[FORBES] An attempt by the Ukrainian army’s 47th Assault Brigade and 33rd Mechanized Brigade to cross a minefield in southern Ukraine on June 8 was even more disastrous than we knew.
Analysts recently have tallied even more wrecked and abandoned 47th Brigade M-2 infantry fighting vehicles. At the same time, a Ukrainian photographer on or before Saturday got close enough to the site of the failed assault to snap photos of the Russian minefield that trapped the Ukrainian battlegroup, ultimately destroying dozens of 47th and 33rd Brigades’ best Western-made vehicles and killing or wounding many Ukrainians.
Ukraine’s widely-anticipated 2023 counteroffensive was just four days old when the 47th-33rd battlegroup rolled south from Mala Tokmachka in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Their objective: the Russian strongpoint in the town of Robotyne, five miles to the south along the T0408 road and parallel dirt tracks.
If the Ukrainians can break through Russian lines in Robotyne, they can advance on Tokmak, 12 miles farther south. If they can break through Russian lines in Tokmak, they can make a go at Melitopol, 25 miles away along the T0401. Liberating Melitopol would cut in half the Russian force in southern Ukraine.
The Russians are well aware of the importance of the Robotyne-Tokmak-Melitopol axis. Two motor-rifle regiments, the 70th and 291st, have dug in north of Robotyne alongside a pair of Spetznaz special-forces brigades and some reservists. Russian air force helicopters patrol overhead.
And then there are the mines, including hundreds or even thousands of TM-62s. The 21-pound TM-62 is your traditional mine: a big metal disk, packed with explosives and fitted with one of several fuze types. The pressure fuze might be the most popular. Engineers bury TM-62s by hand or speed up the operation by deploying a GMZ minelaying vehicle.
There’s nothing fancy about a pressure-fuze TM-62. But there doesn’t have to be when you lay them as densely as Russian engineers clearly did south of Mala Tokmachka. The recent photos of the old battlefield depict unexploded TM-62s lying just a few feet apart in the minefield equivalent of a thick carpet.
Russian scouts spotted the 47th-33rd Brigade battlegroup approaching Robotyne on June 8 and called in Kamov attack helicopters that plucked at the Ukrainian column with anti-tank missiles. But it was the mines that did in the 33rd and 47th Brigades.
The 47th Brigade’s ex-Finnish Leopard 2R mineclearing vehicles led the way, assisted by at least one German-made Wisent mineclearer possibly belonging to the 33rd Brigade.
The mineclearing vehicles plowed up some of the mines, clearing a few lanes partially through the minefield. 47th Brigade M-2s and MaxxPro armored trucks—all donated by the United States—followed close behind.
But the British-made plows on the Leopard 2Rs and Wisent clearly missed more than a few mines. Three Leopard 2Rs and a Wisent struck mines, as did several M-2s. Trapped and under fire, the battlegroup fell apart. Crews bailed out of their disabled vehicles, dragging their dead and wounded with them. A rescue force riding in M-2s scooped up many of the survivors.
#1
Like greenhorns showing up on safari with a beautiful bespoke double rifle that they can't even hit the open sky with.
PH grumbles and lights a ciggie.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
07/02/2023 6:45 Comments ||
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#2
Posted by: ACA JOE ||
07/02/2023 18:09 Comments ||
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#3
Interesting. I can click from a post where a troll is shilling for the Russians complaining that the blog favors Ukraine to the next post where a Ukrainian troll is claiming that the blog favors the Russians. Rantburg is either a nexus of ideas or one of those purple mosquito zappy things for every ignoramus with access to a web browser.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/02/2023 18:52 Comments ||
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#4
Zappy
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/02/2023 19:25 Comments ||
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#5
Yes, Frank, I guess you are the Zappy.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/02/2023 19:33 Comments ||
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] Another 10 people were injured.
by Yuriy Korogodskyi
On the last day of June, Russian occupiers killed three people in the Donetsk region.
This is reported by Donetska OVA.
The day before, the Russians fired a cruise missile at a school in Sergiyivka of the Udachnen community. A house was damaged in Kramatorsk.
In the Donetsk direction, three houses were damaged in Gostroma of the Kurakhiv community.
On the Horlivskyi direction, three houses in the Chasovoyarsk community and 1 house in Shcherbynivka of the Torecki community were damaged. The Russians destroyed the school in Rozdolivka of the Soledar community with an airstrike. Four houses were damaged in Novodmytrivka. Private houses were damaged in Rai-Olexandrivka of the Mykolaiv community.
Two houses were destroyed on the Lysychansky direction in Siversk. A house was destroyed and another five were damaged in Kolodyazye of the Lymansk community.
We will remind that in the afternoon of June 30, the Russian occupying forces fired at the village. Mykolaivka, Kramatorsk district, Donetsk region. A 46-year-old man died in his own garden, and a 42-year-old woman suffered shrapnel injuries.
Also, on June 30, the Russian occupiers hit the village with multiple rocket launchers . Serhiyivka, Pokrovsky district, Donetsk region. The shells hit the territory of the school, where 12 civilians - representatives of the administration, teachers and technical staff - were at the time of the shelling. A 56-year-old primary school teacher and a 44-year-old chief accountant were killed as a result of the shelling.
The occupiers tried to carry out an offensive on the approaches to Rivnopol.
The situation in the area of responsibility of the Defense Forces of the Tavria direction did not change during the day.
Valeriy Shershen, the spokesman of the United Press Center of the Defense Forces of the Tavrya Region, announced this on the air of the telethon.
"In the Berdyansk direction, the defense forces are consolidating the positions they have reached, carrying out demining and are in the number one readiness for the continuation of the offensive. The enemy continues to storm the Mariinsky direction of our defense. It is the hottest here. Over the past day, there have been 15 combat clashes, the most of which is in the city of Mar "Yinka," he said.
In the Avdiivsk direction, the enemy "continues assault operations with the task of creating conditions for the capture of Avdiivka and Maryinka".
In addition, the occupiers tried to conduct offensive operations on the approaches to Rivnopol. Unsuccessful, suffered losses. Using tanks, artillery and MLRS, the enemy carried out more than 470 attacks on our positions, 14 airstrikes by enemy aircraft were recorded.
We will remind you that according to the General Staff, Ukrainian defenders repelled all enemy attacks in the Mariinsky direction. At the same time, the enemy launched an air strike. He carried out artillery fire on about 10 settlements, in particular, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Georgiivka, and Pobyeda of the Donetsk region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 20:44 Zelensky announced that he had held an off-site meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander at the Rivne NPP in order to assess any possible threats to the plant on the spot. The meeting participants, in particular, heard reports on the operational situation on the Belarusian border and possible actions of the enemy, as well as on the strengthening of the Northern Direction and the protection of the nuclear power plant.
