Russo-Ukraine War - 12 June 2022 - Day 109
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On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]
One hundred and nine days of the heroic opposition of the Ukrainian nation to the Russian military invasion continue.
The UK Ministry of Defence reprted that Russia is using its overmatch in force ratio and artillery to gradually seize territory in and around Sieverodonetsk. Russia continues to seek to generate more combat units to deploy to Ukraine. In recent weeks, it has likely started preparing to deploy the third battalion from some combat formations. Most brigades normally only commit a maximum of two of their three battalions to operations at any one time. The third battalions within brigades are often not fully staffed - Russia will likely have to rely on new recruits or mobilised reservists to deploy these units to Ukraine. Deploying all three of their battalions simultaneously will likely reduce formations’ longer term capacity to regenerate combat power after operations.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Kyiv with his counterparts from France and Italy before the Group of Seven summit at the end of June, German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported, citing French and Ukrainian government sources. A German government spokesperson told Reuters: “We are not able to confirm this.” The Elysee palace declined to confirm the information and the Italian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. None of the three leaders has been to Kyiv since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
The research panel "Own opinion" of research.ua studied communication with Russians and asked Ukrainians, "If you have communicated with or continue to communicate with them before, what was your main reaction to Russia's war against Ukraine during your last conversation?". The poll was conducted with the support of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and at the initiative of the Office of the President. According to Ukrainians:
- only 13% condemn the actions of the Russian authorities;
- more than 26% of Russians express sympathy;
- almost 8% say both sides are to blame;
- 23% of Russians try to avoid discussing Russia's war against Ukraine;
- more than 23% of Russians cite theses of Russian propaganda and believe that Russia is "liberating" Ukraine;
- more than 4% of Russians show an aggressive attitude towards Ukraine.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny had a conversation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley. In particular, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine informed General Millie about the current situation at the front and Ukraine's need to get more new artillery systems as soon as possible. He stressed that the enemy has concentrated its main efforts in the north of Luhansk region. The situation is difficult, in particular, in the city of Severodonetsk. Up to 7 battalion tactical groups were transferred there by the Russians. "I reiterated my request to General Milley to help us get more 155 mm artillery systems as soon as possible. I also shared with my counterparts the strategic goals of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine a clear and understandable quantitative and time frame of the international technical assistance we are requesting," Zaluzhny added.
Zelensky emphasized "The Russian army is trying to deploy reserve forces in Donbas. But what reserves can they have now? It seems that they will try to throw into battle poorly trained conscripts and those who were gathered by covert mobilization… And this means only one thing: Russia can cross the border of 40,000 of its lost troops in June. They have not lost so much in any other war for many decades," he said.
Russian forces are likely to continue intensifying their attacks on Slavyansk and Siversk. At the same time, in the Kherson region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine resumed a counteroffensive, threatening Russia's position north of Kherson. This was stated by the American Institute for War Studies (ISW). According to analysts, Russian troops launched an offensive east and west of Popasna, probably blocking Ukrainian land lines to Lysychansk and Severodonetsk. The occupiers withdrew to their former positions after the unsuccessful shelling of Mykolayivka and Berestovo.
The head of the Luhansk region, Sergei Gaidai, said that Russian troops had entered Orikhovo and were strengthening their position on the northern outskirts. According to Gaidai , about 500 civilians remain on the territory of the Azot plant in Severodonetsk, 40 of whom are children, and sometimes the military manages to evacuate someone. But there is no organized evacuation from Severodonetsk. "Given recent events, the only way out of the city is to walk the surviving bridge, because buses will not pass - but it is extremely dangerous. We are working on the possibility of evacuation from the regional center with Iryna Vereshchuk. We hope that an organized exit from the city will be possible, but for this we must obtain security guarantees, "he said.
In Severodonetsk, the situation has not changed dramatically, street fighting continues, said the head of the military-civil administration of Severodonetsk Alexander Stryuk. "The situation has not changed dramatically. So far, more than a third of the city is controlled by our Armed Forces, about two-thirds are occupied by racists, unfortunately. Our guys hold the line of defense firmly, conduct certain military operations, "he said on the national telethon. According to him, of the three bridges leading to Severodonetsk, only one remains intact.
At the same time, ISW, citing geolocation videos, speculates that Russian and Chechen units have also taken control of the Komyshuvas railway station and are likely to try to connect with units coming from Orikhovo. nalysts noted that on June 11, Russian troops resumed attacks southwest of Izyum and in the direction of Slavyansk. Ukrainian troops repulsed Russian attacks on Brazhkivka, Vernopil and Dolyna. ISW, citing geolocation videos, suggests that Russian troops entered the northern outskirts of Bogorodichnoye on June 11.
