Russia-Ukraine war updates: European Union looks to MidEast as gas alternative to Russia

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded 9,931 civilian casualties in the country since the onset of the brutal war in Ukraine. According to the UN agency, at least 4,432 were killed and more than 5,499 were injured in the Russian attack. OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration. 

As Russia's relentless warfare continues to ravage Ukraine, war embattled Deputy Defence Minister Anna Malyar alleged that her country has received only 10% of the weapons it requested from the West. She underscored that without the help of Western countries Ukraine will not be able to win the brutal war. She voiced there should be a deadline for the delivery of the weapons in order to deter the Russian aggression properly. "There should be a clear timeframe” for such deliveries as every delay," she said. 

Russia, on Tuesday, took strong action and banned several accredited British journalists and other associates related to the media organisation. According to the statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, it has blacklisted at least 49 British journalists and defence figures from entering Russia. It said that these people were spreading false information about Russia and Donbas since the onset of the "special military operations" on Ukraine. The ministry accused the British media personnel as "one-sided" and blamed them for spreading "Russophobia" in British society. 

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Romania on Tuesday to hold talks and meet with French troops stationed there as part of NATO’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Macron’s visit to Romania, a European Union member since 2007 and a NATO member since 2004, was the beginning of a regional tour that includes a visit Wednesday to non-NATO Moldova. Both countries share long borders with Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday expressed hope that natural gas supplies from the eastern Mediterranean could help reduce the EU's dependence on Russia as the Ukraine war drags on.

Von der Leyen said during joint statements with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett a deal between the EU, Israel and Egypt will be signed on Wednesday in order to "help step up the deliveries of energy to Europe."

Israel has emerged as a gas exporter in recent years following major offshore discoveries and has signed an ambitious agreement with Greece and Cyprus to build a shared pipeline.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again stressed the urgency of getting missile defence systems citing recent Russian strikes on Western Ukraine.

Speaking in a video address on Tuesday Zelenskyy added that the Kharkiv region was currently suffering the most with the liberation of Kherson being the "critical goal we will move towards step by step."

Zelenskyy said he spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the phone - "the number one topic was defence support", adding that Trudeau's country became the first to transfer "special assistance" to the tune of "$800 million" to Ukraine's International Monetary Fund account.

Amid the ravaging war in Ukraine, Germany, on Tuesday, refuted the reports of not delivering advanced weapons to Kyiv that it had promised earlier. While addressing a press conference during her visit to a military base in the western German town of Rheinbach, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht clarified that Ukrainian troops are being trained in using German howitzers. According to the minister, long-range weapons can be used on the battlefield once the troops complete their training.
"The exercise on the Panzerhaubitze 2000 will soon be finished so that it can be used in the war in Kyiv," she said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Brussels Tuesday, where he will preside at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group to weigh the next steps in aiding Ukraine to stand up against Russia's invasion. The Pentagon says as many as 50 nations may attend the contact group meeting, with a focus on Ukraine's warfighting effort in the Donbas region.

Russian forces in the past few weeks have pressed hard to capture Ukraine's eastern industrial Donbas area, which borders Russia and is made up of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

President Joe Biden says he's working closely with European Union partners to build temporary silos along the Ukraine border and some in Poland to get much-needed grain out. Biden made the announcement during a speech at the AFL-CIO event in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Blockaded ports in Ukraine, caused by the ongoing war with Russia, have impeded exports of up to 25 million tons of grain from the key European breadbasket.

Ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg held an informal meeting with a group of leaders including Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and her Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday evening. The meeting was held at Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s official residence in The Hague. According to a report by news agency The Associated Press, the leaders have discussed applications by Sweden and Finland to join the US-backed military alliance. Notably, both nations applied to join NATO earlier last month after decades of military non-alignment. 

When Turkey’s president rails against “terrorists” in the Swedish Parliament, Amineh Kakabaveh is convinced he is talking about her. The former Kurdish rebel fighter turned Swedish lawmaker has emerged as a central figure in the drama surrounding Sweden and Finland’s historic bid to join NATO. Turkey opposes NATO membership for the two Nordic countries, accusing them of harbouring Kurdish militants. Kakabaveh, a strong advocate for Kurdish self-determination in the Middle East and a fierce critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, holds extraordinary leverage because the Swedish government depends on her vote for its one-seat majority in Parliament. "I support and I defend our sovereignty and our dignity and our foreign policy. I think that every politician should," she said.

Russian troops control about 80% of the fiercely contested eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk and have destroyed all three bridges leading out of it but Ukrainian authorities are still trying to evacuate the wounded, a regional official said Tuesday.

