Daily Briefing from Ukraine

·      Top 7 Headlines

·      Ukraine Summer Offensive Summary

·      President Zelensky’s Message of the Day

Top 7 Headlines

1.     Ukraine has fulfilled two of the seven conditions for the start of EU membership negotiations, according to European Commission sources. On June 22, the EC will report “progress” on judicial reform and media legislation, but the need for further work in other areas.

2.     Ukraine’s Foreign Minister accused Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban of acting in his own interest in taking Ukrainian POWs from Russia and denying Ukraine access to them. “There was one simple goal: Viktor Orban wanted to show Hungarians... that he is their only defender.” The European Commission said Hungary must explain its role and communicate with the Ukrainian government.

3.     Group of Seven (G7) countries announced that they will “redouble” their efforts to deprive Russia of high-tech components for missiles it uses to attack Ukraine. Their statement was issued in response to Russia’s deadly June 14 attack on Kryvyi Rih. The Kh-101 missile used was manufactured in April 2023

1.     French President Emmanuel Macron announced the French-Italian SAMP/T surface-to-air defense system is now successfully deployed in Ukraine. SAMP/T can destroy enemy aircraft at a range of up to 100 kilometers and ballistic missiles at a range of three to 25 kilometers.

Other Topics of Interest

Diane Francis Interviews Mikhail Zygar, Yaroslav Trofimov on Prospects of Russia’s War on Ukraine

Video discussion with three leading expert journalists on the current situation in Russia’s war against Ukraine republished with the permission of the Peterson Literary Fund.

2.     Members of Ukraine’s national parliament – the Verkhovna Rada – proposed a resolution to recognize Belarus as an “aggressor country” and to break off diplomatic relations with the country.

3.     Ukrainian officials claimed about 500 people may have died at Oleshky in Russian-occupied Kherson region because Russian forces did not permit their evacuation from the Kakhovka dam flood, according to Ukraine’s National Resistance Center.

4.     China told US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, during his visit to Beijing, that it will not supply weapons to Russia. 

Ukraine Summer Offensive Summary

Snapshot

·      There were ongoing offensive actions by Ukraine in all three of its chosen theaters of operation, as well as mine clearing activity, but no substantive territorial gains reported. Eight villages and an additional 113 square kilometers are now under Ukrainian control.

·      Russia increased its own offensive activity in the northern part of Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian spokespersons.

·      UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that Russia has likely deployed large portions of it forces from the east (left) bank of the Kherson Region to the Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut directions to respond to Ukrainian counteroffensive actions over the past 10 days.

Ukraine’s Claims

·      “The operation continues according to the plan,” said Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny said about his country’s summer offensive in an unprecedented video released from a frontline working session. Zaluzhny noted that Russian forces had deployed a system of fortifications with dense minefields and a large number of reserves. Vladimir Putin last week said Zaluzhny is not in Ukraine.

·      Russia has increased its offensive attacks in Ukraine’s east and there is intense combat around Lyman and Kreminna, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said. She further said that Russia continues to pursue its plans of occupying all the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

A.    TO518 / Mokri Yaly River Axis – boundary of the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions

·      Russian milbloggers reported continued Ukrainian attacks southward along this axis, which is in the direction of Mariupol.

B.    Western Zaporizhzhia

·      Ukraine and geolocated data confirmed control of the village of Pyatyhatky to the west of Orikhiv and closer to the Dnipro River. This axis is in the direction of Tokmak and Berdyansk.

·      Russian milblogger WarGonzo reported Ukrainian continued Ukrainian attacks against Robotyne, south of Orikhiv.

C.     Bakhmut 

·      A Russian milblogger reported that Ukrainian troops continued attacks northwest, northeast, and southwest of Bakhmut on June 19 and claimed that Ukrainian forces advanced near Krasnopolivka (about 12 kilometers north of Bakhmut).

D.    Other Theaters/Activity

·      Overnight, there were explosions from Russian missile and drone attacks against Zaporizhzhia, using at least seven S-300 rockets, and Lviv regions. Russian forces also conducted strikes targeting southern Ukraine on June 19. Ukrainian air defenses reported destroying 32 of 34 Shahed drones and four Kalibr missiles.

·      There were 45 Russian air raids reported by Ukrainian forces.

·      Ukrainian military spokesman claimed an advance of one kilometer outside Avdiika near Donetsk City, but this is not confirmed.

·      According to Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar, Russian forces have intensified their attacks and efforts near Lyman and Kreminna in northern Donetsk region, especially around Torske sub-region. She indicated that more units of Russian paratroopers have been deployed there, but that Ukrainian forces were holding their positions.

·      One Ukrainian civilian was killed by Russian artillery in Sumy region.

·      Russian milblogger WarGonzo said there were Ukrainian drone attacks on three Russian regions and the  occupied Crimea region.

President Zelensky’s Message