Sunday, June 30

Russia’s war against Ukraine

The aftermath of a Russian attack on the town of Vilniansk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on June 29, 2024. (Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram)

‘Tension rises’ at border with Belarus, Minsk accuses Kyiv of deploying troops. The Ukrainian Security and Defense Council’s Center for Countering Disinformation said in May that Russia may opt to conduct a new psychological operation aimed at “stirring up mass panic” in Ukraine. The plan was to force Kyiv to believe that Belarusian troops would join Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to the center.

Law enforcement agency to investigate general accused of heavy losses, media reports. The State Bureau of Investigation will assess Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol’s command of Ukrainian troops during the Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainska Pravda reported on June 29.

30,000 square kilometers of Ukraine’s land cleared of mine threats, operations expanding further. Ukrainian Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, head of the Ministry of Defense’s Environmental Safety and Mine Action Department, reported that Defense Ministry specialists have cleared 30,000 square kilometers of Ukraine over the past two years - an area comparable to the size of Belgium or Moldova.

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DTEK: 90% of company’s energy generating capacity lost due to Russian strikes. Russia has struck DTEK thermal power plants over 180 times, causing losses worth at least $350 million.

Governor: Two people missing after Dnipro attack found alive and well. The mother and son who live in the destroyed nine-story building were not home at the time of the attack, according to the governor. He said they had contacted officials.

Kuleba meets Armenian minister as Yerevan drifts away from Moscow.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan discussed the security situation in Europe and the South Caucasus. The two also focused on ways to deepen bilateral ties and international cooperation between nations, “particularly in light of Ukraine’s future EU membership.”

Human cost of war

3 injured in Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast. On June 29, Russian troops attacked the city of Derhachi in the Kharkiv Oblast, injuring three people, according to Viacheslav Zadorenko, head of the Derhachi military administration.

Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast kill 1 person, injure 2. On June 29, Russian forces attacked Kherson Oblast, killing one resident and injuring two, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhia Oblast kills 7, injures 31. Russian troops attacked the town of Vilniansk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on June 29, killing seven people and injuring at least 31, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. Two children were killed and eight suffered injuries.

Governor: 2 killed, 4 injured in Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast. Russian troops attacked three settlements in Donetsk Oblast — Kurakhivka, Kurakhove and Sloviansk — on the evening of June 29.

General Staff: Russia has lost 541,560 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. According to the report, Russia has also lost 8,073 tanks, 15,505 armored fighting vehicles, 19,568 vehicles and fuel tanks, 14,480 artillery systems, 1,109 multiple launch rocket systems, 871 air defense systems, 360 airplanes, 326 helicopters, 11,538 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.

International response

EU imposes new sanctions against Belarus, implementing anti-circumvention measures. The EU Council also prohibited the direct or indirect imports, purchasing, or transferring of gold and diamonds from Belarus, as well as helium, coal, and mineral products, including crude oil.

US awards $45 billion contract to produce Patriot air defense missiles. The news comes after the U.S. announced in late June that it will prioritize deliveries of air defense missiles to Ukraine over orders from other countries, particularly Patriot and NASAMS missiles.

Polish foreign minister proposes seizing $321 billion in frozen Russian assets. “We need to re-learn how to champion the escalation game,” Sikorsky said during a lecture at the Ditchley Foundation in the U.K. “(Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin has already written them (the frozen assets) off, he does not expect to get them back. But he also doesn’t think we have the fortitude to take hold of them either. So far, we have proven him right.”

In other news

Property owned by brothers of Medvedchuk, ex-MP Kozak transferred to Ukrainian state. A building materials factory owned by the brothers of former pro-Russian Ukrainian lawmakers, Viktor Medvedchuk and Taras Kozak, was officially transferred to the Ukrainian state on June 28, the State Security Service (SBU) announced in a statement.

Foreign Ministry hails Google Translate’s addition of Crimean Tatar language. “Thank you to Google for this crucial initiative, which demonstrates that the rich linguistic & cultural heritage of Ukraine’s indigenous people is valuable to the global community,” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on X.

Russia to send children to North Korean summer camp. According to Gurov, the trip to the North Korean camp is scheduled for late July. Russia will send groups of children who will be accompanied by counselors, he added.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Kateryna Denisova, Sonya Bandouil, Dmytro Basmat, and Kateryna Hodunova.

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