Ukraine Daily

Thursday, June 30

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

Refugees get off the bus to pass the passport control when returning to Ukraine at the Polish-Ukrainian border. (via Getty Images)

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Ukraine returns 144 soldiers, including 95 Azovstal defenders, from Russian captivity. Ukraine coordinated the biggest prisoner swap to date, freeing 144 soldiers, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced on Telegram. Among them are 95 defenders of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, including 43 Azov fighters. Most of the freed soldiers are severely injured.

Putin says Kremenchuk mall attack is not a terrorist act. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said there was no terrorist act in Kremenchuk, Russian state-owned Ria Novosti news agency reported on June 29. “Nobody just fires at fields. The Russian army does not strike any civilian objects. There is no need for this. We have all the possibilities to determine what is where, and we achieve these goals with modern high-precision long-range weapons,” he said. Russia’s defense ministry earlier admitted responsibility for a missile strike that destroyed a shopping mall in Kremenchuk but denied reports of civilian casualties. At least 20 people were killed and 59 injured in the attack.

Amnesty International concludes Mariupol theater attack was a ‘clear war crime.’ An extensive investigation by human rights group Amnesty International has concluded that Russian military forces committed a war crime when they struck the Mariupol drama theatre in Ukraine in March, killing dozens of people. Mariupol officials initially estimated around 300 dead. Amnesty’s Crisis Response team interviewed numerous survivors and collected digital evidence, concluding that the attack was almost certainly carried out by Russian fighter aircraft, which dropped two 500 kilogram bombs that struck close to each other and detonated simultaneously.

Governor: Russian troops destroy warehouses of humanitarian aid supplies in Luhansk Oblast. Russian occupiers are shelling the road from Lysychansk to Bakhmut, preventing humanitarian aid supplies to Lysychansk, Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk Oblast, said on June 29. About 15,000 civilians remain in Lysychansk but their evacuation is underway, he said.

Zelensky meets British billionaire Richard Branson. “We talked about maintaining global attention to the war in Ukraine, as well as prospects for cooperation in the postwar reconstruction of Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The founder of Virgin Galactic also visited Antonov Airport in Hostomel, which was severely damaged by fighting in March. According to Mayor of Hostomel Taras Dumenko, Branson expressed interest in rebuilding the premises.

Ukraine’s military reportedly destroys Russian Pantsir missile system on Snake Island. Ukraine’s Operational Command “South” reports that on June 28 Russian forces lost 40 soldiers, a Pantsir S-1 missile system on Snake Island, two howitzers “Msta-B” and self-propelled “Msta-S” howitzer as well as three units of armored and other vehicles on the southern frontline.

General Staff: Russian troops try to block Lysychansk, take control of the Lysychansk-Bakhmut highway. Russian troops sent subversive groups to the village of Verkhnyokamyanka near the city of Lysychansk, Luhansk Oblast, but they were defeated, Ukraine’s General Staff said. Russian forces also unsuccessfully tried to advance towards the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, through the village of Spirne, according to the General Staff.

Poll: Nearly 90% of Ukrainians reject conceding land to Russia to end war. A recent poll conducted by NORC and the Wall Street Journal showed that 89 percent of Ukrainians would reject any peace deal with Russia that includes territorial concessions.

Ukraine, EU sign agreement on liberalization of road transport. The agreement eliminates the need for Ukrainian carriers to obtain permits to enter the EU. Previously, each country provided specific quotas for freight transportation from Ukraine. The agreement also envisions the recognition of Ukrainian driver’s licenses by the EU.

Ukraine receives $1.3 billion grant from US. The grant is part of a $7.5 billion budget funding package, Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal said on June 29.

Institute for the Study of War: Russia still has territorial ambitions beyond Donbas. The U.S. think tank said in its latest assessment that Russian forces are continuing to engage in offensive operations north of Kharkiv, indicating that the Kremlin has territorial ambitions beyond the Donbas that will continue to attrit manpower and equipment, potentially at the cost of offensive power on more critical axes of advance.

US intelligence chief: Putin still wants to seize most of Ukraine. Avril Haines, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said on June 29 that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin had not changed his goal to seize most of Ukraine. U.S. intelligence agencies see three scenarios in the near term: a grinding conflict in which Russia only makes incremental gains, but no breakthrough, a major Russian breakthrough, or Ukraine achieving small gains in southern Ukraine while stabilizing the frontline. “In short, the picture remains pretty grim,” Haines said.

Read our exclusive, on the ground stories

As part of its new strategic vision, NATO members have pledged to further step up their support for Ukraine, agreeing on a strengthened military aid package. During a three-day summit held in Madrid from June 28-30, NATO heads of state and governments endorsed a new NATO 2022 Strategic Concept outlining the alliance’s priorities and approaches to security for the next decade. Read our story here.

As the bloodshed has mainly shifted to the east of the country, many Ukrainian refugees feel it is safe enough to come back home. We collected their stories here.

Oleh Puteshenko walked through the ruins of his former workplace, a restaurant in Kharkiv, barely holding back tears. The days when the restaurant was always packed with customers are still fresh in his mind. Read his story here.

The human cost of Russia’s war

UN: Russian troops executed civilians in over 30 Ukrainian settlements. The United Nations Office of Human Rights identified executions of civilians by the Russian troops in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy oblasts. In Bucha alone, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has documented the executions of at least 50 civilians, mostly men, but also women and children.

Governor: Russian shelling of Sumy Oblast kills 2 civilians, injures 8. Sumy Oblast Governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyi reports that one person was killed and three injured as a result of Russia’s shelling of Krasnopillia community. In two other settlements, one person was killed and five injured, according to the governor.

General Staff: Russia has lost 35 450 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on June 29 that Russia had also lost 1,572 tanks, 3,720 armored fighting vehicles, 781 artillery systems, 246 multiple launch rocket systems, 103 air defense systems, 185 helicopters, 217 airplanes, 640 drones, and 14 boats.

Death toll rises to 4 after Russian attack on residential building in Mykolaiv on June 29. Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Senkevich said authorities continue going through the rubble of a high-rise building hit by a Russian missile, Suspilne reported. Four people were confirmed dead, and five more injured.

International response

Reuters: UK to provide another $1.2 billion of military support to Ukraine. As NATO called Russia the biggest “direct threat” to Western security, the U.K. pledged to provide Ukraine with another 1 billion pounds of military support to boost the country’s defense capabilities, including air defense systems, uncrewed aircraft (drones), new electronic warfare equipment and thousands of pieces of equipment for Ukrainian soldiers.

Norway to send rocket launchers to Ukraine. Norway said on June 29 it would donate three multiple-launch rocket systems to Ukraine, AFP reports. The delivery of the multiple launch rocket systems will be carried out together with Britain.

Switzerland imposes new sanctions on Russia. Switzerland’s Federal Council started implementing the EU’s sixth package of sanctions on June 29. The sanctions include an embargo on crude oil and certain refined oil products from Russia. This embargo will be imposed gradually, taking full effect by the beginning of 2023.

NATO formally invites Sweden and Finland to join alliance. “The accession of Finland and Sweden will make them safer, NATO stronger, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference on June 29 following a trilateral meeting between Turkey, Finland and Sweden.

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