UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT
For: 2024-06-14
On Sunday June 16 due to family commitments I will not be posting a Draft. The Draft will return on Monday June 17. Any major news from the previous day will be reported then. I apologize for the inconvenience
Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. Since June 2023 I have provided a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 60 sources daily, much of which forms the basis of the script. While the Podcast is on hiatus I will make this Draft available here both on my own Substack and The People’s Media for those who wish to keep up with events on a daily basis.
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 22:00 on June 13 stated that day 845 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was about to begin.
During the past day, 87 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 3 missile strikes, 54 air strikes, 613 drone strikes and more than 2500 artillery strikes across the positions of Ukrainian forces.
The situation remains tense, but under control. At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and continue to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deep into the territory of Ukraine.
During the day, the Defense Forces hit eight concentration areas of enemy personnel, one PPO, two artillery systems and an REB station.
Air Force Daily Report
On the night of June 14, 2024, the Russian occupiers launched a missile-air strike against Ukraine, using various types of missiles and the "Shahed" UAV.
In total, the enemy used 31 means of air attack - 14 air and ground-based missiles and 17 strike UAVs, namely:
- 10 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles from Tu-95 MS strategic aviation aircraft (launch area of Saratov region - Russian Federation);
- 3 "Iskander-M" ballistic missiles (launched from Crimea and Krasnodar Krai - Russian Federation);
- 1 Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal" aeroballistic missile (from the airspace of the Tambov Region - Russian Federation);
- 17 strike UAVs of the "Shahed-131/136" type (launch area - Yeisk - Russian Federation).
Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force, mobile fire groups, electronic warfare equipment of the Defense Forces of Ukraine were involved in repelling the enemy's air attack.
💥 As a result of anti-aircraft combat in Khmelnytskyi, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions, 24 air targets were shot down:
- 7 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles;
- 17 shock UAVs of the "Shahed-131/136" type.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kharkiv axis: There were 4 unsuccessful Russian assaults in the vicinity of Vovchansk. The AFU continues to take measures to strengthen defence positions and borders. The situation is under control.
Kupyansk axis: The enemy made four unsuccessful attempts to push Ukrainian units away from occupied positions in the areas of settlements of Synkivka, Petropavlivka, Berestove and Stelmakhivka.
Lyman axis: Russian forces tried to advance six times in the areas of Nevske and Hyrohivka. All attacks were repelled by Ukrainian defenders. The situation is under control.
Siversk axis: The situation has not experienced significant changes. There was one unsuccessful Russian assault in the area of Verkhnokamianske.
Kramatorsk axis: Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions in the area of Kalynivka, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske and Andriviika The situation is intense. Measures are being taken to prevent the enemy from advancing deep.
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Pokrovsk axis: Russia tried to break Ukrainian defences 32 times over the last day in the vicinity of Kalynove, Novooleksandrivka, Yevhenivka, Novopokrovske, Novoselivka Persha, Yasnobrodivka
Kurakhove axis: Russia made 17 assaults in the vicinity of Nevelske, Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka and Paraskoviivka. The situation remains tense. Measures are being taken to stabilise the environment.
Vremika axis: The situation has not experienced significant changes.
Orikhiv axis: Russian forces assaulted Ukrainian defences 3 times in the vicinity of Mala Tokmachka. Ukrainian defenders are making efforts to curb the advancement of occupation troops.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Prydniprovsk axis: Russian forces assaulted Ukrainian defences on the left bank of the Dnipro in the vicinity of Krynky 5 times over the previous day, with air support. All attacks were repelled.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing to report.
THE HOME FRONT
Russia targets Ukraine’s power grid, airfield in nighttime air attack
Overnight on 14 June, Russia conducted another air attack against Ukraine, using missiles of various types and Russo-Iranian Shahed one-way attack drones.
Illia Yevlash, spokesman to Ukraine’s Air Force, said that Russian targets were the same as previous attacks and included energy and military facilities. He said that many missiles and drones were aimed at Starokostiantyniv in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. Liga.net reports.
Russia frequently targets Starokostiantyniv, which is home to one of Ukraine’s air bases.
The Air Force spokesman noted that the attack began around 23:00 on 13 June, when the Russian army launched the Shaheds across Ukraine’s regions. Later, around 03:00, when almost all the drones were eliminated by the air defense forces, Russia launched missiles. After Ukraine’s Defense Forces had shot down most of the air targets, a Mig-31K aircraft and launched a Kinzhal “hypersonic” missile at Khmelnytskyi Oblast, but it did not reach its target.
There will be more air defence for our cities – Zelenskyy following results of first day of G7 summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported in his evening address that the main result of the first day of the G7 summit in Italy was an increase in the number of air defence systems that the partners will transfer to Ukraine to protect people from Russian strikes.
“The key result for us is that there will be more air defence systems for our cities. "Patriots" is practically a Ukrainian word now. There will also be more equipment and other necessary supplies for the front,” Zelenskyy said.
He went on to say:
There are also two security agreements. The historic result with the United States is a bilateral security agreement that brings our relations to the level of a true alliance. This is the strongest agreement with America in all 33 years of our independence. There is a legally binding component of the agreement, and there are highly useful details on air defense and aircraft. We have secured America's assistance in the supply of fighter squadrons – as many fighters as Ukraine needs. We will work on this. I also spoke with the leaders about accelerating pilot training. Importantly, the agreement with the United States now stipulates support for Ukraine both during wartime and in peacetime. It is truly long-term. We have the same vision of peace – peace that is just for our people. Thank you, President Biden, thank you to both parties and chambers of Congress, thank you, America!