Serhiy Haidai, governor of the eastern Luhansk region, acknowledged that a mass evacuation of civilians from Sievierodonetsk now is “simply not possible” due to the relentless shelling and fighting. Ukrainian forces have been pushed to the industrial outskirts of the city because of “the scorched earth method and heavy artillery the Russians are using,” he said.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has asked Ukrainian fighters in Severodonetsk to lay down their arms. "We call on the official authorities in Kyiv to show prudence and give appropriate instructions to the militants to stop their senseless resistance and withdraw from the territory of the Azot plant," the ministry said in a statement. It further announced that a "humanitarian operation" will be conducted on June 15 in order to evacuate civilians from the Ukrainian-controlled Azot chemical factory to Russian-controlled territory to the north. 

Israel is set to help Europe in obtaining gas from sources other than Russia after Moscow began its offensive in Ukraine. The development has been announced by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during his joint statement with Italian counterpart Mario Draghi, ANSA reported. After his meeting with Draghi in Jerusalem, Bennett said that Israel will help Europe in producing natural gas.

In his statement, Mario Draghi said that Italy will continue to work for a ceasefire at the earliest. He stressed that the peace negotiations should be based on the terms that will be acceptable to Ukraine. He highlighted that Italy will continue to support Ukraine and its intention of becoming part of Europe. Italian PM Mario Draghi said that he discussed Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports with Israeli counterpart Bennett. Draghi emphasised that Moscow's blockade has prevented the Ukrainian grain exports and called for making efforts to ensure safe corridors for the passage of Ukrainian grain. 

Read more here. 

Germany intends to establish an assets register to improve the effectiveness of sanctions against the money of unknown origin, particularly Russian oligarchs' holdings. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made these remarks while speaking at a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) conference on money laundering. "Russia's aggression against Ukraine has exposed that sanctions need to be more effective, especially against oligarchs abroad," Scholz stated, as per CNN. He further stated that Germany will create a special hotline to assist whistleblowers. “Russia's war against Ukraine marks a watershed for all of us because it threatens the global order itself," the German Chancellor added. 

European Commission Vice President, Frans Timmermans, has said that they cannot reveal a date for Ukraine's possible accession to the bloc. He asserted that they cannot "say no" to Ukraine if they wish to join the EU as the war-torn nation has been defending European values, Kurier reported citing ORF's ZiB2. The statement of the EU Commission President comes at a time the EU Commission is set to take a decision on whether Ukraine will be granted EU candidate status or not. 

Frans Timmermans asserted that they cannot let Russia win the war with regard to sanctions. Timmermans emphasised that Europe should not cause harm to itself through a gas embargo as it could result in a "split." He asserted that the EU needs to become independent of Russian energy imports and stressed that the "energy transition needs to be accelerated," as per the Kurier report. The European Commission Vice President stressed that in order to stop dependency on Russian energy imports, they need to increase the production of solar, wind energy and biomethane. 

Read more here. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that his forces have enough ammunition and weapons, but needs more long-range weapons. "We have enough weapons. What we don’t have enough of are the weapons that really hit the range that we need to reduce the advantage of the Russian Federation’s equipment," he told reporters, as per The Guardian. 

According to reports, the Ukrainian air defence system has shot down an enemy missile in Ternopil city. 

Watch the video here. 

Embattled Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to express unwavering support for Kyiv, accusing him of being overly concerned about the implications for Berlin's relations with Moscow. Zelenskyy made the remarks during an interview with German public television ZDF. It is pertinent to mention here that Scholz may make his first trip to Ukraine on June 16.

Read more here. 

According to reports, Roman Ratushnyi, a well-known activist from Kyiv, was killed in combat near Izium city. 24-year-old Ratushnyi was a leader of the non-profit organization "Let's Protect Protasiv Yar," which battled illegal construction at Protasiv Yar. He was also an active participant of the 'Revolution of Dignity' in 2014," the Kyiv Independent reported.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General claimed that the death of seven citizens found with their hands tied behind their backs outside the Kyiv suburb of Bucha is being investigated. According to authorities, bodies of seven individuals with gunshot wounds and hands tied behind their backs were discovered in the trenches of formerly Russian-held positions in the forest near the village of Myrotske, CNN reported. 

In its latest operational update the Ukrainian Defence Ministry claimed that Russia has lost nearly 32,500 soldiers, 3,503 Armored Personnel Vehicles (APV), 1,434 tanks, 721 artillery systems and 229 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), and at least 97 anti-aircraft warfare. In addition, the invaders also lost as many as 3,503 vehicles and fuel tanks, 588 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), 213 aircraft, 179 helicopters, 125 cruise missiles, and 54 special equipment and 13 boats, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry stated. 

