“The United States and its allies found no violations in the use of military aid to Ukraine and praised the level of control,” the commission said. In March, the EU overtook the United States in total military aid to Ukraine for the first time since June 2022, according to calculations by the German Kiel Institute for World Economics. According to its data, Europe spent a total of 72 billion euros on military support to Kiev, while the United States spent 65 billion.
The United Kingdom will not send troops to Ukraine after the resolution of the conflict without guarantees of support for such a contingent from the United States, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an interview with Bloomberg. “I have always said that the United States must protect us,” he said, responding to a question about the possibility of deploying British troops as part of a “coalition of ‘willing’ forces in Ukraine” without American air cover. At the same time, Starmer added, “there is no reason to believe that the United States and the United Kingdom cannot act together, as they have done for many years in our history.” “I will not reveal the details of the private conversations we have had, but there are no two countries that cooperate as closely on defence, security and intelligence sharing as the United States and the United Kingdom. “That aspect of our relationship is stronger than ever,” the British prime minister stressed.
A Spanish Pegaso BMR armoured personnel carrier, apparently transferred in 2024, has been spotted serving with the Joint Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian National Police “Lyut”. On June 16, an Italian RQ-4D reconnaissance drone was actively monitoring the southwest and northwest of Russia
Zelensky arrives for the G7 summit in Canada. The program of the visit, according to RBC-Ukraine, includes a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. After that, the Ukrainian president will attend a special meeting of the leaders of the G7 countries entitled “A Strong and Sovereign Ukraine”. New weapons in the Ukrainian Armed Forces: the Ministry of Defense has authorized the use of the combat module with a grenade launcher. This is the remote-controlled combat module “SABLYA MK19(M)” in the Armed Forces. It is known that this module can fire with direct or indirect guidance, hitting the enemy according to coordinates from close positions.
Austria would not be able to provide military assistance to Kiev even if it wanted to, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said. However, after a meeting with Zelensky, he noted that Austria would like to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine – “frankly, for our economic interests.”
The Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, Sergei Shoigu, arrived in Pyongyang on behalf of President Vladimir Putin, TASS reported. Shoigu will meet with DPRK leader Kim Jong-un. The press service of the Security Council of the Russian Federation said that Sergei Shoigu will hold talks with the leadership of the DPRK within the framework of the agreements reached during the last visit on June 4. These agreements are implemented in accordance with the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the DPRK. This is already the third visit of the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation to the DPRK in the last almost three months.
At the morning briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pekov said: “There is still no agreement on the next round of negotiations with Ukraine.”
And now a look at the front line as of 15:30 on June 17. Overnight, Russian forces staged a drone and missile attack (launches were recorded from Tu-95MS) against targets in Kiev including Zhulyany airport, Odessa, as well as in Chernihiv, Poltava, Sumy, Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkov regions. The attack on the Ukrainian capital lasted all night.
From 20:00 to 23:30 (Moscow time), 51 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones were destroyed on the territory of the Belgorod region. An attack by two Ukrainian drones aimed at Moscow was repelled.
In the Kursk region, in the direction of Tetkino and in the area of the Novyi Put’ settlement, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, using infantry of the 24th battalion, the 158th mechanized brigade, the 225th battalion and the 47th mechanized brigade, attempted to break through the border, advancing from Ryzhivka, Bezsalivka, Iskryskivshchyna and Pavlivka respectively. The attacks were repelled two drones have reached the Ukrainian border and struck villages on Russian territory.
Fighting continues on the border with the Dnipropetrovsk region, towards Novopavlivka.
To the south of Donetsk, fighting continues in the areas of Shevchenko, Malynivka and west of Vil’ne Pole, Zelene Pole and Novopil’.
In the Kherson region, two were injured by drone strikes and 10 more villages were also hit. A forest fire broke out in the Velikokopansky forest.
Russian forces are advancing towards Kostjantynivka along the railway from Dyliivka.
In the DPR, in Horlivka, an attack drone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked a city bus, resulting in medium injuries. South of the DPR. Assault groups continue to advance west of Fedorivka.
Graziella Giangiulio
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