Timeline: day 126 of Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression
Today is June 29. russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for 126 days. We're reporting on the current news. The article will be updated.
What about today?
Key points
Ukraine's partners provide us with crucial support in the political, diplomatic, and military-technical areas. A critical component is training our service members. Since April, thousands of UAF service members have been trained to use and operate foreign-made weapons and military equipment abroad.
"We are learning and learning fast. We will master aviation and other types of high-tech weapons just as quickly. Those who doubted this have already changed their minds.
Any weapon in the hands of our soldiers becomes even more effective. We will expel the occupying terrorist from our land. Victory is ours," said Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
Summary of the Institute for the Study of War on the situation in Donbas for the last 24 hours:
- russian troops continued to storm south and southwest of Lysychansk. Representatives of the self-proclaimed "LPR" claim that Ukrainian forces have begun withdrawing from the city, but ISW cannot confirm these statements.
- The russians made unsuccessful offensive operations north of Sloviansk and struck settlements west of Izium, which could have thwarted a counteroffensive by Ukrainian troops.
- The occupiers could not advance on the Kharkiv-Belgorod highway and continue to take measures to prevent the advance of Ukrainian troops to the state border or Izium.
- Ukrainian forces continued the counteroffensive north of Kherson and reportedly liberated two settlements.
- russian forces continue to transfer military equipment and personnel east of Melitopol
Thanks to our defenders, another 200 russian invaders were eliminated in a day!
Total losses of ruscists as of June 29:
Zelensky called on the UN to recognize russia as a terrorist state and expel it from the Security Council and the UN General Assembly. He stated this during a speech at the UN Security Council. "I urge you to deprive the delegation of a terrorist state of authority in the UN General Assembly, and it is possible. russia has no right to remain in the Security Council. This path is not as thorny as it may seem to some if you show consistency and good political will." Yes, supplying weapons to Ukraine to fight the aggressor is not easy and takes time, but russia can be excluded from the UN right now.
"As of the evening of June 28, the total number of russian missiles that have hit our cities is already 2,811. We have all the evidence of what the russian military is doing against our people," Zelensky added.
The 6-year-old child under the rubble after russia's shelling of the Mykolaiv region
More than 968 children were injured in Ukraine due to full-scale armed aggression by the russian federation. As of June 29, 2022, the official number of child victims is 341. The number of injured has increased to over 627.
Who's coming to Ukraine?
On financial and information aid, weapons and politicians
Last night, during a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Madrid, German and Dutch ministers announced that they would immediately provide Ukraine with six more Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled artillery units. "Germany decided we could give Ukraine another three Panzerhaubitze 2000. It will be six with the Netherlands' ones," Lambrecht said. At the same time, the German minister acknowledged Germany had now exhausted all its possibilities to provide Ukraine with the Panzerhaubitze 2000. Earlier, both countries handed over 12 such units to Ukraine: seven from Germany and five from the Netherlands. They decided to provide an additional six today at the request of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksii Reznikov.
The Czech Republic has provided Ukraine with a flight simulator adapted for training Su-25 and Su-27 military pilots. The Czech technology startup presented its aircraft simulator Vrgineers Portable Trainer to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the manufacturers: "We are firmly convinced that the Vrgineers portable simulator will help the Ukrainian Air Force model and train tactical operations that will help ensure the security of Ukraine's airspace."
The EU has started supplying the Ukrainian Armed Forces with more than 90 off-road trucks under the European Peace Fund. Trucks are provided to support the medical, engineering, and logistical units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Canada will provide Ukraine with $151.7 million in humanitarian, development, and peace and security assistance. This was announced by the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau. The money will be distributed to the following needs:
- 75 million for humanitarian aid (food, shelters, medical care);
- 52 million for assistance in the agricultural sector;
- 15 million for demining efforts;
- 9.7 million to facilitate the prosecution of perpetrators of human rights violations.
Helping refugees and IDPs
Ukraine has created a position of Commissioner for IDPs. This person will be a crucial state official who will protect displaced citizens' rights.
News from partners!
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has said putin will not travel to Indonesia for the G20 summit this fall. According to Draghi, Indonesian President Joko Widodo made this decision.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo is currently on a visit to Ukraine. He announced this on his Twitter.
Protest action against Viktor Orban's policy was held near the Hungarian Embassy in Warsaw.
Bulgaria is sending 70 russian diplomats for "undercover work." 70 russian embassy staff are due to leave the country by midnight on July 3. The Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Kiril Petkov, pointed out that many employees of the russian embassy worked for foreign intelligence, and their diplomatic role was only a cover.
