UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT
For: 2024-06-27
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 23:00 on June 26 stated that day 855 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was about to begin.
During the past day,116 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 1 missile strike, 43 air strikes, 359 drone strikes and more than 2,700 artillery strikes across the positions of Ukrainian forces.
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.
Air Force and missile troops and artillery hit 15 personnel and enemy military concentration areas, two control points, an air defence vehicle and an ammunition warehouse.
Air Force Daily Report
On the night of June 27, 2024, the Russian occupiers launched a missile-air strike against Ukraine, using air- and sea-based missiles and Shahed-type attack UAVs.
Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile forces of the Air Force, mobile fire groups and electronic warfare units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine were involved in combat operations.
In total, the enemy used 6 missiles of various types and 23 strike UAVs:
- 1 Kh-47 M2 "Kinzhal" aeroballistic missile (from the airspace of the Tambov Region - Russian Federation)
- 4 Kalibr cruise missiles (from the northeastern part of the Black Sea)
- 1 Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missile (from the airspace of the Kursk region - Russian Federation)
- 23 strike UAVs of the "Shahed-131/136" type (launch area - Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russian Federation)
As a result of anti-aircraft combat, 28 air targets were shot down:
- 4 Kalibr cruise missiles
- 1 Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missile
- 23 attack UAVs of the "Shahed-131/136" type.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kharkiv axis: The enemy, supported by aviation, 10 times unsuccessfully attacked in the area of Hlyboke, Lyptsi and Vovchansk.
-
Kupyansk axis: The enemy made 8 attempts to breach Ukrainian positions near the settlements of Sinkivka, Stepova Novoselivka, Berestove and Stelmakhivka. The situation is intense.
Lyman axis: The enemy attacked Ukrainian positions 18 times in the vicinity of six different settlements with the heaviest fighting around Makiivka and Nevske.
Siversk axis: The enemy attacked the Defense Forces 11 times in the areas of Bilhorivka, Spirne and Rozdolivka.
Kramatorsk axis: Ukrainian defenders, over the day, repelled several attacks in the vicinity Chasiv Yar,and . The situation is under the control of Ukrainian defenders.
Toretsk axis: The enemy tried to breach Ukrainian defences 9 times in the vicinity of Dachne, Pivnichne and Shumy. All attacks have been repelled.
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Pokrovsk axis: The enemy conducted 37 attacks against Ukrainian defences in this area over the last day. The greatest activity of the Russians was in the Ocheretynogo district, particularly near Novooleksandrívka,, Yevhenívka
Kurakhove axis: The enemy made 8 attacks in the vicinity of Nevelske, Krasnohorivka, Paraskoviivka, Heorhiivka and Kostiantynika. The situation is under the control of our defenders.
Vremika axis: The situation has not experienced significant changes.
Orikhiv axis: The situation has not experienced significant changes.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing to report.
THE HOME FRONT
Poland grants Ukrzaliznytsia licence for freight transport
State-owned railway company Ukrzaliznytsia has been granted a licence by the Polish Railway Transport Authority, allowing it to enter the European railway freight transportation market, the company announced on June 27. The Kyiv Independent reports.
Ukraine's airspace has been closed since February 2022 due to Russia's full-scale invasion, giving rail transport a crucial role in transporting goods and passengers in and out of the country.
Ukrzaliznytsia transported over 2 million passengers to Europe last year and reported a record amount of freight in November 2023, when it transported 14 million metric tons of cargo.
"Obtaining a license is another step on the way to creating a full-fledged international railway operator that will be able to offer its customers a single cross-border transport service," said Yevhen Liashchenko, chairman of the board of Ukrzaliznytsia.
Ukrzaliznytsia plans to "concentrate on increasing the volume of transportation through the Ukrainian-Polish border crossings at the first stage of its work as a carrier," which will have the name Ukrainian Railways Cargo Poland.
The company also "plans to operate rolling stock for track widths of both 1,435 mm and 1,520 mm,which will allow it to work efficiently at all border crossings with Poland."
Due to its Soviet past, Ukraine's railways have broad-gauge tracks, as is the standard in Russia. Ukraine is now constructing more lengths of narrow, European-gauge tracks to provide better rail connectivity with Europe.
Ukraine receives another $2 billion tranche from EU's Ukraine Facility
Ukraine received another disbursement of 1.9 billion euros ($2.03 billion) from the EU's Ukraine Facility on June 27, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. The Kyiv Independent reports.
The four-year Ukraine Facility allocates 33 billion euros ($36 billion) in loans and 17 billion euros ($18 billion) in grants, conditional on certain reforms that the Ukrainian government is obliged to carry out.
The total budgetary support for Ukraine from the EU so far in 2024 has "reached nearly 8 billion euros ($8.6 billion)," Shmyhal said, adding that there is "more to come."
The EU approved the Ukraine Facility in February and the Council of the EU approved the framework agreement in mid-May, setting out the Ukrainian government's tasks for recovery, reconstruction, and modernization.
Shmyhal said in March that the reforms would cover "public administration, (the) fight against corruption, (and) economic and sectoral reforms in various spheres: from the energy to the agricultural sector."
