Saturday, July 1

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A school in Serhiivka, Donetsk Oblast damaged by the Russian strike on June 30, 2023. (Photo: Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office)

Media: Russian MP, Ukrainian collaborators abducted 48 orphans from Kherson. 48 Ukrainian orphans from the city of Kherson were illegally taken last year by Ukrainian collaborators and a deputy of the Russian State Duma, an investigation by Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske revealed on June 30.

Zelensky: ‘Ukraine wants to show results before NATO summit but every advance costs lives.’ Ukraine wants to show results on the battlefield before the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, but every kilometer costs lives, President Volodymyr Zelensky told Spanish public broadcaster RTVE on June 30.

Poll: 95% of Ukrainians trust military, 89% want to join NATO. Some 95% of Ukrainians trust the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 80% trust President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the poll published on June 30.

Zelensky signs law on additional pay for military. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law a bill securing additional payments and vacations for military personnel on June 30.

Kazakhstan reports attempts to recruit locals to join Russian military in Ukraine. There are attempts in Kazakhstan’s Kostanay Region to recruit locals to join Russian forces in the invasion of Ukraine, the regional prosecutor’s office reported on June 30.

Zaluzhnyi: Counteroffensive underequipped but advances daily Ukrainian forces are advancing “at least 500 meters” every day in the counteroffensive despite the lack of crucial hardware like F-16 fighter jets, the Ukrainian armed forces’ commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said in an interview the Washington Post published on June 30.

Zelensky says Ukraine will strengthen its northern borders. Ukraine will strengthen the defensive lines on the country’s northern borders amid reports of Wagner’s redeployment to Belarus, said President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Prigozhin closes media holding responsible for infamous troll farm. The Wagner Group Founder has closed down his media holding, which includes the notorious “Internet Research Agency” troll factory, The Moscow Times reported on June 30.

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SBU: Ukrainian lawmaker received $50,000 from foreigner in exchange for help with avoiding extradition. A member of Ukraine’s parliament was charged with fraud after promising a foreigner his assistance in avoiding extradition for $50,000, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported on June 30.

Intelligence chief: Russia’s FSB is assigned to kill Prigozhin. After Wagner Group’s short-lived rebellion, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) was tasked with liquidating mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.

Ukrainian forces say they hit military targets in Russian-occupied Berdiansk. Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on June 30 that they struck a Russian headquarters and a fuel and lubricant warehouse in the occupied city of Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Human Rights Watch urges Ukraine to investigate its alleged use of banned land mines. Human Rights Watch has urged Kyiv to keep its pledge to investigate the alleged use of banned land mines by the Ukrainian military as new evidence of land mine use surfaced, according to a report published on June 30.

Military intelligence: Russian occupation forces ‘gradually leaving’ Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Russian occupation forces stationed at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are “gradually leaving” the premises amid the rising threat of Russia’s sabotage attack, Ukraine’s military intelligence reported on June 30.

Air Force: Ukraine downs 10 out of 13 Shahed drones overnight. Russia attacked Ukraine overnight on June 30 with 13 Shahed-136/131 drones and four S-300 missiles, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 10 drones.

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Ukraine war latest: Ukraine lacks necessary equipment but still advances, Zaluzhnyi says in rare interview

Ukraine’s forces advance daily by “at least 500 meters” during the summer counteroffensive despite lacking military hardware like F-16 fighter jets.

Photo: Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Sinking memories. Kherson residents recover after Kakhovka dam disaster

Since the liberation of Kherson from Russian occupation last year, new stories are told in Kherson: the stories of Russian war crimes and the local heroes who survived.

Photo: Anastasia Vlasova

A year into full-scale invasion, West struggles to seize Russian assets

Hundreds of potential international investors met with top Ukrainian and Western officials in London in late June to discuss how to rebuild the country, ravaged by Russia’s war.

Photo: LightRocket via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian strike in Kherson Oblast injures 3 family members. Russian strike against Antonivka, Kherson Oblast injured three residents, including a child, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on June 30.

Russian strike against Donetsk Oblast kills 1, injures 1. Russian strike against Mykolaivka in Donetsk Oblast on June 30 killed one resident and injured another, Suspilne cited the spokesperson of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office Anastasiia Miedviedieva.

Russian strike on school in Donetsk Oblast kills 2, injures 6. Russian forces struck a school in Serhiivka, Donetsk Oblast on June 30, killing two members of the staff and injuring six others, the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office reported.

Russian attacks kill 6, injure 7 in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Russian attacks against Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts killed six civilians and wounded seven over the past 24 hours, according to the regional authorities.

General Staff: Russia has lost 228,340 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on June 30 that Russia had also lost 4,041 tanks, 7,863 armored fighting vehicles, 6,785 vehicles and fuel tanks, 4,127 artillery systems, 630 multiple launch rocket systems, 389 air defense systems, 315 airplanes, 308 helicopters, 3,519 drones, and 18 boats.

International response

Morawiecki: Poland wants to host NATO nuclear weapons over Belarus threat. Poland wants to join NATO’s nuclear sharing program in response to Russia’s plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on June 30.

Denmark to provide Ukraine with $190 million in military aid. Denmark will provide Ukraine with a military package worth 1.3 billion Danish crowns ($190 million), the Danish Ministry announced on June 30.

Orbán comes out against $55 billion EU aid package for Ukraine. Hungary opposes a European Union plan to provide financial aid of 50 billion euros ($55 billion) to Ukraine, Telex news portal cited Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on June 30.

EU leaders pledge to contribute to Ukraine’s long-term security guarantees. At a June 29 summit in Brussels, European Union leaders declared they would contribute to long-term security commitments to Ukraine and swiftly consider approaches to such contribution.

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 14 - Wagner’s mutiny attempt in Russia, and its consequences

In other news

Two killed in shooting at Moldova’s Chisinau Airport. Two people have been killed in a shooting at Chisinau Airport in the capital of Moldova on June 30, the country’s interior ministry reported.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dinara Khalilova, Oleksiy Sorokin, Kate Tsurkan, Martin Fornusek, Francis Farrell, Oleg Sukhov, Brad LaFoy, Rachel Amran, and Olena Goncharova.

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