HEADLINES
In a fierce battle that raged throughout the day on June 16-17, Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled a Russian attacks, resulting in the elimination of 670 Russian invaders and the destruction of 12 enemy tanks and 23 armoured vehicles. These significant losses are confirmed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In the south, the Defense Forces of Ukraine continue their active offensive actions in multiple directions, leading to tactical victories and advancements of up to two kilometers, as reported by Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar.
In the Tauri direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are making progress, resulting in significant casualties for the enemy, with over five enemy companies reported killed or wounded, according to the commander of the "Tavria" OSUV, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi.
The Bakhmut direction has seen a decrease in attacks, as the occupiers become more cautious. Only one battle was reported in the past day, compared to one in the previous day and two the year before, revealed Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesperson of the Eastern Group of Forces, in an interview with 24 Channel.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's national football team achieved a remarkable comeback, defeating North Macedonia 3-2 in the 3rd round of qualification for the 2024 European Championship. Zabarny, Konoply, and Tsygankov played pivotal roles, securing the winning goal.
WAR UPDATES
In recent developments, the Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully expelled the occupiers from several positions near Urozhany and Novodonetskyi in the Zaporizhzhia region. Analysts from the DeepState project reported advances towards Berdyansk, with ongoing battles on the Novodarivka-Stepove front line. Battles are also taking place west and northwest of Klishchiivka in the Bakhmut direction. However, there were no significant changes reported in the Zaporizhzhia direction, except for renewed fighting south of Lobkovo and Novodanilivka. The American MICLIC system was instrumental in destroying Russian minefields in Zaporizhzhia.
Deputy Minister of Defense Volodymyr Gavrilov emphasized the need for long-range, high-precision weapons with a range of up to 200 km to strengthen Ukraine's position on the battlefield.
In a notable development, the Air Force of Ukraine successfully destroyed an enemy Ka-52 helicopter in the Donetsk direction.
Reports suggest that Ukrainian soldiers in the Zaporozhye region recaptured the village of Pyatykhatky in the Vasylivsky District near the Lobkovo settlement, although there is no official confirmation yet. The Telegram channel "Donbas Operative" highlighted the expulsion of Russian occupiers from territories south of the free village of Rozdolivka, monitored through Western English-speaking bloggers.
Furthermore, the Ukrainian military neutralized a universal minelayer (UMZ) used by the Russians to create minefields remotely in Zaporozhye. Military observer Oleksandr Kovalenko shared this information through his Telegram channel.
The Avdiyivka area witnessed operational successes by the Ukrainian troops. The head of the Avdiyiv MBA, Vitaliy Barabash, confirmed that Ukrainian Defense Forces take advantage of any opportunity for counterattacks against the Yakuts.
According to the DeepState project map, Ukrainian forces continue to breach Russian defenses. Since June 10, they have reclaimed almost 45 square kilometers of territory, including over 24 square kilometers in the last day, according to Charter-97.
In another development, Russian officers residing in a house were eliminated in the village of Blagodatne, Tokmacki district, thanks to precise artillery strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, based on intelligence coordinates reported by "RIA-Melitopol."
On June 17, Russian occupiers targeted the village of Guryiv Kozachok, Bogodukhiv district, using an anti-tank guided missile to attack a civilian car. This resulted in the death of a 52-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman who were volunteers. Head of Kharkiv OVA Oleg Sinegubov confirmed the casualties.
Throughout the night and morning, the enemy repeatedly bombarded border settlements in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions with mortars, artillery, and rotorcraft missiles, as reported by OK "Pivnich."
Collaborators in the temporarily occupied territories have begun cooperating with the Ukrainian Resistance, sharing lists of soldiers, traitorous police officers, and official documents, according to the partisan movement "Atesh."
In Melitopol, drunken Russian soldiers opened fire on FSB officers and occupation police who attempted to calm them down. Mayor Ivan Fedorov disclosed this incident to Yedyny noviny.
The Office of the Prosecutor General released official information stating that over 1,512 children have been injured as a result of the full-scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation. Tragically, 488 children have lost their lives, and more than 1,024 have suffered various degrees of injuries.
