Russo-Ukrainian war, day 846: Russia amasses 10,000 soldiers near Borova for new assaults

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Military

Russian forces advance Borova in Luhansk Oblast with tanks, mercenaries, artillery, say Ukrainian military. On 18 June, DeepState revealed a significant buildup of up to 10,000 enemy personnel and 450 military vehicles near Borova in Kharkiv Oblast.

Russia’s offensive: Occupiers continue bombardment of Kharkiv Oblast. Russia’s bombardment of Kharkiv Oblast has resulted in significant damage in Lyptsi, Hlyboke, and Starytsia villages.

DeepState: 10,000 Russian troops amassed for assault on Borova in Kharkiv Oblast. A Ukrainian analytical group has reported a significant Russian troop buildup of 10,000 personnel and 450 military equipment units near the village of Borova in Kharkiv Oblast.

Frontline report: Russian offensive stalls in Kharkiv as new tactics backfire. Russian attempts to penetrate Ukraine’s defenses in Kharkiv with small assault groups have resulted in isolated units being decimated, undermining the offensive’s momentum.

ISW: Russians transferring forces from Donetsk Oblast to Kharkiv Oblast. Russian forces are reportedly redeploying elements from Donetsk to reinforce their grouping in Kharkiv Oblast as Russia aims to bolster its positions in the Vovchansk direction.

Ukraine’s air forces down all 10 Russian drones over Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia oblasts overnight. The Russian night drone attack damaged detached houses, cars, and a power line in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Night drone attack causes massive fire at Russian oil facility. A series of explosions preceded a fire that engulfed oil tanks in the Russian city of Azov, with officials attributing the incident to a drone attack.

Intelligence and technology

Italy weighs Storm Shadow missile transfer to Ukraine. Italy is evaluating the transfer of a stockpile of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine as part of its next military aid package, according to the newspaper Fatto Quotidiano.

France pledges to train 26 Ukrainian pilots for F-16s for next two years. A group of 10 Ukrainian pilots, aged 21 to 23, are currently undergoing fighter jet training at an undisclosed French air base, according to reports from Le Monde.

US “deliberately” delaying training for Ukraine’s F-16 pilots, Kyiv claims. A Ukrainian official has claimed that a political decision by Washington is damaging operations against Russia due to the slow pace of F-16 pilot training.

International

Zelenskyy signs law to align roaming legislation with EU standards. The law facilitates Ukraine’s accession to the common EU-Ukraine roaming zone.

Russia amasses 10,000 soldiers near Borova for new assaultsWhite House reaffirms belief in Ukraine’s NATO. White House official John Kirby highlighted that the United States is helping Ukraine win the war against Russian aggression, pointing to President Joe Biden and other countries signing a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine to provide long-term support for Ukraine’s defense.

Ukrainian woman forced into anti-war protest in Moscow receives 12-year sentence. Despite evidence suggesting she was forced into organizing the protest, the court found her guilty of spreading “fake news” about the Russian army and participating in a “terrorist organization.”

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Kostin: Russian commanders order to kill Ukrainian POWs with inhuman cruelty. Russian commanders have issued orders not to take Ukrainian soldiers prisoner.

Political and legal developments

Russian think tank’s “relocant” pitch clashes with unmasked spy couple in Slovenia. A purportedly independent Russian think tank is urging Europe to welcome millions of wealthy Russian emigres as “relocants” amid Russia’s war in Ukraine to bolster the European economy. But that proposal collides with the recent exposure revealed in The Wall Street Journal of an undercover Russian couple working for years as Kremlin spies residing in Slovenia.

Reuters: Russia resorts to blackmail and bribery to recruit spies in Germany. Moscow attempts to hire Germans to spy for it after Europe’s expulsion of some 600 Russian diplomats, Germany’s domestic security service said.

New developments

Bloomberg: Cola-Cola continues bringing profits in Moscow war machine, despite pledges to leave Russian market. Despite earlier pledges to halt operations, Coca-Cola has continued production in Russia and reported a staggering increase in profits in 2023.

Read our earlier daily review here.

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