Ukraine Daily

Tuesday, 7 June 2022

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

A Ukrainian flag flies in a residential area of Borodianka, Kyiv Oblast, which was severely damaged by Russian forces prior to its liberation by Ukrainian troops in early April. (Photo by Sergei Chuzavkov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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UK Defense Ministry: Heavy fighting continues in Sievierodonetsk as Russian forces push toward Sloviansk. According to the latest intelligence update, Russia continues to push forward in Donbas in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian forces. Additionally, Russian airstrikes on Kyiv on June 5, the first time since April, were likely an attempt to disrupt Western military aid supplies by striking railway infrastructure.

Ukraine’s military: Russian forces sustain personnel, equipment losses amid ‘tense’ fighting in southern Ukraine. Ukraine’s Operational Command “South” said on June 6 that Ukrainian forces killed 26 Russian troops and destroyed 10 units of equipment, including one tank, six armored combat vehicles, two cars, and a howitzer. Ukraine’s military reportedly conducted airstrikes on Russian forces in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts, including on ammunition depots in the region.

Mayor: Russian troops leave ‘almost all’ military checkpoints around Melitopol amid Ukrainian advances. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said on June 6 that Ukrainian forces are conducting a successful offensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. It was reported on June 5 that almost 60% of Zaporizhzhia Oblast is temporarily occupied by Russian forces.

Institute for the Study of War: Forced retreat of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet may ease pressure on blockade of Ukraine’s southern ports. In an update on June 6, the U.S. think tank cited Ukraine’s navy in saying that it pushed Russian ships over 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian coast. The think tank also reported that, while urban combat in Sievierodonetsk is “likely obfuscating reports of control,” Russian forces likely still have control over much of the city.

Ukraine’s military: Russian troops with Iskander-M systems positioned in Belarus along Ukrainian border. According to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russia has also deployed medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems Pantsir, S-400 missile systems, and operational and tactical aircraft along the border.

Governor: Russia fires on Sumy Oblast 40 times. On the evening of June 6, Russian forces attacked several communities in the region with mortars and self-propelled artillery, according to Sumy Oblast Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky. No casualties were reported.

Zelensky: Over 2,500 Mariupol defenders in Russian captivity. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that it is not in the interest of Russia to torture the Ukrainian troops evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant because they have become “public prisoners.” The U.K.’s Ministry of Defense said earlier that up to 1,700 defenders of the city had been evacuated from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.

Ukraine’s military: Ukrainian troops block Russia from seizing strategic road in Donbas. The road links the cities of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast and Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said that Ukrainian troops retain control of Sievierodonetsk and fighting is taking place in the eastern part of the city. Ukrainian troops have also reportedly repelled a Russian attack near the village of Voronove near Sievierodonetsk.

Luhansk Oblast governor: Ukrainian position in Sievierodonetsk worsens amid heavy fighting. According to Serhiy Haidai, after recapturing half of the city during a recent counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military in Sievierodonetsk is under renewed attack, holding positions in the industrial part of the city. The Russian tactic “is to wipe everything off the face of the earth, so there would be nothing to defend,” he said, adding that the level of damage in several settlements in the oblast could be compared to Mariupol.

Russian governor claims border village fired upon. Kursk Oblast Governor Roman Starovoit claimed that the village of Tyotkino in Russia’s western Kursk region came under fire early on June 6. Starovoit reported via Telegram that a bridge and some local businesses were hit. There is no immediate information about casualties.

Zelensky: Ukraine not invited to Russian-Turkish talks on grain exports. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that neither he nor Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba received an invitation to a meeting on the unblocking of Ukrainian seaports scheduled for June 8 in Ankara. He also said that Ukraine would not agree to export crops by rail through Belarus to the Baltic Sea ports. Belarus has taken part in Russia’s aggression by letting Russia use its territory to attack Ukraine. Currently, 22-25 million tons of grain are blocked by Russia at several Ukrainian seaports.

Borrell: Russia destroys second-largest grain terminal in Ukraine. The EU’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said on Twitter on June 6 that Russia’s destruction of a grain terminal in Mykolaiv is “contributing to the global food crisis.” The grain terminal was struck by a Russian missile on June 4, the flames from which continued to be extinguished until June 6, according to Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Ukraine sets up special camp for Russian POWs. According to Justice Minister Denys Malyuska, the camp has been set up in one of the country’s western regions for Russians who are not going to be exchanged in the near future. POWs are being held in accordance with the Geneva Convention with “slightly better nutrition and slightly better hygiene” compared to ordinary prisoners, Malyuska said.

Tsikhanouskaya: Nearly 1,500 Belarusians fighting against Russia in Ukraine. Leader of the Belarusian opposition Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that, when the war broke out, “many people in Belarus thought that Ukrainians needed help, so battalions were organized.” “There are now about 1,500 people (fighting). They are… in different cities, under the supervision of the Ukrainian army,” Tsikhanouskaya said.

