June 15th, 2022
1. Kiev blocked a humanitarian corridor from Azot chemical plant
Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) holed up at the Azot chemical plant liberated by the Russian troops in Severodonetsk have foiled the evacuation of civilians through a humanitarian corridor provided by Russia on June 15, a military commander with the People’s Republic of Luganks (LPR) has said. “The evacuation of civilians from Azot has been completely thwarted by the opposing side,” Aleksandr Nikishin, from the LPR’s Second Army Corps, told journalists.
Only one person – a 74-year-old man – has gotten out of the plant. It happened before 8:00 AM local time when the Russian humanitarian corridor was to become operational. The man walked out “by accident” as he was unaware of the planned evacuation, saying that Ukrainian troops had not informed the civilians inside about it, Nikishin claimed. Later several women also managed to escape. They said that there are foreign mercenaries hiding at the Azot chemical plant as well.
It looks like that Ukrainian authorities intentionally refused to inform the people trapped inside the Azot plant about the evacuation corridor, though the Russian military command via the operational channels of communication immediately notified Irina Vereshchuk, the Deputy Prime Minister, about such corridor and its timeframe.
Around 8:10 AM (that is 15 minutes after the humanitarian corridor has been opened) Kiev’s armed forces trapped at the plant began firing at Russian positions from a tank, a howitzer and a mortar thus disrupted any chance for all people to escape. Additional intensive fire was delivered by AFU from Lisichansk at the opened humanitarian corridor (Lisichansk controlled by AFU, and Severodonetsk, controlled by Russian and the LPR troops are located very close to each other; they are separated by the Seversky Donets Riverl only).
So, President Zelensky tries to repeat the same hostages’ drama that took place last April in Mariupol at Azlovstal still plant for several weeks.
Under such circumstances the evacuation of people was impossible and a decision was made to close the humanitarian corridor, Nikishin said. According to the commander, talks with the Ukrainian military will continue to make sure that some 1,500 civilians at the plant are moved to safe areas. According to other unconfirmed reports there are 300-700 civilians or 300 civilians plus 100 staffers working at the plant. Like ai Mariupol-based Azovstal still mill, this plant has many basements and underground corridors.
Ukrainian troops retreated to the Azot chemical plant a week ago after the rest of the strategic city of Severodonetsk had fallen under Russian control. Moscow insisted that civilians had been forced into the facility to be used as human shields.
On June 14, the Russian military said that Kiev had asked Moscow to provide safe passage for civilians at the plant to the Ukrainian-controlled city of Lisichansk on the other side of the Seversky Donets River. The plan was rejected on the basis that all bridges connecting Severodonetsk to Lisichansk had been destroyed by the Ukrainian troops. Instead, Moscow offered to open a humanitarian corridor towards the town of Svatovo, which is controlled by the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), and it is safe to settle. The Russian side also expressed concerns that Ukrainian fighters could use the evacuation as cover up for their own escape.
2. The USA and NATO are to send heavy weapons to Ukraine
The Biden administration has previously provided Ukraine with over $5.3 billion in military assistance, of which $4.6 billion has come since February 24, 2022 according to Colin Kahl. The $1 billion announced June 15 is extra over these numbers.
Washington will give Kiev another $1 billion in “security assistance,” including artillery, ammunition and advanced missiles, US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday after a phone call with Zelensky. Biden informed Zelensky that the aid would include “additional artillery and coastal defense weapons, as well as ammunition for the artillery and advanced rocket systems that the Ukrainians need to support their defensive operations in [Donbass],” according to a readout of the call released by the White House.
Colin Kahl, Pentagon Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, revealed that the payload for HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) are to be send to Ukraine despite strong objection from Russia.
The White House previously said that M142 HIMARS launchers would be provided with “battlefield munitions,” widely understood to be unguided rockets with a shorter range like 80 km. However, HIMARS is also capable of launching ballistic projectiles with a range of up to 300km.
The high-mobility artillery rocket system will come with GMLRS as guided MLRS, Kahl said on June 14, speaking at a conference hosted by the Center for New American Security (CNAS), a Democrat-linked think tank for which he used to work. “The GMLRS is a precision guided munition, and a big one – a 500 pound munition,” he added.
