Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 06-28-2024

Rumors began to circulate on social media on Friday afternoon that a Ukrainian ATACMS strike had destroyed elements of the S-500 battery in an unidentified location.

Posts began to appear on pro-Ukraine Telegram and X accounts on the afternoon of Friday, June 28 that an S-500 anti-missile complex had been hit with cluster-munition filled ATACMS missiles.

The bloggers couldn’t agree whether one or more elements of the system such as its missiles, a launcher an associated radar were hit.

Ukrainian guardsmen encountered a Russian Su-25 “Grach” attack aircraft (NATO: Frogfoot) on a combat sortie in the Donetsk region and took it on.

The National Guard of Ukraine reported via Telegram that its soldiers had downed a Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft in the Donetsk region.

“The guards discovered an enemy Su-25, also known as the Grach [Rook], making a combat sortie,” the Friday, June 28 post says.

Congressman Ritchie Torres has been an outspoken supporter of Ukraine and a leading voice in calling attention to the crimes perpetrated by Russia and other rogue states.

A Russian Su-27 fighter shot a missile at an unescorted British RC-135 flying in the same area in September 2022. It missed. The Thursday patrol with RAF fighters went off without reported incidents.

Two Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets escorting a RC-135 strategic surveillance aircraft flew a rare reconnaissance mission closely approaching and probing air defenses in the Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula on Thursday, open-source air traffic data reviewed by Kyiv Post showed.

The three British aircraft appeared to have left their transponders on constantly during the two hours spent in international air space west of Crimea. There were no reports of Russian ground or air forces’ interfering with the RAF planes flying at times within 200 kilometers of Russia’s main Black Sea military base Sevastopol.

As signs of Moscow’s intention to create a new shadow fleet for its liquified natural gas (LNG) exports began circulating, experts have likened Western sanctions to a game of whack-a-mole.

Obscure entities in Dubai, unknown insurers, new entry into the market – multiple indicators point towards Moscow’s creation of a new shadow fleet for liquified natural gas (LNG) following the EU’s latest sanctions on Russian LNG transshipment.

According to a Bloomberg investigation, ownership of at least eight vessels has been transferred to obscure companies in Dubai, UAE citing global shipping database Equasis; moreover, among them were four ice-class vessels that have already received Moscow’s approval to traverse Russia’s Arctic waters this summer.

The Russian Defense Ministry has instructed the General Staff to submit proposals for measures in response to a perceived increase in flights by US strategic drones over the Black Sea.

Recently installed Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov has instructed the Russian General Staff to “make proposals for measures to respond promptly” to overflights by US reconnaissance drones, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday, June 28.

The announcement added that “the intensity of flights by US strategic drones over the Black Sea is increasing, which are reconnoitering and targeting precision weapons supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine by Western countries to strike at Russian targets.”

Trump's sarcasm targeting the Democratic president was met with laughter and shouts of approval, while Biden's every hesitation and throat-clearing was a moment of triumph for Republican supporters.

Donald Trump declared during his first debate against President Joe Biden ahead of November's presidential election that war in Ukraine "should have never started" had he been in office.

"That's right!" chanted his supporter Monika Rothenbuhler amid applause in a bar in San Francisco.

An agent of the partisan movement Atesh reported identifying an air defense system 15 km from Bocharov Ruchey in Sochi.

The Atesh partisan movement stated via Telegram that it identified a Pantsir-S1 air defense system in Sochi tasked with guarding Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s dacha.

“Our agent reported that this complex is located 15 km from Bocharov Ruchey in Sochi,” the post says.

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

Joe Biden gave a stumbling performance in a 90-minute showdown with Donald Trump - the first televised debate of the 2024 presidential election campaign. Democrats expressed grave concern at the president's performance - with one top Democrat saying on CNN: “We should pray for our president.”

The Democrat added that the party had been lied to about Biden’s ability to lead it into the next election. Republican strategist Rina Shah told CNN that for Biden, the debate was like “bringing a knife to a gunfight.”

Ukraine’s HUR said on Wednesday that it had used the satellite Ukrainian civilians funded in 2022 to target and destroy more than 1,500 of Moscow's key military targets.

In August 2022 funds raised by the Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation, originally to buy Bayraktar drones for use in the war against Russia, was used by Ukraine to purchase a high-technology satellite from the Finnish company ICEYE, which have helped to guide much of Kyiv’s targeting against the Kremlin war machine.

A report in the War Zone (TWZ) military issues news site reported on Wednesday details provided by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) on how they had used the space vehicle to target Russian military assets. On the official HUR website, the intelligence agency said that the satellite had provided almost 4,200 images, taken over both Ukraine and Russia since it was acquired. It said that more than a third of those had been used to strike Russian targets since 2022.

Ukraine, which has been facing a Russian offensive for over two years, regularly launches attacks targeting Russian energy and defence sites in response to strikes on its territory.

A Ukrainian drone hit a petrol depot early Friday, June 28, setting it on fire, a Russian regional governor said, adding that the strike took place hundreds of miles from the border.

Maxim Yegorov, governor of the Tambov region in central Russia, said the strike happened at 4:35 am (0135 GMT).

Biden had to offer a vision of how a second term would be better. Trump had to argue that it was time for change. Observers seem to highlight Biden’s failure more than Trump’s victory in the debates.

Today, the New York Times ran “I’m Hearing High Anxiety From Democrats Over Biden’s Debate Performance” and “Biden’s Truth Was Overshadowed by his Stumbles.”