The deputy head of the Russian-imposed military-civilian administration of the occupied Kherson region in Ukraine has said it will remain forever Russian. On Tuesday, RIA Novosti news agency reported Kirill Stremousov as saying that "we (Kherson residents) are already irrevocably the Russian Federation' He added, "We need to remember this, rebuild, get passports of citizens of the Russian Federation and remember that we will really feel at home there and feel good." 

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has refused to be drawn on whether she would negotiate directly with the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic over the situation of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner. 

Speaking to BBC Radio Truss said, "These people are prisoners of war, fighting for the Ukrainian army. And it’s important to maintain that principle. And the Russian proxies are violating the Geneva Convention. And we need to be very, very clear about that."

"That’s why the best route is through the Ukrainians, and I can’t go into the details of my discussions with the Ukrainians, but I can assure you, and I can assure the families, that we’re working flat out on this," she further added. 

Around 500 civilians, including dozens of children, remain on the territory of the Azot chemical plant in Severodonetsk. Earlier this week, Ukrainian president Volodymymr Zelenskyy said that Severodonetsk had become the epicentre of the Russian invasion. Notably, the city is located in the eastern Luhansk region, which Russia said needed to be "liberated" from Ukraine. 

As Russia's war of attrition continues for the 111th day, Ukraine's Minister of Defence called for more heavy weapons from the west. In a Twitter post, Dymytro Kuleba said, "Ukraine has proven it can punch well above its weight and win important battles against all odds: Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv. Imagine what Ukraine can do with sufficient tools. I urge partners to set a clear goal of Ukrainian victory and speed up deliveries of heavy weapons." 

US President Joe Biden has officially announced that he is extending sanctions against Belarus for a year, Ukraine Now reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the White House in a statement reasoned that it was because the Belarusian regime posed an 'extraordinary threat' to the security and foreign policy of the US. Belarus has constantly offered support to Russia and allowed Putin's troops to use its territories to launch attacks on Ukraine. 

 "The actions and policies of certain members of the Belarusian government and others, as well as the malicious activities and ongoing abuses of the Belarusian regime, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," White House said in a document.

In his nightly address on Monday, Ukraine's embattled president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his troops will "liberate" the Crimean peninsula which was captured by Russia in 2014. "The flag of Ukraine will fly again over Yalta and Sudak, over Dzhankoi and Yevpatoriya," he said. Zelenskyy urged his compatriots to let 'every Russian official' remember, "this is not the land where they will have peace." 

Two defenders battling the Russian invasion of Ukraine got married in the city of Poltava. A photograph that is now doing rounds on social media shows Kateryna and Vadym celebrating their nuptials. Notably, the marriage was arranged in just a few hours. 

The United States, along with allies and partners, will actively respond to the challenges of the global food crisis, which has significantly worsened since Russia resolved the war against Ukraine, State Department has said. It added that the Biden administration has pledged US$2.6 billion in humanitarian aid to alleviate hunger in the war-torn country. Notably, it emphasised that at least 40 million people will slip into a food crisis by the end of this year, 

A video that has surfaced online shows, Russia Day being celebrated in the occupied region on Kherson. Situated in the south of Ukraine, Kherson was one of the first targets of the Russian troops. A separate report by BBC revealed that Russian occupation authorities in southern Ukraine have started handing out Russian passports to locals in the city. 

Ukrainian President Volodymymr Zelenskyy held talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Monday. During the conversation, both the leaders discussed the current ongoing situation in Ukraine. Zelenskyy also thanked Rutte for the defence assistance provided by the Netherlands in countering Russian aggression. Notably, both the leaders also deliberated upon Ukraine's accession to the European Union. 

Speaking at an exclusive interview during the 7th annual Defense One Tech Summit, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said, "I think what we can assure ourselves today is that there will be a country called Ukraine. It will be a sovereign country and that country will have a military that will need to defend it. And so as we look ahead, we're thinking through what are the kinds of capabilities that the Ukrainians need to protect themselves over the long term.” 

Amidst the ongoing conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron might visit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on June 15, which is Wednesday. Although, the visit "has not been 100% confirmed yet," said Ukraine Bruno Cassanel. Macron plans to visit Kyiv together with the Italian Prime Minister and German Chancellor, according to a report by The Guardian. 

All bridges leading to Severodonetsk have been destroyed, making it impossible to deliver aid to the region or even evacuate citizens, head of Luhansk regional military administration Serhiy Hayday said on Monday. As Russia continues its war of attrition to take total control of the eastern city, he revealed that Ukrainian troops still control a part of it.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has dismissed accusations that his country is too slow to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons He said, "we should not forget about time for training with equipment. It would be a mistake to supply equipment to Ukraine without prior training of military." 

