From black plastic “invisibility coats” to fear-fueled mind games, Russia is betting on battlefield magic. Ukrainian defenders, grounded in reality, are tearing the illusion apart.
On 1 May, Russian troops launched eight assaults, focusing efforts on Vovchansk and Dvorichna, where Ukrainian defenses blocked river crossings and inflicted heavy losses.
Russian forces’ attempts to use underground communications for movement in Vovchansk have been thwarted by Ukraine's aerial and ground reconnaissance, preventing any significant advance.
Ukrainians regained lost positions near Kharkiv and Pokrovsk, while Russians advanced near Donetsk's Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, Kurakhove, and seized an island in Kherson Oblast.
Guardian's 2024 defining images feature a photograph from a memorial service for Ukrainian combat medic Iryna Tsybukh, who left a posthumous letter shared by her brother. Read it below.
Ukrainian drone operators from the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade eliminated approximately 100 Russian personnel and destroyed 17 armored vehicles during a failed counterattack in Vovchansk.
Russian propagandists claimed the use of the ODAB-9000 thermobaric bomb in Vovchansk, Ukrainian military and experts refute this, suggesting a smaller munition was used.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has signed a significant arms procurement agreement with Denmark, leveraging $435 million in frozen Russian assets to fund domestic weapons production.
Ukrainian forces reclaimed control of the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant in a critical special operation, with reports highlighting the ruthless treatment of Russian soldiers by their own commanders, who forced them into futile resistance.
Despite the intensified attacks, Ukrainian forces continue to resist the Russian offensive, while enemy units reinforce positions and strengthen defenses in other key areas.