June 20, 2023
1. All 263 AFU attacks during ‘offensive’ were repelled
On June 20 Russian Defence Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu made opening remarks at the Russian MoD Board session where he said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) continued on offensive operation in the South Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Donetsk direction. The Kiev regime deploys large amounts of western weaponry and elite units, trained by NATO instructors.
Since 4 June 2023, when AFU started their offensive till now, they have launched 263 attacks at Russian Forces positions. Due to competent and dedicated actions of Russian units, all attacks have been repelled, the enemy failed to achieve its goals, Sergei Shoigu outlined.
Major battles are conducted in the 5-15 km ‘gray zone’ located before the first line of Russian defences. AFU were not able to cross even the first line that have some more heavily protected areas and strongholds.
The Minister also added that judging by obtained information, the AFU plans to launch strikes at Russian Federation territory, including Crimea, with HIMARS and Storm Shadow missiles, supplied by the USA and the UK.
Sergei Shoigu stated: “Deployment of these particular missiles out off the Special Military Operation (SMO) zone will be regarded as direct involvement of USA and UK in the conflict and will result in immediate retaliatory strikes at decision-making centres in Ukraine territory.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 444 Ukrainian warplanes, 240 helicopters, 4,700 UAVs, 426 surface-to-air missile systems, 10,192 tanks and other armored combat vehicles; 1,125 multiple rocket launchers; 5,163 field artillery guns and mortars and 11,047 special military motor vehicles since the start of the SMO in Ukraine,
2. David Sacks is too skeptical
On June 19, an investor and entrepreneur David Sacks arguing that Ukraine’s military push against Russia is faltering posted an article on Twitter, claiming “it’s becoming clear that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is failing to achieve any of its originally stated objectives.” Washington’s bet that Kiev would be able to “roll back Russian territorial gains, cut the land bridge to Crimea” and make it engage in negotiations had not paid off, he added.
“On the contrary, a stalemate is more likely, or even that Russia will take more territory and win the war,” the investor predicted.
He went on to compare the situation in Ukraine with the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan, which ended with a chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2020. “Unfortunately, it looks like we’re headed for a similar kind of outcome in Ukraine. The only question is when, and how long Biden will be able to perpetuate a proxy war of choice that could have easily been avoided,” David Sacks claimed.
3. African leaders unveiled peace roadmap
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a delegation of African leaders in St. Petersburg on June 17. The group traveled to Russia a day after visiting Ukraine and meeting President Vladimir Zelensky, promoting their 10-point peace roadmap designed to end the aggression unleashed by Kiev against Russia.
The African delegation comprised South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Senegalese President Macky Sall, Comoros President Othman Ghazali, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and senior officials from the Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The delegation presented President Putin with a 10-point peace roadmap, which broadly outlines the steps needed to end the hostilities. The document affirms that the African leaders welcome other peace initiatives from third parties, and state that the conflict "cannot go on forever," and that all differences have be settled through talks.
The roadmap says African nations respect the sovereignty of both Russia and Ukraine as enshrined in the UN Charter, and urges the two countries to "de-escalate." In addition, the document calls for all restrictions on trade in grain and other goods to be lifted, while those affected by the conflict should be given humanitarian support. The roadmap urges the two parties to release all POW, and to return temporarily displaced persons, including children, to their homes.
During the meeting, the Russian president reiterated that Moscow has never refused to negotiate, pointing out that dialogue was jeopardized by Kiev and its backers. Putin also produced a copy of a preliminary agreement with Ukraine entitled an “Agreement on permanent neutrality and security guarantees for Ukraine”, initialed during talks in Istanbul last year. It contained 18 Articles.
Ukraine broke the preliminary deal immediately after Russia withdrew its troops from Kiev Region, as had been agreed upon in Istanbul, Putin explained. "Kiev authorities, like their masters usually do, threw it all away into the graveyard of history," he added, stating that no one could guarantee that Ukraine would do the same to any new deals in the future.
Last year President Zelensky issued his own decree banning any political talks with Moscow on political settlement. The decree is still valid.
Written by Vladimir P. Kozin