Ukraine has called on the west to supply 300 rocket launchers, 500 tanks and 1,000 howitzers. At a meeting held on Wednesday, Mykhailo Podolyak, a key presidential adviser, urged allies to send the ammunitions amid concern that it is pushing its demands for Nato-standard weapons to the limit.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said the intense battle for Sievierodonetsk is taking a “terrifying” toll on Ukraine. “The human cost of this battle is very high for us. It is simply terrifying. The battle for the Donbas will, without doubt, be remembered in military history as one of the most violent battles in Europe,” he said in an address to the nation late on Monday.

Filled with lush green pine trees, a forest near Bucha has now become a macabre site of death. Photographs shared by the Associated Press captured the grief and agony of the situation. The pictures were clicked following Ukriane officials' discovery of another mass grave near the Kyiv suburb earlier this week. 

Ukraine's Defence Ministry released footage on Monday that it said showed shelling in southern Ukraine and damage left in its wake. In a statement, the ministry did not provide a specific location for the video, which was captured by drone, saying it was shot in the area of Mykolaiv and Kherson, two Black Sea port cities separated by 55 miles. Russian forces are in control of the entire Kherson region - a key gateway to Crimea - while Ukrainian troops are still in place in Mykolaiv.

Amid ongoing brutal war in Eastern Europe, Police have questioned a South Korean volunteer fighter over a probable passport violation for his unauthorised stay in war-torn Ukraine. About three months after leaving for Ukraine to engage in the ongoing war as a volunteer fighter, Rhee Keun, a former Navy SEAL-turned-YouTuber arrived at Incheon International Airport on May 27. According to South Korean officials, Keun voluntarily reported to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on June 10 where he underwent questioning, Yonhap news agency reported. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a series of meetings with Israeli politicians on Monday as the EU continued efforts to look for alternative energy sources amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She met with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem before holding talks with Energy Minister Karine Elharrar. Since the war began in February, the EU has slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia and has been looking at ways to replace that country's energy. The bloc gets about 40% of its natural gas and 25% of its oil from Russia. It's hoping Israel could prop up the EU's energy needs as it weans off Russian energy.

The lush green beauty of a pine forest with singing birds contrasted with the violent deaths of newly discovered victims of Russia's war in Ukraine, as workers exhumed bodies from another mass grave near the town of Bucha on Kyiv's outskirts.

The hands of several victims were tied behind their backs. The gruesome work of digging up the remains coincided with the Ukrainian police chief's report that authorities have opened criminal investigations into the killings of more than 12,000 people since Russia' invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Workers wearing white hazmat suits and masks used shovels to exhume bodies from the soil of the forest, marking each section with small yellow numbered signs on the ground. The bodies, covered in cloth and dirt, attracted flies.

“Shots to the knees tell us that people were tortured,” Andriy Nebytov, head of the Kyiv regional police, said at the scene.

“The hands tied behind the back with tape say that people had been held (hostage) for a long time and (enemy forces) tried to get any information from them.” Since the withdrawal of Russian troops from the region at the end of March, authorities say they have uncovered the bodies of 1,316 people, many in mass graves in the forest and elsewhere.

The horrors of Bucha shocked the world after Russian troops left. The mass grave that reporters saw Monday was just behind a trench dug out for a military vehicle. The bodies of seven civilians were retrieved. Two of the bodies were found with their hands tied and gunshot wounds to the knees and head, Nebytov said.

National police chief Igor Klimenko told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Monday that criminal investigations into the deaths of more than 12,000 Ukrainians included some found in mass graves. He said the mass killings also were done by snipers firing from tanks and armoured personnel carriers. Bodies were found lying on streets and homes, as well as in mass graves.

He didn't specify how many of the more than 12,000 were civilians and how many were military.

AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday said Ukrainian forces had driven the Russians out of more than 1,000 settlements since the conflict began and would liberate all occupied territory, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. In his nightly video address, he said the battle over the Donbas will be one of the most brutal in European history. "The price of this battle for us is very high," he said. "It's just terrible." "We have no choice but to move on, to free our entire territory, kick out the occupiers from all our areas," Zelenskyy said. The total war front in the country, he said, is now 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles). The Ukrainian leader added that Ukraine will seek to "liberate" Crimea.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss on Monday. According to the statement released by the US Department of State, Ned Price, the Secy assured to continue coordinating vital assistance to Ukraine and maintaining transatlantic unity against the Kremlin’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Secretary Blinken expressed his concern regarding recent reports of a sham “trial” and its judgments against lawful combatants serving in Ukraine’s Armed Forces, he said.