The Financial Times (FT) reported on Thursday that discussions over the eight Patriot systems Israel holds were underway with a view to provide at least some of them to bolster Kyiv’s air defenses.

Ukraine may soon have a huge boost in its air defense capabilities with Israel providing some Patriot missile systems after apparent behind-the-scenes discussions among the Biden, Netanyahu and Zelensky administrations, reports the Financial Times.

The US, Israeli and Ukrainian governments have held talks over the fate of the eight MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems held by Israel. The FT, citing several sources on Thursday, June 27 said that discussions to send at least some of the Patriot batteries to Ukraine, a decision that could double the number of this key weapons system, dramatically increasing Kyiv’s ability to defend itself from the Russian drone and missile onslaught.

Kyiv would like to create a safe space in western Ukraine where industry, energy infrastructure and civilians can be protected from Russian strikes.

Lacking sufficient anti-aircraft systems to repel Russia's unrelenting attacks, Ukraine is pushing its European allies to establish a no-fly zone in the west of the country by deploying air defence systems in neighbouring Poland and Romania, officials told AFP.

Kyiv would like to create a safe space in western Ukraine where industry, energy infrastructure and civilians can be protected against the massive destruction unleashed by Russian strikes in recent months.

Ukraine’s government did not confirm the EU’s intention to impose new tariffs on eggs and sugar imports to the European Union, stating the information spread by the Financial Times was false.

The Financial Times (FT) wrote that the European Union intends to use the “emergency brake” in its Autonomous Trade Measures with Ukraine, a policy that suspends import duties and quotas on Ukrainian and Moldovan exports to the EU for one year.

Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, denied FT’s reports about triggering safeguard mechanisms and reimposing tariffs on Ukrainian sugar and egg imports to the EU from June 6, 2024 until 5 June 5, 2025, she told Ukrainian media outlet European Pravda.

EU countries have boosted their defence spending since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, with further acceleration after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday, June 28, that the bloc must invest 500 billion euros ($535 billion) over the next decade to strengthen defences.

Von der Leyen estimated that an "additional 500 billion euros" in defence investments are needed over the next ten years but did not provide detailed specifics.

Russia has hosted the two biggest sporting events in recent years. Now, Putin and his country are as isolated as ever due to the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Doping, sanctions, Ukraine, an escalating war of words: Sporting powerhouse Russia's behaviour since breaking the Olympic truce in 2008 with the invasion of Georgia has taxed the patience of sporting bodies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who revelled in being photographed competing in his favoured event of judo, viewed sporting excellence and hosting major events as central to his programme.

Russia’s Investigative Committee head announced a crackdown on newly naturalized citizens avoiding military registration, stating over 30,000 have been caught and listed for service.

Russia has sent approximately 10,000 newly naturalized citizens to fight in Ukraine, according to Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia's Investigative Committee, on Thursday, June 27.

He reported that Russia is cracking down on migrants who received Russian citizenship but failed to register with military authorities.

US Ambassador to Beijing Nicholas Burns said the PRC provided a range of technologies to Moscow, maintaining strong ties with Russia throughout the invasion.

Despite claims of neutrality, the Chinese government actually supports Russia in the war against Ukraine by providing advanced technologies, according to US Ambassador in Beijing Nicholas Burns, Sky News reported.

China sided with Russia

The CEO of Ukraine’s energy transmission operator said the government is weighing up the move due to ongoing humanitarian work and active hostilities in frontline areas.

Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, CEO of Ukraine’s transmission operator Ukrenergo, said the government is exploring the idea of canceling blackouts in frontline regions due to humanitarian work and ongoing fighting.

“The Cabinet of Ministers is currently working on the possibility of changing the method of applying shutdowns for [some] frontline territories, where the humanitarian situation is already difficult and there is a real threat to life due to shelling.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian forces have sustained the tempo of their offensive operations in the Toretsk direction since activating in the area on June 18 and likely aim to reduce a Ukrainian salient in the area, but there is little current likelihood of rapid Russian gains near Toretsk. Russian forces have committed only limited forces to this operation so far, which suggests that Russian forces continue to prioritize gradual advances through consistent grinding assaults over operationally significant gains through rapid maneuver.
• Slow grinding Russian offensive operations in the Toretsk direction are in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin's articulated theory of victory that posits that Russian forces will be able to continue gradual creeping advances indefinitely, prevent Ukraine from conducting successful operationally significant counteroffensive operations, and win a war of attrition against Ukrainian forces
• Ukraine signed long-term security agreements with the European Union (EU), Lithuania, and Estonia on June 27.
• Russian officials and information space actors continue to frame migrants as a threat to Russian society amid ongoing efforts to utilize migrant communities to address Russia's force generation needs.
• The Kremlin may be using indirect means to bypass Russian law and codify a state ideology that emphasizes Russia's "traditional" social values while attempting to increase Russia's birth rate.
• There is currently no evidence supporting recent reports that North Korea may be sending engineering forces to rear areas of occupied Ukraine, and ISW has been unable to locate the North Korean confirmation that some Western amplifications allege has been made.
• Russian forces recently marginally advanced near Siversk, Avdiivka, and Donetsk City.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the long-term future of the Russian Navy and Russian shipbuilding on June 26 and noted that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) plans to introduce more than 40 new ships and vessels to the Russian Navy in 2024.

Tempers and tensions were high Thursday as US President Joe Biden faced off against Republican rival Donald Trump in the first debate of the 2024 White House campaign.

Tempers and tensions were high Thursday as US President Joe Biden faced off against Republican rival Donald Trump in the first debate of the 2024 White House campaign.

Here are some of the key quotes from the evening: