Report # 77. The Kremlin made a strong warning to the White House

June 5^th, 2022

1. President Putin warned Ukraine against obtaining and using the U.S. long-range missiles

Russia would hit targets it has so far not struck if long-range missiles are delivered to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned. “If they are supplied, we will draw the appropriate conclusions and use our weapons, which we have enough of, in order to strike at those targets that we have not yet struck,” Putin told Russia 1 TV Channel in an interview broadcasted on June 5^th (the first part of it dealt with gas prices and global food crisis appeared in Report # 76 dated June 4^th,2022).

The Russian president noted that the shipment of US-made multiple-launch rocket systems confirmed by President Joe Biden is unlikely to bring anything new to Kiev’s forces. The Ukrainian military already has Soviet- and Russian-designed Grad, Smerch, and Uragan MLRS of the same kind, he explained.

Vladimir Putin noted that their range does not depend on the system itself, but on the missiles that are used. And what Russia learned on the matter has nothing to do with trust in the Ukrainian regime.

According to the Russian president, the whole “fuss around” the additional arms deliveries to Kiev “serves only one purpose – to prolong the armed conflict as much as possible.”

The president noted that in the beginning of Russia's special operation, the Ukrainian army had about 515 MLRS, 380 of which were destroyed, but some were restored or taken from stock. Currently Kiev has about 360 units of such equipment.

On June 1st, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Ukrainian Government had given Washington assurances that it will not use American rockets to strike targets on Russian soil. One day later, however, Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Alexey Arestovich seemed to contradict that statement when he said the Ukrainian military will strike Russian territory with the U.S. HIMARS MLRS, if it sees fit to do so. He admitted that their range will be 300 km. When asked whether the restriction on the use of U.S.-provided rockets applies to Crimea, which voted to join Russia in 2014 after the military coup in Kiev, he insisted it is still part of Ukraine, and hence a legitimate target.

[see a commentary to this Report in the Annex; pp.5-6]

2.  Humanitarian situation

The Russian Federation's Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response continues to carefully record the facts of the inhumane treatment of civilians and use of residential buildings, schools, kindergartens and other social infrastructure facilities for military purposes by Ukrainian armed groups:

a) in Kharkov, the nationalists have deployed firing positions and artillery guns in the yards of the apartment blocks located at Astronomicheskaya street. Residents are prohibited to abandon their apartments under the pretext of security.

b) in Slavyansk, Donetsk People's Republic, the militants of Ukrainian nationalist groups have been deployed in the schools № 5 and № 6, in a music school, in a railroad professional school, in a chemical-mechanical technical school and in a boarding school, as well as the heavy armament and armoured equipment have been deployed at a compound feed plant;

c) in Druzhkovka, Donetsk People's Republic, the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have deployed a command post in the school №1 (Olesya Gonchara st.), as well as multiple rocket launchers in the apartment blocks located at Sobornaya street, while its residents had been intentionally left without evacuation.

Despite the fact that this criminal action can result in causing victims among civilians, the militants of the Ukrainian armed groups launch deliberate attacks from residential areas at the positions of the Russian Armed Forces in order to provoke their counter-attack and to accuse Russian servicemen of the consequences from allegedly indiscriminate attacks.

Russian troops are still committed to treat the civilian population with an exclusive humanity and do not launch attacks at civilian infrastructure facilities during the special military operation.

Realising the impossibility to continue resisting and holding the industrial area in Severodonetsk, the authorities in Kiev have ordered the combined tactical group (survivors from 79th Independent Air Assault Brigade of the AFU, 117th and 118th independent battalions of the 111th Independent Territorial Defence Brigade) to plant saltpetre and nitric acid tanks of a volume above 100 tonnes at “Azot” chemical plant located in Severodonetsk with the aim of creating a chemically contaminated area.

Ukrainian nationalists are not deterred by the fact that this terrorist act with the involvement toxic chemicals can result in causing victims among innocent civilians as it already happened to the residents of Kremennaya and Rubezhnoye after the nationalists exploded a nitric acid reservoir at the same plant on May 31, 2022.