As the Russian offensive continues to hit the country known for its ravishing architecture- Ukraine, a crowdfunding campaign organised by a Lithuanian journalist, collected more than 5 million euros ($5.4 million) to buy a Bayraktar unmanned aerial combat drone for the Kyiv army. According to journalist Andrius Tapinas, the country will donate at least 110 anti-drone guns to Ukraine in the coming weeks. 

Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet has called the "arbitrary arrest of a large number of anti-war protesters" in Russia "worrying." Addressing the 50th UN's Human Rights Council session on Monday, June 13, Bachelet stated that Russia had initiated "new criminal law restrictions," including ban on the dissemination of information on the basis of vague notions including "false news." Michelle Bachelet expressed regret over the increase in restrictions announced on media. 

The Russian military has shown underground tunnels to journalists at Azovstal, home to Azovstal steelworks, a fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol. Fighters had held out at Azovstal, for much of the nearly three-month siege of Mariupol with Ukrainian civilians who sought safety in the plant's underground bunkers and tunnels. The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

Amid the ongoing war, Ukraine has announced to ban the export of gas, coal and fuel oil in order to meet the domestic demands. According to the statement released by the Ukrainian government on Monday, it has passed a resolution that prohibited the export of coal, fuel oil and domestically produced gas in a list of commodities whose export is restricted at a time of war. As per the resolution, the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the imposition of martial law in Ukraine are the reasons for restricting the export of core energy resources outside the war-ravaged country.

Police have opened criminal investigations into the killings of more than 12,000 Ukrainians nationwide during Russia's war, and authorities in the Kyiv region near Bucha on Monday reported discovering the bodies of several victims whose hands were tied behind their backs. “Shots to the knees tell us that people were tortured,” said Andriy Nebytov, head of the Kyiv regional police. “The hands tied behind the back with tape say that people had been held (hostage) for a long time and (enemy forces) tried to get any information from them.”

A market in Donetsk was hit by a Ukrainian rocket, killing three civilians including a child, separatist authorities announced on Monday. Another 18 people were injured, they said. Russian State TV showed market pavilions on fire and damaged apartment buildings nearby. According to the TV report, the strike was performed from an Uragan multiple launch rocket system with missiles equipped with high-explosive warheads.

Germany and France continue to remain tight-lipped about the planned visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron to Ukraine. The deputy official representative of the German government, Wolfgang Buchner, said that he cannot say "anything new" about Scholz's plans to visit Ukraine and insisted "for understanding," Ukrinform reported. Buchner said that Germany continues to stand "firmly" with Ukraine and stressed that Scholz was in constant touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Read more here. 

There is no consensus reached among the EU member states on granting candidate status to Ukraine, although there’s still hope for a “positive decision,” Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonite said in an interview with Newsweek on June 13. Šimonite stressed that some of the EU member states believe that it may be too early to add Kyiv into the 27-member bloc and the Union remains divided. In February, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had requested the European Union to allow his country to gain membership under a special procedure. "I'm sure that's fair. I am sure we deserve it," he had said in a then-recorded speech. 

Read more here. 

Ukrainian police claimed to be investigating the deaths of over 12,000 people amid the ongoing invasion by Russia. According to National Police Chief Ihor Klymenko, more than 1,500 civilians have been killed in Kyiv Oblast alone and at least 1,200 bodies are yet to be identified, the Kyiv Independent reported. 

Ukrainians created a human chain around the European Commission headquarters in an attempt to put pressure on the European Union to accept their country's membership in the bloc. Tpyxa News reported that on June 13, a live chain of over a thousand individuals formed around the European Commission building in Brussels.

Read more here.

Ukraine has accused Russia of firing at least three missiles at Chernihiv Oblast. According to Chernihiv Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Chaus, the Russian forces launched three missile strikes on the city of Pryluky. However, he did not specify further details, the Kyiv Independent reported. 

Amnesty International has accused Russian forces of committing war crimes during its effort to capture Kharkiv, a city in north-eastern Ukraine. Amnesty International has detailed the alleged use of cluster munitions and other indiscriminate means of assault in a new 40-page report. Notably, cluster munitions are prohibited under the United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions, which entered into force in 2010. The treaty does not include Russia as a signatory. 

The "arbitrary arrest of a considerable number of anti-war protesters" in Russia has alarmed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Speaking at the UN's Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet claimed that Russia has adopted "new criminal law restrictions" that included sweeping prohibitions on the transmission of information based on unfounded conceptions such as "fake news" or "non-objective information." "I also regret the increase in censorship and restrictions on independent media," he added. 

