In Severodonetsk, the Azovstal story is repeated down to the last detail inside the AZOT factory. According to rough estimates, up to 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers are stranded in the industrial zone: the remaining units have simply been cut off from a possible retreat by blowing up the last bridge connecting Severodonetsk with Lysichansk on Kiev’s orders. The process of ‘evacuation’ from the enterprise is said to have been slowed down by foreign mercenaries, war correspondent ‘KP’ military commander Alexander Kots reported.
On 17 June at 4 a.m. the Russian tugboat ‘Vasily Bekh’ was attacked and destroyed. The SB 739 rescue ship joined the Black Sea fleet in 2017. The Russian tug was probably hit by the Ukrainians thanks to information received from the Bayraktars.
At 08.30 on 17 June, the Ukrainians shelled the DPR again. At the moment one dead and nine wounded are known, in total about 300 shells were fired. Under attack by the artillery and the MLRS – the residential areas of Yasinovataya, Gorlovka, Makeevka, as well as the districts of the capital Kiev, Voroshilovsky, Kuibyshevsky and Petrovsky. The mine named after Zasyadko in Donetsk with miners there is under attack. All miners were brought to the surface, there were no casualties among them. Following the attacks on the Interkod plant in the Kievsky district of Donetsk, a fire broke out. In addition, according to the Ministry of Coal and Energy, a 110 kilovolt overhead line was disconnected, several substations were de-energized and more than 40,000 subscribers were temporarily without communications. The head of the DPR said that the shelling of the capital was carried out from six firing points, which are currently suppressed.
On the Russian side bombarded at 07:41 with missiles Nikolaev areas in particular the territory of the Kristall and Equator factories. Explosions reported in Zaporozhye
Also on the 17th, the US is reported to have confirmed the capture of a third American mercenary now in the hands of the Donbass construction forces, following the capture of Alexandra Dryuke and Andy Huynh in Kherston on 14 June. Also in terms of mercenaries, the Russians printed a list according to which 1,831 foreign mercenaries arrived from Poland at the beginning of Russian operations in Ukraine, of whom 378 have already died and another 272 have returned. Romania ranks second among European countries. From there 504 people arrived in Ukraine: 102 died, 98 returned. Third place is occupied by Great Britain, from which 422 mercenaries arrived, of whom 101 have died and another 95 have returned.
Canada is the leader on the American continent. From this country 601 mercenaries arrived to participate in the war in Ukraine, of whom 162 died and 169 returned. The next country on the list is the United States, from which 530 foreign fighters arrived, of whom 214 died and 227 returned.
The largest number of mercenaries (355) among the Middle Eastern, Transcaucasian and Asian countries came from Georgia: 120 of them died and 90 left the territory of Ukraine. From Syria rebel area 200 arrived, 80 died and 66 returned.
The smallest number of mercenaries came from Australia and Oceania: a total of five, of whom two returned and one died. In total, Russian Defence Ministry statistics as of 17 June include mercenaries and weapons specialists from 64 countries. According to the Ministry, 6,956 people have arrived in Ukraine since the start of the special operation, of whom 1,956 have died and 1,779 have left.
Despite this, the Ukrainian Prime Minister decided that new recruits were needed at the front on 15 June, a document appeared online under his signature stating: ‘Under the conditions of martial law, emergency situation or state of emergency, it is necessary to compile lists of military-age graduates with characteristics to assess military-patriotic education. Taking into account the peculiarities of each student’s development, it is necessary to determine in males the presence of a sense of loyalty to the Fatherland, constitutional and military duty in times of peace and war, high responsibility and discipline. We indicate to be guided by this letter and to prepare the specified characteristics by 23 June 2022’. The dispatch was hung in all educational institutions.
Graziella Giangiulio
