Tuesday, June 20

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian servicemen ride atop an armored personnel carrier vehicle (APC) in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast on June 11, 2023. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov / AFP)

Ukraine confirms liberation of Piatykhatky in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on June 19 that Ukraine’s forces liberated the village of Piatykhatky in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. This is the eighth settlement liberated in Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive.

Foreign Ministry demands access to Ukrainian POWs transferred to Hungary. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry demands immediate access for a consul to the 11 prisoners of war (POWs) held in Hungary in isolation, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko said on June 19.

UK Defense Ministry: Russia redeploying troops from Dnipro River to Zaporizhzhia, Bakhmut sectors. Over the past 10 days, Russia has started relocating forces from the eastern bank of the Dnipro River to reinforce the Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut sectors, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on June 19.

Media: 6 Russians in International Olympic Committee support war against Ukraine. Six Russian nationals affiliated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) support Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, according to an investigation by the sports news outlet Tribuna, published on June 19. Tribuna added that they have notified the IOC but were ignored.

State Emergency Service: Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast ignite fires. Russian attacks on civilian targets in Kherson Oblast on the night of June 19 caused extensive fires in the region, the State Emergency Service reported. Presidential Office head Andrii Yermak said that 10 buses caught fire and one of the State Emergency Service’s excavators was damaged.

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AP: Russia had ‘means, motive and opportunity’ to destroy Kakhovka dam. Russia had the “means, motive and the opportunity” to bring down the Kakhovka dam across the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, according to a June 19 Associated Press article citing new drone footage and inside sources.

NYT: Part of bought weapons not delivered to Ukraine, some donated by allies were unusable. Ukraine hasn’t yet received part of the weapons it paid for, while some arms donated by allies have been in such a bad shape they were seen fit only for spare parts, the New York Times reported on June 19, citing two people familiar with the matter.

Defense Ministry: ‘Difficult situation’ in Ukraine’s east as Russia deploys more forces. Russia has deployed more forces to Ukraine’s eastern frontline in its attempt to advance toward Lyman and Kupiansk and seize the initiative, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on June 19.

Russian proxies claim drone attacks in occupied Crimea. Russian-installed proxy in occupied Crimea Sergey Aksyonov claimed that drones struck in northern Crimea on the night of June 19. He did not provide further information.

Media: 81% of foreign components in Russian missiles originate in US. Up to 81% of foreign components found in Russian missiles originate in the U.S., LIGA.net wrote on June 19, referencing an obtained document from the Yermak-McFaul Expert Group on Russian Sanctions. The next largest shares come from Switzerland (8%), Germany (3.5%), and Japan (3.5%).

Read our exclusives

Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly – Issue 92

The Verkhovna Rada prefers an alternative bill on corporate governance of GTSOU over the government’s bill. On June 10, the Verkhovna Rada rejected Draft Law No. 9311 that would establish a one-off procedure for the merger of the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) and the Main Pipelines of Ukraine (MGU).

Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Ukraine war latest: Defense Ministry reports new gains in the south, ‘difficult situation’ in the east

Ukraine confirmed the liberation of Piatykhatky village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on June 19, bringing the total number of liberated settlements since the start of the ongoing counteroffensive to eight.

Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian forces shell Kherson Oblast, injuring 3 civilians. Russian troops struck the Beryslav district in southern Kherson Oblast with artillery on June 19, wounding three civilians, the regional administration wrote on Telegram.

Official: Elderly man injured in Russian shelling of Nikopol. Russian forces shelled Dnipropetrovsk Oblast’s city of Nikopol on June 19, wounding a 73-year-old man, according to the head of the regional council Mykola Lukashuk.

General Staff: Russia has lost 220,450 troops in Ukraine. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on June 19 that Russia has lost 220,450 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, with an estimated 630 casualties on June 18.

International response

UK to prolong sanctions until Russia pays for Ukraine’s reconstruction. The U.K. plans to use sanctions and asset freezing to make Russia pay for Ukraine’s reconstruction, as stated in a British government press release from June 19. “Putin’s Russia must take financial responsibility for the wanton devastation it has wrought on Ukraine,” Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said.

European Commission: Budapest must explain role in release of Ukrainian POWs from Russia to Hungary. Hungary must explain its involvement in the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) from Russian custody and communicate with the Ukrainian government on this issue, European Commission foreign policy spokesperson Peter Stano said on June 19 to Lithuanian media outlet Delfi.

Blinken: China renewed promise not to send weapons to Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on June 19 that China had renewed promises not to send arms to Russia to fight in Ukraine, CNN reported from Blinken’s visit to Beijing.

Reuters: Ukraine meets 2 out of 7 conditions to start EU membership talks, sources say. According to the European Commission’s interim assessment, Ukraine has met two out of seven conditions to launch the EU accession talks, Reuters reported on June 19, citing its sources within the bloc.

In other news

SBU: Chernihiv deputy mayor charged with state funds embezzlement. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported on June 19 it detained Chernihiv deputy mayor on charges of embezzling Hr 30 million ($812 000) of state funds.

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 12 – Ukraine’s counteroffensive finally began. What’s next?

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Francis Farrell, Teah Pelechaty, Olesya Boyko, Dinara Khalilova, Haley Zehrung, and Lili Bivings

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