In a key development, Poland has completed the construction of a 140-kilometre-long wall across the border with Belarus. Taking to Twitter, the Polish border Guard Service stated that the first section of the constructed barrier at the border has been put into operation. "The acceptance of the remaining ones is in progress. The spans are already positioned at a length of 140 km," it added. It further stated that the installation of the electronic barrier will begin in the coming days. 

A ship carrying 18,000 tonnes of Ukrainian corn arrived at a port in northwest Spain. According to a regional animal feed producers group, the corn arrived via a "new maritime route" to escape Russia's blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports. The corn-carrying cargo ship Alppila arrived at the Spanish port of 'A Coruña' on Monday morning and is expected to be unloaded by Tuesday, June 14, CNN reported citing the port’s press office. 

As the war continues to escalate unabated in Eastern Europe, Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska stressed that Russia will not be able to ban Ukrainian education despite the continued destruction. "The occupiers can ban Ukrainian language lessons as much as they want, terrorize our teachers. But they will never ban Ukrainian education," she stated on Telegram. Expressing her concerns, Zelenska also emphasised that the current graduates of the schools have ruins instead of halls, and their holidays were also taken away amid the ongoing war. 

Over 50 World Trade Organization (WTO) members have signed a statement in support of Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, offering assistance and solidarity in agricultural exports as well as attempts to reconstruct the war-torn nation in the post-war era. At the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the WTO, nations like Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and the United States, among others issued the statement. 

In the joint statement which is also issued by the British Government, the member states say, “We, the trade ministers/heads of delegation of the undersigned WTO Members, have met in Geneva today on the occasion of the 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO, to reiterate our full support for, and solidarity with, the people of Ukraine.”  

Read more here.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko claimed that Russian troops have attacked the region with Uragan rocket launchers, killing at least one person. He further stated that at least five people were injured in the centre of Zelenodolsk, a town in Kryvy Rih district, The Kyiv Independent reported. 

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, accused the West of pressuring Arab League nations to condemn Russia's "military operation in Ukraine." In an interview with the Egyptian Sada el-Balad TV channel, he said, "Arab League countries did not succumb to this dictate to which they were subjected, and some even refused to vote for condemning the actions of the Russian Federation," Sputnik reported.  The Secretary-General further stressed that the West is attempting to "surround" Russia by persuading Arab League members to join its side in criticising and opposing Moscow for its actions. 

Adviser to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak announced the number of weapons needed to end the war.

A total of 288 children have been killed and over 527 injured in Ukraine since the Russian invasion started, stated Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office on Telegram.

“As of June 13, 2022, over 815 children in Ukraine were affected by the Russian armed aggression. According to the data from juvenile prosecutors, a total of 288 children were killed and over 527 injured,” the report said.

Currently, most casualties were recorded in Donetsk Region (218), Kharkiv Region (166), Kyiv Region (116), Chernihiv Region (68), Luhansk Region (54), Kherson Region (52), Mykolaiv Region (48), Zaporizhzhia Region (30), Sumy Region (17).

Moreover, a 6-year-old boy was killed in Russia’s artillery strike on Lysychansk, Luhansk Region on June 12.

Amid the ongoing war with Ukraine, Russia has already lost about 32,300 troops in Ukraine (+150 over the past day), as per the statement made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook.

Since the invasion started, Russia's total combat losses included also 1,432 tanks (+2 over the past day), 3,492 armored fighting vehicles (+8), 718 artillery systems (+3), 226 multiple launch rocket systems (+0), 97 anti-aircraft warfare systems (+0), 213 aircrafts (+1), 178 helicopters (+0), 2,460 motor vehicles and fuel tanks (+5), 13 warships/boats (+0), 585 unmanned aerial vehicles (+3), 54 special equipment units (+0). A total of 125 enemy cruise missiles (+0) were shot down.

Addressing the World Trade Organisation Summit in Geneva, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday stated that Ukraine will soon implement a "duty-free regime" with Britain. 

“We will continue to work to facilitate access of Ukrainian goods to all important markets around the world. Customs duties on trade with the European Union have already been abolished. The United States already applies a duty-free regime for Ukrainian steel. Canada has abolished customs duties. The same regime will work in the near future with Britain. We expect trade liberalization from Australia,” President Zelensky said in his evening address on June 12

As the Russia-Ukraine war entered its 110th day, embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the attendees at actor Sean Penn's CORE Foundation's charity event to support and fight for the war-torn nation as Ukraine fights for the world. In a video message to the charity attendees, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to everyone “who has come here today for the sake of this help – help for Ukraine.”

He said, “Mr Sean Penn, who has been personally in Kyiv and Ukraine since the first day of the war and has seen firsthand this evil, which is called Russian full-scale aggression”, as per a statement from the President of Ukraine’s office.  

