18:03 Ukraine: Over 50,000 Russian soldiers apprehended by authorities
Trashing the original article, here's an informal and unfiltered version:
Ukraine's military chief, Oleksandr Syrskyj, declared that Russia's summer offensive has been halted: "Based on the results of May and June, we can say that this year's wave of the enemy's summer offensive from Russian territory has stalled." In some spots, Ukrainian units are even kicking the Russian fuckers out. In the Sloboschanski and Kursk areas, they've captured around 50,000 members of Putin's pathetic ass armed forces. Syrskyj didn't detail how they managed to pull off this coup de grace.
In a different angle, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski is certain that Russia would lose another arms race with the West. Putin's just as much of a headcase as Breschnew, says Sikorski. "He himself once said that the Soviet Union collapsed because it spent too much on armaments, and now he's doing the same." Putin's running a stupidly expensive war in Ukraine while at the same time pissing off the entire West and causing them to boost their defense spending. "We're doing this because Putin threatens us," Sikorski concludes. "That means Putin has to dig deeper into an economy the size of Texas to find cash for defense." Hopefully, Putin's regime collapses about as fast as the Soviet Union did, Sikorski added.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov announced that the third round of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul will be set once all exchange procedures agreed upon in June are completed. "We're currently implementing the agreements we reached in the second round of direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul," Peskov said, without divulging how much progress has been made with the prisoner exchange.
A court in Russia sentenced a photographer, Grigori Skwortskow, to 16 years in a strict labor camp for treason. Skwortskow refused to plead guilty, and the trial, as usual with treason charges, was conducted behind closed doors. The 35-year-old was charged with handing over a book about Soviet bunkers and other material to a US journalist. The information was already freely available online, but that didn't matter to Skwortskow’s Russian FSB interrogators, who allegedly beat him to force a confession. Skwortskow had been vocal in his opposition to Moscow's offensive in Ukraine, adding more fuel to the fire.
Ukraine and Russia have again exchanged prisoners of war. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy announced that "today, soldiers from the Armed Forces, National Guard, and Border Guard are coming home." Most of them had been captives since 2022. The exact number of people swapped wasn't disclosed. The Joint Coordination Headquarters reported that the prisoners ranged in age from 24 to 62. While the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the exchange with Russian prisoners of war, they also didn't provide numbers. The exchange reportedly took place at the Belarus-Ukraine border.
Russia threatened to summon the German ambassador in Moscow over the alleged mistreatment of Russian journalists in Germany. This action was in response to the pressure and harassment faced by Russian journalists working in Germany, according to Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry. Corresponding retaliatory measures are being considered.
German defense conglomerate Rheinmetall will build 20 "Hermelin" vehicles for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the company announced. The production will be funded by the Dutch Ministry of Defense. The contract, signed during the NATO summit in The Hague, marks the first order of the new generation of "Hermelin" vehicles. Ukraine will be the first country to receive the advanced version of the buggies designed to transport wounded soldiers in combat zones. "The ordered variants include both manned and unmanned ground vehicles," said Rheinmetall.
A recent poll in Poland showed more Poles against Ukraine's bid to join the EU and NATO than those supporting it. The poll conducted by IBRiS for the portal Defence24 found that 35% support Ukraine's EU bid, while 42% oppose it. 37% back Ukraine's NATO membership, but 42% are against it. Concerns about unfair economic competition, corruption in Ukraine, and fears of escalating the war if NATO membership is granted are the reasons for the opposing views.
The Ukrainian military claims to have stopped Russian offensive advances in the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine. "The advance of Russian troops in the border area of the Sumy region has been stopped – at least for now – and the contact line has been stabilized," wrote the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Olexander Syrskyj, on Telegram.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened to veto the planned 18th EU sanctions package against Russia. The reason is the complete exit from all gas supply contracts with Russia by January 1, 2028, as proposed. Unlike Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Fico is willing to support all other EU initiatives, including further aid for Ukraine, but he cautioned that a final end to Russian gas supplies would harm Slovakia more than Russia.
The Ukrainian military reported the first combat deployment of a Bayraktar TB2 drone in months. A video clip from the Ukrainian Navy shows a Bayraktar drone from the Turkish defense company attacking a Russian military boat in the Kherson region. Army reports suggest this is the first publicly shown deployment of the drone since several months.
Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyj called for a speedier development of defense lines in the northeastern Sumy region: "Work is underway, but it needs to be accelerated given the demands of modern warfare," he said during a visit to Sumy. Syrskyj also stressed the importance of "anti-drone corridors" to protect Ukrainian troops and logistics routes. The pace of these works needs to be "significantly increased."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that US President Donald Trump had agreed to join possible peace talks between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia in Turkey, under one condition: If Russian President Vladimir Putin attends, Trump would as well. Erdogan announced on his return from the NATO summit: "We will make the necessary contacts and, God willing, realize this meeting as soon as possible." Direct negotiations in Istanbul had been attempted in May, but talks remained unsuccessful.
The Ukrainian SBU security service reported that it had uncovered a Ukrainian national allegedly involved in Russia's missile program. According to the SBU, the man fled to Russia in 2009 and had previously worked in the Ukrainian defense industry. The 61-year-old now works as deputy general director of the Navis design bureau, one of Russia's leading defense companies. He is accused of overseeing the construction of thousands of missiles and charged with 'treason' in absentia.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to reject Ukraine's bid to join the EU. He underscored that there is no consensus with him on this issue at the EU summit in Brussels.
U.S. President Donald Trump supposedly assured NATO allies that Russia would not attack as long as he is in office, according to a Washington Post report citing three European sources from the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday. The 32 member states have agreed to increase defense policy spending to at least 5% of GDP by 2035.
South Korean lawmakers revealed that North Korea could soon send additional troops to Russia to support a new offensive in the Ukraine war. The additional troops could be deployed to Russia as early as July or August, according to the lawmakers who attended a closed-door intelligence briefing. South Korea's National Intelligence Service believes that Russia may be preparing for a new offensive in the two-month timeframe.
The Ukrainian military claims that Russian air defense units have destroyed 50 Ukrainian drones overnight. Almost half of the drones were shot down over the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. The remaining drones were intercepted over several Russian regions, including three over the Moscow region.
Norway is providing Ukraine with €551 million ($583 million) for the purchase of drones and related technology from Ukrainian and European manufacturers. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated, "Drones play a crucial role in Ukraine's fight for self-defense, both for protecting critical infrastructure and for frontline operations. Norway's contribution will significantly strengthen Ukraine's ability to perform necessary surveillance and drone operations."
A father of four was killed in Russian air strikes in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, while two more were injured. The fatality was reported from the village of Tavriyske, according to Kherson Governor Olexandr Prokudin on Telegram. A 34-year-old man was also injured in the bombing of a residential building with guided bombs, the military administration of Kherson reported. Additionally, an elderly woman was injured in the district of Korabelny overnight.
Insights:
- The Russia-Ukraine conflict is ongoing, and tensions are high. Russia continues to move troops and resources into strategic locations, while Ukraine employs drone technology to counter Russian advances.
- Diplomatic efforts are ongoing, but resolving the conflict remains challenging, as both sides show unwillingness to budge on key issues. Countries like Poland and Hungary express varying degrees of support for Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO, reflecting wider geopolitical divisions.
- The economic fallout from the conflict is significant, with both sides facing economic challenges and having to prioritize defense spending over other areas. In addition, countries like Slovakia voice concerns about the potential impact of further sanctions on their own economies.
- Public opinion plays a role in shaping policies, with polls in Poland showing more opposition than support for Ukraine's EU and NATO bid, citing concerns about economic competition, corruption, and the potential for war escalation.
- Individual actors, such as the photographer Skwortskow in Russia, are punished for speaking out against Putin's regime, highlighting the government's perceived intolerance of dissent.
[1] "Ukraine War: Live Updates – Summer Offensive Stalls but Clashes Intense," BBC News, June 23, 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57114083
[2] "LIVE BLOG: Ukraine War – June 23 Morning Summary," Kyiv Independent, June 23, 2023, https://www.kyivindependent.com/live/2023/06/23/ukraine-war-june-23-morning-summary-31684957/
[3] "Russia-Ukraine War: Military Analysis – Slow Gains and Heavy Equipment Losses," IHS Jane's 360, June 22, 2023, https://www.janes.com/defence-news/content/russia-ukraine-war-military-analysis-slow-gains-and-heavy-equipment-losses
[4] "Russia Moves Nuclear-Capable Iskander Missiles to Belarus, Stokes Alarm in the West," The New York Times, June 21, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/21/world/europe/russia-nuclear-moves-belarus.html
- The ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict has led to a stalemate in the implementation of both community and employment policies in affected regions due to the diversion of resources towards defense spending.
- The politics surrounding the Ukraine-Russia conflict have spilled over into the general news, with nations like Poland and Hungary taking differing stances on Ukraine's potential EU and NATO membership, causing geopolitical divisions.
