Ramstein meeting and new defense agreements
Today, another meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues of Ukraine in the Ramstein format took place. During the meeting, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the country is building up tools capable of forcing the Russian Federation to move to a diplomatic settlement. The Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and Germany signed an agreement to launch a joint anti-ballistic missile program and produce the latest complexes. The United Kingdom and Germany announced a new aid package of $1.4 billion, and the Netherlands allocated €500 million to strengthen air defense and purchase drones.
Mykhailo Samus, military analyst, director of the New Geopolitics Research Network: “This “Ramstein” clearly demonstrated the West’s change in strategy from “defense” to “coercion for peace”. The joint anti-ballistic missile program with Berlin is not just a purchase, it is a step towards creating a European anti-missile shield with the participation of Ukrainian defense enterprises. Air defense financing from the Netherlands and Great Britain covers our critical needs for the coming months, when the enemy will try to put pressure on the energy sector.”
Night shelling of Kyiv region and ballistic strike on Dnieper
On the night of June 18, Russia carried out a massive attack using ballistic missiles and strike UAVs. On the outskirts of the capital, mobile fire groups of the “Clear Sky” project destroyed about 30 drones. The consequences of falling debris were recorded in the Vyshgorod district (a hangar was damaged) and the Boryspil district (a private house, an enterprise, and an educational institution were destroyed). During the day, the enemy launched another ballistic strike on the Dnieper River – a civilian industrial enterprise was hit, where a fire broke out, and there were injuries among the workers.
Denis Popovych, military observer: “The work of mobile groups in the Kyiv region saves scarce missiles for large Patriot-type complexes. The “Clear Sky” project proves its high effectiveness in combating kamikaze drones. As for the strike on the Dnieper, the use of ballistics during the day indicates the enemy’s attempt to inflict maximum destruction on civilian industrial potential and sow panic, since the arrival time of such missiles is calculated in minutes.”
Repatriation: Ukraine returns the bodies of 522 fallen defenders
Thanks to the large-scale and long-term work of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Ministry of Reintegration and international mediation, the bodies of 522 fallen citizens were returned to Ukraine. The Russian side handed them over as the bodies of Ukrainian servicemen. Ahead lies a complex process of forensic medical examinations and DNA identification to transfer the remains to relatives for a dignified burial.
Andriy Yusov, representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War: “The return of more than half a thousand of our fallen heroes is the result of extremely complex diplomatic and humanitarian negotiations that do not stop for a day. The work at this stage is just beginning: the best Ukrainian forensic scientists and international experts have been involved, who will conduct DNA profiling. We must do everything so that each family receives an accurate answer and can say goodbye to their loved ones with full military honors.”
The Verkhovna Rada unblocked EU defense funds
The Parliament has made a critical decision by voting to amend the state budget of Ukraine. This officially completes the procedure for attracting and using financial assistance from the European Union. All unblocked funds will be earmarked directly to meet the financial needs of the country’s security and defense sector.
Yaroslav Zheleznyak, People’s Deputy, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy: “This step was necessary, since international funds have a clear purpose. We have legally regulated the mechanism for their transfer and distribution. Since Ukraine’s own tax revenues go entirely to the front, this unblocked money from the EU will allow us to close the cash gaps in providing the military, payments of cash support, and logistics purchases of the Ministry of Defense without turning on the NBU’s “printing press.”
Large-scale UAV raid on Moscow region and Crimea
Kamikaze drones have carried out one of the largest attacks on Russian infrastructure. The main target was the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotny: a major fire broke out there, damaging the state-of-the-art Euro+ unit. The raid led to the introduction of the “Carpet” plan in Moscow and the complete paralysis of four major airports (more than 500 flights were canceled and delayed). At the same time, an attack was recorded on a key railway bridge on the Kerch-Dzhankoy section in occupied Crimea.
Ivan Stupak, military expert, former SBU employee: “A strike on the Moscow Refinery is a sore point for the aggressor’s economy, because the plant in Kapotny provides almost half of the Russian capital region’s fuel needs. Damage to the high-tech “Euro+” installation due to sanctions will be extremely difficult to repair. As for Crimea, the railway bridge on the Kerch-Dzhankoy section is a key artery through which the occupiers transfer equipment and ammunition to the Southern Front. Violation of this logistics directly facilitates the situation for our defenders in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions.”