Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in a meeting with the press said: “We do not see the need for new volunteers for the Special Operation in Ukraine, to date 114 thousand people have signed contracts with the Defense Ministry, an average of 1336 people a day they stipulate a contract”.
“By the end of June, a reserve army will be formed, and in the near future a corps, they will receive more than 3,700 pieces of equipment (…) It is already clear that what was delivered to Kiev and will be delivered will not affect in significantly on the course of the special operation” continued the Minister. Again Shoigu said that during the night “a depot of foreign arms and military material delivered to Ukraine was hit, the designated target was hit”.
More than 20 detachments of volunteers have signed contracts with the Ministry of Defence. The documents were drawn up within the framework of the Russian Defense Ministry’s order on voluntary organizations. The contracts are needed to legally regulate the actions of volunteers during a special military operation and to ensure that they and their families receive social support from the state, the ministry said.
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the meeting with the Security Council on operations in Ukraine said: “You can provide equipment, but the mobilization reserve is not unlimited”. While on June 21 at the military academy the Russian president said: “In the near future the Sarmat complexes will take on combat tasks”.
Jens Stoltenberg, outgoing NATO secretary general said: “NATO sets itself the task of bringing the militarization of Ukraine to such a level that it becomes impossible for Russia to have a conflict with it.” At the same time, the head of the military bloc urges the Allies to stockpile weapons: the arsenals of the countries of the Alliance, according to Stoltenberg, are now empty.
On the front line, the Telegram channels of the Russian social sphere recalled that the Great Patriotic War began 82 years ago and said that World War II, part two, is now taking place to avoid World War III.
Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev said that from June 4 to 21, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed 246 Ukrainian tanks, incl. 13 – Western style; 42 MLRS systems, 10 fighters, 264 drones.
President Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that: “Zelensky’s words that the Russian Federation is preparing a terrorist attack on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant are another lie.” While rumors are circulating that Ukraine is preparing a dirty nuclear bomb. Radioactive material has disappeared in Ukraine and no one knows what happened to it. Investigations are underway.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted in an interview with British media that the Ukrainian counter-offensive is progressing “slower than we would like”.
On the line of contact we learn that in the night between 21 and 22 June, “the Ukrainian armed forces continued unsuccessful offensive attempts”, reads the posts of military analysts. Total Ukrainian military losses in the Yuzhno-Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Donetsk and Krasnoliman directions amount to about 430 people according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
According to Minister Shoigu, Ukrainian troops have reduced activity and are reorganizing. Possible attacks in Kherson, military analysts suggest, on the old road from Energodar to Nikopol that emerged from the Kakhovka reservoir.
On June 21, kamikaze drones with which the armed forces of Ukraine struck on Novaya Kakhovka allegedly used Polish shells, the Russian investigative body told the Moscow media.
On the morning of 22 June at 07:30 on the Russian and Ukrainian social spheres, photos of the attack on the bridges between the Crimea and the Kherson region which would have been carried out by Storm Shadow missiles were posted. Governor Vladimir Saldo said the damaged bridges would be restored within days. The Crimean Transport Ministry said: “The reorientation of traffic flows to Armyansk and Perekop checkpoints, which are functioning normally, has been temporarily ensured. Regular buses passing through the Dzhankoy checkpoint were redirected to the Armyansk checkpoint.”
From local sources we learn that four arrivals of missiles have been recorded. Two hit the bridge and its replacement, one fell nearby, another fell into the water. British Rockets Storm Shadows were fired at the bridge between Crimea and Kherson region from a distance of more than 120 km.
According to military analysts, the Ukrainians have begun cutting off Crimea from the Kherson region. The Storm Shadow missile that hit the Chongar bridge tried to cut the isthmus connecting the peninsula to the mainland. We recall that Shoigu promised in the event of an attack with these weapons on Russian territory a response with “immediate attacks against decision-making centers on the territory of Ukraine”.
According to other analysts, the attack by the Ukrainian Air Force on a road bridge across the Chongar Strait that connects Crimea and the Kherson region “is part of a psychological operation against Russia. The destruction of the canvas of one of the many bridges will not affect the logistical capabilities of the Russian army in this sector of the front”. However, it shows that the Ukrainians are ready to attack in the Kherson region.
Others report that this move serves to slightly complicate the logistics of the Russian armed forces in the Zaporozhzhia direction. Russian pilots have vowed to hunt down Su-24s carrying Storm Shadows. At first glance it looks more like the work of someone who has to prove something to someone.
In a statement the representative of the GUR of Ukraine Andrey Yusov said: “The security forces (SBU) were involved in organizing the attack. The work will continue. This is systematic work.”
Kinzhal and hypersonic Kh-22s struck Ukraine at night, the Armed Forces of Ukraine failed to shoot down a single missile. The official statement of the Air Force of Ukraine on the results of the night attack of the Russian Aerospace Forces has been released. “From the Azov Sea Tu-22m3 bombers, the enemy fired 3 Kh-22 cruise missiles, from the MiG-31K aero-ballistic missiles – 3 Kh-47 Kinzhal. In addition, launches of 4 Iranian “Shahed” were recorded – 3 UAVs were shot down by air defense”.
The Russian army continues the offensive in the Kupyansk direction. There is a forest clearing and the advance to the settlement. Golubovka and Sinkovka. Russian Lancet drones hit a German Leopard 2A6 tank in the direction of Zaporozhzhia putting it out of action.
Fighting intensifies in the direction of Zaporozhzhia in the direction of Orekhov, Governor Rogov said: “The high-intensity fighting lasted more than six hours. The enemy has thrown dozens of Western armored vehicles and at least three companies of personnel into the attack. The Ukrainian attack near Orekhov on the Zaporozhzhia front started around 04:00 with the support of artillery, German Leopard tanks and other NATO armored vehicles.
The reports of the Russian television news speak of firefights with the destruction of part of the Ukrainian military equipment, some of the men and vehicles were blown up by mines. The fighting went on for many hours, several waves of attacks were repulsed.
A post by a Russian military press officer states: “Fighting has been going on since 4am. The guys from the 1430th Infantry Regiment, together with the 291st, are holding positions. There are wounded. Ours put up stubborn resistance. In our positions they worked mainly with artillery and tanks. In addition, shelling of the positions of our artillery is underway, including those of the 2nd echelon. The enemy also remotely mines our supply and evacuation routes. Previously, our helicopters, artillery and rocket launchers worked closely together. The shock troops have recently been working.”
Russian troops are advancing northeast of Kupyansk, progress has been made in the forest area west of Sinkovka. There would be Russian control over this forest area and Sinkovka, the conditions needed to transfer Russian troops to the outskirts of Kupyansk.
Graziella Giangiulio