RUSSIAN WORLD
Nothing to report.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
NATO to take greater role coordinating military aid for Kyiv
NATO will assume a greater role in coordinating arms supplies to Ukraine, the alliance said on Friday, taking over from the United States in a bid to safeguard the process as NATO-sceptic Donald Trump bids for a second term as U.S. president. Reuters reports.
"These efforts do not make NATO a party to the conflict but they will enhance our support to Ukraine to uphold its right to self-defence," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.
On Wednesday, Hungary gave up its resistance to the Ukraine support package NATO aims to agree at its Washington summit in July, comprising a financial pledge and the transfer to NATO of the coordination of arms supplies and training.
During a visit by Stoltenberg to Budapest, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his country would not block NATO decisions on providing support for Ukraine but had agreed that it would not be involved.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the United States gathered like-minded nations at the Ramstein air base in Germany, establishing a group of now some 50 nations that meet regularly to match Kyiv's arms requests with pledges of donors.
This so-called Ramstein group will continue to exist as a U.S.-led political forum but NATO will take over the military working level below that coordinates arms deliveries and training for Ukrainian troops.
But diplomats acknowledge such a move may have limited effect, as the U.S. is NATO's dominant power and provides the majority of weaponry to Ukraine. So if Washington wanted to slash Western aid to Kyiv, it would still be able to do so.
Stoltenberg has also asked allies to keep funding military aid for Ukraine at the same level as they have since 2022, adding up to some 40 billion euros ($43 billion) per year.
North Korea sent millions of artillery shells to Russia
North Korea sent containers to Russia that could contain as many as 4.8 million artillery shells, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said in an interview with Bloomberg published on June 14.
The Minister said that Seoul has detected at least 10,000 shipping containers being sent from North Korea to Russia, which could hold as many as 4.8 million artillery shells of the likes that Putin has used in his bombardment of Ukraine, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely seek even more during his upcoming visit to Pyongyang.
“Putin is expected to seek closer security cooperation with North Korea, especially military supplies such as artillery shells that are necessary to seize a chance to win,” Shin said. He also said North Korea has sent dozens of ballistic missiles to help Putin’s attack on his neighbour.
In return for the munitions, Russia has sent North Korea technology to help in its plans to deploy an array of spy satellites as well as conventional arms such as tanks and aircraft.
Putin is set to visit North Korea as early as next week, the DongA Ilbo newspaper of South Korea has reported. The trip would be his first there since July 2000 and it’s set to stoke concerns from the US and its partners of arms transfers that have helped the Kremlin in its assault on Ukraine in exchange for aid propping up Kim Jong Un’s regime
With Kyiv now taking delivery of billions of dollars in fresh arms from its US and European partners, the window for a Russian breakthrough is narrowing even as it continues to fire missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities including energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy describes new Security agreement with the USA
Volodymr Zelenskyy took to Twitter to describe the new security agreement that he and President Biden signed. There were some interesting details.
“Today, we concluded historic agreements with the US and Japan. We now have seven security agreements with all G7 countries, and a total of seventeen agreements signed, with ten more in preparation.”
The document also details the supply of necessary weapons, their joint production, and strengthening of our countries' defence industries through cooperation. This will provide not only security, but also new good jobs for Ukrainians and Americans.
But perhaps most interesting was this statement:
Zelenskyy did not indicate when this aid would be forthcoming.
MILITARY & TECH
Germany announces large weapons shipment to Ukraine, including IRIS-T, tanks and HIMARS
Over the past week, Ukraine received another large shipment of weapons from Germany, including air defence systems, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. The following list was taken from the website of the German government:
20 MARDER infantry fighting vehicles with spare parts;
10 LEOPARD 1 A5 main battle tanks with spare parts (joint project with Denmark);
IRIS-T SLM air defence system in addition to the three previously delivered and IRIS-T SLS in addition to the one previously delivered – making a total of six;
three HIMARS multiple rocket launchers;
21,000 155mm rounds, including smoke/illuminating ammunition;
four anti-drone sensors and jammers;
two bridge-laying tanks;
two DACHS armoured engineer vehicles with spare parts;
one Bergepanzer 2 armoured recovery vehicle with spare parts;
four WISENT 1 mine clearing tanks with spare parts;
three AMPS self-protection systems for helicopters;
100 night vision goggles;
16 Zetros tankers.
Also this week, Germany announced that together with Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, it will deliver 100 interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defence system to Ukraine, more than 30 of which have already been provided.
Sweden and the Netherlands planning joint project to produce CV90 combat vehicles for Ukraine
Sweden and the Netherlands are planning a joint project to produce CV90 combat vehicles for Ukraine, Defense Minister of Sweden Paul Johnson and Defense Minister of the Netherlands Kajsa Ollongren said on the sidelines of NATO headquarters.
As reported by Radio Liberty, Jonsson said that Sweden is working “very closely” with the Netherlands to support Ukraine. In particular, on the cooperation in the CV90 combat vehicle coalition.
“We are learning many lessons from the Ukrainians about the operation of this vehicle. The Ukrainians are very pleased with the way CV90s have performed on the battlefield,” said the head of the Swedish Defense Ministry.
He recalled that earlier Denmark had also announced funding for the production of new infantry fighting vehicles for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ollongren confirmed earlier reports in the Dutch media that her country is allocating 400 million euros for the production of combat vehicles for Ukraine in Sweden.
“European production capacity has to go up for Ukraine, but also for ourselves. Our armed forces must be combat-ready and there is time pressure on that,” Ollongren said to Dutch media.
That’s it for today’s Draft folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, its free!
Feel free to share this update with your friends. Heroyam Slava!