June 20, 2022

Ukraine Defense Ministry (June 19): Russian forces step up the artillery barrage of Donetsk villages

Ukraine Defense Ministry

The one hundred seventeenth (117) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a Russian military invasion continues.

In the Siversky direction, the enemy continues to hold up to three battalion tactical groups from the 1st Tank Army of the Western Military District and airborne units to cover the Russian-Ukrainian border in the Bryansk and Kursk regions. In the Bryansk region, the enemy deployed up to S-300V4 of the anti-aircraft missiles of the anti-aircraft missile division.

In addition, the aggressor carried out artillery shelling in the area of the village of Seredyna-Buda, Sumy oblast.

In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy launched an air strike and carried out artillery fire in the areas of the settlements of Tymofiyivka and Morozova Dolyna.

In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy’s main efforts are focused on preventing the Defense Forces from advancing to the State Border of Ukraine. The enemy fired intensively at the settlements of Kozacha Lopan, Mali Prokhody, Dementiivka, Petrivka, Verkhniy Saltiv, Rubizhne, and the outskirts of Kharkiv.

In the Slavyansk direction, the enemy fired from artillery and rocket-propelled grenade launchers in the areas of Chepil, Pryshyb, Protopopivka, Velyka Komyshuvakha, Dibrivne, Virnopillya, Mayak, Kurulka, Bohorodychne, Mazanivka, Krasnopillya and Dolyna.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy continues to focus its efforts on the Siverodonetsk and Bakhmut directions. It intensively uses of aviation.

In the Siverodonetsk direction, the enemy fired from barrel and jet artillery at the settlements of Lysychansk, Syrotyne, Voronove, Borivske, Bila Hora, Ustynivka, Myrna Dolyna, Toshkivka, and struck airstrikes with pairs of Su-25 aircraft near Bila Hora and Myrna Dolyna. Fighting continues to establish full control over the city of Siverodonetsk.

In the Bakhmut direction, during the day, the enemy fired from artillery and rocket-propelled grenade launchers in the areas of Orikhove, Zolote-3, Mykolayivka, Berestove, Bilohorivka, Yakovlivka, Pokrovske, Klynove, Zaitseve and New York. The enemy launched an air strike near Yakovlivka and missile strikes near Travneve, Dolomitne, Zaitseve and New York.

In the Lyman, Avdiivka, Kurakhiv, Novopavliv and Zaporizhia directions, it is trying to prevent the regrouping of units of our troops. It fired artillery of various calibers in the areas of Kalinove, Ocheretyne, Berdychi, Zhelanne, Tonenke, Sieverne, Orlivka, Semenivka, Vesele, Avdiivka, Netaylove, Vodiane, Opytne, Pervomaiske, Pisky, Krasnohorivka, Mariinka, Novomykhaylivka, Pavlivka, Shebchnko, Velyka Novosilka, Vremivka, Olhivske, Zelene Pole, Novopil, Temyrivka, Poltavka, Malynivka, Chervone, Zaliznychne, Huliaipilske, Novodanylivka, Orikhiv and Kamyanske.

In the Lyman direction, the enemy launched an air strike with two Su-25 aircraft near the village of Pryshyb and a missile strike near the village of Mayaki.

In the Avdiivka direction, the enemy struck Su-25 aircraft in the areas of Shevchenko and Vuhledar.

In the South Buh direction, the enemy is concentrating its efforts on maintaining the occupied frontiers and preventing the advance of our troops. It did not take active actions. It carried out artillery and jet artillery fire in the areas of Chervonyi Yar, Murakhivka, Kalynivka, Zelenyi Hai, Kvitneve, Polyana, Chervona Dolyna, Shyroke, Blahodatne, Zorya and Lupareve.

In the Black and Azov Seas, the main focus of the enemy’s naval group is on blocking civilian shipping in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.

5 sea-based cruise missile carriers are kept ready to launch missile strikes on objects on the territory of Ukraine.

In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy, in order to identify weaknesses in the defense of our troops, tried unsuccessfully to conduct reconnaissance by fighting near Rtyshchivka. In addition, shelling of civilian infrastructure was recorded in the areas of the settlements of Uda, Ukrainka, Korobochkine, Mykhailivka and Petrivka.

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Wilson Center

Forced displacement represents one of the most pressing humanitarian issues of our time. Individuals and families, torn from the fabric of their communities, find themselves navigating a world of uncertainty, often without basic necessities or a clear path to safety. There are currently some 110 million forced displaced, and this number is growing by 10 million each year!

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International Humanitarian Law (IHL), with its core principles centered on the protection of civilians during conflicts, plays a pivotal role in this discourse. Yet, despite clear legal frameworks, compliance remains
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