Tim MakMay 12, 2024

Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.

With Rus-Ukr relations destroyed, there's one last group that negotiates with the enemy:

The Coordinating Headquarters, which relatives of POWs also call to get info on their loved ones...

Today, we take you inside.

Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024

One woman whose husband was in captivity attended a #POW exchange.

“There was a Ukrainian #soldier who was given a chocolate bar…I watched him unwrap it, hold it to his face, close his eyes and slowly breathe in the smell,” she said quietly. “It still gives me goosebumps."

Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024

At the time, her husband was still in captivity, but after a few months she received a call from the Coordinating Headquarters, the governmental body responsible for issues relating to #pows She was told that he had been returned.

But not all have been so lucky.

Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024
Many wives of #POWs have no idea when or if ever her husband will be returned. The inner workings of the negotiations with #Russia over prisoner swaps are almost impossible to understand or predict – even to the negotiators.
Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024
“Their [the Russian] policy is not to support us, not to give us any clear information,” says Petro, the spokesperson for the Coordinating Headquarters. The Counteroffensive spoke to Konstantinas, who specializes in hostage negotiations and trained Ukrainian POW negotiators.
Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024

#Russia deliberately delays the negotiations, he explains.

Russia "knows #Ukraine has a manpower shortage...and a good percentage of #POWs will go back into the fight.”

So when the negotiators finally sit face to face, it’s crucial for them to play their cards right.

Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024
Konstantinas told The Counteroffensive about how the negotiators have to prepare but he also said that more than anything the character of the person negotiating is the most important thing:
“You have to have a healthy mind, otherwise you won’t be able to do the job.
Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024
To read the full issue and learn about how Ukrainian POW negotiators are trained and prepare for negotiations click on the link in our bio!
Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024

NEWS OF THE DAY:

A Ukrainian settlement has been lost to Russian control, according to a Ukr special forces unit. Dozens of square miles have now been seized by Rus forces, the NYT reports and more than 4,000 are trying to evacuate from the region and avoid the combat.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/11/world/europe/ukraine-russia-kharkiv.html

Russian Attacks Open a New Front in Ukraine

Russia’s latest offensive has expanded the battlefield along Ukraine’s northern border, and sent thousands of civilians fleeing to Kharkiv, the closest large city.

The New York Times
Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024

KREMLIN CLAIMS NINE VILLAGES CAPTURED: The Russian government – known to lie – has named a number of villages that it said it had now captured, along the Ukraine-Russia border in the Kharkiv region, according to The Telegraph.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/05/12/russia-ukraine-zelensky-putin-war-latest-news-kharkiv/

Ukraine-Russia war live: Russia 'seizes nine villages in deep advance' into Ukraine

The Telegraph
Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024
500 CIVILIANS REMAIN BEHIND… In #Vovchansk the flashpoint of fighting, around 500 noncombatants are still in the village, the region’s governor announced. “Vovchansk, Liptsi and all points of the northern border are under enemy fire almost 24 hours a day,” the governor said.
Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024
#Grainexports through the sea have bounced back to near pre-invasion levels, which indicates that #Ukraine has been able to secure safe passage for civilian ships. In just the past six months Ukraine has been able to ship 27.6 million metric tons of grain to foreign partners.
Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024
Some in the #German parliament say they should deploy #NATO air defense on the borders of countries which border #ukraine to cover Ukraine's western areas. This follows a number of #Western countries intercepting missiles bound for Israel earlier in the year.
Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024

Would you like to know more?

Don't miss our next issue, and catch up on previous ones through the link!

Thank you for following along!

https://counteroffensive.substack.com

The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak | Substack

A war correspondent's open notebook, reporting live from Kyiv. Human stories that illustrate what’s happening during the war in Ukraine, and elsewhere on the frontlines for democracy. Issues 3x a week! Click to read The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak, a Substack publication with hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

Show threadTim MakMay 12, 2024

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK:

If you are reading this on Sunday, I am about to go to my eighth driving test.

Completing the test itself isn’t difficult – it consists of 40 minutes of driving with some parking and some driving maneuvers, but the reasons you can fail the test are endless.

Show threadwwarner
@timkmak good luck man!
May 12, 2024 at 4:47pmWeb