NATO is also pouring gasoline into a fire. It has already provided Ukraine with billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “Allies are committed to continue providing the military equipment that Ukraine needs to prevail, including heavy weapons and long-range systems.” He expected allies will agree a comprehensive assistance package for Ukraine at the Madrid Summit. It would help Ukraine for the longer-term, to transition from Soviet-era to modern NATO equipment, and to improve interoperability with NATO. In meetings ahead of the Madrid summit, NATO leaders also doubled down on deliveries of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
Moscow has already strongly denounced such deal believing that it would escalate the conflict initiated by Kiev in the heart of Europe and kill many people – both Russians and Ukrainians. "If Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his team are not ready for negotiations, if those behind him are determined to continue their mindless, or rather, insane pumping of Ukraine with weapons, it is their choice, , it is sad, it is tragic, but we cannot retreat," Sergey Ryabkov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, said on June 15.
Europe violates its own legal acts with its policy in the field of supplying Ukraine with weapons. According to the Common Position of the EU Council dated December 2008. general rules were determined to control the export of military technology and equipment. Earlier,Europe sought to prevent the incitement of civil wars in those countries where weapons were sent to with such supplies.
There are voices in Russia to sever diplomatic, and all trade and economic relations with the USA and other NATO countries who supply ultra-Nazi regime in Ukraine with deadly heavy long-range weapons, and even to initiate hearings at criminal courts in Russia against their presidents, prime-ministers and ministers of defense.
3. Russia and US will have to discuss arms control, but not for now
Russia and the United States will have to discuss arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation issues, but not now, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Sputnik. "There is an understanding that there are areas that one way or another will still have to be discussed. These are the areas of arms control, and disarmament areas, the topic of non-proliferation. This is something that our two countries will have to discuss one way or another, but, obviously, not now," Peskov said.
On June 15th, Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister said that Russia rejects the very ideology of nuclear weapons’ employment. In his words, the Western blames that Russia is playing rhetoric game on hypothetical use of nuclear weapons “does not correspond to reality”.
4. Situation on the battlefields
8 civilians were killed and 17 injured during rocket and artillery fire delivered by AFU during last 48 hours vs Stakhanov and Krinichny, located in the LPR, its defense HQ informed. 386 of different shells have been used by AFU hitting totally 14 populated settlements in Donbass. 15 houses have been damaged – all belonging to civilian infrastructures. Ultra-Nazi used cluster munitions of 122 and 155 mm.
On the other hand, high-precision long-range Kalibr missiles near Zolochev, Lvov region, have destroyed a warehouse of ammunition for foreign weapons transferred to Ukraine by NATO countries, including 155-mm M777 howitzers supplied by the USA.
A large number of weapons and military equipment from the USA and European countries delivered to the Ukrainian grouping in Donbass have been destroyed near Dobropolye, Pokrovsk railway stations in Donetsk People's Republic and Orlovschina in Dnepropetrovsk region.
High-precision air-based missiles in Nikolaev region have destroyed aircraft of the Ukrainian air force at Voznesensk military airfield.
The attacks have resulted in the destruction of 1 airspace radar station near Lisichansk in Lugansk People's Republic, 1 Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system near Soledar in Donetsk People's Republic, ammunition depots near Gorskoe and Verkhnekamensk in Lugansk People's Republic, and 2 AFU command posts and 1 communications centre near Pereezdnoe and Ivano-Dar'evka in Donetsk People's Republic.
Operational-tactical, army and unmanned aviation have hit 24 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration.
The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 300 nationalists, 1electronic warfare station near Malinovka in Kharkov Region, 10 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 3 Grad multiple rocket launchers, 18 special vehicles, 3 mortars and 11 field artillery mounts, including 4 M777 155-mm howitzers.
Russian air defence means have shot down 1 Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian air force near Krasnopol'e in Donetsk People's Republic.
Also, 6 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down near Donetsk city and Pavlovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, Balakleya, Malaya Kamyshevakha, Chervonyi Shakhter in Kharkov region, and Lisichansk in Lugansk People's Republic.
In addition, 12 shells of Uragan MLRS have been intercepted near Donetsk city and Gorskoe and Vasil'evka in Lugansk People's Republic.
Missile troops and artillery have hit 313 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, 43 command posts and 62 firing positions of AFU artillery units.
In total, from February 24th, 203 Ukrainian airplanes and 131 helicopters, 1,211 unmanned aerial vehicles, 339 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,558 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 524 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,958 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,623 special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.
Written by Vladimir P. Kozin