The images also showed that the occupiers had built a new bridge along Russia's land lines to Izyum in the Kharkiv region. This may indicate that Russian forces will continue to intensify offensive operations in Slavyansk and Siversk . At the same time, analysts noted that Ukrainian troops probably resumed a counteroffensive in the northwest of the Kherson region on June 11, threatening Russia's position north of Kherson. The occupiers did not resume offensive operations in the Zaporozhye region.
Spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Shtupun reported that in Volyn, Polissya and Seversk areas without significant changes. In the latter case, the Russian occupiers continue to shell the positions of Ukrainian troops, as well as civilian infrastructure in the settlements of Khrinivka, Chernihiv region, and Oleksandrivka, Sumy region. In the Slobozhansky direction, the Russians were fighting, trying to improve the tactical situation, continued to improve the engineering equipment of defensive positions in the area of the settlement of Novy Burluk. The Russians fired mortars, artillery and rocket-propelled grenades at the settlements of Zamulivka, Bayrak, Husarivka and Ruski Tyshky.
The Russians unsuccessfully stormed in the direction of settlements Staritsa - Rubizhne. In the Slavic direction, Ukrainian soldiers successfully repulsed Russians assault operations in the directions of Dovgenke - Mazanivka and Dovgenke - Dolyna. In the Donetsk direction, the Russian's main efforts are focused on the Severodonetsk and Bakhmut directions. They fired at the positions of Ukrainian troops along the line of contact. The Russians did not take active action in the Lyman direction, and continued shelling of Ukrainian units. They took measures to prepare for the offensive.
In the Severodonetsk direction, the Russians continued to use tube and rocket artillery. They were trying to overcome the resistance of Ukrainian troops and establish full control over the city of Severodonetsk, the fighting continued. In the Bakhmut direction, the occupiers carried out assault operations to cover the village of Vrubivka, but were unsuccessful. In an attempt to resume the assault in the direction of Orikhovo - Golden, the Russians received a decisive rebuff from Ukrainian defenders and withdrew.
In the Avdiivka, Novopavlivska and Zaporizhzhya directions, the Russians exerts systematic fire on the positions of Ukrainian troops in order to restrain their actions and prevent regrouping. In the South Bug direction, the invaders were trying to hold on to their previously occupied positions and carry out fire damage to units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The Russians fired from artillery and rocket artillery in the areas of the settlements of Osokorivka, Trudolyubivka, Shiroke, Dobryanka and Blagodatne.
The Kyiv region has prepared a defense to give the enemy a proper rebuff in the event of another Russian attack on the region. This was announced by the head of the Kyiv OVA Oleksiy Kuleba. He said that they had inspected the border fortifications in the region and inspected one of the defense lines. "I want to assure you that the positions are arranged, the fortifications are reliable, and the defense forces are being trained systematically. Thank you to our military for their good work , "Kuleba said.
Briefing of the Russian Ministry of Defense noted that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued the special military operation in Ukraine. High-precision long-range sea-based missiles "Caliber" in the area of the settlement of Chortkiv, Ternopil region, destroyed a large warehouse of anti-tank missile systems supplied to the Kyiv regime from the United States and European countries, man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems and artillery shells for weapons systems.
Over the past day, high-precision air-launched missiles hit two command posts and 15 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Destroyed: a launcher of the Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system near the village of Barvenkovo in the Kharkiv region, an airspace control radar station in the Slavyansk region of the Donetsk People's Republic, a radar for detecting and tracking targets of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in the Krivoy Rog region, as well as two batteries of multiple launch rocket systems in the Zvanovka districts of the Luhansk People's Republic and Zakotne of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Operational-tactical and army aviation hit three command posts and 25 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment. As a result of air strikes, more than 150 nationalists, six tanks, five field artillery pieces and 10 special vehicles for various purposes were destroyed. Fighter aircraft shot down two Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force in the districts of Raygorodok and Cherkasskoe of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Russian air defense systems shot down one Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force in the Dolgenkoye area of ??the Kharkiv region. Also, eight Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down in the areas of the settlements of Borovenki, Druzhba of the Luhansk People's Republic, Vladimirovka of the Donetsk People's Republic, Brazhkovka, Bolshiye Prohody of the Kharkov region, including one Bayraktar TB-2 near the settlement of Velyka Kamyshevakha. In addition, two Ukrainian Tochka-U ballistic missiles and three rocket launchers of the Uragan multiple launch rocket system were intercepted over the settlements of Kakhovka and Chernobaevka, Kherson region, in the districts of Dolgenkie, Sinichino, Kharkiv region, and Popasnaya, Luhansk People's Republic.
