Not even over the weekend did the controversy over the introduction of Russian nuclear warheads into Belarus subside. Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov said Russian tactical nuclear weapons were deployed in Belarus indefinitely. And Vladimir Putin from SPIEF confirmed the delivery of weapons to Belarus. But he specified: “An attack with a nuclear weapon is theoretically possible, but it is not necessary.” Minister Lavrov also divined that: “If we see F-16s flying over Ukraine and posing a threat to Russia, the response will be military-technical”
As for the Russian volunteers, TASS learns: “The involvement of fighters from the Chechnya battalion in border surveillance in the Bryansk region is not envisaged”, source the governor of the region Alexander Bogomaz.
On the sidelines of the SPIEF, Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Federation said again: “Ukraine will soon stop using its equipment, everything they use comes from outside, they won’t fight for a long time. Ukraine has not achieved its objectives in any of the sections their losses are higher by 1 to 10, this is a fact”. And again he reported: “186 tanks lost by the Ukrainians and 418 armored vehicles of various classes. This is the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Zelensky is not a Jew, but a disgrace to the Jewish people. Ukraine is undertaking new counteroffensive attempts, fighting is going on right now, including in the Zaporozhzhia direction, but Kiev has no chance.” Putin also expects an active involvement of the Poles on Ukrainian territory. And he told the audience: “The task of denazifying Ukraine is one of the keys. And NATO, of course, is involved in the war in Ukraine.”
“Russia has never closed the door to diplomacy (…) And Kiev should understand that in the event of continued attacks on Russia, the question of creating a “cordon sanitaire” in Ukraine will be considered, Putin said. Jacques Chirac when asked why US leaders behave this way towards us, replied: “Because they are uncivilized (…) Russia has more nuclear weapons than NATO countries, they want us to reduce them and we will not” commented the Russian premier.
The mystery surrounding the fate of the head of Ukrainian intelligence Kirill Budanov hovers: “Employees of a military hospital in the Berlin district of Mitte, where the head of Ukrainian intelligence Budanov may be, did not talk about these news with a correspondent of RIA Novosti and they banned filming the building”.
Zelenskiy said Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov attended a military cabinet meeting on Friday but no one saw him and photos were taken as is customary.
The British newspaper Daily Telegraph reported that it had no confirmation of the information that the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Kirill Budanov, was alive and well. The publication noted that Budanov’s representatives and assistants, in a comment to the publication, refuted reports by several Russian media about his serious injury. At the same time, the newspaper stressed that the Ukrainian side did not publish any photos of Budanov to confirm its version. The German government on Friday denied reports in Russian media that Budanov was being treated in a Bundeswehr hospital in Berlin after he was injured in a rocket attack on the special services headquarters.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin admitted on Sept. 18 that Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny may be abroad, responding to a question from Alexander Sladkov. “I know. I think I know,” the president noted, in particular, when answering the question of where Zaluzhny is. Putin added that one could ask the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for information, “but for this it is necessary to switch to a foreign language.” “It seems to me that he is abroad. But I could be wrong,” concluded Putin.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have only one opportunity this year to conduct a counteroffensive, this opinion was expressed by the President of the Czech Republic, formerly General of the Army of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic and, in the recent past, Chairman of the Military Committee of the Born, Peter Pavel. “I said that they (Ukraine) have a chance [to hold a counteroffensive] this year, because if the counteroffensive, which we are obviously witnessing, is unsuccessful, then it would not be possible to prepare a second counteroffensive fundamental [for the outcome of the conflict] for objective reasons,” said Pavel.
As a result of the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine this year, according to Pavel, negotiations to end the conflict could begin, or it will enter a freezing stage until next year, when Ukraine will manage to gather new forces for a further counteroffensive.
On Saturday 17 June, the statement by Dimtrj Peskov, spokesman for Vladimir Putin, pierced the social network: “In many respects, the task of demilitarizing Ukraine has been completed,” said RT Arabic.
“More than 30,000 ex-convicts who had signed a contract with the Wagner private military company returned home after participating in the special operation,” PMC head Yevgeny Prigozhin said.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that on June 16, the Russian Armed Forces launched an attack on one of the decision-making centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the goal of the attack was achieved, the target was hit. The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Sunday June 18 that Ukrainian troops lost nearly 800 servicemen and 70 tanks in attempted attacks in three directions a day.
On the morning of 19, we learned from the social sphere that Russian sappers destroyed the stronghold of the Ukrainian armed forces by remotely blowing up a tractor. “300 meters from the Ukrainian fortress, the driver-mechanic put the car on manual gas, sent it in his direction and jumped off. I stood by and blew up with the help of radio control, ”said the commander of an engineering platoon with call sign Barnaul.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine also lost two Bradley armored vehicles and men in minefields when they tried to break through the first line of defense of Russian units. Fighters, as per Russian state law, for the destruction of Western equipment were paid and awarded the corresponding state awards.
Fighting continues on the Svatove-Kremenna line: Russian fighters burn Ukrainian equipment. The warriors of the “Center” group use the SPG-9 anti-tank grenade launcher destroying the armored vehicles of Ukrainian militants, frustrating attempts to break through the Russian defenses. Also destroyed another Croatian 128 mm RAK-12 MLRS in service with the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, now installed on HMMWV
The Ukrainians at night carried out two attacks on the positions of the 71st motorized rifle regiment in the Orekhovsk direction. They were unsuccessful, suffered losses, and then returned to their original positions. On June 19, the Ukrainians prepare to resume the offensive.
Fighters from Kyakhta’s 37th Brigade burned a US Oshkosh M-ATV and defeated Ukrainian Armed Forces marines on the Vremevsky ledge. The clashes continue. The Ukrainians continue the offensive operation at the junction of the Zaporozhzhia region and the DPR, during the battles they suffer very heavy losses in armored personnel carriers and personnel. Ukrainian losses are recorded that in the village of Urozhaynoye. A channel of pro-Russian military analysts reports that as of 10:00 on June 19 the fighting on the Vremievsky ledge had decreased in intensity compared to last week. At the moment, the Ukrainian goal is to cut through the Russian defense with counterattacks and wedge between Rovnopol and Staromlynovka.
Makarovka is under the fire control of Russian units: from the surrounding heights, the RF Armed Forces are conducting aimed fire at the assault groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Ukrainian formations managed to penetrate 200 meters into the forest between Urozhaynoye and Novodonetsk, but could not build on the success. After the loss of Levadnoye and Novodarovka, Russian units took up a defensive position on the outskirts of Priyutnoye – two attacks were repulsed on the last day.
Around noon on June 19, the forces of the Russian 429th Regiment took the settlement of Pyatikhatki.
In the Marinka direction, the situation at 13.00 on June 19, 2023 was, according to the social sphere, the following: during the night, Storm assault detachments attacked the fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the so-called “Menagerie” in the south -east of Marinka and established control of it, knocking out the remnants of the Ukrainian formations. For several months, Russian troops have been trying to occupy the “Menagerie”, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine laid several lines of minefields, and the approaches to it were pounded from a height of 211 meters.
The position has important tactical significance: without his control, the advance towards Pobeda and the capture of Marinka from the south would not have been possible. After his capture, the Russian army now has the prospect of reinforcing the assault in this area.
Graziella Giangiulio
