Dhe Ukrainian government has accused Russia of fatally shooting lifeboats carrying fleeing civilians in the flooded war zone of Cherson. “Even animals have more morals than you, Russian state,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video message. “Russian terrorists continue to shell evacuation routes, evacuation points, boats that are taking people away.”
According to Ukrainian authorities, one such boat with 21 people was fired upon by Russians on Sunday while the civilians tried to escape from the Russian-occupied part of the Cherson region in the south of the country. Three people were killed and ten injured. The information could not be independently confirmed.
First Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam, then left the people in the flooded area to their fate, and now they’re being shot at too, Zelenskyj railed. He said representatives of the International Criminal Court in The Hague saw the situation for themselves in Kherson and began investigating the disaster. After the destruction of the dam on Tuesday, the number of flood victims was last given as 14, eight of them in the Russian-controlled part of the Kherson region. There alone, 35 people are still missing, including seven children.
Current developments in the live ticker:
05:27 – Melnyk asks Germany for significantly more tanks
In view of the destruction of tanks supplied by Western allies in Russian attacks, calls for stronger support, especially from Germany, are once again being heard in Ukraine. “The Ukrainian army most urgently needs many more western battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other armored vehicles,” said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk to the Berlin “Tagesspiegel”.
“Each Leopard 2 is literally worth its weight in gold for the decisive offensive,” added the former Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin. From his point of view, the Bundeswehr is able to provide more than the 18 units already delivered from its stock of more than 300, said Melnyk. The current number could be “trebled without endangering Germany’s ability to defend itself”.
03:13 – Atomic Energy Agency concerned about water levels in reservoir
After the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is pushing for wider access to the area surrounding the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The water level of the dam was stable for about a day at the weekend, explained IAEA boss Rafael Grossi. “However, at other points in the huge reservoir, the level continues to drop, which leads to a possible difference of around two meters.” The height of the water level is an important parameter for the further functionality of the water pumps. According to the IAEA, the water from the reservoir is used to cool the plant’s six reactors and to store spent fuel elements.
2:43 a.m. – North Korea’s rulers want to cooperate more closely with Russia
North Korea’s head of state Kim Jong-un pledged closer cooperation to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is calling for “closer strategic cooperation,” Kim said in the message released by the state news agency KCNA. He shakes hands with Putin, “according to the common desire of both peoples to achieve the great goal of building a powerful country.” Kim also defended Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, assuring him of “full support and solidarity.” “Justice will prevail, and the Russian people will continue to add glory to the history of victory.”
1:55 am – Confirmed: US musicians arrested in Moscow
A US musician and former paratrooper has been arrested in Moscow on suspicion of drug trafficking. Michael Travis Leake is accused of running drug deals with the help of underage people. During the hearing, Leake was locked in a metal cage, according to images broadcast by Russian authorities on state television. A US State Department spokesman confirmed that Leake was arrested in Moscow. Representatives of the US Embassy in Moscow were present when he was indicted on June 10. It’s unclear if Leake is represented by legal counsel.
If found guilty, Leake faces up to 12 years in prison, Interfax reports. The US government has repeatedly warned of arbitrary arrests in Russia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
11:48 p.m. – Selenskyj: International investigations into the dam blast are ongoing
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, international investigations into the destruction of the Kakhovka dam are already underway. “Representatives of the International Criminal Court have visited the Kherson region in the past few days,” said Zelenskyy in his evening video address. The Attorney General sent a request to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the day the dam broke. “The work has already begun.” It is important that the international legal experts examine the consequences of the disaster. This also includes the shelling of flood areas. According to Ukraine, three people have been killed in a Russian attack on a lifeboat. Russia denies allegations of targeting civilians.
10:45 p.m. – Ukraine reports recaptures in the southeast
According to Ukraine, it has recaptured other villages in the south-east of the country. Parallel to the capture of the village of Makarivka, the Ukrainian forces on the southern front advanced between 300 and 1,500 meters in two different directions, said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar.
In addition, no positions were lost in places where the Ukrainian armed forces were on the defensive. In addition, a military unit published a video on the short message service, which is said to show the soldiers raising the Ukrainian flag in the village of Neskuchne. A similar scene had previously been shown from the village of Blahodatne in the Donetsk region.
9:03 p.m. – Moscow wants command of private armies, Prigozhin refuses
Russia’s Defense Ministry wants to bring all Russian volunteer organizations under its command by order. All these units must sign a contract with the agency by July 1, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said in Moscow. There are now more than 40 volunteer associations whose legal status should be secured in this way. The head of the Russian private army Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced on Sunday that he refused to sign such a contract.
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu can determine the ministry and the soldiers, Prigozhin said in a voice message published on his Telegram channel. However, the minister has not yet been able to lead his own troops. Wagner will therefore not sign any contracts with Shoigu. It could be that Wagner would then not receive any weapons or ammunition – but only until the ministry needed the help of the private army.
19:00 – Ukraine reports recapture of two settlements in Donetsk region
Ukraine has announced the first military successes of its counter-offensive in the east of the country: the Ukrainian armed forces reported the recapture of two towns in the Donetsk region in the east of the country, which was partly occupied by Russians. First, the Ukrainian army declared that Ukrainian soldiers had “liberated” the settlement of Blagodatne, later the Ukrainian border guards reported that the village of Neskuchne had been recaptured. Here again blow the “Ukrainian flag”.
According to Russian information, the Ukrainian counter-offensive has been going on for days. According to information from Moscow, there had recently been heavy fighting, especially in southern Ukraine.
“Kick-off Politics” is WELT’s daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by WELT editors and the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or directly via RSS feed.