19:51 Russians at the front are actively using mobile crematoria to hide losses and not pay compensation to relatives, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports. One of these crematoria is now operating 24/7 on the territory of the Berdyansk port. Currently, about 50 bodies of dead Russian servicemen are subject to cremation, which were recently taken from the areas of combat operations to the local morgue. Cremation is carried out without identification and registration of the dead.
18:25 Spain supports Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO - the corresponding declaration was signed by Zelensky and Pedro Sanchez.
17:16 The enemy attacked the front-line communities of the Zaporozhye region: one person was killed during the shelling of Malaya Tokmachka, two people were injured in Preobrazhenka, said the head of the OVA Yuriy Malashko.
16:37 There is still no schedule for training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16, Zelensky said at a press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez: "We agreed, we pressed that we have a coalition of countries ready to start training for Ukrainian pilots. Training schedule there are no missions. I think that some partners are dragging it out. Why they do this, I don't know."
16:14 The Russians fired on Balakleya of the Izyumsky district of the Kharkiv region from Tornado multiple launch rocket systems, four people were injured, the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov said.
15:58 Spain will soon transfer four additional Leopard tanks, armored personnel carriers and a mobile field hospital to Ukraine, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.
14:59 Zelensky said in an interview with Spanish journalists that the losses of the Russian army are many times greater than those of Ukraine. According to him, now it is impossible to estimate the losses among the civilian population, since about 30% of the territory of Ukraine is occupied.
14:30 Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez, during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada, announced a new assistance package for Ukraine for 55 million euros.
13:57 Zelensky said in an interview with Spanish journalists that the Russians could remotely detonate the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant after the transfer of the station to Ukraine: “They are looking for a format and a moment. We know for sure that the moment was considered as one of the plans, that later, when the station was transferred to Ukraine, remotely detonate for release. When we get the station, the IAEA should check everything clearly and in detail, well, warn Russia that we know about your possible plans, and they are dangerous for the world."
Zelensky believes that Russia is planning such a move to freeze the war and strengthen its army, and then continue military operations.
13:19 The speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yuri Ignat, admits that Russia may accumulate missiles for "some insidious intentions." According to him, Russia is not now inflicting mass strikes and is probably stockpiling missiles: “Obviously, the enemy is accumulating something, stockpiling something for some more insidious intentions. One can only guess what is in their heads after the events that took place in RF".
12:17 The Russians fired at the residential areas of Kherson, one of the shells hit the house - two children of nine and 15 years old were injured, the OVA reported.
12:05 Zelensky imposed new sanctions against more than 190 individuals and 291 legal entities, mainly Russians, their factories and companies, as well as the Georgian airline Georgian Airways, which resumed flights to the Russian Federation, and its owner Tamaz Gaiashvili.
10:46 The law signed by Zelensky "On amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on certain issues related to military service during martial law" greatly simplifies the procedure for the implementation of decisions of the military medical commission for wounded servicemen. Now, in order to apply for leave for health reasons or dismissal from the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, military personnel do not need to return to the military unit. They are sent to the Territorial recruitment and social support center, where the necessary documents can be obtained from the military unit in electronic form.
10:29 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived in Kiev , a meeting with Zelensky is planned.
09:58 Lukashenka said that he received calls from other countries with warnings not to accept Wagner mercenaries in Belarus. According to him, the mercenaries have not yet arrived in Belarus, but instructors from PMC Wagner are waiting in Minsk. Lukashenka called it a "boon" for the army of the Republic of Belarus, because "these are the most prepared people." At the same time, he claims that there are no more prisoners in the ranks of the Wagnerites: "All the military personnel who were there, convicted, they have already died, unfortunately." In addition, the released convicts did not leave the territory of Russia.
Lukashenka also said that Wagner PMCs are “people who fought all over the world for a normal civilization,” and therefore “the West hates them to the core.”
09:35 In the south of Ukraine, the Russians, after a certain pause, again stepped up attacks with guided bombs and attack drones of the Lancet type, Natalia Gumenyuk, speaker of OK Pivden, said. She also said that the enemy had not yet restored their defensive lines on the left bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region: “They can’t return to their positions everywhere. The geography of mines, which they knew, has changed. clearance and then return."
08:47 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, three people were killed (two in Sergeevka and one in Nikolaevka), ten more were injured. Five people were wounded in the Kherson region (one of them is a child), in the Kharkiv region - one, according to the IVA.
08:36 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of July 1.
personnel - about 228,870 (+530) people liquidated,
tanks - 4042 (+1),
armored combat vehicles - 7868 (+5),
artillery systems - 4162 (+35),
MLRS - 632 (+2),
air defense systems - 389 (+0),
aircraft - 315 (+0),
helicopters - 308 (+0),
UAV operational-tactical level - 3545 (+26),
cruise missiles - 1261 (+0),
ships/boats - 18 (+0),
automotive equipment and tankers - 6794 (+9),
special equipment - 580 (+11).
07:20 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on the Limansky, Bakhmutsky and Maryinsky directions, there are heavy battles. During the day, there were 22 combat clashes, the General Staff said in the morning summary .
According to the General Staff, about 50 ethnic Dagestan servicemen from the Caspian flotilla refused to participate in hostilities in the area of the settlement of Dorozhnyanka, Zaporozhye region, and their weapons were disabled. Meanwhile, in the village of Topolovka, Kherson region, the Russian military command is resettling its servicemen in private houses where the civilian population lives.
04:43 During a secret visit to Ukraine by CIA Director William Burns in early June, the Ukrainian military leadership assured him that closer to autumn, the Armed Forces of Ukraine “could recapture a significant territory”, move artillery and missile systems to the border with Crimea, move further east of Ukraine, and then start negotiations with Moscow, writes The Washington Post, citing sources. "Russia will only negotiate when it feels threatened," a senior Ukrainian official told Burns.
03:46 Ukrainian defenders in the war with Russia eliminated 21,000 Wagner PMC mercenaries and wounded 80,000, Zelensky said in an interview with El Mundo: "The Wagnerites had two categories - professional mercenaries and those mobilized from prisons, their cannon fodder. Our troops killed 21,000 80,000 of them were wounded... The good news is that we have destroyed the most motivated part of the Russian forces."
00:37 The decision to transfer ATACMS to Ukraine should be made by Biden, but he has not yet made it, said Mark Milli, head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. Also, according to him, there is no decision on the supply of DPICM cluster shells to Kyiv.
00:10 The war in Ukraine can be endless, Pope Francis said after his peace envoy completed his visits to Kiev and Moscow: "The tragic reality of this war, which seems to have no end, requires all common creative efforts to invent and pave the way for peace."
