On Saturday, June 21, 2018, this is how things are going.
Fighting
- According to local military commanders, Russian drones and missiles launched over night have damaged the Kremenchuk district of central Ukraine’s Kremenchuk.
- Volodymyr Kohut, the military governor of the area, did not provide further information about the extent of the damage, saying that one person was seriously hurt in the attack.
- According to a report from online news outlet Strana, Russia had targeted the district’s refinery. ua.
diplomacy and politics
- According to officials from both countries, this is the second time the two countries have swapped prisoners of war in the wake of a deal reached in Turkiye earlier this month. All of the captured soldiers had injuries, illnesses, or were under 25 years old. Which side disclosed the number of soldiers who had been freed.
- President Vladimir Putin stated at Russia’s most important economic forum in Saint Petersburg that he did not “rule out” his forces’ attempts to establish a buffer zone along the border in the northeastern city of Sumy.
- Although Russia has recently made inroads there for the first time in three years, the Sumy region, according to Putin, has an advance of 12 kilometers (7 miles) there.
- Putin also made a number of hawkish remarks, giving the impression that he was still debating the existence of the Ukrainian state. Putin’s comments, according to Ukraine, showed “disdain” for the peace process.
- According to a report from Spiegel, which includes a new Bundeswehr strategy paper, the German military views Russia as an “existential risk” for the nation and Europe. According to the report, Russia is confirming that it is preparing to clash with NATO, particularly by strengthening its forces in western Russia “at the borders with NATO.” The document concludes that Germany can only combat this threat by “providing a consistent development of military and society-wide capabilities.”
- Putin has reiterated Moscow’s opposition to the proliferation of nuclear weapons, including any potential acquisition by Iran. Putin stated to Putin in a statement to Sky News Arabia that Russia supports Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, underscoring that the IAEA has not discovered any proof that Tehran intends to build nuclear weapons. Putin added that Russia is willing to help Iran develop its nuclear arsenal for civilian purposes.
Economy
- Putin also reaffirmed at the St. Petersburg economic forum that Russia must not fall into recession “under any circumstances,” as some in his own government had warned of a negative impact on economic growth. The Russian economy experienced its slowest growth in the past two years, growing only 1.4 percent year over year in the first quarter of 2025, which economists have warned for months.
- In light of the Middle East conflict, Igor Sechin, head of Russia’s largest oil producer Rosneft, said that the OPEC+ group’s decision to increase production now appears to be far-sighted and appropriate. In addition, Sechin added that despite the increase in production, there won’t be an oil glut in the long run, and that the European Union wants to lower Russia’s oil cap to $45 in order to improve profitability of its purchases, rather than reduce its budget revenues.
Source: Aljazeera
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