Ukraine Daily

Monday, 20 June 2022

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

A man sits on a log with a cigarette in his mouth as he prepares a meal in Lysychansk, Luhansk Oblast, on May 26. He is living with three other families in the basement of their apartment. One of his companions was killed by Russian shelling. (Photo by Kaoru Ng)

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Zelensky: Historic week ahead, Russia expected to step up ‘hostile activity.’ In an address on June 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky said next week will be “truly historic” since the European Council is set to decide on Ukraine’s EU membership application on June 23. “It’s obvious that we should expect Russia to step up its hostile activity demonstratively this very week,” he said. The European Commission recommended giving candidate status to Ukraine on June 17.

NYT: Russia used over 210 types of ammunition banned under international treaties in Ukraine. A New York Times investigation examined over 1,000 photos and identified over 2,000 munitions used by the Russian army in Ukraine, an absolute majority of which were unguided. More than 330 weapons analyzed by NYT appeared to have been used on or near civilian structures.

Russian media: Azov commanders transferred to Moscow detention facility. Russian state-controlled news agency TASS, citing a law enforcement source, said the Azov regiment’s commanders are now at Moscow’s Lefortovo pre-trial detention center. TASS reported earlier that they had been sent to Russia for a “criminal investigation.” Hundreds of Azov soldiers surrendered in May after defending Mariupol for months.

Stoltenberg: Russia’s war against Ukraine could last years. “We must prepare for the fact that it could take years,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. He also said that the West must continue supporting Ukraine, despite the rising energy and food prices, because those costs are “no comparison to the price that the Ukrainians have to pay every day with many lives.”

Parliament bans Russian music in media, public spaces. The law also prohibits the public performance of music created by those supporting Russia’s war and was passed on June 19. The restrictions are to be lifted once Ukraine gets all of its territories back and Russian aggression against Ukraine ends.

General Staff: Ukrainian troops repel Russian offensive near Berestove, Donetsk Oblast. Russia is preparing for an offensive towards the city of Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine’s General Staff said on June 19. Russian troops also reportedly still storming Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast, to gain full control of the city but their efforts have been unsuccessful.

Russia forcibly deports 300,000 Ukrainian children. Russian state-controlled news agency Interfax reported, citing the Russian military, that more than 1.9 million Ukrainians have been forcibly deported to Russia since the start of the invasion, over 307,000 of them children.

Governor: Russian forces have stolen 15,000 tons of sunflower, 10,000 tons of grain from Luhansk Oblast. Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai said that the Russians are also harvesting grain in occupied territories.

EU Special Representative for Human Rights visits Irpin, Bucha. “I saw the mass graves of victims of Russia’s war of aggression, talked with the local priest who knew them, and stood in a bombed-out shopping center. War crimes, and those who commit them must be called to account,” representative Eamon Gilmore tweeted on June 19. Hundreds of civilians were massacred by Russian troops in the towns of Bucha and Irpin in Kyiv Oblast in March.

UK intelligence: Russian forces’ low morale likely limit their ability to achieve operational objectives. According to the U.K Defense Ministry, Russian morale highly likely remains “especially troubled,” with cases of whole units refusing orders. The intelligence also said that morale is low due to poor leadership, limited opportunity for rotation of units out of combat, and heavy casualties. Russian authorities likely struggle to pressure military dissenters, according to the update.

Russian attacks on Mykolaiv Oblast wound 16 people. According to Hanna Zamazieieva, head of the Mykolaiv Oblast Council, the city of Mykolaiv was attacked twice on June 18. The Bereznehuvatska, Kutsurubska, Halitsynivska, and Pervomaiska areas of the oblast also came under fire. Overall, 297 civilians injured in Russian attacks are currently being treated in hospitals in the oblast.

Third U.S. military volunteer in Ukraine missing. According to ABC News, the wife of retired U.S. Marine Grady Kurpasi last heard from him in April, after he arrived in March to fight with Ukraine. On June 16, two other U.S. citizens were declared missing in Ukraine.

Governor: Russian forces threaten resistance with death penalty in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Oleksandr Starukh said on June 18 that Russian forces are attempting to suppress local resistance with the introduction of the death penalty. “Ukrainian guerillas will continue to resist,” Starukh said.

Governor: Threat of water contamination at Russian-seized iron ore plant in Zaporizhzhia. Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Oleksandr Starukh said in a televised address on June 19 that, should the Zaporizhzhia Iron Ore Plant stop pumping water, there are risks that surrounding ground water will be contaminated by iron ore. Starukh noted that the plant ceased operations in March.

Our exclusive, on the ground stories

Two months after President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that the “Battle of Donbas” had begun, shelling and rocket fire intensifies as fierce fighting continues across the region. “Russia wants to destroy every city in Donbas, (and) ‘every’ is not an exaggeration,” Zelensky said in an evening video address on June 10. “Like Volnovakha, like Mariupol. All these ruins in once happy cities.” Read our story here.

When Russia’s full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, Serhiy Prytula, comedian turned politician, quit everything he was working on to fully devote himself to helping Ukraine. Since then, his charity has crowdfunded over Hr 1 billion ($34 million), becoming one of the largest in Ukraine after Come Back Alive, which has raised around Hr 3 billion ($100 million). Read our story here.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Governor: 2 civilians killed, 12 injured by Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast on June 19. Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said that two people died in the villages of Zaitseve and Maksymilianivka. Among the injured is a nine-year-old girl, according to the Toretsk City Military Administration in Donetsk Oblast.

Ukraine’s military: Russia has lost 33,600 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on June 19 that Russia had also lost 1,468 tanks, 3,577 armored fighting vehicles, 745 artillery pieces, 235 multiple launch rocket systems, 98 surface-to-air missile systems, 181 helicopters, 216 airplanes, 598 drones, and 14 boats.

International response

Australia sends 4 M113 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. According to Australian news outlet 9News, four of the 14 promised armored personnel carriers were sent to Ukraine this week as part of a military aid package worth $285 million.

Moldova bans Russian news, war films to counter propaganda. According to Moldovan news outlet NewsMaker, Moldovan President Maia Sandu signed a law to ban the broadcasting of Russian news, political TV shows, and war films in Moldova. The law will enter into force next week.

Pope Francis: ‘Ask yourselves, what you are doing for the people of Ukraine?’ Nearly four months into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Pope asked the public not to forget about the suffering of the Ukrainian people, noting that “every one of us” ought to put solidarity into action.

Germany to restart coal power plants, offer companies incentives to reduce natural gas consumption. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck outlined the steps that Berlin was taking to reduce its energy dependence on Russia for the forthcoming winter, which includes reintroducing coal, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In other news

Foreign Minister: McDonald’s may resume work in Ukraine. According to Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine is in talks with McDonald’s on resuming its operations. The company stopped operating in Ukraine when Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24.

Ben Stiller visits Ukrainian border, spotted in Lviv. Hollywood star and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller met with Ukrainian families afflicted by Russia’s war, according to the UN’s refugee agency. Stiller was also reportedly spotted in Lviv.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Thaisa Semenova, Oleg Sukhov, Asami Terajima, Anastasiia Lapatina, Lili Bivings, Oleksiy Sorokin, and Teah Pelechaty.

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