Kindly note that several entries in this article may have been removed because they included discussions of the grand strategic level
[NewsFrontInfo] 21:44 Personnel destruction of an armored car of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by Russian troops 20:20 Russian artillery scattered temporary base of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of Ugledar
19:59 Statements of head of the press center of the "South" grouping. Main:
🔹Special forces units of the "Southern" group of troops in the Soledaro-Artemovsky direction revealed the advance of three enemy assault detachments in the area of the settlements of Yagodnoye and Kurdyumovka.
🔹Also, the units of the group successfully thwarted enemy attempts to conduct reconnaissance in force in the areas of the settlements of Razdolnoye, Stepnoye, Mayorskoye and Novokalinovo.
🔹The crew of the multiple launch rocket system "Tornado-S" of the formation of the Southern Military District inflicted a fire defeat on the point of temporary deployment of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Konstantinovka area.
18:58 Ural gunners worked out on the tank of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The enemy vehicle fired at the positions of our troops in the Avdievka direction, but was discovered by the drone operator of the Sparta reconnaissance battalion. Artillerymen of the 1453rd Motorized Rifle Regiment worked on the Ukrainian tank.
The fire of 122mm D-30 howitzers managed to damage the vehicle of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and force it to cease fire.
17:55 Statements of head of the press center of the group "Center". Main:
🔹In the Krasnolimansk direction, the Buk-M3 and Tor-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems of the Center group of troops shot down two Heimers MLRS rockets and two unmanned aerial vehicles of the Ukrainian troops.
🔹On the Torsky site and in the area of Serebryansky forest, units on vehicles of 63 and 42 Mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine attempted to attack the positions of Russian troops. As a result of the combat work of the units, the enemy personnel suffered significant losses.
16:16 Personnel from the makeshift cemetery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Orekhovskoye direction
15:15 Russian military destroyed Armored car of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Belogorovka
15:15 Conditions of life in Ukraine every day is getting worse and worse!
From July 1, 2023, another increase in the price of gasoline by 20%
“Everything is stable in this country, vodka has risen in price, water has risen in price, utility bills have risen in price, but wages have not risen…”
15:14 Night fighting work of ATGM crews of the Southern Group of Forces for the destruction of ukrotanks and infantry fighting vehicles
14:05 The main thing from the new briefing of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation:
🔹The Armed Forces of Ukraine are unsuccessfully trying to attack in the Donetsk, Krasnolimansk, South-Donetsk directions;
🔹The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation successfully repelled 15 attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk direction in a day, the losses amounted to more than 265 Ukrainian servicemen;
🔹The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed the ammunition depot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the settlement of Vyemka in the DPR;
🔹The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 140 soldiers in the Yuzhno-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions in a day;
🔹The troops of the Russian Federation destroyed up to 90 Ukrainian soldiers in a day in the Krasnolimansky direction;
🔹The troops of the Russian Federation during the day repelled the attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the settlement of Pyatikhatki.
13:04 Statement of head of the press center of the West group. Main:
🔹During the hostilities in the Kupyansk direction, the crew of the Su-34 fighter-bomber of the Zapad aviation group of forces launched a missile and bomb attack on the repair base and the point of temporary deployment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kolodeznoye area.
🔹In addition, the crews of Ka-52 and Mi-28 attack helicopters and Su-25 attack aircraft delivered eleven air strikes against enemy manpower.
🔹In the course of reconnaissance and search operations by special forces in the Vasiltsovka and Peschanoe areas, two foreign-made AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery stations were destroyed by Lancet ammunition.
11:56 Russian shock The Ka-52 helicopter is operating the Whirlwind-1 anti-tank missile against armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Zaporozhye region.
11:56 Consequences of rocket strikes and bombing of the UAF bridgehead near the Antonovsky bridge in the Kherson region
10:55 Russian artillery struck landing in the Bakhmut area, in which the Strela-10 air defense system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was located.
09:45 Soldiers of the Dnipro group of troops destroyed equipment and manpower of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kherson region:
As a result of fire damage by formations of the Dnepr group of troops in the island zone, the following were destroyed:
-120 mm mortar crew and ammunition for it, losses: six servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed, two were injured of varying severity.
As a result of fire damage by the formations of the Dnepr grouping of troops in the Kherson direction, the following were destroyed:
- howitzer M 777 with ammunition, in the area of the settlement. Muzykovka, losses: three servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed, four were injured of varying severity;
- a place where military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine gathered in the area of Antonovsky Island, losses: 30 military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed, 10 were injured of varying severity;
- a place of accumulation of military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the settlement. Antonovka, losses: 15 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed, seven were injured of varying severity;
As a result of fire damage by formations of the Dnepr group of troops in the Kakhovka direction, the following were destroyed:
- the place of temporary deployment of one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the settlement. Dotchany, losses: 10 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed; Eight - received injuries of varying severity;
- the position of one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the settlement. Sablukovka, losses: six servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed; four - received injuries of varying severity.
09:21 Artillerymen of the Southern Group of Forces destroy several enemy fortifications at once in a day. The positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Belogorovka area are under constant heavy fire. The enemy suffers heavy losses -video.
09:19 In the South direction was eliminated Colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine Ruslan Popov.
Popov has been involved in the terrorist operation in Donbas since 2014, for which he received many awards. He also participated in helicopter flights to Mariupol during the battles for the city.
Information about its liquidation is officially confirmed on the website of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Sergey Karnaukhov reports.
09:10 Strike from the sky: Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters destroyed camouflaged command posts of militants.
To perform rescue, combat or humanitarian tasks, pilots go out on helicopters of various types. The main warhead falls on the shock Mi-35. With the help of unguided missiles, he destroys manpower, equipment and fortified positions of the enemy.
Nearby is the Mi-8 with a fire support group. The airborne defense system helps to avoid shelling, which diverts enemy missiles to false targets.
08:09 In the area of Malaya Tokmachka, Zaporozhye region destroyed ATGM platoon commander of the fire support company of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yury Samanyuk. 36 years old, Transcarpathian region.
08:04 Su-34 launched a missile and bombblowat the repair base and temporary deployment point of the 36th Separate Rifle Battalion in the Kupyansky direction in the Kolodeznoye area.
Also, the crews of the Ka-52, Mi-28 and Su-25 attack aircraft delivered 11 air strikes against accumulations of manpower, weapons and military equipment from the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade and the 103rd Separate Brigade of the defense. This was announced by the head of the press center of the group "West" Sergei Zybinsky.
08:02 Fighters of the "Southern" grouping of the RF Armed Forces eliminated in the Avdievka direction, the Armed Forces ammunition depot.
