Photo : Asia Pacific Defence Reporter
Photo : Asia Pacific Defence Reporter
By Govind Anoop
WAR ON THE GROUND
On 19 June, Ukraine's Defence Industry and Thales, a French defence company, signed two agreements under the approval of the French Armed Forces Ministry and Ukraine's Strategic Industries Ministry. The Agreement includes a joint venture in Ukraine to deliver more military gear such as electronic warfare, radars and air defence systems. Thales also agreed to provide maintenance, testing and training in electronic warfare to the Ukrainian military. A third agreement was signed between Thales and Ukraine-based company FRDM. The deal looks at co-developing and manufacturing "An unmanned aircraft system capable of carrying and releasing munitions." France has backed Ukraine ever since Russia's invasion in February 2022 and has also established intentions to send military instructors to Ukraine to bolster its defence.
On 19 June, Russian forces increased the intensity of their attacks near Toretsk, a frontline town in Donetsk which is the eastern region of Ukraine. This has come after months of relative non-violence in the region. Ukrainian forces are reported to be overwhelmed and outgunned and are struggling to hold back the Kremlin's forces. Despite the advances of Moscow's troops, the Ukrainian frontlines have remained relatively stable until now. Both Ministries confirmed the events and residents have reported that they have been forced to take shelter in basements due to projectiles straying their way. Vadym Filashkin, head of the region, had reported that the increase in assault resulted in the death of one person and the wounding of another. 21 residential buildings were also damaged. Chasiv Yar has been a perpetual target for Russian forces due to its strategic hilltop position north of Toretsk which would allow them to capture civilian hubs in Donetsk.
On 19 June, energy infrastructure in central Ukraine received damage from Russian drone attacks resulting in the injury of two people in Lviv. Emergency services have been deployed in the area and repairs to the electrical equipment were underway as per the reports from Ukraine's energy ministry. Maksym Kozytskyi, regional governor of Lviv stated that five drones were launched by Russian forces to attack the region which borders NATO member Poland. While all five drones were destroyed by Ukrainian air defence, the debris that occurred had caused the injuries. Ukraine's air force reported that over six Ukrainian regions, 19 out of the 21 drones that were launched by Russia were destroyed.
On 19 June, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that it had stopped attempts by Russian intelligence to gather information on the defences of Kharkiv. Reports have suggested that Russia was preparing new missile and drone strikes into the northern areas of the city. To gather intelligence an informant, who was a supporter of Russian imperialism and lived in the region, was established through a dating chat in Telegram, where a female contact from the Russian Intelligence Service, posed as a citizen and promised the resident of Kharkiv a romantic relationship. As per her instructions, the man secretly scouted and recorded the locations with the highest concentration of personnel from the Defence Forces. He was caught by SSU officers while he was photographing the transport of Ukrainian soldiers. They also seized the phone the man used to communicate with the Russian contact and charged him under Part 2 of Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine which does not allow the unauthorised spreading of information regarding Ukraine's military and he faces up to 8 years in prison.
THE MOSCOW VIEW
Claims by Russia
On 19 June, Russian Military sentenced four people under the case of the Murder of Arsen Pavlov, also known as his nom-de-guerre, ‘Motorola.’ He was killed in October 2016 by a powerful explosive device planted over an elevator cabin in his apartment block in Donetsk. The Russian prosecutor labelled them as “SBU-created terrorist cell,” along with several other cases against them. The Russian tribunal life sentenced Aleksandr Pogorelov. While the other three were given prison terms ranging between 12 and 17 years. Although all four have pleaded not guilty during the trial: “Overall I do not disclaim my actions, but I don’t consider myself guilty, since I committed no crime on Russian territory.” When the two Donbass republics split from Ukraine, the US backed an armed coup in Kiev in 2014.
On 19 June, following the visit to North Korea, Vladimir Putin, Russia's President stated that North Korea had all the right to defend its sovereignty against the US. During the visit to North Korea Putin and Kim signed a strategic partnership for future cooperation in all aspects from cultural and tourist ties, to trade, economic relations and security. Putin called it a breakthrough. He also said: “The document on comprehensive partnership that we have signed today provides, among other things, for mutual aid in case of aggression against one of the participants.” Earlier, Putin warned the West over donating weapons to Ukraine for this war, to which Russia does not rule out the development of military cooperation with North Korea under the document signed. Putin said: "The two countries are on the same page in supporting a more just and democratic multipolar world.”
