A female victim rescued from the debris has sadly passed away.
New reports indicate two deaths among Ukrainian civilians due to Russian attacks. In the Poltava region, a woman who was initially rescued from the ruins of a house has unfortunately passed away in the hospital, as stated by Filip Pronin, Poltava's governor, on Telegram. He emphasizes the doctors' efforts to save her life. It's alleged that a house close to Poltava was struck by a Russian rocket on Friday. Meanwhile, in the Kherson area, a 60-year-old woman was killed, according to authorities, when Russian artillery struck the village of Dudchany.
In Luhansk, a Russian-occupied portion of Ukraine, the Moscow-endorsed governor reports two more casualties, bringing the total count to six, after a Ukrainian rocket assault. Remains were discovered in the rubble. Sixty more people were hurt in this attack on the city of Luhansk. The news is unverified independently. Neither Ukraine has issued any statement about it.
A Swiss NGO is working to help one of its employees arrested in Russia. This includes finding a lawyer and reaching out to Russian officials. "While proceedings are ongoing, we are still looking for information about the situations that led to his arrest and the charges against him," the organization stated. The state-run Russian news agency Tass quoted the defendant's lawyer as saying his client confessed guilty in court, unaware of the mandatory registration as a foreign agent. Russian authorities also accuse him of gathering information on Russia's "military and military-technical activities."
Ukrainian air defense systems have thwarted nine of the thirteen Russian drones that are hovering over the regions of Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk and the area of Kharkiv in the north-east. Serhiy Lysak, governor of Zaporizhzhia, tells that a drone that struck commercial and residential buildings in the city during the night. Earlier, Russia announced that Ukrainian forces had attacked Russian targets utilizing 25 drones. There were no deaths reported.
Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been severely damaged by Russia's repeated attacks, according to Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal on Ukrainian television. He reported to "The New Voice of Ukraine" that they have lost 50 percent of their electricity generation capacity or roughly 9.2 gigawatts of power, equivalent to half their capacity, from a combination of rocket and drone assaults. Furthermore, twenty hydroelectric plants are not operational.
French journalists have identified two alleged Russian soldiers who raped two Ukrainian women during the Russian occupation of the Kiev and Kherson regions in 2022. The unpunished criminals have not faced any consequences. Additionally, one of them is allegedly living in the occupied city of Horlivka in the Donetsk region, while the other is said to be involved in other war crimes, including killing a civilian. The "Kyiv Independent" reported a total of 292 incidents of sexual violence by Russian soldiers on Ukrainian soil since the commencement of the conflict.
Satellite imagery shows eight vessels anchored near the Kerch Bridge, installed by the Russian military to secure the bridge and the shipping lane. It also assisted in reducing the steep approach angle for Ukrainian drones, according to the British defense intelligence agency. Russia has allegedly replaced the previous installations destroyed in storms. The Kerch Bridge connects the Russian mainland to Crimea, serving as a crucial supply route for the front.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius reaffirms his statement, urging the Bundeswehr to "become war-ready." He emphasizes the need to be equipped for defense against potential attacks - "ready to face the worst to avert it," Pistorius said at the Bundeswehr Day in Faßberg. Many security experts agree that it will take Russia about five years to build military capabilities necessary for an assault on a NATO nation. They've increased their military expenditure from 5.9 percent of their economic output in 2023 to 7 percent.
Russian troops push forward on the southern front with unrelenting force. In a single day's time, Ukraine documented 240 reconnaissance drones deployed across the southern region. Alongside artillery, rockets, and combat drones, these devices are being used. The Ukrainian armed forces successfully fended off three assaults in the areas of Orichiv and Krynky, as stated by their own accounts.
12:29 Kuleba requests action on frozen Russian assets: 🌐 "Ukrainian Supporters should Utilize Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine!"
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba encourages Ukraine advocates to explore possibilities beyond simply utilizing the proceeds from confiscated Russian assets. Kuleba suggests taking direct ownership of these assets as well. "We comprehend the reservations of our partners regarding this move," he emphasizes, "however, we stand within the realm of international law." Russian Central Bank assets withheld in the EU equate to a value exceeding 200 billion euros. Standard discourse within the G7 pertains to whether revenues or funds themselves might be appropriated. A discussion on this subject is set to take place during the G7 summit slated to occur in Italy the upcoming week.
11:55 Kharkiv: Russians target even livestock: 📹 "Russians Even Shoot at Cows!"
نتوجى جنركن خارجية كوميتى شارما زارت خاركيف ودارت الاتصال مع شخصيات خازن كلياً بالبلدان القرب من العدوان الروسي. في قرية برقصة انتهك مجا Prof Kavita Sharma travels to Kharkiv to meet people left with nothing due to Russian attacks - families, homes. On one farm, the Russians fired at cows.