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/02/2023 16:32 Comments ||
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#3
^ Sorta like Canute and the tide, Frank...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
07/02/2023 16:39 Comments ||
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#4
Badanov the paid Russian influence agent can erase my posts, but, he is going to regret supporting evil obe fine day.
Look at this lovely girl, murdered by Russia for nothing but that's what Russia is about, exporting their own misery. Misery loves company and BTW, how is this Russian agent living in our wonderful open, free nation??
#7
Assuming that's a fact, why do you live here and push their narrative?
You and I both know why Russia is in Ukraine and it has nothing to do with anything except Russia cannot tolerate "original Russia" not wanting to be Russia anymore and "original Russia" becoming free and prosperous compared to Russia.
Russia's alphabet and language began in Kyiv, Russian began in Kyiv, Russia's religion( which now is as faux Christian as my nutcase fundamentalist friends over here are) came through Ukraine.
If the fear was Ukraine in NATO, this war makes that a certainty along with Sweden and Finland in it.
I'll hand it to Russia on the intell front, the FSB had everyone believing the 3 day deal and I've read up on that deal.
A whole lot of FSB agents inside Ukraine stopped being agents the day the war started is why, it was supposed to be a huge intell work more than military work. I assume they were all Ukraine counter intell double agents, so gotta hand that to those guys.
But, the FSB had the western agencies 100% convinced this was a breeze. We're suckers, that's a fact.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFrontInfo] 23:57 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 07/01/2023 to 00:00 07/02/2023
Over the past day, the Representation reported 36 facts of firing by the AFU.
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy made 24 attacks from AGM-88 HARM, MLRS, and 155mm artillery.
On Gorlovsky 10 artillery attacks from 122mm artillery.
On Yasinovatsky one artillery attack from 155mm artillery.
On Volnovakhsky onr artillery attack from 155mm artillery.
Having fired 215 units of various ammunition.
Under enemy fire were areas of five settlements of the Republic: Gorlovka (Nikitovsky district), Yasinovataya, the capital city of Donetsk (Leninsky, Kuibyshevsky, Kievsky, Kirovsky, Petrovsky districts), Makeevka (Chervonogvardeysky district), Vladimirovka.
Over the past day, information was received about the wounding of two civilians in the Kievsky district of Donetsk.
A total of 19 residential buildings in the Leninsky and Kievsky districts of Donetsk were damaged, as well as three civilian infrastructure facilities.
In the previous day, 28 artillery attacks were recorded from the side of the VFU.
22:02 Ukrainian troops fired again at Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Yasinovataya and Horlivka on Saturday evening, the representation DPR at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC).
21:06 Scouts of the 85th Brigade of the Southern Group of Forces of the Russian Armed Forces in the Belogorovka area raided the enemy stronghold near Belogorovka in the Donbass,toldRIA Novosti fighter with the call sign "Demon", who participated in this operation.
19:17 "Meat grinder" in the Krasno-Limanskom direction: brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are breaking up on the position of Russian fighters.
- In the area of the village of Torskoye, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an infantry attack with the support of infantry fighting vehicles and armored combat vehicles from the 95 Infantry Brigade. The enemy was destroyed by artillery fire. The activities of the Ukrainian DRG were suppressed. Eliminated seven militants.
- In the area of Serebryansky forest, militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the support of infantry fighting vehicles and pickup trucks from the 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, attempted to break through our defensive lines. During the small arms battle and from artillery fire, the enemy was driven back. Positions held. With the help of the UAV, the movement of the infantry of the 67th Separate Mechanized Rifle Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was revealed. As a result of artillery strikes, a significant number of militants were destroyed.
– In the area of N. p. Terny armored group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the 25th Brigade attacked our positions. The enemy was destroyed by ATGM and artillery fire. Intelligence stopped an attempt to penetrate the controlled territory of the DRG of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During the shooting battle, the militants were destroyed.
Assault and army aviation carried out strikes on manpower and equipment of the 21st, 42nd and 67th Mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlement. Nevsky and Chervonaya Dibrova. The Buk-M3 and Tor-M1 air defense systems shot down 2 Heimers MLRS rockets and two aircraft-type UAVs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
19:08 AFU fired 10 rockets from the MLRS in Donetsk (Petrovsky district) - DPR JCCC.
18:21 Explosions are reported in Kherson. Artillery of the RF Armed Forces is working on targets on the right bank of the Dnieper.
18:15 According to sophisticated information, one child died and five were injured after artillery attack by Ukrainian militants of the Zaporozhye city of Tokmak, emergency services reported.
18:07 One person died, six more were injured (five of them children) after artillery attack by Ukrainian militants of the Zaporozhye city of Tokmak, RIA Novosti reports with reference to emergency services.
18:00 The civilian hostel, which housed the disabled, was damaged in the Kievsky district of Donetsk due to Ukrainian shelling. Two people were injuredvideo.
17:57 Fixation of consequences of the artillery attack of the Kievsky district of Donetsk on 07/01/2023.
Specialists of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC confirmed the artillery attack of the Kievsky district, and also specified the direction of firing. The enemy fired from their positions located in the area of the settlement. Novoselovka Pervaya, from artillery with a caliber of 155mm.
17:37 It is reported that in the area of dachas on the left bank near the Antonovsky bridge, sweeping operations continue - shooting battles are underway.
17:24 In Tokmak, a civilian was killed due to artillery attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Today at 15:50 APU shelled Tokmak. Previously, the artillery attack was carried out from the HIMARS MLRS, the emergency services reported. One person died and one was injured. Five houses were also damaged.
17:15 Fixation of consequences of the artillery attack of the Kievsky district of Donetsk on 07/01/2023.
Specialists of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC confirmed the artillery attack of the Kievsky district, and also specified the direction of firing. The enemy fired from their positions located in the area of the settlement. Galitsinovka, from artillery with a caliber of 155mm.
16:23 According to the operational lines of the JCCC DPR for July 1, as of 16:00, information was received about victims among civilians in the cities of the Republic:
Donetsk (Kiev district): - on the street. Sovetskaya, 27 women born in 1943 and 1962 were wounded.
Additional information has been received about the damage caused by the artillery attack of the Ukrainian cities of the Republic:
Donetsk (Kyiv region):
artillery attack at 14:20:
- the tire fitting building on the street. Soviet;
- the building of the hostel of the plant "Electromagnet" on the street. Soviet.
artillery attack at 14:55:
– fixed damage to the infrastructure of the Mine named after. A. F. Zasiadko.
16:04 There is information that a battle is going on in the area of the Antonovsky bridge. Russian troops are trying to drive the enemy out of this territory. Smoke is reportedly visible near the bridge. In addition, the Armed Forces are jamming communications in the area.