Missile forces and artillery hit 248 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 21 command posts, as well as 37 firing positions of artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a result of the strikes, more than 320 nationalists, five armored vehicles, six field artillery pieces and mortars, 15 special vehicles and five ammunition and fuel depots were destroyed.
Timothy Snyder on Twitter described Vladimir Putin's plan to block grain exports from Ukraine. "Russia plans to starve the Asians and Africans to win its war in Europe. This is a new level of colonialism and the latest chapter in the hunger policy," he wrote. Due to the blockade by the aggressor of Ukrainian seaports, 7 million tons of wheat, 14 million tons of corn grain, 3 million tons of sunflower oil and 3 million tons of sunflower meal did not enter the world market. This has already led to a record rise in world market prices. In May 2022, Ukraine shipped more than 1.743 million tons of grain, oil and processed products for export by all modes of transport, which is 180% of the April volume.
Ukraine has organized two ways to export grain, through Romania and Poland, and is negotiating a third with the Baltic states. This was stated by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Senik. Senik reminded that global food security is under threat, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has stopped grain exports from the Black Sea, which has led to massive deficits and sharp rises in prices. He said that Ukraine is negotiating with the Baltic states to create a third corridor for food exports. These routes are not perfect because they create a certain "bottleneck". At the same time, we are doing everything possible to develop these routes," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Asian Security Summit in Singapore.
Anti-war rallies, organized mainly by Russian emigrants and timed to coincide with Russia Day, took place in several European capitals. The most massive of them - with a number of participants from 100 to 500 people - took place in London, Warsaw, Berlin, Helsinki, Paris, Prague, Vienna, Tbilisi and Yerevan. It is noted that in the British capital, marchers marched from the Wellington Arch to the Russian Embassy building, chanting: "Russia's Freedom, Peace to Ukraine", "Putin and Lukashenko - Terrorists", "Russians Want Peace" and "Putin is a Killer".
In Warsaw, the organizers of the action called it "Russia Day without Putinism." The participants of the march started it from the Embassy of Ukraine and reached the Embassy of Russia. In Tbilisi, the action took place near the former building of the Russian Embassy. Participants brought so-called alternative Russian flags, white-blue-white, and drew a "folk alphabet" in which each letter meant a word that symbolized Putin's Russia - for example, "U" - murder, "C" - censorship.
Ukraine has done everything to obtain the status of a candidate for EU membership, the question is only in the determination of some European leaders, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "Every day we work with the European Union on candidate status for Ukraine, and our state has done everything for a positive response. The only question is the determination of some European leaders," he said in a video address.
Denmark and the Netherlands oppose it, and Germany proposes to grant Ukraine a certain conditional candidate status. The decision to grant Ukraine candidate status must be unanimous. Decisions on granting EU candidate status to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova will be made by EU leaders at a regular summit in Brussels on 23-24 June. This will be preceded by a conclusion of the European Commission on the readiness of three applicants for membership. According to the European Commission, it will be made public on June 17.
The RF Ministry of Defense reported that in total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 201 aircraft, 130 helicopters, 1,188 unmanned aerial vehicles, 338 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,514 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 508 multiple rocket launchers, 1,870 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 3570 units of special military vehicles.
The estimated losses of the occupiers according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are as follows:
- tanks - 1,430 ( +11 );
- armored combat vehicles - 3,484 (+18);
- artillery systems - 715 (+3);
- rocket-propelled grenade launchers - 226 (+4);
- air defense equipment - 97;
- aircraft - 212;
- helicopters - 178;
- drones of operational and tactical level - 582 (+3);
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 2,455 (+7);
- cruise missiles - 125;
- ships, boats - 13;
- special equipment - 54.
Zelenskyy said fierce street battles are continuing in Severodonetsk and he is proud of the Ukrainian defenders who for weeks have held back a Russian advance. He said the Russians have suffered heavy losses since the war began on February 24. “Do you remember how Russia hoped to capture the entire Donbas by early May? It is now the 108th day of the war… Donbas is holding on. The losses suffered by the occupiers, including in this area, are extremely significant. In total, the Russian army today has about 32,000 dead souls. For what? What did it get you Russia? No one can say now how long this burning of souls by Russia will last. But we must do everything to make the occupiers regret that they have done all this, and to hold them accountable for every murder and every strike at our beautiful state.”
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