RUSSIAN WORLD
North Korean engineers to deploy to occupied Ukraine
Russia will soon engage North Korean engineer troops to perform tasks in the occupied territories of Ukraine, South Korean media, citing its own government sources reports.
It is expected that in July of this year, units of the DPRK Army’s “Engineer Corps,” in cooperation with Russian troops, will be deployed to the occupied territories of the Donetsk region.
There, they are supposed to support the reconstruction project of the destroyed territories, but the publication emphasises that military units can have a significant impact on the course of hostilities in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
“North Korea is expected to deploy engineer troops to Donetsk next month. The goal is to rebuild the city, which has been destroyed by the fighting,” an unnamed South Korean government official was quoted as saying.
The article notes that North Korea has previously sent its military personnel from the “Corps of Engineers” to various foreign regions, including Kuwait. They disguised themselves as employees of Namgang Construction, although they were de facto entirely under the control of the army command.
On June 19, Russia and the DPRK signed a strategic partnership agreement, which also includes military assistance to each other in case of aggression.
According to Article 4 of the Russian-North Korean treaty, if one of the countries is invaded and is at war, the other must “immediately use all means” to provide “military and other assistance.”
Given the possible risks, the United States said it would monitor the potential deployment of the DPRK military to help Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian Drones Hit Another Russian Fuel Plant
Russian media reports that Ukrainian drones attacked a Russian aviation fuel plant in Redkino, in the Tver region several times during the night. Militarnyi reports.
One of the drones landed on the roof of workshop No. 4 and exploded. The second one was shot down by air defence forces and also fell near the shop. It exploded a few minutes later. The third drone attacked flammable liquid tanks on the plant’s premises, damaging a pipeline and starting a fire.
Two hours later, around 4 a.m., the plant was attacked by another UAV. The drone also came down near workshop No. 4. Video of the second attack shows the drone’s distinctive appearance, similar to the Ukrainian Lyutyi drone.
The Redkino experimental plant specialises in producing fuel and other chemical products. According to publicly available data, it produces more than 40 types of products for the Russian defence aviation and space industry.
Redkino, northeast of Moscow is located more than 1,000 kilometres from Ukraine, this is not the first time the facility has been targeted. Previously, in September 2023, the company was also attacked by drone strikes.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
Poland's Orlen warned three European gas companies it could seize Gazprom payments.
Poland's biggest energy company Orlen warned gas companies in Hungary, Slovakia and Austria that it could seize their payments for imports from Russia's Gazprom, sources familiar with the matter said. Reuters reports.
The warnings, in letters sent over a month ago, are linked to claims for losses Poland incurred after being cut off from Russian supplies in 2022, two sources with knowledge of the letters told Reuters.
Poland's biggest energy company Orlen, warned gas companies in Hungary, Slovakia and Austria that it could seize their payments for imports from Russia's Gazprom, sources familiar with the matter said.
The warnings, in letters sent over a month ago, are linked to claims for losses Poland incurred after being cut off from Russian supplies in 2022, two sources with knowledge of the letters told Reuters.
Poland was cut off for not paying in roubles as Western nations imposed sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
The warning spurred Budapest to issue a decree in May, one source said, effectively preventing payments by state-owned energy conglomerate MVM CEEnergy to Gazprom from being seized, arguing it would put the country's energy supply at risk.
The European gas market has faced uncertainty over supplies from Russia after Austria's OMV warned last month of the suspension of supplies from Russia's Gazprom following a foreign court ruling, without identifying the case.
Zelenskyy arrives in Brussels to sign EU-Ukraine security agreement
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels on June 27 to meet with European officials and sign a security agreement with the European Union. The President’s office reports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen have signed a security agreement between Ukraine and the European Union.
"It (the agreement) will for the first time establish the commitment of all 27 member states to provide Ukraine with broad support despite any internal institutional changes," Zelensky said via his Telegram channel.
The agreement was signed in the European Council building ahead of a council meeting.
Included in the security commitment was:
Predictable, efficient, sustainable and long-term provision of military equipment
Military training and defence reform
Cooperation between the European and the Ukrainian defence industry
Resilience, cyber and hybrid threats, including foreign information manipulation and interference
Military and civilian mine action
Civilian Security Sector Reform and support to law enforcement
Preventing and countering the diversion of firearms and small arms and light weapons
Support to energy security, energy transition, and nuclear safety and security
Sharing intelligence and satellite imagery
During his visit to Brussels, Zelenskyy will also hold bilateral talks with the leaders of the EU and member states. Apart from the deal with the EU, the Ukrainian president will sign two more agreements with EU countries, Zelensky's post said, without specifying the details.
MILITARY & TECH
Slovakia Has Already Ramped Up its Production and Modernization Lines to Help Ukraine
The Slovak government has announced its participation in the Czech initiative to provide artillery shells to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. President Peter Pellegrini confirmed Bratislava’s commitment to supporting its allies by enhancing the artillery shells acquired through the initiative. Defense Express reports.
“Leveraging our production capacities, we will significantly contribute to the success of the Czech initiative to supply ammunition,” President Pellegrini stated.
He further noted that Slovakia has already ramped up its production and modernization lines at its factories, ensuring that a substantial portion of the ammunition will be refurbished locally.
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!