroyed." MS

Russian Air Defenses Shot Down 16 Drones, 21 Rockets at Night

"This night, Russian air defenses destroyed 21 rockets and nine drones over the Belgorod Region, as well as seven drones over the Kursk and Volgograd regions." Sputnik

155 combat clashes in past day

"Ukraine reports 155 combat engagements along the frontlines over the past 24 hours. In total, the enemy launched 13 missile attacks and 118 airstrikes, as well as 120 rocket salvos, on the positions of Ukrainian troops and at populated areas. As a result of the Russian terrorist attacks, civilian casualties were confirmed as apartment blocks and private households, as well as other infrastructure objects, were hit.

Sivershchyna axis: near Chernihiv and Sumy regions, the enemy maintains military presence across the border, conducting sabotage and reconnaissance activities and targeting populated areas from Russian territory. The enemy launched an air strike at Sumy outskirts.
Kharkiv axis: twith air support, the Russians launched 12 assaults in the areas of Strelecha, Krasne, Morokhovets, Oliinikove, Lukiantsi, Hatyshche, Pletenivka, Pylna, Vovchansk, and Buhruvatka of Kharkiv region. Russian airstrikes targeted the settlements of Vilcha, Liptsi, Lyman, Izbytske, Vesele, Petrivka, Kozacha Lopan, Synelnikove, Hlyboke, Shyroke, and Vovchanski Khutory of Kharkiv region.
Kupiansk axis: Ukrainian forces repelled 19 assaults in the areas of Synkivka, Novoiehorivka, and Ivanivka settlements of Kharkiv region; as well as in Stelmakhivka, Luhansk region, where the enemy tried to improve their tactical positions. Tverdohlibove and Serhiyivka in Luhansk region were hit by Russian airstrikes.
Lyman axis: the Defense Forces repelled 10 attacks in the areas of Makiivka, Nevske, and Serebryanske forestry of Luhansk region; as well as near Novosadove and Terny, Donetsk region.
Siversk axis: Ukraine’s Defense Forces repelled 16 attacks near Bilohorivka of Luhansk region; and Verkhnokamianske, Spirne, Viymka, and Rozlovka of Donetsk region.
Kramatorsk axis, Ukraine’s troops repelled 27 assaults in the areas of Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Hryhorivka, and Novyi in Donetsk region, where the enemy, with air support, tried to improve their tactical positions. A Russian airstrike targeted the village of Kurdiumivka, Donetsk region.
Toretsk axis: no enemy assaults were reported although Russian airstrikes targeted Severne and New York in Donetsk region.
Pokrovsk axis: Ukraine’s defenders repelled 32 attacks in the areas of Semenivka, Kalynove, Novo-oleksandrivka, Yevhenivka, Sokil, Novopokrovske, Novoselivka Persha, Umanske, and Netaylove of Donetsk region, where the enemy, with air support, tried to dislodge Ukrainian units from their defense lines. Russian airstrikes targeted Karlivka, Mykolaivka, Oleksandropil, Stara Mykolaivka, Prohres, and Novohrodivka of Donetsk region.
Kurakhiv axis: the Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the areas of Kostiantynivka, Solodke, Krasnohorivka, and Vodiane, where the enemy, with air support, 10 times tried to break through the Ukrainian defenses.
Vremivka axis: Ukraine repelled 16 attacks near Urozhaine and Staromaiorske of Donetsk region, where the enemy, with air support, tried to dislodge Ukrainian units from their positions.
Orikhiv axis: the enemy, with the support of combat aviation, attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders twice in the Robotyne area of Zaporizhzhia region. A Russian airstrike targeted Storozheve in Donetsk region and Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhya region.
Prydniprovskyi axis: the enemy does not give up its intention to push back Ukrainian units from the bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro, where five Russian attacks were repelled near Krynky, Kherson region. A Russian airstrike hit the area near Antonivka, Kherson region.
At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to actively inflict losses on enemy manpower and equipment, exhausting the invasion force along the entire line of battle." Ukrin

Ukraine ranks third in Eurovision Song Contest 2024

"The Swedish city of Malmö hosted the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 11 May. The crystal microphone trophy was presented to the artist Nemo from Switzerland....Ukraine secured third place. Ukraine was represented by alyona alyona & Jerry Heil, who were the second artists to perform." Pravada

Eurovision Chaos: Ten Thousand Protest in Multicultural Malmö Against Israeli Participation, Police Convoy Escorts Jewish Singer Eden Golan to Final

"Thousands of pro-Hamas protesters took to the streets of Malmö in opposition to Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest being held in the multicultural Swedish city.

Swedish police have estimated that between eight and 10,000 anti-Israel demonstrators gathered in the centre of Malmö to demand that Israeli Eurovision contestant Eden Golan be removed from the final." Breitbart