Despite all the obstacles imposed by the Ukrainian side, 20,167 people have been evacuated from dangerous areas of Ukraine and Donbass over the past 24 hours, including 2,695 children, and in total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 1,655,107 people have already been evacuated to Russia, including 268,189 are children.

The database has received 2,757,479 requests citizens to evacuate them to Russia, the DPR and LPR from 2,137 settlements in Ukraine.

Federal executive authorities, in coordination with the regions of the Russian Federation, various public organizations, patriotic movements, continue to accumulate humanitarian aid. More than 30 thousand tonnes of basic necessities and food kits, including baby food and life-saving medicines, have been prepared at collection points.

Since March 2, 26,225.3 tonnes of humanitarian cargo have already been delivered by the Russian Federation to Ukraine, 1,103 humanitarian campaigns have been carried out, including 4 campaigns in the Donetsk People's Republic, Kharkov and Kherson regions, during which 387 tonnes of humanitarian aid were distributed to the civilian population of the liberated areas.

On June 4, 2022, 12 humanitarian campaigns are being carried out in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, in Kharkov and Kherson regions, during which 624.4 tonnes of basic necessities, medicine and food are distributed.

3. Two ‘blue-water’ sea corridors are still open for all foreign vessels

70 foreign vessels from 16 countries still remain blocked in six Ukrainian ports (Kherson, Nikolaev, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odessa and Yuzhniy). The threat of shelling and high mine danger posed by official Kiev prevent vessels from entering the high seas unhindered. The danger to navigation from Ukrainian mines drifting off their anchors along the coasts of Black Sea states remains. In so doing, the Kiev regime raises hue and cry over its inability to deliver national grain abroad, but has not removed or deactivated sea mines set up by its Navy close these port facilities.

As a result of a series of measures taken by the Russian Navy, the Mariupol harbour has been cleared of mines, the port infrastructure is routinely under reconstruction.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have created the necessary conditions for the operation of two maritime humanitarian corridors that constitute safe lanes for navigation:

a) in the Black Sea (every day from 08:00 AM to 07:00 PM) to leave Kherson, Nikolaev, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odessa and Yuzhnyi ports towards south-west from Ukraine's territorial sea, 139 miles long and 3 miles wide;

b) in the Sea of Azov (currently uninterruptedly) to leave Mariupol port, 115 miles long and 2 miles wide, towards the Black Sea.

Detailed information on the modus operandi of the maritime humanitarian corridors is broadcast daily every 15 minutes by VHF radio on 14 and 16 international channels in English and Russian.

The Kiev authorities continue to avoid engaging with representatives of states concerned and ship-owning companies to resolve the issue of ensuring the safe passage of foreign vessels to the assembly area at the Black Sea.

The Russian Federation is taking a full range of comprehensive measures to ensure the safety of civilian navigation in the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

4. Palantin ECM system actively employed in Ukraine

Palantin electronic warfare system 'drops' the Ukrainian reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles and 'jams' the cellular hotspots and the Internet at the enemy's command posts.

The system operates at the ranges of more than 20 km, and not by direct beams, but pointwise. It means Palantin is able to neutralise communication and Internet sources at the enemy's positions without interfering into civilian infrastructure. The electronic warfare system autonomously detects and neutralises the enemy's drones, intercepts the signal and turns on interference. As a result, a drone loses connection with its operation on the ground. This system automatically detects and neutralises the radio communication lines, including the digital ones.

Palantin system twice or thrice times exceeds the efficiency of the Russian previous-generation ECM systems, and proved to be very successful in Ukraine.