The Ukrainian President pointed out that Russia which commenced the full-scale war against Ukraine on February 24, has been behind tens of thousands of bombardments and shootings, leading to hundreds of thousands being injured and killed, millions of people being displaced, and peaceful cities and villages getting erased from the face of the earth. He further claimed that all of these catastrophes are currently the reality for Ukrainians. 

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Ukrainian Armed Forces in its latest war update claimed that Russian troops "achieved partial success" in Severdonetsk as heavy fighting continues in the eastern Donbass region. In addition, the invading troops have also "cut off" Bakhmut from basic supplies and they attempt to achieve their main goal of besieging Severodonetsk. 

Russia does not intend to leave the food market being the world's largest food supplier, Russian Deputy Economic Development Minister Vladimir Ilyichev told TASS News Agency on the sidelines of the World Trade Organization WTO) Summit that opened in Geneva on Sunday. 

"As a major supplier of food on the world market, we intend to remain there, to supply our products to partners, our traditional consumers, and we are ready to take all the actions available to us to that end, which we have repeatedly stated," the official said. "But in order for the system to work, it’s necessary for all participants in the process to strive for results."

Russian forces dropped cluster bombs on a residential area in the Kryvyi Rih region of Dnipropetrovsk, killing one woman and wounded another five people, the head of the Kryvyi Rih military administration has said.

Russians also fired on the Zelenodolsk community which cased a house fire, but no victims, Oleksandr Vilkul wrote on Telegram.

Three people were killed in Lysychansk on Sunday, including a six-year-old boy, and one person was injured, the governor of Luhansk Sergei Haidai said. Russian forces continue to storm the city of Severodonetsk, and have pushed the Ukrainian army back “due to a significant advantage in artillery,” Haidai wrote on Telegram.

He said Russians were destroying the city “quarter by quarter”, adding that “Several shells hit the Severodonetsk sewage treatment plant, the area of Azot was shelled three times, where people still remain in bomb shelters."

Canadian foreign minister Melanie Jolie on Sunday condemned the visit of deputy protocol chief in Canada’s global affairs department, Yasemin Heinbecker to the Russian embassy, along with representatives of Egypt, Pakistan and some African nations, the Globe and Mail newspaper said in a report. Calling the visit "unacceptable," she added, “No Canadian representative should have attended the event hosted at the Russian embassy and no Canadian representative will attend this kind of event again."

Pro-Russian sources are continuing to spread disinformation to sow anxiety and resentment among the Ukrainian population. Russian Telegram channels reportedly began spreading a fake mobilization order on June 12 that they falsely attributed to the Ukrainian General Staff. The fake order called for the mobilization of all eligible Ukrainian women to report for duty by “June 31," the Institute for the Study of War reported. 

Ukrainian ambassador to Tokyo, Serhiy Korsunsky in an interview with  Radio NV asserted that NATO's approach to east European borders "is to blame" for the Russian war. "It seems that Russia felt in danger and that it is all Americans who provoke everyone and so on, despite the fact that Japan's security is guaranteed by the Americans… But no one listens to them. These are well-known people who have clearly stated their position," Korsunsky said.

Zelenskyy has said Moscow’s tactics had not changed in the war and that poorly-trained Russian reserves were now being deployed in the battle for Donbas, where “every metre” is being fought over. “The Russian army is trying to deploy reserve forces in Donbas. But what reserves can they have now?” Zelenskyy asked in his daily address to the nation.

“It seems that they will try to throw into battle poorly trained conscripts and those who were gathered by covert mobilisation. Russian generals see their people simply as the cannon fodder they need to gain an advantage in numbers,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday congratulated Russians on the eve of the 30th Russian Day celebrations. As the country remains largely isolated from the international community, he reminded citizens that "now it is the time to be united," RIA Novosti reported. Among others, Putin handed the star of the Hero of Labor honor to film director Nikita Mikhalkov and conductor Yuri Bashmet. 

[IMAGE: AP]

An exhibition has opened in Ukrainian capital Kyiv showcasing the paraphernalia of the war underway in the country, where civilians that haven't been witness to open warfare can view what has affected their lives so prominently.

From captured vehicles and collected remnants of missiles, all the way to slippers, tooth brushes and burner phones that the Russian military used and left behind have been put on display at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.

The museum's Head of Educational Department Dmytro Hainetdinov explained to the Associated Press that many of the objects were collected by the museum's own staff visiting freshly liberated territories, where they would either find the things themselves or would be given to them by locals.

"This exhibition is attempted to highlight some particular facets of the war waged by Russia on Ukraine and the purpose of this exhibition is to raise the awareness of people of this war with the help of authentic artifacts," Hainetdinov said.