11:34 Scholz (لطم الرئيس من مكينة العمل الألمانية): "Putin Won't Succeed"
قبل انتخابات الأوروبية المنخفضة للمشتركات يعد الشريف الحكومي الألماني أعد تأكيد آراءه على الانتقال العسكري الروسي على اوكرانيا وتكوين دعم مندوبة موازنة لأوكرانيا. "لن يتم نجاح روسيا بأفكارها عثمانية," أوسع شلز. "يجب على بنتى أن يفهم أنه لا يسمع فوزاته جريحة في حربه الدعورية لعمله التهابية." من أجل السلام، السياسة السلامية بإنعكاسها: "نأسف أوكرانيا، عضوية وسيورية اوكرانيا."
10:57 Ukrainian drone damages military airfield in the Caucasus: 🛩 "Drones Hammer Russian Caucuses' Airfield"
Based on Russian media reports, the military airfield in the autonomous area of نورث أوثة في الكوكاسوس، بأكبر ديفا 700 كيلومترا من أحد الحدود الأوكرانية، تم تجميع ركاب طائرات اللواء الأوكرانية المحافظة على هذه التنطبق الحربية عبر مغازل. يتم جرعية مجلفنات جو. مكان المبنى يشير إلى مكان إطلاق الطائرات محفوظة للعامّة. لا يعد الأرمية الأوكرانية تحتاج إلى ضربته الأدوات الأرباحية على أراضي روسية ليبطاء المنحلات ومناطق الشحن وليلنا الموارد.
10:20 Front at Pokrovsk: A brigade repels three Russian brigades
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian troops continue to launch devastating mass attacks on the eastern front. At the front near Podarshany, a Ukrainian tank brigade successfully prevented three Russian brigades from advancing. The front near Pokrovsk serves as the center of the fighting. The place is situated to the west of Ocheretyne, which the Russians had recently gained control of. "The adversary is attempting to penetrate deeply into our territory," the report assures. "With large amounts of reinforcements, the Russians are rapidly compensating their heavy losses by sending in more soldiers into combat. The battles show no sign of abating."
09:48 Moscow: Ukrainian drones attack Russian targets: 🛩 "Ukrainian Drones Raid Russian Borders"
The Ukrainians employed a total of 25 combat drones to attack Russian targets throughout Saturday night, per Moscow's Defense Ministry. The drones were repelled in the border regions of Rostov, Bryansk, and Belgorod. The annexed Crimean Peninsula was yet another target of the drone terrorism.
09:12 Sharma: Russians aim to create rift between Ukrainian combat positions: 📢 "Divide-and-Conquer: Russians Attempt Separation Strategy at Frontlines"
The tension in Donetsk remains noticeable. Russian forces appear to be trying to enact a situation that experts had cautioned against, as reported by Kavita Sharma on the ground in Ukraine.
08:55 Ukrainian General Staff: 1210 Russians Killed/Injured in the Past 24 Hours
The Ukrainian General Staff reports 1210 Russian casualties during the past day. According to their tally, Russian losses now exceed 517,000 since the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Ukrainian army managed to take down 9 Russian tanks, 36 armored vehicles, one multiple rocket launcher, and 7 air defense systems over the past 24 hours.
08:31 Russia plans multimillion-euro ($15 million) propaganda campaign against Ukraine's military leadership: 🔗 "Russia Plans 15 Million Euro Propaganda Blitz against Ukrainian Military Academy"
Ukrainian military intelligence agency GUR has uncovered a Russian plan to wage a propaganda campaign against the leadership of the Ukrainian military. The budget for publishing content portraying the Ukrainian special forces and military leadership in a negative light stands at 15 million euros. Instruction to distribute this material across Ukrainian and other Western media sources has reportedly already been disseminated to Russian forces. The intended outcome is escalation of public friction in Ukraine.
At night, there were explosions heard in Sewastopol on the occupied Crimean Peninsula. These were reported by the Kyiv Independent and the Telegram channel Crimean Wind. Residents of Balaklava, a settlement in Sewastopol, claimed to have heard the explosions around 1:39 local time. The first explosion allegedly occurred near a power plant. Crimean Wind speculated that this could be a result of a drone attack, as they had heard sounds of large-caliber weapons before the explosion. A second explosion was reported near the port of Sewastopol. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these reports. Ukraine is trying to disrupt Russian logistics and supply lines to the front by carrying out targeted attacks on infrastructure.
The Ukrainian Air Force has praised the Mirage combat jets that France plans to give to Ukraine as modern and versatile. They can perform various combat missions, according to a spokesperson for the Air Force. However, F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine are still a priority. Ukraine is currently waiting for the training of F-16 pilots to be completed. The training on Mirage fighters is expected to take another half a year. The secure storage of Western jets will also be a challenge due to the constant Russian air raids. The French Mirage was developed in France in the 1970s and exported to various countries. It was the most important combat aircraft of the French army until about 20 years ago.
