As the war entered its 481st day, here were the main developments.
This is the current situation as of Monday, June 19, 2023.
Fight
Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-installed official in Ukraine, said Ukrainian forces had capture the village of Piatykhatky in the Zaporizhia region, this is Kyiv’s second victory on that front since they launched their counter-offensive earlier this month. Rogov said the Ukrainians carried out the attacks and that “hundreds” of Ukrainian soldiers were killed.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces repelled a series of Ukrainian attacks on three areas of the front line. The ministry said Kiev is exerting most active pressure in the Zaporizhia region but did not mention Piatykhatky.
Ukraine’s military said its air force carried out 14 strikes on Russian positions and destroyed two anti-aircraft missile systems.
Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa military junta, said Ukraine destroyed an “important” ammunition depot near the Russian-occupied port city of Henichesk in the southern Kherson region.
The UK says Russia and Ukraine are suffering high numbers of military casualties as Kiev fights to dislodge Kremlin forces from occupied areas. Britain said the heaviest fighting took place in the southeastern region of Zaporizhia, around Bakhmut and further west in the eastern Donetsk region.
The owner of Russia’s Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhinsays 32,000 men recruited from Russian prisons have returned home after their contracts with mercenaries in Ukraine ended.
diplomatic
ONE Africa Peace Mission According to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the war in Ukraine has failed to spur enthusiasm from Moscow or Kyiv to remain effective. He said the Africans will continue to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about their proposal.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will ask businesses to step up investment to help Ukraine rebuild at the Ukraine Recovery Conference starting in London on Wednesday. Organizers said Zelenskyy is expected to make a virtual appearance at the two-day event.
weapon
The European Union’s industry head, Thierry Breton, said the bloc was speeding up the supply of weapons to Ukraine to support its counterattack against Russian forces. Breton told French daily Le Parisien that the EU was preparing for the war “to last a few more months, or even longer”.