5. Situation on the battlefields

Ukrainian troops and ultra-nationalist formations are stiil shelling Donbass residential and social infrastructure areas. The capital city of the DPR was subjected to heavy shelling by the Ukrainian military late on June 4^th. Multiple districts of Donetsk came under almost simultaneous attack by Kiev's forces, which used howitzers and rocket artillery against many civilian targets in the city. Ukrainian AF shelled the city, killing five civilians and wounding twenty. The shelling also damaged two schools and a local market, Donetsk Mayor Alexey Kulemzin said. In addition, the attack ruptured a high-pressure gas pipeline in the southwestern part of the city,

Donetsk was hit by more than 40 rockets launched from BM-21 Grad systems, as well as by multiple 122mm artillery shells, according to local authorities.

The DPR and the LPR call such acts as “terrorism” and “state-sponsored terrorism”.

Demining detachments of the Russian Armed Forces and the EMERCOM of Russia are carrying out land and facility clearance tasks in the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.

A total of 2,772.04 hectares were explored (including 75.53 hectares over the past 24 hours), 35 buildings (including 13 socially important facilities), 1 bridge and 9.64 km of roads. 13,801 explosives have been detected and neutralized, including 310 of them over the past 24 hours.

Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said during a regular briefing on June 5th that Russian forces carried out airstrikes “on the outskirts of Kiev, destroying the T-72 tanks and other armored vehicles that were supplied by Eastern European countries and kept in railcar repair facilities.” The spokesman did not specify where the tanks came from, but Poland previously said it had donated T-72 tanks to Ukraine.

High-precision air-based missiles in Kramatorsk, Druzhkovka and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic) have destroyed the factory shops where military equipment damaged during the hostilities was being repaired and restored for the Ukrainian armed forces.

In addition, the command posts of the 81st and 95th Airborne Assault Brigades of the AFU, as well as 6 areas of Ukrainian manpower and military equipment concentration have been hit during the day.

The attacks have resulted in the destruction of 2 Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile launchers near Cherkasskoe (Donetsk People's Republic) and Orekhov (Zaporozhye Region), 2 multiple-launch rocket launchers near Korotych (Kharkov Region), 3 rocket and artillery weapon depots near Mayaki and Slavyansk (Donetsk People's Republic), and 1 US-made counter-battery radar (AN/TPQ-50) near Seversk (Donetsk People's Republic).

Operational-tactical and army aviation have hit 3 command posts, 65 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, and 3 ammunition depots.

The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 350 nationalists, 10 tanks armoured and motor vehicles, 2 Grad multiple rocket launchers, 9 artillery pieces, 14 special vehicles, as well as tanks with fuel, near Konstantinovka railway station, destined for a group of AFU troops in Donbass and 2 ammunition depots near Bakhmut (Donetsk People's Republic) and Loskutovka (Lugansk People's Republic).

1 MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force has been shot down during an aerial battle near Slavyansk (Donetsk People's Republic).

Russian air defence means near Odessa have shot down 1 An-26 military transport aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force carrying weapons and military equipment.

Also during the day, 10 unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down near Vidrodzhennya, Ryasnoe, Svyatogorsk (Donetsk People's Republic), Kirovsk, Prudovka, Borovenki, Varvarovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Volchiy Yar, Bolshie Prokhody (Kharkov Region), Zazornoe (Zaporizhzhya Region), including 1 Bayraktar TV2 near Berezovka (Kharkov Region).

In addition, 2 Tochka-U tactical missiles have been intercepted over Novogeorgievka (Nikolaev Region), and 3 Ukrainian Uragan multiple rocket launchers have been shot down near Sukhaya Kamenka, Dolgenkoe and Kamenka (Kharkov Region).

Missile troops and artillery have hit 46 command posts, 123 artillery and mortar units at firing positions, as well as 498 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration.

President Zelensky admitted that Russian and the DPR and LPR troops have occupied 20 percent of Ukrainian territory with more than 3600 populated places.

The AFU units are retreating towards Lisichansk after suffering critical losses (up to 90% in various units eliminated) during the combats for Severodonetsk.

In total, 189 Ukrainian aircraft and 129 helicopters, 1,114 unmanned aerial vehicles, 330 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,416 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 470 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,778 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,419 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.

