🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Prizgozvin & Girkin both suggest that Ukraine holding onto Bakhmut may be about biding time for their offensive or the time table for when to launch that in general.

Wagner CEO Prigozhin also said that, probably, the retention of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) is part of the announced offensive of the Ukrainian army.

Igor "Strelkov" Girkin:
"I assume the possibility that the enemy "clings to Bakhmut" (for its outskirts), trying to "hold out" before his offensive, so that against his background the media significance of the surrender of the remnants of the city "does not sound". Again, this is important for propaganda, and not militarily (in military terms, Bakhmut has long been "buried" by the Armed Forces of Ukraine)."

🇷🇺 🇺🇦 The enemy's unannounced counteroffensive continues. | Rybar

"Moreover, the Ukrainian formations are fulfilling the main task: they are forcing the RF Armed Forces to stretch their forces and remove the most combat-ready units from other critical areas, forcing them to be transferred to threatened sectors of the front.

As a result, fierce battles are taking place on the flanks of the Bakhmutov group , into which the parties are pouring more and more new forces. Now, unfortunately, we are in the position of playing along and are following the lead of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, pulling the most experienced units of the RF Armed Forces into the "Bakhmutov meat grinder" to one point on the map.

What this threatens in the short term, even a fool will guess."

🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Rob Lee:
"If Russia allows political considerations to drive operations, it may decide to reinforce Bakhmut to prevent Ukraine from quickly recapturing its flanks, but that could leave its forces more vulnerable elsewhere where Ukraine has better prospects for achieving a breakthrough.

I think this is what's happening, as does Rybar and Murz. Russia has moved a large amount of artillery and other reserves to the Bakhmut area, but it doesn't appear Ukraine has committed any of its new brigades to the area.

VDV units were holding the flanks, but they were replaced with quite weak/poorly equipped units who were pushed back over the past week. Russia responded with a heavy use of artillery, but not clear if they'll commit better units to the flanks.

Of the Russian units that were pushed back over the past week on the flanks of Bakhmut, the 4th brigade was previously on the Kreminna front, and the 72nd and and 200th MRB were previously in the Vuhledar area."

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1659287486407798807.html

🇺🇦 🇷🇺 Ukrainian shaping operation:

Animated GIF of the territorial control changes in the Bakhmut area between May 9 - 18, 2023

Ukrainians gain an estimated ~29 km²

Assessments based on available combat footage, Ukrainian officials' statements, and Russian military blogger reports.

📎 George Barros

#Colombia 🇨🇴: #FARC-EP fighters in the #Cauca Department have released a new video:

The unit started testing DJI Mavic 3 COTS UAV to drop explosives; in this case craft-made ~60mm mortar.

It can be considered as a modern adaptation that can be effecient in guerrilla warfare.

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1659362864648388612

🇷🇺🗯🇵🇱 — 🏴 ZeroHedge | Russia Mulls Severing Ties With Poland As US-Supplied HIMARS Deployed Near Kaliningrad | May 17, 2023:

"Russia is mulling extreme diplomatic measures as its relations with Poland continue to spiral related to the Ukraine war and US military build-up in the region. Throughout the Ukraine war Poland has been among the most hawkish and outspoken anti-Russia voices within NATO.

Russia's ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreev issued fresh statements in response to Poland's prime minister saying it would be "easy" to kick the Russian ambassador out of his country. Andreev said there "was always a possibility" that ties could be severed when asked by reporters about the renewed diplomatic spat. "Whether it becomes reality depends on the decisions of our leadership and the Polish authorities," he said in an interview, translated in Russian media.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had the prior day told a media outlet that his country is considering a reduction in Russian diplomatic presence in Poland.

"It is very easy to have an ambassador recalled. And then the Russians will have our ambassador recalled," he asserted to Polsat television. "In such a situation, the flow of information in both directions would be even more restrained."

Last month, Moscow was infuriated when Polish police raided a Russian school attached to the Russian embassy in Warsaw and took it over. School staff were then given hours to pack up their things and vacate the building, according to RIA Novosti, following local authorities bursting into the grounds using a crow bar."

🔗 More:

🚨🇵🇰🇸🇦 ~ Pakistan will issue passports to the persecuted Rohingya Muslims of Burma (Myanmar) residing in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia whose passports were not renewed since 2012. This was decided in joint ministerial meeting of Pakistan and KSA.

They will join the already 400k Rohingya refugees residing in Pakistan.

Un gran terremoto de magnitud 7,7 golpeó el viernes en el Océano Pacífico al sureste de Nueva Caledonia, lo que provocó una alerta de tsunami, dice el Servicio Geológico de EE. UU. No se espera tsunami.

A major 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Friday in the Pacific Ocean southeast of New Caledonia, triggering a tsunami warning, the US Geological Service says. No tsunami expected.AFP