The museum executive explained that among the documents put on display was a map used by a group of subversive units waiting for the arrival of Russian forces.

Hainetdinov said the map was donated to the museum by the Ukrainian army head, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.

Furthermore, the museum used its basement space to show Kyiv residents replicas of what bomb shelters in warring areas may look like, recreating the underground spaces into the crammed areas that many people in the country's east must put up with every day.

[IMAGE & Source: Associated Press]

Addressing the world in his usual night videos, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said that he will ensure Ukrainian goods reach all global markets of the world. 

[IMAGE: @Zelenskyyofficial/Twitter]

“Ukraine needs modern missile defense systems. The supply of such systems was possible this year, last year, and even earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his night address on June 12. 

Lithuania has purchased four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), valued at $692,000 with crowdfunding gathered for Ukraine. In addition, Vilnius also bought two additional drones that will be sent to Kyiv in the next two months, reported Lithuanian TV. 

 Indian students who had to leave studies midway as they fled the Russia-Ukraine conflict will be offered admission in Russian universities without them losing out on their previous academic years, Roman Babushkin, Deputy Chief of Mission of Russian Embassy in New Delhi, said on Sunday.

Babushkin said the students would be admitted to Russian universities where they can continue with their respective courses from where they were left off without losing out on the previous years of study.

The statement came in response to queries by reporters on the fate of the over 20,000 students who fled Ukraine after Russia invaded that country in February this year.

Ratheesh C Nair, the Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation and Director of the Russian House in Thiruvananthapuram, said in cases wherein the students held scholarships, it was possible that the same would be accepted in Russian varsities.

PTI

Ukraine Army commander Valeriy Zaluzhny on Sunday discussed weapons needs with his US counterpart General Mark Milley. According to his telegram message, Gen. Zaluzhny asked Gen. Milley to deliver more 155mm artillery to help Ukraine defenders fight Russian troops in the East region.

 "I emphasized that the enemy concentrated its main efforts in the north of the Luhansk region. They use artillery en masse and, unfortunately, they have a tenfold fire advantage. Despite everything, we keep holding our positions. Every meter of Ukrainian land there is spilled by blood, not only by ours but also by the occupiers. The situation is complicated, in particular, in the city of Sievierodonetsk. Up to seven battalion tactical groups were deployed by the enemy there. Despite the heavy fire, we managed to stop the enemy," Zaluzhny wrote in a Telegram post. 

The Russian Federation is trying to repeat the Holodomor famine in Ukraine, head of the country’s Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said as Russians continued their invasion of Ukraine with "outdated" weapons. In a statement shared on Telegram, Yermak asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops were shelling agricultural lands in an attempt to annihilate the harvest. Notably, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has many times highlighted that invaders were deliberately destroying crops and agricultural equipment.

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US President Joe Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to "obliterate" Ukraine and its culture. In his address on June 12, which is also celebrated as Russia Day, Biden said Putin "believes there’s no such thing as an independent Ukrainian culture" and that is why "we’re giving help to Ukraine", The Kyiv Independent reported him saying.

Russian outlets of American fast-food giant McDonald's, which withdrew operations from Russia in retaliation to Moscow's war on Ukraine in March, were reopened in the country as a new brand - 'Vkusno & tochka' - which translates to "Tasty and that's it", on June 11.  

On March 14, shortly after Russia began its military offensive against Ukraine, McDonald's closed all 850 of its Russian outlets. On May 16, the company, which had a 7% share of the catering market, announced its withdrawal from Russia and sold the business to a Russian buyer, Alexander Govor, through the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Now, the old McDonald's outlets in Russia will again start accepting customers with a new logo, as it prepares to start its restaurants.  

General director of the fast-food chain Oleg Paroev was excited to introduce the brand's new name, 'Vkusno & tochka'. Moreover, the fast-food chain had announced that its "continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values" as it shut operations in Russia. 

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Sunday, was announced as the winner of the Boris Nemtsov Prize 2022 for his courage in leading his country during the ongoing war against Russia. Zelenskyy (44) was chosen as the winner among a slew of other candidates which included Vitali Klitschko, the Mayor of Kyiv, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, leader of the Okean Elzy band, Yuliia Paievska (Taira), founder of a unit of combat volunteer medics and Oleksiy Arestovych, presidential adviser, Ukrinform reported. Ever since Russia launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine on February 24, Zelenskyy has been resolute in his march for victory and has refused to surrender to the Russian forces.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a Twitter post earlier today, celebrated the "strength and resilience" of Ukraine's citizens amid the war. "They are defending courageously their country, in very difficult conditions. But I see life springing back in Kyiv", she said in a statement. More about von der Leyen's Kyiv visit.