As the 117th day of the war dawns in Ukraine, fighting continues in Donbass and in the south of the country. Russian forces are fighting north of Kharkiv and are reportedly bringing reinforcements to that sector to continue the offensives, Ukrainian authorities say.
For his part, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has assured that the Ukrainian army is firmly on the side of Sieverodonetsk. In his daily update, he also warns other European countries and asks them to expect further measures “hostile” from Russia.
We take stock of the events that have shaped the last few hours.
Still fierce fighting
While Russian forces have now taken three-quarters of the city of Sievierodonetsk in the Luhansk region of Donbass, the Ukrainian army has seized power “hold tight”, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his daily update published on his social networks and on the presidency’s website.
The Ukrainian authorities reported this Saturday, June 18 “fierce battles”, these seem to be continuing. The President of Ukraine speaks about “hard fights” in the Donbass, where “The Russian army uses the largest number of artillery, the largest number of offensive forces”.
The Russians are also trying to approach Kharkiv. The US Institute for War Studies says shots were fired “about Ukrainian positions in the northern Kharkiv region on the 19th »
“Russia is trying to turn Kharkiv into a frontline city” Vadym Denysenko, adviser to the Interior Minister, said on Ukrainian state television on Sunday, Reuters reports.
MAP. Ukraine: Russian attacks ‘repelled’, NATO fears long conflict…
Ukrainian counter-offensives in Zaporizhia
In the Zaporizhia region, Ukrainian forces have recently launched several successful counter-offensives, reports the American Institute for War Studies. According to American experts “The success of the Ukrainian counterattacks in the Zaporizhia region is forcing Russian forces to send reinforcements to this weakened section of the front line.”
Information also from Zelenskyy in his daily bulletin confirming that the Russian army is gathering forces in the Zaporizhia region. “We expect Russia to step up its attacks this week” he specifies, while this week the discussions of the Twenty-seven on Kiev’s candidacy for the EU will be opened.
An investigation into Russian weapons published by the New York Times
The American newspaper The New York Times published an article on Sunday in which it claims to be able to identify more than 2,000 weapons that the Russian armed forces have used in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion: weapons of all kinds such as bombs, rockets, ammunition. ..
According to journalists, 210 identified weapons “widely prohibited by various international treaties”. Also, according to journalists from the New York Times, almost 330 guns “appear to have been used on or near civilian structures”.
Ukraine breaks off cultural ties with Russia
Two laws passed by Ukraine’s parliament will severely limit access to Russian culture in Ukraine, particularly in relation to Russian books and music, as Kyiv seeks to sever last cultural ties between the two countries following the invasion of Moscow, Reuters news agency reports. broadcast by British media The Guardian.
For example, a law will ban Russian citizens from printing books unless they give up their Russian passport and acquire Ukrainian citizenship. However, it only applies to people who obtained Russian citizenship after the collapse of the Soviet regime in 1991. The import of books printed in Russia, Belarus and the occupied Ukrainian territories will also be banned.
Another law based on the same principle applies to Russian music. These two laws were passed on Sunday, MP Jaroslav Zjelesnjak said via telegram. However, they still have to be signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in order to enter into force.
war in Ukraine. Counter-offensives in Zaporizhia, battles in Sievierodonetsk… The point of the night EXPAND