Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 06-17-2024

Ukraine and the ad hoc creditors committee held negotiations and exchanged proposals for eurobonds restructuring from June 3 to June 14.

Ukraine and the ad hoc creditors committee, representing around 20 percent of the outstanding amount of Ukraine's eurobonds, held negotiations and exchanged proposals for eurobonds restructuring from June 3 to June 14, but were unable to reach an agreement, including due to the unacceptability of the terms proposed by commercial creditors for the IMF and the Group of Creditors of Ukraine (GCU).

“The Adjusted Committee Proposal was shared with IMF staff, which assessed it on a preliminary basis as non-compliant with the IMF DSA [Debt Sustainability Analysis] targets. It was also shared with the GCU secretariat, which reiterated that any cashflows during the IMF program period needed to remain symbolic,” the ministry said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange on Monday.

Romania beat Ukraine 3-0 at Euro 2024

Romania won at a major international tournament for the first time in 24 years on Monday as they beat Ukraine 3-0 at Euro 2024, helped by two errors from goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. 

Captain Nicolae Stanciu's magnificent long-range strike gave Romania, backed by the vast majority of the Munich crowd, a first-half lead in their Group E opener.

Over 300 participants, including world leaders, parliamentarians, officials, military officers, representatives of civil society, and media came together at the Black Sea Forum.

In all, some 77 stadiums have been destroyed during the war in Ukraine, the country's football association said.

A section of seating from a stadium in war-torn Kharkiv went on show in Munich on Monday, as Ukraine prepared to take the field for their opening game of Euro 2024. 

Andriy Shevchenko, the head of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) and the country's all-time top scorer, was on hand to unveil the temporary installation.

According to reports the isolated Russians getting hit with NATO-standard smart munitions number at least a few dozen and possibly several hundred. They’ve held out two weeks so far.

Kyiv’s pilots have repeatedly hit Russian infantry battling to capture the northern town of Vovchansk with modern precision-guided bombs sent by Western allies, in a rare break from longstanding Ukrainian Air Force tactics of avoiding frontline battles and air space usually dominated by the Russian Air Force.

Combat video and both Ukrainian and Russian milbloggers confirmed at least eight laser- or GPS-guided munitions launched by Ukrainian strike aircraft hitting known Russian positions on the property of a parts machining factory in the Kharkiv region town in two separate attacks.

Dubbed “blyat-mobiles” on social media, after a common Russian vulgarity, the tanks and other vehicles fitted with drone protection have become choice targets.

A video circulating on social media reportedly shows Ukrainian servicemen breaking into a captured Russian tank fitted with drone protection. Such “barn tanks,” also called “turtles,” or even “blyat-mobiles” after the common vulgarity used in Russian as a filler word (much like the English f-word).

At least two Russian soldiers inside are seen taken prisoner.

Kyiv’s Commander-in-Chief said Russia is now working hard to erode Ukraine’s forces the best it can before F-16s arrive and strengthen Ukrainian skies.

Russia is pressing hard against Ukrainian defenses “to maximize the depletion” of Ukrainian troops before the gradual arrival of Western aid – the F-16 multirole fighters in particular – that might turn the war in Ukraine’s favor, said Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky.

In a Telegram announcement, Syrsky said that Russia maintained “active offensive actions of varying intensity” in the Kupyansk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhivska and Vremivka sectors in the Donetsk region – a region Russia has claimed sovereignty through illegal referendums – in an attempt to seize territories and further degrade Ukrainian defense. 

The West needs to act while there's still time to tip the military balance against Russia. There could be grave consequences to acting too slowly.

Slowly the West has come to its senses and united against Putin’s war of aggression. While the collective West now understands that it needs to stand up to Putin, it remains uncertain on how to do so and it does not understand that speed is vital. Wars are won with shock and awe, not with hesitation and deliberation.

The rising Western insight is that Putin needs permanent wars to stay in power. Within Russia, imperialism gives him legitimacy as well as a cause of repression. For him, a bad war is preferable to a good peace. Putin is today's Hitler. Since he will not stop his wars, the only plausible end to his war is his demise or death. 

In the final declaration of the peace conference at the luxury Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, the majority of participants declared their support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

In the final declaration of the peace conference at the luxury Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, the majority of participants declared their support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine: 84 out of 92 representatives present signed the declaration. Measures for the country's food and energy security were also outlined. A follow-up event, possibly in Saudi Arabia or Turkey, is still being negotiated.

Hybrid solutions finally rejected

The visit to the world's most reclusive state comes as Putin seeks ammunition to continue his military campaign launched in February 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to North Korea on Tuesday for a "friendly" visit, the Kremlin announced, as the West suspects Pyongyang of supplying Moscow with weapons for its Ukraine offensive.

The visit to the world's most reclusive state comes as Putin seeks ammunition to continue his military campaign launched in February 2022, which has thrown Moscow into unprecedented global isolation.