Health Ministry: Risk of cholera in Mariupol. Mass burials and lack of access to drinking water may lead to a critical situation in Russian-occupied Mariupol, Deputy Health Minister Ihor Kuzin said on June 6. The Health Ministry began monitoring suspected cases of cholera in the region on June 1.

SBU detains 3 people accused of collaborating with Russians in Chernihiv Oblast. The detained individuals were allegedly preparing to help Russian troops in the event of a second invasion of the region, according to Ukraine’s State Security Service, which found an arsenal of Russian special forces’ weapons in their houses.

Zelensky: If Ukrainian army loses control of Sievierodonetsk, returning to it will be costly. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that, if the Russian military fully captures the city, Ukraine will need five times more equipment and people for a counter-offensive. “If we decide to attack later, we will lose much more,” he said. Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast is currently the focal point of fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops. Some observers have called on the Ukrainian army to withdraw from Sieverodonetsk to Lysychansk, which is separated from it by a river and is easier to defend.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Culture Minister: 32 journalists have been killed in Ukraine by Russia since Feb. 24. “We have lost even more (journalists than) in eight years of war,” Ukraine’s Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said on June 6, which is considered “journalist day” in Ukraine.

AP: Russia begins returning bodies of killed Azovstal defenders. The bodies of dozens of Ukrainian fighters who defended the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol have been transferred to Kyiv where DNA testing is underway to identify their remains, Maksym Zhorin, a former leader of the Azov Regiment said.

Joint Forces Operation: Russian shelling kills 2, wounds 12 civilians in Donbas. Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation said on June 6 that they repelled 10 Russian attacks, destroying one tank, three artillery systems, two armored combat vehicles, one vehicle, and two ammunition depots. Russian forces also reportedly fired on over 20 settlements in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, destroying 48 civilian infrastructure sites. Ukraine’s Air Force also downed two Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles in Donbas.

Governor: Russian shelling kills 4 civilians, injures 7 in Donetsk Oblast on June 6. Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said that those killed were in the following three communities – Chasiv Yar, Pisky, and New York, a namesake of the U.S. city located in Donetsk Oblast.

Governor: Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast kills 3, wounds 10 people. According to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Synehubov, Russian forces intensified the shelling of residential areas in the region. He added that Russian troops attacked Ukrainian troops near Izium, but were unsuccessful and were forced to retreat.

Ukraine’s military: Russia has lost 31,250 troops in Ukraine since start of war. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on June 6 that Russia had also lost 1,386 tanks, 3,400 armored personnel carriers, 2,395 vehicles and fuel tanks, 690 artillery pieces, 207 multiple launch rocket systems, 96 anti-aircraft systems, 176 helicopters, 211 airplanes, 551 drones, and 13 boats.

International response

Latvia bans all Russian TV channels until end of war in Ukraine. Latvia said it will stop airing 80 Russian TV channels until the end of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine and the return of occupied Crimea to Ukraine. The Chairman of the Latvian National Electronic Media Council cited legislation that stipulates prohibition of broadcasting programs registered in the country that threaten another country’s independence and territorial integrity. The decision comes into force on June 9.

Russia imposes retaliatory sanctions on 61 US officials, businesspeople. Russia’s Foreign Ministry made the announcement on June 6, citing “ever-expanding U.S. sanctions on Russian political and public figures, as well as representatives of domestic businesses” as justification for its decision. Those sanctioned include U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, as well as U.S. heads of defense and media industries, such as Edward Bastian, chief executive of Delta Air Lines, and Jeffrey Sprecher, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. Sanctioned individuals are prohibited from entering Russia.

US court authorizes seizure of 2 jets owned by Abramovich. The U.S. accused Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich of violating sanctions by re-exporting a $60 million Gulfstream jet and a $350 million Boeing Dreamliner to Russia.

In other news

Johnson survives no-confidence vote, remains UK Prime Minister. According to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson won the confidence vote by 211 to 148.

PM: English may be officially recognized as business language in Ukraine. Granting English “business language” status could help the country attract more investment, as well as accelerate Ukraine’s European integration, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

State Border Guard Service: More people return than leave Ukraine for 27 days in a row. The total number of people who returned to Ukraine reached about 184,000 in this period. Almost 31,000 people left Ukraine, while almost 40,000 came back to the country on June 5. According to UNHCR, as of June 1, almost 7 million people fled the invasion Russia started on Feb. 24.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Alexander Query, Thaisa Semenova, Olga Rudenko, Oleksiy Sorokin, Natalia Datskevych, Oleg Sukhov, Teah Pelechaty, Olena Goncharova, and Sergiy Slipchenko.

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