Ukraine pleaded with Western governments on June 15 to decide quickly on sending heavy weapons to shore up its faltering defences, as Russia said it would evacuate civilians from a frontline chemical plant. The industrial city of Severodonetsk is under intense bombardment as Russia focuses its offensive on the Donbas region.
The West must step up weapons deliveries to Ukraine and prove its commitment to helping the country’s military fight along a 1,000-kilometre front line in a grinding war of attrition with Russia, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on June 15. Opening a meeting in Brussels on supporting Ukraine, Mr. Austin urged more than 45 participating nations to demonstrate “our unwavering determination to get Ukraine the capabilities that it urgently needs to defend itself.”
Meanwhile, Joe Biden said on June 15 that the U.S. will send another $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, the largest single tranche of weapons and equipment since the war began. The aid will include anti-ship missile launchers, howitzers and more rounds for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems — all key weapons systems that Ukrainian leaders have urgently requested.
Slovakia donates 5 helicopters, Grad rockets to Ukraine
Slovakia has donated one Mi-2 and four Mi-17 helicopters and thousands of Grad rockets to Ukraine, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said on his Facebook account on June 16.
“This assistance to Ukraine, as well as all previous supplies, will be reimbursed from the European Peace Facility, which is a strong expression of the European Union’s solidarity with Ukraine,” Mr. Nad said.
The defence minister said Ukraine was already using the donated helicopters and ammunition and that the helicopters donated had been replaced by UH-60M Black Hawks. - AFP
France wants Ukraine victory that establishes total territorial integrity: French source
France wants a military Ukrainian victory against Russia that reestablishes the territorial integrity of the country, including Crimea that was seized by Russia in 2014, a French diplomatic source said on June 16.
The source added it was up to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to define what a military victory could be. - Reuters
Scholz vows support for Ukraine for ‘as long as necessary’
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged enduring backing for Ukraine as he arrived in Kyiv on June 16 along with leaders of France and Italy for the first time since Russia invaded its neighbour.
“We want to show not only solidarity, but also assure that the help that we’re organising -- financial, humanitarian, but also, when it comes to weapons -- will continue,” Mr. Scholz told Bild daily.
“And that we will continue it as long as it is necessary for Ukraine’s fight” against Moscow, he said. - AFP
German, French, Italian leaders headed for Kyiv to show solidarity
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have taken the night train to Kyiv, the French presidential office said, seeking to show their backing for Ukraine as it struggles to withstand a relentless Russian assault.
BFM TV and other media onboard the train showed footage of the three leaders sat at the same table in the train. The train was due to arrive shortly in the Ukrainian capital, BFM said.
The visit has taken weeks to organise with the three men looking to overcome criticism within Ukraine over their response to the war. - Reuters
In Ukraine, mines take lives even after fighting moves on
The truck driver had the radio on, his daughter’s stuffed toy keeping him company, and was bouncing his lumbering vehicle down one of the innumerable dirt tracks in Ukraine that are vital thoroughfares in the country’s vast agricultural heartlands.
Then the right rear wheel hit a Soviet-era TM-62 anti-tank mine. The explosion blew Vadym Schvydchenko and his daughter’s toy clean out of the cabin. The truck, and his livelihood, went up in flames.
Weapons delays cast doubt on Germany’s support for Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised Ukraine world-class weapons — from self-propelled howitzers to multiple launch rocket systems and an air defence shield capable of protecting a “large city” from Russian strikes.
But the sluggishness in the actual delivery of heavy weapons to bolster Ukraine against Russia’s invasion has raised questions on whether the Social Democrat leader’s pledges are sincere.
Trust was already beginning to show signs of eroding among Germany’s allies over the repeated rows over the urgently awaited armaments. - AFP
Xi Jinping expresses readiness to help settle Ukrainian crisis
Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 15 expressed his readiness to play a “constructive role” to help settle the Ukrainian crisis, according to the Chinese state-TV.
In a telephonic conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Xi said, “All parties concerned must take a responsible stance, thus promoting the correct settlement of the crisis in Ukraine.” “China is prepared to keep playing its constructive role,” the Chinese state-TV quoted Xi as saying.
Some 10,000 civilians still in Ukraine’s Severodonetsk: governor
Around 10,000 civilians are trapped in Ukraine’s eastern city of Severodonetsk, where intense fighting with Russia has raged for weeks, the local governor said on June 15.
“Out of 1,00,000 residents, around 10,000 remain,” Sergiy Gaiday, the governor of the Lugansk region, said on Telegram. He said Kyiv’s army is “holding back the enemy as much as possible.” - AFP
Germany sending weapons to Ukraine as Russia advances
The Russian military said it used long-range missiles on June 15 to destroy a depot in the western Lviv region of Ukraine where ammunition for NATO-supplied weapons was stored, and the governor of a key eastern city acknowledged Russian forces are advancing in heavy fighting.
Germany is providing Ukraine with three multiple launch rocket systems of the kind that Kyiv has said it urgently needs to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on June 15 that Germany will transfer three M270 medium-range artillery rocket systems along with ammunition. - AP
Egypt, Israel to boost gas supply to European Union amid Ukraine war
Egypt, Israel, and the European Union on June 15 signed a deal to increase liquified natural gas sales to European Union (EU) countries, who aim to reduce dependence on supply from Russia as the war in Ukraine drags on.
“The deal, stamped in a five-star Cairo hotel, will see Israel sending more gas via Egypt, which has facilities to liquify it for export via sea,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.
Biden announces another $1 billion military aid to Ukraine; U.S. eyes report on fighters
Joe Biden said on Wednesday the U.S. will send another $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, the largest single tranche of weapons and equipment since the war began. The aid will include anti-ship missile launchers, howitzers and more rounds for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems — all key weapons systems that Ukrainian leaders have urgently requested. In recent days, Ukrainian officials have spoken of the heavy human cost of the war, with Kyiv’s forces outgunned and outnumbered in the east.
NATO defense ministers to discuss weapons for Ukraine
The West must step up weapons deliveries to Ukraine and prove its commitment to helping the country’s military fight along a 1,000-kilometer front line in a grinding war of attrition with Russia, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on June 15.
Opening a meeting in Brussels on supporting Ukraine, Mr. Austin urged more than 45 participating nations to demonstrate “our unwavering determination to get Ukraine the capabilities that it urgently needs to defend itself.” “We must intensify our shared commitment to Ukraine’s self-defence, and we must push ourselves even harder to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself, its citizens and its territory,” he said.
Ukraine pleads for western arms as Russia chokes frontline city
Ukraine pleaded with Western governments on June 15 to decide quickly on sending heavy weapons to shore up its faltering defences, as Russia said it would evacuate civilians from a frontline chemical plant.
The industrial city of Severodonetsk is under intense bombardment as Russia focuses its offensive on the Donbas region in an effort to secure a swathe of eastern and southern Ukraine.