Eight more settlements in the Ukrainian-Russian border area of the Sumy region are being evacuated due to daily Russian attacks. The governor of the region announced this on state television. In the last 24 hours, there were more than 50 explosions reported from Sumy. At the beginning of the week, three people were killed and three others were injured by Russian shelling. With this, the number of civilians killed in this region this year has reached 50. They died from attacks with artillery, mortars, and kamikaze drones.
The French defense contractor Thales is selling a second air defense system to Ukraine. The company announced this without naming a purchase price. Air defense is currently one of the biggest problems on Ukrainian soil, as there are not enough defense weapons available to protect troops at the front and the major cities in the country.
According to a report by the news agency Bloomberg, Germany is considering sending a fourth Patriot missile defense system to Kiev. This would be the fourth Patriot system that Germany would provide to Ukraine. It comes at a time when the German government has relaxed the rules for the use of Patriots against Russian aircraft in Russian airspace. With Patriots, Ukraine could theoretically shoot down Russian aircraft that attack targets in the Kharkiv region with rockets or glide bombs from outside the Russian airspace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims of the alleged "illegitimacy" of his presidency, stating that Putin is the only one who recognizes his own legitimacy. "We are fighting for the free choice of the Ukrainian people, not for one person's legitimacy," said Zelenskyy during a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. "Putin's legitimacy is only recognized by him. The Russians are just a backdrop, with only one actor on the stage."
Germany aims to give Ukraine a long-term perspective beyond military aid with the upcoming Ukraine reconstruction conference next week. This is about presenting possibilities to the civil society, economy, municipalities, and regions, says a high-ranking official from the German government. Other topics include reforms and employment. At the conference on Tuesday and Wednesday in Berlin, besides German Chancellor Scholz and various German ministers and ministers, a highly ranked Ukrainian delegation is expected. The meeting is "not a fundraising conference, but a networking conference," says a German government representative.
The Russian occupation administration claimed that 22 people were killed in a Ukrainian artillery attack on a Russian-occupied village in the southern region of Kherson. The Russian-appointed administrator for the region, Vladimir Saldo, wrote on Telegram that a village store full of people was hit. There are also 15 injured. The administrator spoke of a "vile murder of civilians" made possible by Western weapons supplies to Ukraine. His post includes photos, but they do not provide a clear impression of the extent of the damage. There are no independent confirmations of the incident.
French President Emmanuel Macron urges the EU to initiate accession talks with Ukraine by the end of the month. Speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, Macron stated, "France is backing Ukraine in all areas, including at the European level, where we're working towards starting accession negotiations by the end of this month." Zelenskyy added that certain decisions regarding Ukraine's entry into the EU are near finalisation.
However, the EU Commission had previously stated that the requirements for launching accession talks with Ukraine have been met, as is the case with its neighbor Moldova. But, Hungary, set to assume the EU Council presidency on July 1, has been delaying the process.
22:54: Zelenskyy's trust level hits a record low
Following over two years of conflict, President Zelenskyy's support in Ukraine has dipped to an all-time low, yet he still maintains the confidence of more than half the population. Results from a KIIS Institute survey reveal that approval for the state head dipped below 60% for the first time. Five months ago, when Russia initiated its invasion, Zelenskyy's approval rate stood at 90%. Since then, his support has been decreasing gradually throughout the war. His term was set to expire in May - however, under martial law, he will continue serving as president. Ukrainian officials have announced that no elections will be held for the time being, due to the 20% of the nation under Russian control and millions of Ukrainians fleeing the country.
22:04: No US involvement in Macron's plan
United States authorities have no plans to take part in Emmanuel Macron's scheme to dispatch military trainers to Ukraine. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, during a trip to France by American President Joe Biden, said that Biden admires Macron's standpoint. Nevertheless, the American president has been consistent since the start of the Ukrainian war in discouraging the dispatch of American troops to the area. "Thus far, and this will hold true in the future, the US will not send soldiers," confirmed Kirby. Biden leaves the decision as to how openly Macron wishes to disclose details about this matter and how transparent he wants to be to Macron. Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, Biden has made it clear that he wants to avoid "a third world war" involving Russia.
Read also:
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called out Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Putin is the only one who recognizes his own legitimacy, while Ukraine is fighting for the free choice of its people.
- The Kyiv Independent has reported 292 incidents of sexual violence by Russian soldiers on Ukrainian soil since the start of the conflict, with two alleged Russian soldiers identified in the Kiev and Kherson regions in 2022.
- Ukraine's Air Force has praised the Mirage combat jets France plans to provide, calling them modern and versatile, but they are still prioritizing F-16 fighter jets, with the training of pilots and secure storage of Western jets being major challenges.
- New reports indicate that two deaths among Ukrainian civilians have occurred due to Russian attacks, with a woman who was rescued from the ruins in Poltava passing away in the hospital, and a 60-year-old woman killed in the village of Dudchany due to Russian artillery strikes in the Kherson area.
