June 17, 2022

Ukraine Defense Ministry: Russian forces shell civilians in villages across Donbas

Ukraine Defense Ministry

The one hundred fourteenth (114) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a Russian military invasion continues.

In the Volyn and Polissya directions, certain units of the Armed Forces of the republic of Belarus continue to carry out tasks to cover the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. Engineering equipment of positions in the border areas of Brest region is underway. In the period from 14 to 16 June, a command and staff exercise was conducted with the military units of the logistics of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus.

In the Siversky direction, the enemy fired artillery at the settlements of Leonivka in the Chernihiv oblast and Ulanove, Sopych and Baranivka in the Sumy oblast. It struck by a couple of Ka-52 helicopters a strike near the town of Hlukhiv in the Sumy oblast.

In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy is fighting to deter units of the Defence Forces from further advancing towards the State Border.

In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy used artillery and rocket-propelled grenade launchers in the areas of Zolochiv, Uda, Bayrak, Peremoha, Rubizhne, Verkhniy Saltiv, Pechenigy and Lebyazhe.

Artillery shelling was recorded in the Slovyansk direction near Mazanivka, Krasnopillya and Dibrovny. Ukrainian soldiers repulsed an enemy assault in the direction of the village of Dolyna. The enemy retreated.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy does not stop firing on the positions of our troops along the line of contact, concentrating the main efforts on the Siverodonetsk and Bakhmut directions.

No active offensive operations were observed in the Lyman direction. The occupiers fired artillery at the Starodubivka district.

In the Siverodonetsk direction, the enemy used artillery and rocket-propelled grenade launchers in the areas of the settlements of Siverodonetsk, Lysychansk, Ustynivka, Loskutivka, Metolkine and Borivske. Inflicted an air strike on Loskutivka.

In the Bakhmut direction, Russian occupiers fired artillery at areas of the settlements of New York, Zaitseve, Pokrovske, Nova Kamyanka, Yakovlivka, Berestove, Mykolayivka, and Novoivanivka. A pair of Ka-52 helicopters attacked in the peaceful settlement of Yakovlivka. Our soldiers again successfully repulsed the assault of the enemy in the direction of Berestove.

In the Avdiivska, Kurakhivska, Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia directions, the enemy tried to carry out assault operations in order to prevent the transfer of our troops to other directions. It fired mortars, artillery and multiple rocket launchers in the areas of Marinka, Novomykhailivka, Zaliznychne, Huliaipole and Charivne.

The situation in the South Buh area has not changed significantly. The enemy continues to focus on maintaining the occupied frontiers and improving the engineering equipment of the positions.

It used barrel and jet artillery in the areas of Osokorivka, Dobryanka, Topolyne, Knyazivka, Murakhivka, Chervona Dolyna, Zorya, Kotlyareve, Novomykolaivka, Stepova Dolyna, Tavriyske, Lymany and Oleksandrivka.

The enemy maintains three high-precision weapons carriers ready for use with a total volley of up to 20 Caliber cruise missiles.

Significant losses of Russian occupation troops ruin the military leadership’s plans to move rapidly into Ukraine. Cases of large numbers of personnel being fired for refusing to take part in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine have become more frequent. This does not allow to strengthen and replace Russian units that have lost their combat capability in a short time.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian units, performing fire tasks, continue to successfully reduce the number of Russian occupiers on Ukrainian soil.

In the Siversky direction, the enemy fired on civilian infrastructure near Mezenivka and Hlukhiv, Sumy region. In addition, enemy aircraft struck two settlements in the Sumy region.

In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy carries out remote mining of the area. Conducted air reconnaissance using UAVs.

In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy is trying to prevent units of the Defense Forces from entering the state border of Ukraine and Russian group of troops operating in the Slovyansk direction.

In order to identify weaknesses in the defense of our troops in the areas of Dementiyivka, Rubizhne, and Pyatihatki, the enemy used to sabotage and reconnaissance groups. Ukrainian soldiers found them and inflicted losses. The enemy retreated. Not far from Kochubiivka, the occupiers tried to conduct reconnaissance by fighting. Our defenders did not give them any chance of success and the enemy retreated with losses.

Russian occupiers fired on civilian infrastructure in the areas of Tsyrkuny, Verkhniy Saltiv, Pishchane, Ruska Lozova, and Krynychne.

In the Slovyansk direction, the enemy’s main efforts are focused on continuing the offensive in the direction of the city of Slovyansk, and the fighting continues. It tried to conduct reconnaissance near Krasnopilla by battle, was unsuccessful, and retreated.

The enemy carried out systematic artillery shelling in the areas of the settlements of Dibrivne, Pashkove, Hrushuvakha, Kurulka, and Velyka Komyshuvakha.

Units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine forced the enemy to leave the village of Dmytrivka, Izium district, Kharkiv oblast.

The enemy did not take active action in the Lyman direction. It fired at the positions of our artillery units.

In the Siverodonetsk direction, the occupiers continue to fire from artillery and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. In addition, they launched air strikes on the positions of our units near Syrotyn and Borivske.

Fighting continues to establish full control over the city of Siverodonetsk.

Our soldiers successfully repulsed the assault in the areas of Sirotin and Metolkino. The enemy withdrew to the previously occupied positions.

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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!

At the heart of this crisis are the political triggers. Armed conflicts, ethnic or religious persecutions, and systemic human rights abuses force millions to flee their homes in terror. Many are displaced within their own national boundaries, while others seek asylum abroad. If these factors change as a result of political shifts at home or the pressures from abroad, they can return to their homes. Forced displacement is thus different from environmentally driven displacement, as victims of climate change may never be able to return to their homes.

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Organizations like Refugees International play a crucial role in this arena, advocating for the rights and needs of the displaced, conducting on-the-ground assessments, and influencing policymakers to take informed actions. Their relentless work underscores the gravity of the situation and the urgency ofinternational cooperation. But they, too, are overwhelmed by the rapid expansion of the crisis.

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
inconsistent. This initiative emphasizes the importance of upholding and reinforcing these international standards.

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