Anti-U.S. and anti-NATO sentiments in Russia have raised considerably after the White House has sanctioned deadly arms delivery to the Kiev ultra-nationalist regime: dozens of billions of US $. Russians are angry over such policy initiated by President Joseph Biden that kills Russians and Ukrainians, and say that due to such direct U.S. aggression the Russian-U.S. relations cannot be repaired for many decades to

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Annex

U.S. MLRS IN UKRAINE IS A DIRECT AGGRESSION VS RUSSIA.

THE KREMLIN LAST WARNING TO BLOCK IT

On June 1st U.S. President Biden announced the 11th package of military and other aid to Ukraine in the amount of $ 700 million. He noted that the USA will support Ukrainians as a "standing guard over democracy" and continue to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons and equipment for self-defense. Washington intends to supply the Kiev regime with HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), the tactical and technical characteristics of which will allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike targets on the territory of the Russian Federation. The first four such launchers, previously transferred by the Pentagon to Europe, will enter service with the Ukrainian army in the coming days.

Realizing the threat of further escalation of the conflict created by such a decision and the involvement of third countries in it, the U.S. authorities are hiding behind the promise allegedly given to them by Kiev not to use MLRS to shell Russian territory. Washington is trying to assure the world community that American weapons will not be used for offensive purposes and for possible attacks on the Russian territory. The U.S. side has publicly stated that the range of their proposed set of MLRS missiles is no more than 80 km.

Even if it is so, the U.S. HIMERS can hit some Russian border areas.

The crux of the matter is not such specific distance. It can be easily enlarged up to the announced maximum range – 300 km.

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The Republic of Crimea as a part of Russia and the Russian Black Sea Fleet will be under threat of attack.

Moreover, NATO politicians consider the peninsula to be Ukrainian and will traditionally justify the next "embarrassment" of President Volodimyr Zelensky by "liberating the country's territory from invaders." The adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Alexey Arestovich, in his characteristic manner broadcasted that the Crimea is Ukrainian territory and the United States knows about it, that "if there is a need, the missiles will fly to the Crimea." He also proudly confirmed plans for the Polish re-equipment of the supplied MLRS with longer-range missiles, by saying: "where is 80 [km], there will be 300 [km]." The Deputy from the Party "Servant of the People" Egor Chernev continued such cynical reasoning with the words: "We take on certain obligations, but no one can guarantee how the rocket will fly there."

The Russian authorities have repeatedly warned the United States about the unpredictable consequences of such steps for global security. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov assured that Russia is taking measures to minimize the risks that will arise when Kiev receives American MLRS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Kiev's receipt of MLRS from the West creates risks of involving third countries into the conflict unfolding in Ukraine. Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that in the event of an attack on our cities, retaliatory strikes will be inflicted on decision-making centers located not only on the territory of Ukraine. Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Washington Anatoly Antonov called the decision "unacceptable”.

Realizing the insignificance of the contribution of another portion of Western weapons to the outcome of hostilities, the Kiev regime is planning another provocation. The head of the National Defense Control Center of the Russian Federation, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, disclosed operational information about plans to place the delivered MLRS in the residential development of the city of Shostka, Sumy Region, the distance from which to the border with the Bryansk Region is about 50 km. The Ukrainian Armed Forces, by order of the President, will strike over the border with the Russian Federation in order to provoke the return fire of the Russian armed forces, in order to subsequently accuse them of indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure.

Recently, on June 5th, in an interview with the federal TV Channel "Russia 1", Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned: “If they are supplied, we will draw the appropriate conclusions and use our weapons, which we have enough of, in order to strike at those targets that we have not yet struck.”

A short assessment.

It is very strong warning made so far by the Kremlin to the White House.

It is crystal-clear: to strike at those targets that Russian Armed Forces have not yet delivered any attack against them.

Actually, it is the last warning.

With a substantial meaning hidden between the lines.

Written by Vladimir P. Kozin