The Ministry of Defense said on Sunday that it had won Metyolkine, a settlement with less than 800 people before the start of the war. Russia’s state-run TASS news agency reported that several Ukrainian fighters had surrendered there. The Ukrainian military says Russia has had “partial success” in the region, which is located about 6 kilometers (4 miles) southeast of Sheverodonetsk. After failing to occupy the capital Kyiv at the start of the war, Russian forces focused on trying to take full control of the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, which together form the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Parts of Donbass were already occupied by Russian-backed separatists before the February 24 invasion. Ukrainian troops fire on Russian positions from US-supplied M777 assault rifle in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region [Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo] Moscow said Sunday that its offensive to win Severdonetsk was proceeding successfully. Luhansk Governor Sergie Haidai told Ukrainian television that the fighting had made it impossible to evacuate the city, but that “all Russian claims that they control the city are false. “They control the main part of the city, but not the whole city.” Among the communities around Severodonestk, Haidai told Ukrainian television that a Russian attack on Toshkivka, 35 kilometers (22 miles) south, “had a degree of success.” Last updated defense information about the situation in Ukraine – June 19, 2022 Learn more about the UK Government’s response: 🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/1Wi6bfCmmh – Ministry of Defense 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) June 19, 2022 The UK Department of Defense on Sunday claimed that both Russia and Ukraine had continued heavy bombardment around Sheverodonestk “with a slight change in the front line”. The UK military assessment said morale for Ukrainian and Russian combat units in Donbas was likely “variable”. “Many Russian officials at all levels are also likely to remain confused about the aims of the war,” he said. “The moral problems in the Russian power are probably so significant that they limit Russia’s ability to achieve operational goals,” the ministry wrote on Twitter.
Russia continues bombing
In the twin city of Lysychansk in Severodonetsk, apartment buildings and private homes were destroyed by Russian bombing, Haidai said. “People are dying on the streets and in bomb shelters,” he added. He later said 19 people had been evacuated on Sunday. “We are able to bring humanitarian aid and evacuate people as best we can,” Haidai said. In Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, northwest of Luhansk, the Russian Defense Ministry said its Iskander missiles had destroyed weapons recently supplied by Western countries. A view shows a tram depot destroyed by a Russian rocket attack in Kharkov, Ukraine [Vitalii Hnidyi/Reuters] Russian forces were trying to approach Kharkov, which had been heavily bombed earlier in the war, and turn it into a “front-line town”, a Ukrainian Interior Ministry official said. In southern Ukraine, Western weapons helped Ukrainian forces advance 10km into the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, its mayor said in a video posted to the Telegram outside the city. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged Western countries on Sunday to be ready to offer long-term military, political and financial support to Kyiv during a years-long tough war. “We must not weaken our support for Ukraine, even if the costs are high – not only in terms of military support but also in terms of rising energy and food prices,” Stoltenberg told the German newspaper Bild.
Germany will gradually phase out Russian gas
Meanwhile, Germany’s economy minister said the country would turn to coal and limit its use of gas to generate electricity amid concerns about possible shortages caused by cuts in gas supplies from Russia. Germany is trying to fully fill its gas storage facilities in view of the cold winter months. Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Germany would try to offset the move by increasing the burning of coal, a more polluting fossil fuel. “This is bitter, but it is simply necessary in this situation to reduce the use of natural gas,” he said. “It’s obvious that [Russian President] “Putin’s strategy is to upset us by raising our prices and dividing us.” “We will not let that happen.” Russian gas giant Gazprom said exports to countries outside the former Soviet Union fell 28.9 percent between January 1 and June 15 compared to the same period last year. Separately on Sunday, Italy’s state energy exchange revealed that Gazprom said it would only partially respond to Italy’s request for gas supplies on Monday, signaling a sixth consecutive daily shortfall. The head of the Italian energy giant ENI said on Saturday that with extra gas purchased from other sources, Italy would have to spend next winter, but warned the Italians that “restrictions” that affect the use of natural gas might be necessary. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov said on Thursday that the cuts in the offer were not premeditated and were related to maintenance issues. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi dismissed the explanation as a “lie”.
