Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 06-24-2024

Men avoiding conscription was common in the Vietnam War, as it is in Ukraine now – but what’s striking is one-third of the population's willingness to serve three years into the full-scale invasion.

My name appeared in The New York Times article "As Ukraine Expands Military Draft, Some Men Go Into Hiding." I want to provide an extended comment here, as I believe the overall narrative of the paper is misleading despite its merits and attention to facts on the ground.

While the facts in the article are correct and it’s true that some men are avoiding mobilization, this angle is misleading and fails to capture the full picture of what’s happening in Ukraine. 

Russian forces have been advancing towards Pokrovsk over recent months, since they captured the fortress town of Avdiivka in February.

Russian strikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk killed four people and wounded dozens more on Monday, the governor of the Donetsk region said.

Over recent weeks, Moscow has concentrated its firepower on the eastern industrial region of Donetsk, which the Kremlin claims is part of Russia.

Both missiles were shot down during terminal guidance, with debris still scoring a hit on an FSB facility and knocking out electricity.

For the first time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used HIMARS systems to attack the Kursk region of Russia, destroying an FSB building, Russian media outlet Astra reports, citing sources.

According to its sources, on Saturday, June 22, Ukraine fired two missiles from HIMARS at military facilities near Mirnyi in Suzhansky district and near Dovgi Bumi in Belovsky district.

Kyiv Post interviews Ryan McBeth, the creator of what is now one of the largest YouTube channels discussing topics as varied as intelligence operations, disinformation, and how the military functions.

The duel in the skies above Crimea pitted 1990s-era US weapons against the Russian air defense platform Kremlin calls “the best in the world.”

A salvo of Lockheed-Martin’s long-range missiles fired by Ukrainian forces on Saturday and Sunday broke through Russian air defenses to damage an early warning radar complex near the Crimean city of Yevpatoria, despite the nearby deployment of what is said to be best anti-missile system Russia possesses.

Ukrainian military sources backed by video of the launch and images from the impact area confirmed that at least four US-manufactured ATACMS missiles had punched through Russian air defenses on Sunday morning strikes against an air defense installation on Crimea’s southern coast.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said the mole served in eastern Ukraine prior to his transfer to the border units, and the SBU named the Russian officer responsible for recruiting him.

The counterintelligence units of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), with help from the State Border Service, detained a soldier in the border units suspected of spying for Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

According to the SBU press release, the suspect collected information on fortified areas, weapon and munition storage, and Ukrainian troop numbers in the Volyn region bordering Belarus, Ukraine’s northern neighbor complicit in aiding Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine is about to deploy an AI-powered drone swarm that can work together to destroy Russian tanks and gather intelligence.

A Ukrainian startup says it’s on the brink of revolutionizing warfare with an AI-driven drone swarm capable of coordinated attacks on enemy tanks and intelligence gathering, potentially giving Ukraine a significant advantage in its war with Russia, as per The Times’ report.

“It’s the equivalent of bringing the steam engine into the factory all those years ago,” said Serhii Kuprienko, the founder of the startup. “Our core mission is to get robots to do the fighting, not humans.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the strike on Sevastopol "barbaric" and accused Washington of "killing Russian children".

The Kremlin on Monday warned the United States of "consequences" and summoned its ambassador, a day after Moscow said a Ukrainian strike using a US missile on Crimea killed four people.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the strike on Sevastopol "barbaric" and accused Washington of "killing Russian children".

Two American and one European volunteer from a mortar team in the International Legion talk about their motivation and experience serving in a mortar team near Chasiv Yar.

Three soldiers from Ukraine’s International Legion shared their experience fighting near Chasiv Yar on the eastern front as part of a mortar support team in a short documentary released by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR).

The International Legion is a military unit founded in 2022 primarily consisting of foreign volunteers, where HUR oversaw the operations of some of its units and regiments.

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Західні лідери нещодавно зібралися, аби відзначити 80-ту річницю висадки союзних військ у Нормандію під час Другої світової війни. Події, які наразі відбуваються у світі, стали тривожним та історично мобілізуючим тлом для зустрічі тих же союзних країн, які зараз активно залучені до Четвертої світової війни, що точиться зараз у Європі та на Близькому Сході. Третю світову війну – війну Холодну – СРСР програв, тому тепер Путін розв’язав четверту. Він хоче помститися за цю поразку так само, як Гітлер розпочав Другу світову, аби помститися за поразку Німеччини у Першій світовій.

«Путін – Гітлер нашого часу. Ні в якому разі не можна повторити трагічну помилку 1930-х років». Ці слова, сказані на березі пляжу Омаха, прозвучали надзвичайно доречно й переконливо.

A Russian cruise missile hit a warehouse in the southern port city of Odesa, sparking a fire over thousands of square metres (yards), Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

The Black Sea port of Odesa, which is key for Ukrainian exports, has faced persistent missile and drone attacks from Russian forces since the beginning of their invasion in February 2022.

France’s Army Chief says the current domination of small drones on the battlefield will be short-lived as countermeasures development will erode the advantage they offer.

It is now conventional wisdom that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) – drones - have so impacted the war in Ukraine that they have changed the face of warfare forever. Many commentators go as far as to say UAV will make conventional, armored military forces obsolete.