15:47 Fixation consequences of the artillery attack of the Leninsky district of Donetsk on 07/01/2023. Specialists of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC confirmed the use of the American high-speed anti-radar missile AGM-88 HARM in the Leninsky district of Donetsk.
15:20 The consequences of the artillery attack of the Kievsky district of Donetsk by Ukrainian militants, as a result of which there are wounded among civilians -photo.
14:25 Reports about the situation in the Orekhovsky direction Archangel Spetsnaz:
“There is no enemy closer than 1.5 km north of Rabotino. The enemy is in the sawmill up to the company, we inflict fire damage with artillery. At night they conduct reconnaissance of our positions. Northeast of Rabotino, 2.5-3 kilometers, the enemy sits behind a hill, periodically they come out and stumble upon the 810th Marine Brigade. Our aviation from the KA-52 helicopters is working perfectly.”
14:20 Brief summary. Kherson direction:
The operation to eliminate the enemy forces in the area of the Antonovsky bridge and "dachas" continues. The complexity of the task, as before, is explained by the following: the enemy uses the buildings in the area of the "dachas" as defensive structures, and not without success, in this area there are many capital construction projects, including well-fortified basements with powerful reinforced concrete floors, as well as For example, not every means of destruction breaks through the walls of a hotel.
In addition to this, the unsuppressed artillery on the right bank of the Dnieper adds complexity, which still has the ability to strike at the routes of movement of our units.
Work on the destruction of enemy artillery continues, so over the past day on the right bank of the Kherson region, it was destroyed or critically damaged: two howitzers M-777, as well as the 152mm Msta-B howitzer and the 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS, however, it is too early to celebrate the victory.
14:15 Vremyevsky ledge situation as of July 1, 2023:
In the area of the Vremyevsky ledge since yesterday, assault groups of the 35th Infantry Regiment and the 128th Detachment of the TRO of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been “probing” the defenses of the RF Armed Forces in the area of Staromayorsky and to the west along the beam. Now clashes are continuing near Staromayorsky, where a detachment of the 128th brigade of the territorial defense came forward to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
At the same time, the consolidated assault units of the 31st Brigade and 36th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with fire support from artillery and mortar crews, are trying to break through to Priyutnoye from the Levadnoye-Rivnopol line. Ammunition was delivered from Novoselka to Rovnopol and Makarovka.
Now the enemy is operating in rolls, using small assault groups in waves. As soon as one unit runs out of steam, a new unit takes its place. For shelter, the Armed Forces of Ukraine use forest plantations, one of which is located between Staromayorsky and Priyutny. Its length allows you to hide both equipment and personnel. Judging by the movements of the Ukrainian formations, the task at the moment is to break through the defense of the RF Armed Forces near Staromayorsky and Priyutnoye. At the same time, we should expect an intensification of fighting near Novodonetsk and Urozhaynoye.
14:07 The Armed Forces of Ukraine stormed the Zaporozhye village of Rabotino.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine went on an assault offensive in the Orekhovsky direction of the Zaporozhye front near the village of Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). This was stated by the chairman of the movement "We are together with Russia" Vladimir Rogov.
"It’s hot in the Orekhovsky direction of the Zaporozhye front! Enemy artillery is active. Under its cover, the enemy again launched assault operations in the Rabotino area," Rogov reports.
14:05 The consequences of the artillery attack of the Kievsky district of Donetsk by Ukrainian militants -photo.
14:01 On the operational lines of the JCCC DPR for July 1, as of 14:00, additional information was received about damage as a result of artillery attack of the VFU cities of the Republic:
Donetsk (Kyiv region):
- st. Pankratova, 97 - a private residential building;
13:17 This is how the Russian military personnel in the LPR are practicing the assault on the trenches on the BMP-2 -video.
First, the fighters land - and heavy fire is opened to suppress. Then they return to the car, “fly” over the trench and take up defense. During training, the military mainly perform tactical exercises, practice assaults on various fortifications, dugouts, buildings, and trenches.
13:05 Armed Forces attacks on the left bank of the Dnieper: what is happening near the Antonovsky bridge setting as of 13.00 July 1, 2023
Today, Russian military personnel, with the support of artillery, were able to clear the area near the Antonovsky Bridge, near which the Armed Forces of Ukraine held a bridgehead for more than a few weeks.
After yesterday's strike from the Iskander OTRK on the remains of the bridge under which the Ukrainian formations were hiding, the RF Armed Forces were able to advance to Dachi and clear the coastal area, despite enemy fire. This was also facilitated by the impeccable counter-battery fight of Russian artillerymen, who hit several firing positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the right bank of the Dnieper.
Despite the success, Ukrainian units will continue their attacks in this direction. According to some reports, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are planning regular sorties in small groups during July, and by August they will launch larger attacks to reach Aleshki with the final goal in Skadovsk. To divert the attention of the Russian army, raids by sabotage groups on the Kinburn Peninsula and the Novaya Zburyevka-Golaya Pristan line are being considered.
In recent days, Western satellites, including military ones, have been filming various settlements in the Kherson region. Particular attention is paid to road bridges and crossings, including those on the border with Crimea.
And in the rear areas, the preparation of reserves continues. At the training ground in Shiroki Lana, the presence of units of the 41st mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, staffed in Kropyvnytskyi, was noted.
12:50 Details of night assault positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the southern part of the Antonovsky bridge:
At night, special units 14, 22 AK and 49 A (detachments "SHTORM" 61 brmp, 126 brbo, 127 brr and 205 omsbr), in cooperation with the river reserve of the Dnepr group of troops, successfully completed combat missions to destroy the enemy in the southern part of Antonovsky bridge.
By 3 o'clock on July 1, the stronghold and the hotel where the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were defending were captured.
12:17 The Armed Forces of Ukraine tried to launch a missile attack on the Berdyansk district of the Zaporozhye region. The Russian air defense system shot down two Ukrainian missiles, according to the operational services of the region.
It is specified that one of the rockets destroyed a barn of a private household in the village of Troitskoye during the fall. Information about the victims was not received.
11:33 Ukrainian troops shelled Lisichansk 12 times in a week, four civilians were injured - city hall.
11:25 Photos made after repelling this morning an attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the direction of Rabotino.
11:05 The work of intelligence officers of the 85th Brigade of the Southern Group of Forces in the Belogorovka area -video.
10:57 Reports on the situation in the Orekhovsky direction Archangel Spetsnaz:
“The enemy again went on assault actions under the cover of artillery in the direction of Rabotino. To the north of Rabotino, a battle is going on, the enemy is up to a platoon. In the settlement of Pyatikhatki, eight people drove in a pickup truck. Our TOS-1A “Solntsepyok” worked in the settlement, there were no survivors.”
