Listed below are the important thing occasions on day 1,213 of Russia’s conflict on Ukraine.
Right here is how issues stand on Saturday, June 21:
Preventing
- Drones and missiles launched by Russia in a single day have broken power infrastructure in central Ukraine’s Kremenchuk district in Poltava, mentioned native army authorities.
- One particular person was injured within the assault, in keeping with Volodymyr Kohut, the area’s army governor, who didn’t present additional particulars on the extent of the injury.
- Russia had focused the district’s refinery, in keeping with a report by on-line information outlet Strana.ua.
Politics and diplomacy
- Ukraine and Russia change extra prisoners of conflict, officers from each nations mentioned, the second swap in two days underneath an agreement struck in Turkiye earlier this month. All of the captured troopers had been wounded, unwell or underneath 25 years previous. Neither facet mentioned what number of troopers had been freed.
- At Russia’s flagship financial discussion board in Saint Petersburg, President Vladimir Putin mentioned he didn’t “rule out” his forces taking management of Ukraine’s northeastern metropolis of Sumy as a part of efforts to create a buffer zone alongside the border.
- The Sumy area isn’t one of many areas Moscow has formally annexed, though Russian forces have just lately made inroads there for the primary time in three years, with Putin claiming his troops had superior as much as 12km (7 miles) within the area.
- In a string of hawkish remarks, Putin additionally appeared to repeat his denial of Ukrainian statehood. Ukraine mentioned Putin’s feedback confirmed “disdain” for the peace course of.
- The German army considers Russia to be an “existential threat” to the nation and Europe, in keeping with a Spiegel information journal report that cites a brand new Bundeswehr technique paper. Russia is verifiably making ready for a battle with NATO, significantly by strengthening forces in western Russia “on the borders with NATO,” the report cites the technique paper as saying. Germany can solely counter this risk “with a constant growth of army and society-wide capabilities,” the doc concludes.
- Putin has reaffirmed Moscow’s opposition to the unfold of weapons of mass destruction, together with any potential acquisition by Iran. Putin advised Sky Information Arabia that Russia helps Iran’s proper to develop nuclear power for peaceable functions, emphasising that the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company (IAEA) has discovered no proof suggesting Tehran seeks to construct nuclear weapons. Putin additionally acknowledged that Russia is ready to help Iran within the growth of its civilian nuclear programme.
Economic system
- On the financial discussion board in St Petersburg, Putin additionally urged officers to not let Russia fall into recession “underneath any circumstances”, as some in his personal authorities warned of a success to financial progress. Economists have warned for months of a slowdown within the Russian financial system, with the nation posting simply 1.4 p.c year-on-year progress within the first quarter of 2025, the weakest tempo in two years.
- A choice by the OPEC+ group of main world oil producers to hurry up manufacturing now seems far-sighted and justified amid the Center East battle, mentioned Igor Sechin, head of Russia’s largest oil producer Rosneft, on the discussion board. Sechin additionally mentioned that there will probably be no oil glut in the long run regardless of the manufacturing rise, and that the European Union seeks to cut back Russia’s oil cap to $45 to enhance the profitability of its purchases, to not reduce Russia’s price range revenues.