That is not the opinion of the French Army’s Chief of Staff, Gen. Pierre Schill. Speaking during the Eurosatory defense exhibition on June 19, he said that the advantage currently enjoyed by small aerial drones on Ukraine’s battlefields are but “a moment in history.” He said that while anti-drone systems are currently trailing it won’t be long before science and tactics erode and eventually wipe out the advantage drones currently enjoy.

Russian milbloggers criticize Crimean authorities for failing to build shelters and not warning civilians about the missile threat, while encouraging Crimean despite the war.

Russian milbloggers have criticized the Russian Defense Ministry and Crimea’s occupation authorities for allowing Russian forces to deliberately place legitimate military targets near civilian areas in Crimea in an attempt to deter Ukrainian strikes, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports.

One year on from the most serious challenge to Putin's authority in almost a quarter of a century in power, he now appears more secure than ever.

When Russian paramilitary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin sent his Wagner mercenaries charging towards Moscow last year in a short-lived rebellion, President Vladimir Putin looked weak and vulnerable.

But just one year on from the most serious challenge to his authority in almost a quarter of a century in power, the Kremlin leader now appears more secure than ever.

Strikes on energy infrastructure trigger decrease in 2024 GDP forecast, banking sector is still earning on securities not loans, and Ukrainian businesses lack professionals due to emigration.

The National Bank of Ukraine concludes the financial sector is still anxious, with Russian strikes on energy infrastructure undermining another effort to sustain perfect resiliency, The Financial Stability Report of The National Bank of Ukraine concludes.

The Index of Financial Stress, a tool for Ukraine’s central bank to assess the situation in the financial sector, remains below pre-invasion levels.

Ukraine and Belgium have all to play for on June 26 in the hope of qualifying for the competition’s knockout stages.

Ukraine are one victory away from securing their place in the knockout stages of EURO 2024. After a comeback victory against Slovakia on Matchday 2, the Ukrainians will hope to build on their most recent performance in their third and final match of the group stage.

Based on other results in the group, a draw may not be enough to see Ukraine qualify for the knockouts. While all four teams in the group are level on points, Ukraine are ranked lowest on goal difference, making it important to beat the Belgians to secure their place in the Round of 16.

Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced on Sunday, June 23, that Warsaw might close the remaining border checkpoints to curb illegal migration.

In a recent post on “X,” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition leader, who is widely believed to have won the presidential election in her country in 2020, has urged Poland not to shut down border crossing points with Belarus.

Tsikhanouskaya, referencing the Cold War-era division of Europe, urged that any border restrictions should target the Belarusian regime, not its people.

EU leaders and diplomats have years of bitter experience dealing with Budapest's hard-right government on issues ranging from Ukraine aid to migration and the rule of law.

Hungary takes over the European Union's six-month rotating presidency on July 1, in the face of fears perennial spoiler Prime Minister Viktor Orban could use it to take the bloc hostage at a critical time.

EU leaders and diplomats have years of bitter experience dealing with Budapest's hard-right government on issues ranging from Ukraine aid to migration and the rule of law.

Ukraine has had to impose power restrictions since May due to intense Russian attacks. Distribution companies issue schedules showing when energy will be cut off.

Ukraine's energy operator Ukrenergo said Sunday that rolling electricity blackouts will be imposed nationwide throughout Monday because of increased Russian attacks on power stations.

Ukraine has had to impose power restrictions since May due to intense Russian attacks. Distribution companies issue schedules showing when energy will be cut off.

Russia and Serbia have traditionally been close. However, the FT reported that exported ammunition that ended up in Ukraine through third countries is estimated at around 800 million euros.

Serbia has sold hundreds of millions of dollars of ammunition to western countries that have likely helped Ukraine’s fight against Russia, President Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview with the Financial Times.

Russia and Serbia have traditionally been close. But the Financial Times reported on Saturday that exported ammunition that ended up in Ukraine through third countries is estimated at around 800 million euros, a figure that the Serbian president acknowledged in the interview was largely accurate.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• The Islamic State (IS) Northern Caucasus branch Wilayat Kavkaz likely conducted a complex and coordinated attack against churches, synagogues, and law enforcement structures in the Republic of Dagestan on June 23.
• The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) accused Ukrainian forces of conducting a short-range ATACMS strike against occupied Sevastopol on June 23. Russian milbloggers widely criticized the Russian MoD and Russia’s occupation authorities in Crimea for failing to prevent the strike and sufficiently protect Russian civilians.
• Ukrainian forces struck a Russian motorized rifle regiment command post in Nekhoteevka, Belgorod Oblast.
• Recent drone footage showing a Russian soldier executing a wounded fellow servicemember exemplifies the brutal culture that is pervasive within the Russian Armed Forces.
• South Korea has adopted a firm approach against Russia in the wake of recently intensified Russo-North Korean cooperation, suggesting that Russian efforts to threaten Seoul into withholding aid from Ukraine have failed.
• The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained two former senior employees of the Wagner Group-affiliated Patriot media holding on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Wagner mutiny.
• Russian forces recently seized Shumy and advanced near Donetsk City and Robotyne.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on June 22 officially transferring the Cossack Cadet Corps and the Russian Naval Cadet Corps to the jurisdiction of the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD).