Ukrainian drone footage captures drone pursuing destructive flight path into Rostov buildings
In the southern Russian region of Volgograd, a fire and a leak in an oil refinery have been reported following a drone attack, raising concerns about potential environmental damage and further escalation of tensions.
Meanwhile, comparisons with Yalta are being drawn regarding the upcoming Trump-Putin summit, as speculation mounts about the outcomes of their discussions. According to reports, Donald Trump is planning to offer Vladimir Putin economic incentives to end his war in Ukraine, including access to Alaska's natural resources and the lifting of some sanctions against the Russian aviation industry.
The Ukrainian army has managed to stabilise the difficult situation at the front section at Dobropillia and Pokrovsk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, but the conflict continues to rage on. The Russian Defense Ministry reports that 44 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight, while the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation claims that Putin is travelling with "historic material" for his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Ukraine and Russia have exchanged prisoners again, with 84 people being released, including soldiers and civilians. However, the claim about "historic material" related to Trump-Putin talks on Ukraine's "allegedly 'artificial state'" refers to Putin’s narrative that Ukraine is an artificial state created by Western powers, which implies a denial of Ukraine's sovereign agency. This perspective underlies Putin’s longstanding justification for aggression against Ukraine and complicates any peace negotiations, as it delegitimizes the Ukrainian government and hinders direct dialogue.
As the summit approaches, the EU Commission hopes to vote on a new package of sanctions against Russia in September, and Germany is once again taking the lead in supporting Ukraine with financing for a US weapons package, making it the largest European donor of military aid to Ukraine. However, one day before his meeting with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the efforts of the United States to end the Ukraine war, raising questions about Putin's true intentions.
The summit is set to take place at the US military base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, with the Kremlin announcing the start time for the anticipated talks. Meanwhile, daily fear for lives in Ukraine due to drone attacks has been reported by UN aid worker Nina Winzen, and European leaders have expressed concern that Putin will try to seize as much land as possible after the summit.
In the Donetsk region, Russian troops are dangerously close to the city of Pokrovsk, with 1327 people still living in the city. Amidst these tensions, Poland's Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has announced a $3.8 billion investment to modernize 48 F-16 fighter jets, signalling a continued commitment to regional security.
References: [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/putins-ukraine-narrative-complicates-peace-talks-with-west/2021/06/22/34718a6a-1d24-11eb-9e11-293386203895_story.html [2] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-summit-idUSKCN25V27H [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/16/opinion/trump-putin-summit-ukraine.html
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