1/ Citizens of the puppet 'Donetsk People's Republic' (DNR) are complaining en masse that they are not being paid their promised compensation for deaths and injuries caused to local residents by the war. The DNR itself admits that it owes more than 38 billion rubles ($467m). ⬇️
2/ Relatives and soldiers of the DNR's armed forces – which have been decimated due to being used as so-called 'meat waves' against Ukrainian positions – have been posting numerous videos complaining about the lack of compensation payments and appealing to Putin for help.
3/ In one video, a wife says: "Starting from September 2022, funding for lump-sum compensation for wounded and killed DNR servicemen for 2022 was terminated. We submitted documents to the commission of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of the DNR.
4/ "There are a lot of us. We applied to all authorities. From the presidential administration to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation.
5/ "All our appeals are forwarded to the government of the DNR, which redirects them to the Ministry of Labour, and the answers come from there that there is no funding. We write to the deputies and there are no results."
6/ According to the wife of one wounded soldier, his unit "collected all the necessary documents promptly, the medical examiner issued a conclusion of a severe injury.
7/ "In November we submitted all the documents for payment, and for seven months there have been no payments, the allowance during treatment is 30,000 rubles ($371). The answer is the same, there is no funding."
8/ People seeking compensation have complained to the DNR state prosecutor's office, which admitted that an audit had "established the fact of lack of funding for this type of payment, which requires an amount of more than 38 billion rubles."
9/ It's very unlikely that the DNR will be able to pay the sums it owes, as its finances are precarious, its economy is a mess and it's kept afloat only by Russian government funding.
10/ The Russian government has shown little concern previously for the welfare of DNR soldiers and their families, so there seems to be little likelihood that the relatives' video appeals will achieve much. /end
1/ Russian warbloggers are reacting with shock and alarm at the Ukrainian attack today on the Russian Baltic Fleet corvette Boykiy near St Petersburg. In particular, they question the apparent lack of effective air defences or anti-drone protection. ⬇️
2/ 'Rybar' comments: "The threat to the fleet is everywhere."
"Judging by the video, at least two hits were recorded. The corvette was in dry dock undergoing repairs, despite the ship being new. And Ukrainian forces intercepted it there."
3/ "They had already done something similar during attacks on Sevastopol several years earlier.
The hit on the Boykiy once again exposes the problem of countering UAVs.
1/ Accused rapist and sex trafficker Andrew Tate is visiting Russia. The news has disturbed Russian warbloggers, who suggest that Russia, which has recruited literal cannibals into its army, should aspire to a higher standard. ⬇️
Popular English-speaking blogger Andrew Tate has published a post with an unambiguous hint of a visit to Russia."
3/ "Timing-wise, this coincides with the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, where Western influencers have been actively invited in recent years — as a demonstration that ‘not everyone in the West is against Russia’.
1/ The Russian-occupied city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine is under a 'drone siege', according to local inhabitants. Ukrainian drones are striking targets across the city and the surrounding region. A resident provides a vivid eyewitness account. ⬇️
2/ 'Donetsk MartynoVa', a pro-Russian resident of Donetsk who positions herself as an influencer and Telegram blogger, has been writing about the deteriorating situation over the past month. On 11 May, she wrote:
3/ "The news brings information that drones are already harassing the land corridor, but, judging by the number of cars from Crimea, this doesn't stop many [travellers]."
By 18 May, the drone campaign had been stepped up:
1/ Russia's captured and corrupted bureaucracy, which is under the thumb of powerful industrial concerns and complicit politicians, is strangling independent developers of military electronics. Several developers are complaining about the situation. ⬇️
2/ Gagaring Lab, a developer of drone detectors and other military electronics, highlights how the 'People's Military-Industrial Complex' is being throttled:
"China launched a new strategy in February. China wants to be not only the world's factory, but also its laboratory."
3/ "Programmes have been launched to attract R&D companies to China. In Russian: welcome, developers, we will create the conditions for you. And here, people are worried about developers running away, but not about entire companies running away.
1/ News that Russia's BMPT Terminator, famed for its wobbly autocannons, is to be renamed the Spirodon has attracted criticism from Russian warbloggers. Perhaps not coincidentally, Spirodon also was the first name of Vladimir Putin's paternal grandfather. ⬇️
2/ According to Uralvagonzavod's official channel, "The machine, which replaces an entire unit, no longer bears the nickname of the American destroyer robot. It is our shield and sword."
3/ The official announcement says that the change in name was made "at the request of Uralvagonzavod workers (part of Rostec) and combat vehicle crews ... in honour of courage, resilience, and strength of spirit."
"Why "Spiridon"? This is a rare but revered name in Russia."
1/ Russia may be forced back to its 1991 borders as the Ukraine war turns against it, a Russian warblogger warns in a gloomy commentary. The prospects of a ceasefire on the current line of contact are slipping away and the threat to Russia itself is increasing. ⬇️
2/ 'Tulenkov', a Russian former soldier who fought in Ukraine, writes:
"As far as I can tell from my understanding of the situation on the battlefields of the Special Military Operaion, we've already lost sight of the option of freezing the line of contact."
3/ "Currently, it's of no interest to the enemy and its masters.
Until they fully exploit the capabilities of Palantir and other Karpov-like ideas, no one will put the war on hold.
Therefore, the next stage of real negotiations will be the 1991 borders.