Citing a UEFA representative, AP reported that security personnel had been told to confiscate and remove any Russian flags spotted in the stadium.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) won’t allow Russian flags at the Munich stadium, where Ukraine’s national team will play its first match at the European Championship on June 17.

The Associated Press, citing a UEFA representative, reported that security personnel had been instructed to remove any Russian flags spotted in the stadium.

According to Ukraine's Security and Defense Council Chief Lytvynenko, as long as Russia believes it is maintaining its battlefield advantage, Putin is unlikely to use tactical nuclear weapons.

Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, suggested that Vladimir Putin might resort to tactical nuclear weapons if Russia faces a catastrophic defeat in the war with Ukraine, said in an interview with The Times,

“We cannot rule out anything if Russia is on the verge of catastrophic defeat,” Lytvynenko said in response to a question under what circumstances Putin might resort to the use of nuclear weapons.

An Odesa based media outlet reported the unveiling of a new Ukrainian maritime drone, “Stalker 5.0,” on Sunday at the Black Sea Security Forum 2024

The first Black Sea Security Forum was held in Odesa from June 14 to 16. The event, organized by Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko, the Odesa City Council, and the UK’s Lord Michael Ashcroft, discussed pressing issues related to security affecting the region caused by the war in Ukraine. Guests included Bridget Brink, the US ambassador to Ukraine, former Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott, and Moldova’s Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, among others.

The local media outlet Dumskaya reported on Sunday that organizers took the opportunity to reveal the new Ukrainian “Stalker 5.0” unmanned surface vessel (USV) – commonly called a sea drone. The sleek, black glossy plastic machine was displayed in the event’s assembly hall, which attracted much attention and gave participants an opportunity to look the craft over in between sessions.

Ukraine’s navy spokesperson says Russian surface warships “cannot afford to be in the waters” of the Black Sea and under a new commander Moscow only deploys submarines starting a few months ago.

Russia now deploys only submarines instead of surface warships in the Black Sea as part of its new strategy under a new commander, said Ukrainian Naval Forces Spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk.

He said at present, Russia only has one missile carrier in the Black Sea capable of launching a total salvo of four Kalibr missiles. Instead, Moscow has a concentrated group of surface ships comprising three Buyan-M class cruise missile carriers and three large amphibious craft in the Sea of Azov.

Putin last week said Moscow would only join peace talks if Ukraine gave up four of its regions, effectively demanding that it surrender.

The Kremlin said Monday that a Kyiv-led international peace summit on Ukraine that it was not invited to produced "zero" results.

Officials from more than 90 countries gathered in Switzerland this weekend, backing Ukraine's independence but leaving key questions of how to end the conflict unresolved.

President Zelensky addressed the media representatives following the Swiss Peace Summit.

Madame President of Switzerland!

Mr. President of Chile!

President Zelensky said this month the aerial bombardments have halved the country's electricity production compared to a year ago.

A senior Ukrainian energy official has warned that scheduled power outages and emergency blackouts will intensify over the coming weeks, after a string of Russian attacks crippled Ukrainian electricity generation.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said this month the aerial bombardments have halved the country's electricity production compared to a year ago, disrupting and limiting supplies for millions.

Kyiv Post sources in Ukrainian defense intelligence (HUR) say their drones hit the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant and other military facilities in Lipetsk, Belgorod, and Voronezh regions of Russia.

Overnight, Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) kamikaze drones attacked military facilities in the Lipetsk, Belgorod, and Voronezh regions of Russia, according to Kyiv Post sources in the agency.

UAV targets included the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant and a nearby tractor plant – both facilities used by Russia for military manufacturing. In the area residents heard explosions and air defense system alerts.

Western media continues to report that Putin is interested in a negotiated ceasefire in Ukraine, although Kremlin rhetoric illustrates that Putin remains uninterested in meaningful negotiations.

Western media continues to report that Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in a negotiated ceasefire in Ukraine, although Kremlin rhetoric and Russian military actions illustrate that Putin remains uninterested in meaningful negotiations and any settlement that would prevent him from pursuing the destruction of an independent Ukrainian state. Reuters reported on May 24 that four Russian sources who currently work or have worked with Putin stated that Putin is ready to negotiate a ceasefire that recognizes the current frontlines and that Putin is prepared to present the current amount of occupied Ukrainian territory as a Russian military victory to the Russian public. Western media reported similar interest from Putin in a negotiated ceasefire or settlement based on statements from unspecified Russian sources with some level of alleged connection to Putin or the Kremlin in December 2023 and January and February 2024. Western media has cited limited unspecified US and international officials as confirming that Putin has expressed interest in a ceasefire, although other Western media has reported that US sources have denied that there has been any official Russian outreach to the US on the matter.

