Russo-Ukraine War - 19 June 2022 - Day 116

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A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

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" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) 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]

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One hundred and sixteenth day of the Ukrainian nation's heroic confrontation with the Russian military invasion continues. Units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to inflict significant losses on Russians troops and maintain a stable defense in all directions.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "I would like to thank our farmers today. Those who defended their communities even with bare hands when stopping the Russian military. Who, despite the war, ensured a sowing campaign. Those who were even nicknamed "tractor troops" when they were taking Russian trophy equipment from the battlefield. ... Fierce fighting continues in Donbas. The Russian army uses the greatest number of artillery there, the greatest number of offensive forces. But Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka and other hot spots are holding on. Our people are like that. They are holding on. Our army is holding on. And I am grateful to everyone whose strength today means our victory tomorrow. Eternal glory to everyone who fights for Ukraine! Fights hard! Glory to Ukraine!"

"We will not give away the south to anyone, we will return everything that's ours and the sea will be Ukrainian and safe.... I am coming back from the south - visited today our frontline positions in the Mykolaiv region, visited Mykolaiv itself, and the Odesa region as well. I talked to our defenders - military, police, National Guard, territorial defense. Their mood is confident, and looking into their eyes it is obvious that they all do not doubt our victory."

Moscow said its offensive to win Severdonetsk itself was proceeding successfully. Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai told Ukrainian TV that fighting made evacuations from the city impossible, but that “all Russian claims that they control the town are a lie. They control the main part of the town, but not the whole town”. Russian forces were trying to approach Kharkiv, which experienced intense shelling earlier in the war, and turn it into a “frontline city”, a Ukrainian interior ministry official said. In southern Ukraine, Western weaponry had helped Ukrainian forces advance 10 km (6 miles) towards Russian-occupied Melitopol, its mayor said.

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that in recent days, both Russia and Ukraine have continued to conduct heavy artillery bombardments on axes to the north, east and south of the Sieverodonetsk pocket, but with little change in the front line. Combat units from both sides are committed to intense combat in the Donbas and are likely experiencing variable morale. Ukrainian forces have likely suffered desertions in recent weeks, however, Russian morale highly likely remains especially troubled. Cases of whole Russian units refusing orders and armed stand-offs between officers and their troops continue to occur. The Russian authorities likely struggle to bring legal pressure to bear on military dissenters, hampered by the invasion’s official status as a ‘special military operation’ rather than as a war. Drivers for low Russian morale include perceived poor leadership, limited opportunity for rotation of units out of combat, very heavy casualties, combat stress, continued poor logistics, and problems with pay. Many Russian personnel of all ranks also likely remain confused about the war’s objectives. Morale problems in the Russian force are likely so significant that they are limiting Russia’s ability to achieve operational objectives.

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine spokesman Oleksandr Stupun said the aggressor continues to launch missile and air strikes on military and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. In the Volyn and Polissya directions, certain units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus perform tasks to cover the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, carry out fortification equipment in the Gomel region, and conduct electronic reconnaissance. In the Seversky direction, units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue engineering equipment positions in the border areas of the Kursk region. There is an increase in the air defense system in the Bryansk region.

In the Kharkiv direction, the Russians fired intensively at the positions of Ukrainiantroops from barrel and jet artillery. He conducted reconnaissance by fighting in the area of the settlement of Rubizhne, had no success. The Russians did not take active action in the Slavic direction. The main focus of the Russians is on the accumulation of resources in order to carry out a further offensive in the direction of the city of Slavyansk. The Russians fired on the positions of Ukrainian troops and conducted air reconnaissance of the Orlan-10 UAV. No active actions of the occupiers were recorded in the Lyman direction.

In the Severodonetsk direction, the Russians conducted round-the-clock air reconnaissance of the Orlan-10 UAV. They conducted assault operations in order to establish full control over the city of Severodonetsk, while hostilities continued, the Russians were unsuccessful.

In the Bakhmut direction, the Russians struck Ka-52 helicopters near Yakovlevka and fired missiles at the settlements of Travneve, Dolomitnoye, Zaitsevo and New York. On the eastern outskirts of the village of Berestov, Ukrainian soldiers successfully repulsed an Russian assault. The Russians did not take active action in the Avdiivka, Kurakhiv, Novopavliv and Zaporizhzhya areas. In the Avdiivka direction there was an increase in the intensity of artillery shelling of Ukrainianpositions. In the South Bug direction, the Russians fired on the peaceful settlements of Lymany, Lupareve, Nova Zorya, Tavriyske, Novohryhorivka, Bilousove, Knyazivka, Topolyne, Velyka Kostromka and Osokorivka. The Russians were improving the engineering equipment of the first and second lines of defense. The Russian occupiers are stepping up the air defense system in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region.

Igor Konashenkov, Major General of the Russian Federation, spoke about the work of "Caliber" in the framework of the NWO. The Russian Armed Forces destroyed more than 50 generals and officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine located in the Dnipropetrovsk region with Kalibr cruise missiles. The corresponding statement during a speech at a regular morning briefing on June 19 was made by the official representative of the Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov. Major General of the Russian Federation stressed that the operation was carried out over the past day at 12:30 local time using long-range sea-based weapons. "A blow was struck at the command post of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the village of Shirokaya Dacha at the moment when a working meeting of the command staff of the "Alexandria" operational-strategic group of troops was being held there." As a result of the strike, representatives of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the command of the Kakhovka group of troops, air assault troops and other combat formations operating in the Nikolaev and Zaporozhye directions were also destroyed.

The Russian armed forces destroyed up to 200 militants of the 56th motorized infantry brigade in the Donetsk People's Republic. Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, told reporters the corresponding statement as part of a regular morning briefing on June 19. Major General of the Russian Federation explained that the mission was carried out with air-launched weapons. not only the manpower of the enemy was eliminated, but also two enemy combat vehicles of the Grad multiple launch rocket system, ten units of infantry vehicles and armored vehicles.

"At 02:05, in the area of the settlement of Selidovo of the Donetsk People's Republic, the manpower and military equipment of the 56th motorized infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was defeated. Destroyed up to 200 militants, including foreign mercenaries."

Igor Konashenkov added that as part of the counter-battery fight in the Donetsk direction, the RF Armed Forces defeated seven platoons of the Grad MLRS, as well as an artillery platoon of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in firing positions. The Ministry of Defense reported the destruction of two Uragan launchers.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that certain parts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were leaving the combat area due to the lack of material and technical support, as well as due to poor moral and psychological state. The corresponding statement was made by the official representative of the military department, Igor Konashenkov, as part of a regular morning briefing with journalists on June 19. The major general specified that the first platoon of the first company of the Ukrainian 57th motorized infantry brigade had left their positions. The soldiers had to abandon heavy weapons in the Lisichansk area. "Separate units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are leaving the combat area due to low morale, lack of ammunition and lack of support" Igor Konashenkov said.

Russia, as part of a special operation in Ukraine, used new high-precision 305 aircraft missiles to destroy important military facilities. "Missiles are fired from Mi-28NM attack helicopters at important facilities of the Ukrainian troops, for example, at warehouses with ammunition and fuel and lubricants," an informed source told RIA Novosti.

Italy’s state-owned energy exchange disclosed that Gazprom said it will only partially meet a request by Italy’s Eni for gas supplies, signalling a sixth consecutive daily shortfall. The head of Italian energy giant ENI said that with additional gas purchased from other sources, Italy should make it through its next winter, but he warned Italians that “restrictions” affecting gas use might be necessary. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that reductions in supply were not premeditated and were related to maintenance issues. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi dismissed this explanation as a “lie”.