Today, NATO will host Sweden and Finland at the Alliance at the Madrid Summit. putin will get more NATO near russia's borders, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
russia's lies
Surveillance footage in Kremenchuk refutes a false statement by russia's defense ministry that the Amstor shopping center allegedly caught fire from a detonation at a "Western ammunition depot." The video, published by President Zelensky in yesterday's address, shows explosions from two missiles: the first one hits the shopping center directly, and the second hits the factory hangar. By the way, at the plant itself, the rocket didn't destroy the mythical "weapons warehouse," but a greenhouse with cucumbers, which were grown for themselves by employees of the enterprise.
Sanctions on the aggressor!
The British company Diageo is leaving russia. Diageo is one of the largest producers of alcoholic beverages in the world, known for the brands Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Baileys, Captain Morgan, White Horse and others.
Donetsk and Luhansk regions
The russians continue to attack the Lysychansk and Bakhmut areas, the Ukrainian army's General Staff reports. They concentrated their forces in the direction of Vovchoiarivka–Verkhniokamianka and the location of Medna Ruda–Klynove. The occupiers are trying to surround Lysychansk. Thanks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the enemy retreated from the village of Spirne.
More than 20 residents of Lysychansk were seriously injured due to cluster shelling. Doctors from all over the country are now saving the lives of people trying to replenish water supplies, said Serhii Haidai, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration.
Kharkiv region
Oleh Sinehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, reports about a situation in the area:
- During the day, the russian occupiers fired MLRS missiles at the region's civilian infrastructure.
- In Kharkiv, the Industrialnyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and Slobidskyi districts were affected.
- During the day, the occupiers fired on the Izium, Chuhuiv, Kharkiv, and Bohodukhiv districts.
Sumy region
The last shelling yesterday ended at about 11 pm. The enemy fired grenade launchers at the Velyka Pysarivka community with 40 hits. It was quiet for the rest of the night.
Dnipropetrovsk region
Yesterday, the russian fired at the motor transport enterprise in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The russians struck with a Kalibr missile. Under the rubble of the building, rescuers found two dead people—a man and a woman. "These people were at the epicenter of the explosion. They were not military; they didn't have weapons. There was a peaceful enterprise where peaceful people worked…" wrote Valentyn Reznichenko, head of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The air defense shot down four of six missiles aimed at the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Because of a missile strike on Dnipro on June 28, seven people were injured, including a 6-year-old child, Reznichenko said.
Night and morning are tense again in the Kryvyi Rih district. The enemy fired several shots at two communities of Zelenodolsk and Shyroke. Fortunately, people were not injured.
In Velyka Kostromka, a power line was affected. The village is partially without a light supply. Power engineers can't start work yet; it's dangerous there.
Zaporizhzhia region
The occupiers' helicopter crashed in the Zaporizhzhia region. Locals report it happened yesterday around 18:30–19:00 in the Yakymivka district. Not far from the village of Volodymyrivka, workers in the fields witnessed the crash of a ruscist helicopter.
Last night, russian troops fired 52 times on the positions of Ukrainian defenders, using multiple-rocket and gun artillery along the entire line of contact.
During the same day, the russian armed forces fired on civilian infrastructure near the cities of Huliaipole and Orikhiv. The police received 20 reports of the destruction of civilian infrastructure due to the shelling.
Kherson region
Collaborators in the Kherson region have begun preparing for a "referendum" on joining russia. One of the collaborators, Stremousov, stated this. Even if someone came to vote, the occupiers have already decided for the people of Kherson: "We are preparing for the referendum, and we will hold it. The Kherson region will decide and join russia, becoming a full-fledged entity that can be a single state," said Stremousov.
Last night, the occupiers shot down a Ukrainian missile over Nova Kakhovka. The wreckage killed a child, and three adults were injured in the destruction. Locals say the russian invaders deliberately shot it down over the city because it is "more convenient" for intruders to scare people. Recently in Nova Kakhovka, the occupiers turned on air raid sirens. If they work all over Ukraine and surprise no one, then they have not been heard in the Kherson region since the beginning of March. People are begging for evacuation.
The russian military released Hola Prystan Mayor Oleksandr Babych from captivity. This was announced by the executive director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, Oleksandr Slobozhan, on the air of the regional telethon. Oleksandr Babych was held captive for three months.
Mykolaiv region
Mayor Oleksandr Senkevich reports that in the morning, russians shelled an apartment building in Mykolaiv. Rescuers continue working at the scene. The officials currently know about four dead and five wounded, the head of the Mykolaiv region, Vitalii Kim, says.
Odesa region
The speaker of the Odesa regional military administration, Serhii Bratchuk, reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck another blow on Zmiinyi Island, captured and used by russia as an army base.