10:31 According to the operational lines of the JCCC DPR for July 1, as of 10:30, information was received about damage as a result of artillery attack of the VFU of the cities of the Republic:
Donetsk (Leninsky district):
- st. Tushinskaya, 15, 18 - private residential buildings, power lines were also damaged;
- st. Prokatchikov, 16, 23 - private residential buildings;
10:15 Frontline summary on the morning of 07/01/2023
In the Zaporozhye direction, Ukrainian troops, supported by artillery, continued their offensive against Rabotino. The positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Lobkove, Pyatikhatki, Malaya Tokmachka, Gulyaipolsky, Gulyaypole and Poltavka are under shelling.
In the Uglidar sector, Ukrainian units, after artillery strikes, managed to advance towards Priyutnoye from Levadnoye and in the Novodonetsky area. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation hit the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Rivnopol, Makarovka, Blagodatny, Zolotoy Niva, Prechistovka and the city itself. Ukrainian troops attacked Berdyansk.
On the Donetsk front, the southern flank became active again. Russian troops, supported by artillery, carried out assault operations near Novomikhailovka, Pobeda and in Maryinka. No promotion. And on the northern flank, the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to take several new positions along the M-04 highway in the direction of Peski.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, after artillery strikes, attacked on the southwestern approaches to Avdievka. No success.
Russian troops fired on Ukrainian units in Paraskovievka (not to be confused with the settlement of the same name southwest of Soledar), the city of Krasnogorovka, Nevelsky, Stepnoy (not to be confused with the settlements of the same name in the Zaporozhye and Uhldar directions) and Alexandropol. Artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine worked in Donetsk, Vodyany, Yasinovataya and Horlivka.
In the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian troops again advanced near Kleshcheevka. Russian troops counterattacked on the southwestern outskirts of the city itself and managed to push back the APU. From the Privolye side, Ukrainian units took up new positions along the M-03 highway. And their assault actions at Zheleznyansky were not successful.
As well as the attempt of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation after artillery strikes to counterattack at Rozdolovka. The positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Belaya Gora, Ivanovsky, Chasovoy Yar, Khromov, Vasyukovka and Verkhnekamensky are under shelling, while Russian positions are in Ozaryanovka, Kurdyumovka, Bakhmut, Yagodny and Berkhovka.
09:49 The consequences of the artillery attack of the Leninsky district of Donetsk by Ukrainian militants -photo.
09:41 Message from the front near Aleshki - the enemy's bridgehead has been eliminated.
“Ours drove the enemy out from under the bridge, from the hotel (strong point on the left bank) and his main positions in the area of dachas. Separate scattered enemy soldiers are running around somewhere, but they have nowhere to gain a foothold.”
09:19 The criminal Kiev regime continues to shell the civilian infrastructure of the settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Armed Forces of Ukraine were fired from barrel artillery:
-- n.p. Aleshki fired nine rounds;
-- n.p. Golaya Pristan fired eight rounds;
-- n.p. Korsunka fired 12 rounds;
-- Nine rounds were fired at the Kazachi Lagery;
-- Nine rounds were fired at the settlement of Krynki.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being specified.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the settlement of Novaya Kakhovka, the settlement of Kakhovka, N. Golaya Pristan, N. Korsunka, N. Aleshki, firing a total of 35 rounds from cannon artillery.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being specified.
09:11 At night, an attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to rotate troops under the settlement of Pyatikhatki was thwarted.
Soldiers of the “Storm. Ossetia” and “Alania” battalions discovered the enemy with the help of UAVs and inflicted fire on him up to 10 people killed and six wounded. The rest evacuated to their original positions under mortar fire.
09:00 Over the past 28 cases of firing by the AFU were recorded.
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy made nine artillery attacks from 155mm artillery.
On Gorlovsky 17 artillery attacks from 152mm artillery. On Yasinovatsky two artillery attacks from the MLRS. Having fired 174 units of various ammunition.
The region of four settlements of the Republic came under enemy fire: Horlovka (Nikitovsky district), Yasinovataya, the capital city. Donetsk (Kuybyshevsky, Kievsky, Petrovsky districts), Makeivka (Chervonogvardeysky district).
Over the past day, information was received about the wounding of 10 civilians in Yasinovataya and the previously liberated Urozhayne.
Eight residential buildings in Yasinovataya were damaged, as well as one civil infrastructure facility.
08:34 AFU unsuccessfully attacked Russian positions in Soledar four times.
The military of the 200th Brigade of the “Southern” grouping of the RF Armed Forces stopped four attacks by Ukrainian troops in a day, destroying a tank, an infantry fighting vehicle and three groups of enemy infantry.
“For a week and a half, there were large-scale enemy surges, he accumulated and entered with heavy equipment and with the preparation of artillery. Our infantry stands in front of us and holds the enemy,” a scout with the call sign “Vzhik” told the Donbass channel.
08:30 RF Armed Forces fired defeat advancing enemy forces in the Makarovka area in the South-Donetsk direction. Our advanced units, supported by artillery, destroyed the armored vehicle and manpower of the enemy. This was announced by the head of the press center of the group "Vostok" Oleg Chekhov.
Also in the Storozhevoye area, Russian artillerymen destroyed a mortar crew and a command post for militant drones.
08:23 Informationon the artillery attack of Gorlovka as of 08:00 on 07/01/2023
08:07 The Vostok grouping of troops repulsed the attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Yuzhno-Donetsk direction near Makarovka, and in the Zaporozhye direction stopped the attempt of the Ukrainian military to conduct reconnaissance in force -video.
08:02 Military of the 200th Brigade of the "Southern" grouping of the RF Armed Forces cut four attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Soledar region in the DPR per day, destroying a tank, infantry fighting vehicles and three enemy infantry groups.
08:01 Ukrainian forces are trying to disperse the defense of Russian troops in the Artemovsk direction, choosing the tactics of an offensive in small groups near Soledar,told RIA Novosti commander of a tank unit of the 200th Brigade of the Southern Group of Forces.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has named an acceptable way for Kiev to end hostilities in the country through diplomatic negotiations. To do this, the Ukrainian leader said, Russian troops must withdraw to the 1991 borders, The Economist reported.
He emphasized that if Russian President Vladimir Putin now retreats to the 1991 borders, which include not only the southeast of Ukraine, but also Crimea, then a possible path of diplomacy will begin. At the same time, the Ukrainian leader pointed out that a return to the borders on February 24 would not lead to an end to the conflict, because Ukraine would not have a clear understanding of "what security guarantees are." Zelensky said that these are “not our” borders.
As IA Regnum reported , earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that the country has never abandoned negotiations that could lead to peace in Ukraine. According to him, the key to solving the problem of Ukraine is on the side of the West.