The Kremlin routinely feigns interest in meaningful negotiations as part of a longstanding information operation that aims to persuade the West to make concessions on Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty, and it is unclear if the unspecified Russian sources talking to Western media are advancing these efforts or accurately portraying Putin's interests and viewpoints. ISW cannot determine the veracity of the Russian sources' claims about Putin's intentions, and these private anonymous statements contrast sharply with Russian official public rhetoric and action. Putin and the Kremlin have notably intensified their expansionist rhetoric about Ukraine since December 2023 and have increasingly indicated that Russia intends to conquer more territory in Ukraine and is committed to destroying Ukrainian statehood and identity completely. Russian forces have conducted offensive operations in recent months that aim to make operationally significant advances and collapse the frontline, have opened a new front in Kharkiv Oblast (which Russia has not claimed through illegal annexation), and have sought to cause long-term damage to Ukrainian warfighting capabilities and economic potential in regular large-scale missile and drone strikes. These military operations suggest that the Kremlin is more interested in achieving its long-term goal of maximalist victory in Ukraine than in any settlement that would immediately freeze the frontline where it is currently located. 

Russia, China, and Iran are waging information wars against Western countries, particularly at universities, and it’s Ukrainian and Jewish students who are paying the price.

The 2024 spring semester on US college campuses was anything but typical for students across the country. Anti-Israel protests and unabashed acts of anti-Semitism have swept across campuses, disrupting final exams and even graduation ceremonies. Jewish students have been denied access to parts of campus and outrageously labeled as Nazis for their support of Israel.

Ukrainian students have faced similar challenges. At the University of Connecticut, the Ukrainian Student Association has been targeted for its support of Ukraine. Their ribbons and posters have been destroyed and replaced by pro-Russia propaganda. Like their Jewish peers, Ukrainians on campuses across the country have also been smeared with Nazi comparisons. Canadian students are also facing similar hostility.

Top officials from more than 90 states spent the weekend at a Swiss mountainside resort for a two-day summit dedicated to resolving the largest European war since World War II.

World leaders on Sunday backed Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity, and the need for eventual talks with Russia on ending the war -- but left the key questions of how and when unresolved.

More than two years after Russia invaded, leaders and top officials from more than 90 states spent the weekend at a Swiss mountainside resort for a two-day summit dedicated to resolving the largest European conflict since World War II.

Around 500 people registered for a static gathering within a policed perimeter. In contrast to such gatherings around the world, the slogans they chanted reflected a country at war.

Under the pouring rain and overshadowed by war, Diana Ivanova joined the few hundred who gathered in Kyiv on Sunday for the Ukrainian capital's first Pride march since the Russian invasion, guarded by a heavy police presence.

Shortly after Ivanova and other participants dispersed after a brief rally that took place behind a police cordon, nationalist militants set off for a counter-demonstration through the streets of Kyiv where they shouted anti-gay slurs.

Stronger sanctions are needed to reign in the growing Russian threat in the Baltics, Baltic Sea states’ foreign ministers said, voicing concern about Russian hybrid threats.

Stronger sanctions are needed to reign in the growing Russian threat in the Baltics, Baltic Sea states’ foreign ministers said on Friday (14 June), voicing concern about Russian hybrid threats and the unmarked oil tankers deployed to circumvent sanctions. 

The Baltic Sea region has become a focal point for Russian hybrid warfare and its deployment of a ‘shadow fleet’ of unmarked tankers, suspected of being used to avoid the G7’s price cap on Russian oil.  

Apart from the death and destruction Ukraine has suffered since the full-scale invasion, the education system has also been hit hard. Here is how to get it back on track.

Since the first day of the full-scale invasion, Russia has been waging a war against Ukrainian education, destroying the cornerstone of national security and the basis for independence and economic growth. From February 2022 to Dec. 31, 2023, the aggressor caused damage to 3,583 educational institutions and destroyed another 394, rendering them irreparable. In most cases, the enemy targets schools – 1,888 general secondary education institutions were damaged. These are just material damages, which cannot be compared to the educational losses and gaps.

For instance, at this very moment, while you’re reading this text, over 868,000 Ukrainian pupils are studying remotely because they cannot return to in-person learning. Unlike some countries that are dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic by implementing tutoring programs and resuming in-person education, our main focus is ensuring our children’s safety and well-being. According to the PISA-2022 research, the level of knowledge among 15-year-old Ukrainians has significantly decreased. These educational losses equate to a two-year gap in their knowledge of mathematics, reading, and sciences when compared to the level that children their age should have reached.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• The vast majority of the countries and international organizations that participated in the Ukraine-initiated Global Peace Summit in Switzerland on June 15-16 signed a joint communique on June 16 reaffirming support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• A limited prison break and hostage situation at a Russian pretrial detention center in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast, prompted Russian ultranationalist complaints highlighting Russia's failure to crack down against domestic Islamic extremism following the March 22 Crocus City Hall terrorist attack.
• The Kremlin and Kremlin affiliates continue efforts to use Russia's relationship with Republika Srpska (the Serbian political entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina) to destabilize the Balkans.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Vovchansk and Donetsk City.
• The Russian military reportedly continues to coerce Russian conscripts into signing military service contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD), likely as part of ongoing crypto-mobilization efforts.