Elections cancelled in Shebekino near border with Ukraine: locals flee due to attacks

"The election committee of Belgorod Oblast in Russia has cancelled the elections to the
Council of the Members of Parliament of the Shebekino district due to mass fleeing of local residents.... almost all candidates and the members of 40 election committees had fled the Shebekino district of Russia so it will be impossible to hold the elections in September 2023." Pravada

Ukraine expands general mobilization

"Residents of the Obolonsky district in Kiev who are eligible for mobilization must report to a military recruitment office within ten days, even if they have not received a personal draft notice, the local commissariat announced.....A document, signed by commissar Alexey Privala, was posted on social media, as well as reprinted by the Ukrainian website Strana.

The western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankovsk has already enacted the same measure. Their orders, dated June 13, also refer to the mobilization of vehicles and forbid residents from moving without the explicit permission of the draft commissariat.

Ukraine’s Chernigov Region reported on Wednesday that it was struggling to meet its mobilization quota. More than 20,000 people have not reported following their summons, regional draft commissar Oleg Goncharuk has admitted." RT

Denmark Drills Deployed Soldiers in 'Ukraine-Like' Settings

"Russia's ambassador to Denmark has stressed that Copenhagen's "interest in more bloodshed
in Ukraine" shows that the Danish "arsenal of diplomatic tools is empty". He also warned of the potential for a greater escalation of the conflict and the risk of direct involvement of NATO members.

The Danish military has been training soldiers to be combat-ready in what has been labelled by the Danish command as "simulated Ukraine-like areas," which, among others, involve Karup Airport on the Jutland Peninsula and helicopter missions to the island of Funen. The drills admittedly involve staff from the US and Sweden, which is not yet a NATO member, but has upped its collaboration with the alliance to hitherto unseen levels." Sputnik

Ukraine’s Air Force 18 times strikes Russian manpower, equipment clusters

"Ukraine’s Air Force delivered 12 strikes targeting Russian manpower and equipment clusters, as well as six anti-aircraft missile systems." Ukrin

Intensification of Russian attacks on Lyman and Kupiansk fronts

"The Russian occupation forces have intensified their assaults on the Lyman and Kupiansk
fronts to draw the defenders' forces away from the supply route and reach the administrative border of Luhansk Oblast." Pravada

European Sky Shield Initiative

"The EU missile shield – if it is ever to be created - will most likely feature both European and US air defense components......French President Emmanuel Macron has warned against relying too much on the US in terms of creating a European air defense system. “If we first adopt a capacity-base approach, we end up massively buying what’s available on the shelves, even if it’s useless — and that generally means massive non-European purchases,” the French president added." Sputnik

Ukraine’s Offensive Runs Into Russian Defensive Wall – Ex-Estonian Spy Chief

"The defensive lines the spymaster was referring to are also known as the ‘Surovikin Line’, informally named after General Sergei Surovikin, the Russian commander tasked with commanding the Joint Group of Forces in the Special Military Operation Zone between October 2022 and January 2023....Ukraine’s NATO-armed and trained military has lost thousands of troops and hundreds of
heavy tanks and armored vehicles since kicking off its so-called counteroffensive on June 4. 

"The bulk of the fighting is taking place on the southern front,” Sachs said in an interview with Estonian television.....“The Ukrainians are yet to push deeply into Russian defensive lines. The Russians have built long defensive lines along the entire length of the front, with the fewest defensive positions in the north. Russia considers it very important to hold onto the southern part of the front, so more defensive lines have been built there. Ukraine attempted to break through the Russian defensive line in three places, but not using very energetic maneuverable units, but rather carefully with artillery fire. So I wouldn’t expect very fast or deep progress from such attacks,” Sachs said." Sputnik

Civilians wounded in Ukrainian ‘kamikaze drone’ raid

"A Ukrainian drone raid on the town of Novaya Kakhovka in Russia’s Kherson Region has
left four civilians wounded, local authorities said." RT

Air defense forces down 32 out of 35 Russian combat drones last night

"Ukraine’s air defense forces shot down 32 out of 35 Russian combat drones on the night of
June 20.

“On the night of June 20, the enemy struck the military and infrastructure facilities of Ukraine with Shahed-136/131 Iranian-made loitering munitions,” the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Telegram." Ukrin

Ukraine’s Air Force launches 15 strikes on enemy positions in past day

"The Air Force of Ukraine launched 15 strikes targeting Russian personnel clusters in the past
day. 

In the Kupiansk direction, the enemy launched an air strike on the settlement of Kyslivka, Kharkiv region. Krasne Pershe, Novomlynsk, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Kyslivka, Berestove of Kharkiv region were subjected to enemy artillery and mortar attacks. 

In the Lyman direction, the enemy carried out unsuccessful offensive actions in the directions of Yampolivka, Torske, Hryhorivka, Spiny and west of Dibrova of Donetsk region. The Russian forces launched an air strike on the settlements of Yampil, Bilohorivka, Siversk and Spirne. Stelmakhivka, Nevske, Bilohorivka of Luhansk region and Torske, Serebrianka, Verkhniokamianske and Rozdolivka of Donetsk region came under artillery fire." Ukrin

Eurozone Enters Recession

"The disastrous performance of the euro area, which fell into recession in the first quarter, is also happening while this economic region enjoys significant tailwinds: Declining energy and commodity prices have supported the euro area’s GDP, boosting the external component thanks to meaningfully lower imports. Furthermore, the euro area should benefit from the expected positive impact of the massive EU Next Generation stimulus plan." ZH

Putin's meeting with African Leaders on Ukraine conflict

"Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a delegation of African leaders in St. Petersburg.
The group traveled to Russia a day after visiting Ukraine and meeting President Vladimir Zelensky, promoting their 10-point peace roadmap designed to end the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, now well into its second year.

The African delegation comprised South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Senegalese President Macky Sall, Comoros President Othman Ghazali, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and senior officials from the Republic of Congo and Uganda. 

Ukraine broke the preliminary deal immediately after Russia withdrew its troops from Kiev Region, as had been agreed upon in Istanbul, Putin explained. "Kiev authorities, like their masters usually do, threw it all away into the graveyard of history," he added, stating that no one could guarantee that Ukraine would do the same to any new deals in the future. The Russian president also insisted that ongoing energy and food crises were not prompted by the conflict with Ukraine, but stemmed from the actions of Western powers." RT

700,000 People Without Clean Water As Fallout From Nova Kakhovka Flooding Mounts

"While much media reporting on the June 6th destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in
southern Ukraine has focused on the 'whodunnit' aspect to the explosion, many thousands of people downriver continue to suffer, after an nearly five cubic miles of water has submerged villages and farmland in the Kherson oblast. 

Basic infrastructure and utilities have been destroyed in much of the region, leaving an estimated 700,000 people in the broader area in need of clean water." ZH

Missile strike - air defence shot down 6 Kinzhals and 6 Kalibr missiles

"Ukraine's air defence destroyed 12 missiles during the Russian attack in Ukraine......6
Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles;--6 Kalibr cruise missiles." Pravada

‘Ugly’ neocolonial system is dead – Putin

"Russia has significantly boosted trade with nations who do not bow to foreign pressure, thus once again proving that the world has abandoned the old neocolonial system, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. Humanity is now progressing towards a new multipolar arrangement, he added. "This means that the ugly international system, which was neocolonial in nature, has ceased to exist. Meanwhile the multipolar world order is being reinforced. And this process is inevitable." RT