The head of state noted that if Western countries really want peace, then it is enough for them to stop supplying weapons to Kyiv. As the president stressed, in this case, Ukraine itself will soon want to sit down at the negotiating table.
First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov, in an interview with Regnum news agency, said that Russia does not exclude peace talks with Ukraine, and they may take place soon, but this does not mean that the goals of the special operation and its completion are achieved. The senator pointed out that Russia has never been against peace negotiations, but Ukraine has always put forward impossible conditions - one of Kyiv's points was the restoration of Ukraine's borders as of 1991. Jabarov stressed that this is impossible.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the opinion in the West that the situation in Ukraine will end with negotiations, but first Russia must be defeated, a schizophrenic position. Another important aspect, according to him, is on what basis they want negotiations.
He recalled that the United States, the EU and NATO have firmly, repeatedly, uncompromisingly stated that the basis of the negotiations is the notorious ten-point formula of the President of Ukraine. In addition, according to the vision of the Western countries, Russia must first go beyond the borders of 1991, the Russian leadership must go to court, Moscow must pay reparations, and only after these preconditions are met will a peace treaty be concluded.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Evgenia Kondakova
[REGNUM] On June 29-30, a summit of leaders of the European Union took place in Brussels. And although the Union itself and its individual countries are experiencing a lot of various problems, nevertheless, the main focus of the summit agenda was shifted outside the EU.
TOPIC #1
Immediately The very first session of the first day of the summit was dedicated to Ukraine.
The invitation to the event, sent by European Council President Charles Michel to the leaders, said that amid ongoing hostilities and the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, the EU must reaffirm its commitment to support Kiev through continuous financial and military assistance. And it will take a long time to pay - Europe, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz , proceeds from the fact that the Ukrainian conflict will not end soon.
Before the summit, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell promised to double aid to Ukraine and suggested that the European Peace Fund would become Ukraine's Defense Fund. Although, as noted by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry , Maria Zakharova , commenting on this idea, it has long become the European War Fund. Initially, the fund was created in 2021 to finance tasks aimed at maintaining peace, preventing conflicts and strengthening international security, but after the start of the NWO, the funds from it were redirected to the purchase of weapons for Ukraine.
And the European Commission a week earlier appealed to the EU member states with a call to contribute another €50 billion for Ukraine to the general EU budget, which, as the agency itself reported, was fully exhausted ahead of schedule, and this is no less than €1 trillion. In this regard, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban repeated the question countless times: “Where is the money?”
"Just 2 years after the adoption of the 7-year budget, Brussels is running out of money. How so? What happened to the budget? Where is the money, European Commission?" the politician wrote on Twitter, illustrating with a GIF image of the confused hero John Travolta from the movie Pulp Fiction.
In an interview with the Hungarian radio station Kossuth, which he gave on the sidelines of the EU summit on June 30, Orban stressed that over the past 1.5 years, the EU has already provided Ukraine with € 70 billion, and where this money went, it is not known how it is unclear who will control the funds and where they will go. The head of the Hungarian government is sure that the European Commission has no chance to get an additional €50 billion from the EU countries.
"There is no money in the EU budget. Where did this money go? We know the answer: they were issued to Ukraine for a war that should not have happened," he said.
Asked if EU bailouts would bring peace to Ukraine closer, Orban said he disagreed with the approach of the big players who say that if you keep giving money, Ukrainian soldiers will fight and defeat the Russians.
"A year and a half has passed, we have done what we have done, the result is zero, even negative. Russia is not defeated, the Russian political leadership is in place, the Russian economy is doing well, and we are suffering from high inflation, and we have no money to support the Ukrainians. Obviously, the counteroffensive launched by the Ukrainians is difficult, and there are serious doubts that we can hope for anything at all," he stated.
Orban stressed that he belongs to a different school - one that is convinced that negotiations are needed, and not the continuation of hostilities.
WHERE TO GET MONEY
The EU does not have its own money for Ukraine, but there is a temptation to give it other people's funds, "squeezed out" illegally - the frozen assets of the Russian Federation. European officials have long been looking for a way to transfer Russian funds for the needs of Kyiv, but in vain - there is no legal mechanism.
In addition, this issue causes disagreement among EU members: large states, in particular Germany, fear that ill-conceived actions could undermine the confidence of foreign investors and provoke their withdrawal from the European financial market. The European Central Bank has also warned about such risks.
Following the results of the first day of the summit, the Prime Minister of Belgium, on whose territory 90% of the frozen Russian assets are located, Alexandre de Croo announced the EU's intention to use the excess profits from investing these funds of the Russian Federation to help Ukraine and expects an income of at least €3 billion a year.
There is no talk of confiscation of assets, the bottom line is that companies receive excess profits from investing Russian funds, and it is taxed. According to The Guardian sources, lawyers recognized such a move as legally acceptable, and the proposal can only be approved after it has been discussed with the UK, the US and Japan.
However, the EU must be able to return the assets to Russia at any time, so it is necessary to find an opportunity to earn more from these funds than interest plus the frozen assets themselves. The Financial Times warns that if the assets lose their value, they will have to be reimbursed by European taxpayers. What the leaders of the countries, of course, do not want.
As a result, no progress on this issue was achieved by the EU, they agreed to work further, and the European Commission, according to President Ursula von der Leyen , will make a proposal to use the windfall profits from Russian sovereign assets.
THE CONCEPT HAS CHANGED
According to a French diplomatic source Agence France-Presse, on the sidelines of the summit on the morning of June 30, representatives of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Romania, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Belgium held a meeting to discuss the consequences of a possible enlargement of the EU at the expense of Ukraine.
It is quite obvious that now (and in the near future) they will definitely not be accepting into their ranks a country on whose territory hostilities are taking place, which actually exists only on money from outside. Apparently, the Europeans decided to calculate everything in advance, so that later there would be no unpleasant surprises, in what position the EU found itself after the admission of Ukraine.
At the same time, the European Union is considering providing Ukraine with security guarantees, which, as the Financial Times specified, include funding, arms supplies, training of military personnel and the transfer of intelligence.
However, not all EU countries want to make any long-term commitments with respect to Kyiv, moreover, Austria, Ireland and Malta asked to take into account their neutral status, which does not imply the provision of military assistance. However, they themselves have long discredited themselves by joining all the packages of anti-Russian sanctions.
And although the postulate “to help Ukraine as much as needed” has not been canceled, in the final document of the summit, European leaders for the first time outlined the conditions for further support to Kiev and significantly changed their position on a number of aspects:
1. The initial thesis about the readiness to “assume obligations to ensure the security of Ukraine for the long term” in the final version began to say that the EU member states are ready to consider options for such obligations, and only together with international partners. With whom exactly, it is not specified, but this number may include NATO, whose Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also participated in the summit.
