Russia-Ukraine war update day 1,219

As of Friday, June 27, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues with notable developments across multiple fronts:

Combat and Military Movements

Russian air raids struck Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, resulting in one fatality and two injuries, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Russian forces claimed control over the village of Shevchenko in the eastern Donetsk region, near a significant lithium deposit, after intense fighting with Ukrainian defenders. They also seized the settlement of Novoserhiivka in the same region, as confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces successfully halted Russian advances along the northern border in the Sumy region. Ukraine’s top general, Oleksandr Syrskii, announced plans to accelerate the construction of defensive positions in Sumy due to the advancing Russian troops moving towards the industrial Dnipropetrovsk area.

Military Support and Diplomacy

A South Korean lawmaker revealed that North Korea plans to deploy additional troops to assist Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, potentially starting in July, based on intelligence reports from Seoul.

On the diplomatic front, Ukraine and Russia completed another prisoner exchange, continuing a series of swaps agreed upon during peace negotiations earlier this month. Neither side disclosed the exact number of prisoners exchanged, but both had committed to releasing at least 1,000 soldiers each. Russia reported no progress on scheduling the next peace talks, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed support for ongoing US mediation efforts.

The European Union’s 27 leaders decided to extend sanctions on Russia for another six months, ensuring the continuation of measures including the freezing of over $234 billion in Russian central bank assets until early 2026. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the European Council to affirm strong political support for Kyiv’s EU accession bid. Conversely, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban cited a national consultation backing his opposition to Ukraine’s EU membership at the upcoming summit.

Chemical Weapons and Arms Race Concerns

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed the presence of banned tear gas (CS gas) in seven samples provided by Ukraine, marking the third time the agency has verified its use in combat zones. Ukraine had accused Russia of deploying this riot control agent.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski warned that a new arms race could destabilize the current Russian leadership, potentially leading to the fall of President Vladimir Putin’s regime, akin to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Press Freedom and Legal Actions

A Russian court sentenced photographer Grigory Skvortsov to 16 years in prison for treason, following allegations that he provided detailed information about Soviet-era bunkers to a US journalist.

Additionally, Russia plans to summon the German ambassador to address retaliatory actions in response to what it perceives as harassment of Russian journalists operating in Germany, as stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.