Timeline: day 120 of Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression
Today is June 23. russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for 120 days. We're reporting on the current news. The article will be updated.
What about today?
Key points
A two-day summit of EU leaders begins in Brussels today, where Ukraine is expected to become a candidate for membership. There is almost no doubt that Ukraine will officially become a candidate, as the European Union is a united front and all 27 leaders intend to vote "for" granting Ukraine this status.
We are waiting for the final decision of the EU leaders and continue to monitor the situation on the fronts.
On June 22, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine's strike groups of Su-25 attackers and Su-24m bombers struck several air strikes on enemy positions. In the eastern direction, the Ukrainian troops fired on the enemy's company-tactical group, destroying one of the occupiers' fortifications.
The Ukrainian military destroyed 20 occupiers, military equipment, and two ammunition depots in the Kherson region.
On Zmiinyi Island, our military hit another enemy's Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex, the South Operational Command reports.
Total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 23.06:
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar emphasizes that military information is deliberately released later during the war, which is a rule of information in martial law. It is due to military expediency during operations and security measures. Maliar explained that disclosing or distorting information about the details of a military operation before official sources (the Ministry of Defense or the Armed Forces of Ukraine) stated that it harms our Armed Forces and makes it more challenging to carry out its tasks.
Path to the EU
13:00 – The European Parliament adopted a resolution in support of granting Ukraine and Moldova the status of candidates for EU membership. The EU summit will make the final decision on granting candidate status today.
Who's coming to Ukraine?
On financial and information aid, weapons and politicians
The United States intends to hand over Spot robot dogs to Ukraine, Foreign Policy reports. The robotic dog will be used to clear the territory of Ukraine of mines and cluster munitions that have not exploded, particularly in Bucha and Irpin. It will not endanger people's lives. Excellent support to our Patron, the deminer dog!
US congress members have introduced a bill on the training of Ukrainian pilots. It will allow the exercises of Ukrainian pilots and crew members on F-15s, F-16s, and other aircraft.
Germany is ready to provide Ukraine with more weapons. The press service of the German government published a list of military equipment:
- 30 Gepard self-propelled artillery units;
- IRIS-T SLM air defense systems;
- Three MARS MLRS with ammunition;
- M113 armored personnel carriers;
- COBRA artillery detection radar;
- 500 STINGER anti-aircraft missiles and much more.
This list looks convincing, and we hope this batch will reach Ukraine as soon as possible.
American HIMARS missile systems have already arrived in Ukraine, Defense Minister Reznikov said. Hot summer for ruscists in Ukraine is guaranteed.
News from partners!
"Our defense intelligence service believes, however, that in the next few months, russia could come to a point at which there is no longer any forward momentum because it has exhausted its resources," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in an interview with European newspapers ahead of the G7 summit in Germany. "In as much as the Ukrainians are in a position to start a counter-offensive, it should be supported. With equipment that they demand from us," Johnson added.
Leaders of the G7 and NATO will gather next week to develop new ways to increase pressure on russia over the war in Ukraine while stressing their concern about China's position. Reuters reports the plans, citing sources.
Germany must pursue a course to support Ukraine until putin admits a "colossal mistake," German Chancellor Scholz said.
By the way, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany, Andrii Melnyk, stated he regretted the incorrect comparison of Chancellor Olaf Scholz with the "Leberwurst" [liver sausage, ed.] and personally apologized to him for it. Melnyk told SPIEGEL about this. Earlier, Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andrii Melnyk criticized Scholz's refusal to visit Kyiv, noting that he is "еine beleidigte Leberwurst zu spielen" (German idiom, which means "pretend to be innocently offended" and literally means "to play an offended liverwurst").
Sanctions on the aggressor!
The Finnish manufacturer of paints and varnishes, Tikkurila, which has three production sites in russia, has decided to leave the russian market, their press release said.
Italy has frozen russian assets by more than 1.7 billion euros, Italy24 News reports.
The Czech Republic has decided not to issue visas to russians and Belarusians until the end of March 2023.
The American manufacturer of footwear and clothing NIKE has announced its intention to withdraw entirely from the russian market, Reuters reports.
The United Kingdom has announced new sanctions against russia, which include additional measures on refining technologies and goods and other vital industries, as well as a ban on the export and use of pounds sterling and banknotes of EU countries in russia.
Life considering hostilities
Ukrainian educational institutions will receive free access to the Zoom Meetings for Education software. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine reached an agreement with Zoom. Extended Access Large Meeting allows participants in the educational process to record meetings and conduct training sessions for 1,000 participants simultaneously. To gain access, educational institutions must complete a form by June 27 to determine the current needs for Zoom licenses. One institution must submit no more than one application.
During the day, Ukrainians raised money for two Bayraktar combat drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces! The fundraiser for the three drones was organized by Serhii Prytula, a TV presenter and volunteer, together with blogger Ihor Lachenkov. The organizers set an ambitious goal to raise 500 million hryvnias a week. But Ukrainians raised money for two devices in just one day.
Kyiv and the region
A total of 1,333 Ukrainians killed by the russians were found in the Kyiv region. The russian soldiers killed half of them with small arms. The investigators found the latest find of a mass grave of murdered Ukrainians near the village of Myrotske in the Bucha district. There were seven human bodies. Police have not yet established the names of another 213 dead. Collecting DNA samples and identifying them is currently underway. According to Kyiv Region Police Chief Andrii Nebitov, this figure is declining daily.
Chernihiv region
Nearly a hundred billboards have appeared in Chernihiv in support of other Ukrainian cities occupied or affected by regular shelling. The city authorities initiated the advertising campaign.
Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Morning report from Serhii Haidai, the head of the Luhansk region:
- Since yesterday, the enemy has occupied Loskutovka and Rai-Oleksandrivka.
- Lysychansk was fired upon several times. The authorities recorded destruction in one of the city's schools.
- Further destructions in Novoivanivka (8 houses), Hirnyche (8), and Zolote (9).
- In addition, yesterday, the russian army launched air strikes on Verkhniokamenets, Sievierodonetsk, and Syrotyne, and air and missile strikes on Hirne.
The Ukrainian forces restrained the russians in Sievierodonetsk and Syrotyne and repulsed attacks from Zolote and Vovcheiarivka. The situation in the Luhansk region is challenging.
The head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces currently controlled about 45% of the territory of the region where hostilities were occurring. "Accordingly, 55%—with destruction—are under the control of illegal armed groups, I mean under the control of the occupier, including the half-destroyed Mariupol and Volnovakha," Kirilenko said in a comment to Radio Svoboda. According to him, the situation along the entire front line is also complicated.
Kharkiv region
The Head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleh Sinehubov, revealed the details of night attacks in the Kharkiv region:
- In Kharkiv, around 23:00 yesterday, the russians shelled the Industrialnyi city district; warehouses caught fire. No one was injured to date.
- At night, the occupiers fired on Derhachi again, and the office building was partially destroyed.
- At night, the Russians fired on Pechenihy, damaging a private enterprise; it caught fire.
The shelling continued in the morning. Private houses were destroyed. According to preliminary data, seven civilians were injured, including two children; the information is being updated.
In the Kharkiv direction, the russian occupiers are trying to prevent the Ukrainian forces from entering the rear of the russian grouping operating in the Sloviansk direction. The enemy conducted air surveillance in the areas of Bairak and Rubizhne.
In the area of Izium, the enemy is trying to resume the offensive in the directions of Izium–Barvinkove, and Izium–Sloviansk.
Sumy region
On the evening of June 22, a car of police patrolling the territory exploded on a russian mine in the Okhtyrka district. Two employees were injured. A second explosion was heard while deminers and investigators were working at the scene. As a result, five more were injured. One person died on the spot. The head of the Sumy regional military administration, Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, announced.
Dnipropetrovsk region
At night, the russian occupiers struck six times at the Kryvyi Rih district, insidiously hitting residential areas. Two people were wounded in Apostolove. They were hospitalized. The shelling partly destroyed housing, leaving the city partially without light and water. "Cluster munitions are on the streets and in the yards after the shelling. Rescuers took people to safe places. Sappers are currently working. So far, they have found 16 cluster munitions," said Valentyn Reznichenko, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration.
"Rescuers extinguished the fire at the oil depot in the Novomoskovsk district, which occurred because of enemy missile strikes. They fought the flames for more than 108 hours," Reznichenko said. The enemy attack took the lives of 3 people; 14 were burned and wounded. Eight of them are in hospital.
Zaporizhzhia region
The occupiers stole the largest solar power station in Ukraine. It is located near the city of Tokmak, Zaporizhzhia region. According to locals, solar panels have been disassembled, packaged, and exported for a long time. Tokmak Solar Energy is the largest solar power station in Ukraine. Its area reaches 96 hectares. The power of the station is 50 MW.
The photo above shows the consequences of the enemy shelling of Orikhiv. Yesterday, the enemy fired for several hours on the civilian infrastructure of the village. The shelling destroyed residential houses, roads, power lines, and gas supply.
The occupiers changed the tactics of traffic control in the Zaporizhzhia direction. Columns of enemy vehicles leave Mariupol and go toward Berdiansk-Polohy. The mayor of Mariupol, Petro Andriushchenko, reported about it.
Kherson region
The occupiers turned the Institute of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine in Naddniproanske into a roadhouse. The staff of the Institute reported this. Ruscists sleep and eat in offices and laboratories, and prepare food on firewood from trees cut down in the institute arboretum. The barbarians also used the library with a collection of rare editions to light fires, and in some places, they installed more tripwires. They also store armored vehicles on the territory of the Institute.
Since the beginning of russia's invasion, the police have recorded the facts of illegal imprisonment by the russian occupiers of 408 civilians in the Kherson region. Among the victims of enforced disappearances are mayors, village elders, regional and local councils deputies, law enforcement officers, the military, activists, and clergy. "As the investigation has revealed, 204 people have been released so far. The fate of another 204 abductees is still unknown. Most of these people openly opposed the russian occupation. There have also been cases of intimidation of relatives of the missing. The russian military and their accomplices are committing heinous crimes to intimidate and put pressure on the local population," the Kherson region's police said in a statement.
The russian military seized Oleksii Honchar Kherson Regional Universal Scientific Library and put pressure on the team. The director of the library and most employees refused to cooperate with the occupation authorities, the first deputy head of the regional council, Yurii Sobolevskyi, said.
Mykolaiv region
In the Mykolaiv direction, the enemy deployed artillery units in certain areas. We don't rule out they will attempt to carry out assault operations in the directions of Kyselivka–Posad-Pokrovske and Oleksandrivka–Lupareve to reach the administrative borders of the Kherson region, Ukraine's General Staff reports in the morning.
The Mykolaiv and Odesa regions were attacked by russian missiles again today. Three ground cruise missiles from the occupied territory of the Kherson region struck at Mykolaiv. The South Operational Command reported this. They aimed at the production and social infrastructure of the city. One person was injured. Details are being clarified.
Odesa region
The South operational command reported that the enemy attacked the Odesa region twice at night. Ukraine's air defense destroyed both missiles.
The educational institutions will no longer teach the russian language and literature in the Odesa region. The Director of the Odesa regional administration's education and science department, Oleksandr Lonchak, stated. The russian language in schools cannot exist in educational institutions, even optionally. From August 1, it will be banned from teaching in total. As for the city of Odesa itself, the administration expects a decision from the city mayor, Hennadii Trukhanov, in August.
In the afternoon, the ruscists also struck two more cruise missiles in the Odesa region, but the air defense forces successfully eliminated them.
Vinnytsia region
Explosive devices dropped on us by russians continue to be found in Ukrainian forests and lands. Thus, in the Vinnytsia region, foresters found a Kalibr cruise missile, shot down by the air defense of the Air Force on May 21. The missile's warhead is intact, so an anti-aircraft missile shot the rocket down on the way to the target.
The air defense command notes that the wreckage of missiles or other ammunition is extremely dangerous. Authorities, police, or the military must be notified immediately if you find missiles. The warhead of the found missile is 400 kilograms.
West of Ukraine
Three Nobel Peace Prize winners—Jody Williams, Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakkol Karman—visited Lviv. They met with victims of the war in Ukraine. The delegation also met with employees of the Lviv Railways, conductors who, from the first days of the war, traveled by evacuation trains and helped people escape the shelling. After listening to the stories of Ukrainians, the Nobel laureates promised to tell the world about the war in Ukraine, not to forget about Ukrainians, and do everything to end this war and for people to return home.