THE WEST VIEW
Responses of the US and Europe
On 19 June, Jordan Bardella, the leader of the far-right French National Rally party, stated that Ukraine would receive his support if he was elected prime minister but ruled out supplying it with long-range weapons or French troops. This comes after National Rally's lead in the current polls for the snap elections Emmanuel Macron, President of France, called for after the defeat in the elections for the European Parliament. Bardella said: "My position has not changed, and that is to support Ukraine by providing defence equipment, ammunition, operational logistical support, and defensive weaponry to enable Ukraine to protect itself to hold the front…. I don't plan to send, especially, long-range missiles or other weapons that will allow Ukraine to strike the Russian territory." France had sent Ukraine long-range missiles to target Russian military targets in occupied Crimea and earlier in June, Macron had announced that France was finalising a coalition for countries to send military instructors to Ukraine which comes into conflict with Bardella's promises. However, Bardella also insisted that he does not intend to go ahead with some of the controversial foreign policy positions that the Far-right had pushed for, which included a reconciliation with France.
On 19 June, Euronews reported that the European Commission has chosen to reverse its preferential trade scheme which was requested by Poland and France and involved a lack of tariffs and quotas for Ukraine's exports after imports of eggs and sugar from Ukraine reached an all-time high. In force since 6 June, the new free-trade scheme had included an automatic safeguard mechanism intended to protect specific domestic sectors considered 'sensitive' which includes eggs, poultry, sugar, oats and honey from increased imports arising as a result of lifting quotas and tariffs. An emergency brake limit exists in case the imports of these commodities exceed the arithmetic mean of quantities imported between 01 July 2021 and 31 December 2023. For now, only eggs have triggered the brake limit but sugar is expected to do so in the coming days. Ukraine has recently set an export record of 108,000 tonnes of sugar in May, 65 per cent of which has been directed at the EU.
On 19 June, Ukraine and the EU finished their negotiations on a bilateral security agreement, which is to be signed soon. The Office of the President of Ukraine announced that Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Chairman of Ukraine's Security Council and Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary General for Peace, Security and Defence, European External Action Service. EU ambassadors have already reached an agreement and the deal is expected to be finalised by the end of June. The draft agreement states that the EU will continue to provide military aid to Ukraine, assist with military training, counter hybrid and cyber threats together and assist the Ukrainian Government with recovery. Unlike NATO's collective deal, this deal is a pledge to provide Ukraine with weapons and other aid to improve security to counter future invasions.
On 19 June, The New York Times reported on Vladimir Putin, President of Russia and Kim Jong-un, Supreme Leader of North Korea, meeting on revival of a mutual defence pledge that traces back to the Cold War era. The leaders also vowed solidarity against the US. While the text of the treaty has not been released yet, Putin said that the pact would call upon both nations to help one another in the event of "aggression" against either country. Kim said that the "treaty" has now improved the two countries' relation to an "alliance." The pledge could result in North Korea giving even more support to Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and Russia helping North Korea in developing its military capabilities which include nuclear weapons, missiles and submarines, both being developments that can cause worry for the US and its Asian allies, especially South Korea. The agreement comes after North Korea provided ballistic missiles and over 11,000 containers of ammunition to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. The UN sanctions on North Korea, which prohibit the transfer of arms or military technology to or from the nation, received criticism from Putin, who added that North Korea has the right to defend itself. Putin called the treaty reminiscent of the 1961 treaty of friendship and mutual assistance between Pyongyang and Moscow which dictates that both countries were to, "immediately extend military and other assistance" with all means in the case one of them finds themselves in a conflict. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the treaty became defunct. The US warned that this could endanger peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and further the invasion of the people of Ukraine.
References
"Russia intensifies attacks on the frontline town after 'lull': Kyiv," TRT World, 20 June 2024
"Russia's drone attack damages Ukraine energy infrastructure," Irish Independent, 19 June 2024
"Russian Intelligence recruits Kharkiv resident through dating chat to leak information on Ukrainian Armed Forces',' Odessa Journal, 19 June 2024
"France's Thales signs military cooperation deals with Ukraine," Kyiv Independent, 19 June 2024
"Killers of Donbass commander sentenced in Russia," Russia today, 19 June, 2024
"Russia and North Korea agree on mutual aid against aggression – Putin, Russia today, 19 June, 2024
"French far-right leader Bardella says he backs Ukraine, but rules out sending troops or long-range weapons", Kyiv Independent, 19 June 2024
"EU Policy. Exclusive: Commission reintroduces tariffs on Ukraine's oat and eggs, eyeing sugar next," Euronews, 19 June 2024
"Ukraine and EU negotiated security agreement, it is to be signed soon," European Pravda, 19 June 2024
"Putin and Kim Sign Pact Pledging Mutual Support Against 'Aggression'," The New York Times, 19 June 2024