Victory Chronicles
-DAY 114

COMBAT HIGHLIGHTS

Above: Fighters for Ukraine in Severodonetsk.  Photo via South China Morning Post

• In many ways, the conflict has frozen in place as Ukrainian bravery and determination alone cannot push the enemy back. It is precisely at this stage of war that the West must come through on deliveries of heavy weapons and longer-range artillery to give Ukraine capacity to end the war.

• • Enemy continues shelling Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv Oblasts.
  • Ukrainian forces are holding back enemy advances in Kharkiv despite lacking heavy weapons and long-range artillery.
  • Fierce fighting continues in Severodonetsk, but with little change of territory.
  • Enemy endlessly shelling and bombing any and all populations settlements in Luhansk and northern Donetsk Oblasts.
  • Enemy shelling and bombing large sections of Kherson Oblast and towards Mykolayiv. .
  • Ukraine Air Force struck enemy formations on the Dnipro River around Kherson, Kakhovka and Beryslav.
  • Enemy is maintaining blockade of the Black Sea, madly struggling to build up missile launching capability on Snake Island.
  • Belarusian forces on the border are conducting reconnaissance and building fortifications.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION TODAY

Above: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been one of Ukraine’s more outspoken power brokers.  Her commission is expected to say yes to Ukrainian candidate status today.  Photo via Le Monde

• The European Commission is expected to issue its positive recommendation for Ukraine’s EU membership candidate status today.  The recommendation is expected to include Georgia and Moldova, each of which has territories under illegal Russian occupation. The recommendation is intended to give guidance to the European Council meeting on June 23-24 in Brussels where EU member countries will deliberate the issue.
• Analysts expect that a proposal for Ukrainian candidate status will come with conditions tied to milestones in the institutionalization of democracy and rule of law before Ukraine could begin formal accession.

FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY BACK UKRAINE, AT LEAST IN RHETORIC

Above: European leaders visit site of Ukranian genocide outside Kyiv.  Photo via New York Times

• Leaders of the big three EU countries Germany, France and Italy were joined by the Romanian President on a visit to Kyiv and sites of horrific Russian atrocities outside of Kyiv.  In remarks after conferencing with President Zelensky, the four signaled that they would support EU candidacy status for Ukraine, presumably with conditions, at the upcoming European Council meeting June 23-24 in Brussels.  German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz said, “Ukraine belongs to the European family.”
• In addition, the leaders assured Ukraine that they would not demand concessions from Ukraine in order to appease Russia.  They pledged to support Ukraine militarily, financially and with humanitarian aid until Ukraine is able to end the war. However, they stopped short of promising more long-range weapons essential to defeating Russia.

Ukraine is pleading to receive heavy weapons as soon as possible in order to avoid a protracted war.  Ukraine is asking for heavy artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles , multiple launch rocket systems, fighting vehicles and tanks.  Ukraine is defending a 2,500 kilometer front and has lost up to fifty percent of military equipment in active combat.

OCCUPATION CRIMES

Above: Occupying forces under orders to de-Ukrainify territories at any cost of Ukrainian life or property. Photo via PBS

• The illegitimate leader of the illegitimate Donetsk People’s Republic has gone medieval, trading patronages with powerful Russian politicians in exchange for their control over districts in occupied Donetsk Oblast.  For example, the governor of Russian Tula Oblast promised to restore Mariupol’s left bank while the governor of Moscow Oblast will take Tel’manivskyi and Novoazovsk districts.
• Children born in occupied territories after February 24 are denied Ukrainian citizenship and forced to take Russian citizenship.  Ukrainian refugees in Russia must take Russian citizenship by August 17 or be deported to occupied territories.
• The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense tweeted that the enemy has created twenty prisons and filtration camps in the occupied zones.