As the war enters its 844th day, these are the main events.
Here is the situation on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.
Struggle
- At least 22 people, including three children, were injured in a Russian missile attack in the Poltava region of east-central Ukraine. Poltava Governor Filip Pronin posted images of himself at the scene of the attack, which he said caused significant damage to residential buildings and cut off power to thousands of people.
- Regional authorities in the southern Kherson region, partially occupied by Russia, said a 50-year-old civilian was killed in a Russian drone strike.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kiev forces were expelling Russian troops from the northeastern region of Kharkiv, where Moscow seized several villages near the border last month. Vitaly Ganchev, a Russian-appointed official in the occupied areas of the Kharkiv region, said the Ukrainian military was sending men and equipment to the area and that the “fiercest clashes” occurred in Vovchansk, 5 kilometers (three miles) inside from the border, and near Lyptsy. .
Politics and diplomacy
- Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a two-day visit as the two countries deepen their relationship. In a letter published in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, Putin thanked the country for supporting the war in Ukraine and pledged support for Pyongyang's efforts to defend its interests despite what he called “pressure.” , blackmail and military threats from the United States.”
- Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich will be tried on June 26 in the city of Yekaterinburg. The Sverdlovsk Regional Court said the trial will take place “behind closed doors.” Gershkovich, imprisoned since his arrest in March last year, is accused of espionage. He and the Wall Street Journal deny the charges. Washington has described the journalist as “arbitrarily detained.” The Kremlin claimed that contacts had been made with the United States about a possible prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accused China of “fueling the biggest armed conflict in Europe since World War II” even as it seeks to maintain good relations with the West, arguing that the security alliance needed to impose costs on China for his support for Russia. Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on several Chinese companies that it said were involved in selling dual-use technologies to Russia. Beijing says it is neutral in the war but has not condemned Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
- Putin fired four deputy defense ministers in a continuing reshuffle that began last month when he unexpectedly dismissed longtime defense minister Sergei Shoigu. Anna Tsivileva, daughter of Putin's late cousin, was among those appointed to replace them. Her responsibilities will include improving housing and social support for military personnel. She previously ran a state fund to support those involved in the war in Ukraine.
- A fleet of Russian ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, set sail from the port of Havana after a five-day visit to Cuba following military exercises in the Atlantic Ocean. Their next destination was unclear, although U.S. officials have said they could possibly stop in Venezuela as well.
Weapons
- One soldier was killed and eight other people were injured in an explosion at a Czech military base where Ukrainian troops have been training since late 2022. Military police spokeswoman Katerina Mlynkova told the AFP news agency that the soldiers involved “ “They were not foreigners.”