2. European officials for the first time put forward a condition for the continuation of military assistance to Ukraine: it should not harm the interests of the EU countries themselves and run counter to the national policy of individual European countries in the field of defense and security.
The inclusion of this clause for the EU leadership can be a way to calm those countries that are dissatisfied with unlimited spending on Ukraine to the detriment of their own national security, and for the member states themselves a way to distance themselves from military assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine against the background of already depleted stocks of weapons and the lack of success of the Ukrainian army on the field fight.
3. The EU has indicated the need to continue stable, predictable and sustainable financial support for Ukraine (again in cooperation with international partners), but there is no mention of any € 50 billion that the European Commission so much wanted to receive from EU members.
4. The rhetoric regarding the “peace formula” of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also changed markedly: instead of the previous unconditional support for all 10 points of the plan, the EU now supports only key principles and goals.
5. EU leaders allowed for new peace initiatives to resolve the crisis, proving that they must be based on full respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders (i.e. with Crimea, Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions) . It is curious that no exceptions to the option of freezing the conflict are mentioned, although recently European politicians have said that this is unacceptable.
6. The participants of the summit condemned the deliberate destruction of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, but did not indicate the perpetrators, and after all, immediately after the accident, without trial or investigation, many blamed Russia, however, as always.
EVERYONE THINKS ABOUT RUSSIA
There was no Russian theme in the initial agenda of the summit, but the events of June 24 made their own adjustments.
In the midst of an attempted armed rebellion undertaken by the founder of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, European officials unanimously said only that they were monitoring the situation, this was an internal affair of Russia, and they had nothing to do with what was happening, as if they clearly followed the instructions sent out by the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to American diplomats around the world.
Nevertheless, already at the end of the events, the West continues to study what really happened then, and the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) even launched an internal check to find out why the German services were not aware of the impending rebellion, although the United States was aware in several days.
And yet, statements about the split and weakness of Russia, the destruction of the myth of its indestructibility have been and continue to be heard. Even in the invitation to the summit, Charles Michel wrote: “Our unshakable unity contrasts with the disunity in Russia demonstrated by the events of this weekend.”
French President Emmanuel Macron could not resist commenting publicly, saying that "the insurrection in Russia shows the divisions that exist within the country, the fragility of its army and auxiliary forces."
However, in someone else's eye you see a straw, but in your own you do not notice the beam.
Two days before the opening of the summit in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, police officers killed a teenager of Arab origin from service weapons who violated traffic rules and refused to stop the car at the request of patrolmen. This provoked protests in different parts of the country.
And yet, the French president did not refuse a trip to Brussels and even managed to go with his wife to an Elton John concert, for which he was immediately criticized by citizens. But the unrest reached such proportions that the leader of the Fifth Republic had to urgently fly to Paris on June 30, canceling the final press conference in the Belgian capital in order to hold a meeting of the crisis headquarters.
Macron's absence from EU summits is an extremely rare event, BFM TV channel noted.
Russian officials such as Dmitry Medvedev, Sergei Lavrov and Maria Zakharova make tongue-in-cheek comments on the matter, comparing the events of the Wagner uprising and the riots in France to Macron's remarks on the matter.
NOT A SINGLE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN CONFLICT
And yet, one should not think that the entire summit was devoted exclusively to the Ukrainian conflict and the situation around it.
In Brussels, European leaders also held a discussion on relations with China. As a result, the EU confirmed a multifaceted political approach to China: it is simultaneously seen as a partner, as a competitor, and as a systemic rival.
“Despite different political and economic systems, the EU and China have a common interest in developing a constructive and stable relationship based on respect, based on the rules of the international order, balanced interaction and reciprocity,” the document says.
However, even when talking about China, Europeans again return to Ukraine. The European Union intends to actively cooperate with China on climate issues, solving health problems, food security, humanitarian aid and other important international challenges. And the main challenge now is the Ukrainian crisis. And the EU countries called on China to put pressure on Russia, its close ally, to immediately and completely withdraw troops from Ukraine without preconditions.
Of course, there was also an intra-European agenda - the summit of EU leaders, after all.
The problem that has been acute for the community for many years, but the solution is still not approaching, on the contrary, the situation is only getting worse, is the migration crisis: since 2022, millions more newcomers from Ukraine have been added to refugees from African and Middle Eastern countries. The idea of distributing guests across all EU countries in accordance with quotas has long and completely failed, and it is impossible to find a really effective mechanism. So the current meeting in Brussels did not bring success.
“At the EU summit, 27 member states failed to reach consensus on a European asylum policy due to resistance from Hungary and Poland,” DPA reported.
According to Orban, EU countries have previously managed to come to an agreement on various issues, but "migration has deeply divided them."
"We will be able to adopt any rules only if everyone agrees, there will be a unanimous decision. But through a series of swift, putsch-like actions, supporters of migration pushed through the proposal to establish migration quotas at the council of the heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Hungary and Poland voted against to the end, and several countries abstained, which can be regarded as a soft "no," the Hungarian Prime Minister said.
In general, the EU summits are not the same anymore: instead of deciding how to make life better for Europeans, life becomes more fun, the leaders of the countries are discussing the situation in Ukraine, which is not even a member of the union and will not enter soon, if at all, vying to repeat anti-Russian theses, knowing full well that the imposed sanctions have not worked. They themselves chose the role of an obedient vassal of the United States, implicitly executing orders from across the ocean, terminating deals that are beneficial to them and silently bringing ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And no one other than the European leaders themselves is to blame for this.
[The Hill] CIA Director William Burns said the internal conflict in Russia which saw a mercenary leader turn on Moscow shows the damage Russian President Vladimir Putin has done to his country.
Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin spoke out against Russian military leadership for weeks before deciding to lead his forces against it. That open contempt surprised Burns, he said, and will have a lasting impact on the Russian government.
"It is striking that he preceded his actions with a scathing indictment of the Kremlin’s mendacious rationale for the invasion of Ukraine and of the Russian military leadership’s conduct of the war," Burns said at the Ditchley Foundation in Oxfordshire, England on Saturday.
"The impact of those words and those actions will play out for some time — a vivid reminder of the corrosive effect of Putin’s war on his own society and his own regime," he added.
Burns, who previously served as a U.S. ambassador to Russia, made a secret visit to Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in late June, according to reports from The Washington Post. His visit came just before Prigozhin’s revolt.
Burns made a similar secret visit to China in early June.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Regnum] President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has named an acceptable way for Kiev to end hostilities in the country through diplomatic negotiations. To do this, the Ukrainian leader said, Russian troops must withdraw to the 1991 borders, The Economist reported.
