Victory Chronicles-DAY 1212

A large-scale Russian combined armored and infantry assault on the strategic town of Kostyantynivka on June 17 was repulsed in the nearby population centers of Yablunivka and Oleksandro-Kalynove. The town is considered part of the defensive web of the major Ukrainian-held cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk in Ukraine’s easternmost region. 

That arc holds significant strategic military value to Ukrainian forces who are defending against relentless Russian advances, whose forces sustain huge military costs in personnel and equipment. According to Operational Tactical Group “Luhansk,” 18 Russian armored vehicles were destroyed during the failed assault. 

The attack lasted between 7 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. local time and was carried out in multiple waves. The Russian forces deployed 23 armored fighting vehicles, 13 motorcycles, and up to 100 troops. 

The assault was supported by intensive fire from various types of weaponry. Ukrainian forces responded with concentrated fire as they halted the offensive. In total, 18 Russian armored vehicles and all 13 motorcycles were destroyed. 

The remaining five armored vehicles were damaged to varying degrees. Enemy troops attempted to scatter into nearby forest lines but were met with further resistance that culminated in another failed Russian assault of the ongoing war. 

One-hundred days of silence: Russia ignores ceasefire US-backed ceasefire proposal as it escalates war. Russia has for 100 consecutive days ignored a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha said on June 19. 

While Ukraine accepted the offer unconditionally, Sybiha noted, Moscow has refused to take “even the most basic first step toward peace.” Instead, Russia has intensified its attacks and continued to manipulate the narrative. “Ukraine remains committed to peace,” Sybiha wrote, “but peace must be enforced—through stronger sanctions and greater support.” 

The original U.S. proposal sought to start the process of ending the European continent’s bloodiest war since World War II and put an end to the killing.

Russian overnight aerial attack on Dnipropetrovsk region kills one civilian, injures four, causes widespread damage

Russian forces launched another wave of airborne attacks on Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing one civilian and injuring four others. The strikes targeted the Nikopol and Samar districts, in combined drone and artillery barrage. 

According to Serhii Lysak, head of the regional military administration, the attacks struck the industrial city of Nikopol as well as the Myrove and Marhanets population centers. The bombardment caused fires and damaged civilian infrastructure.

A residential house and key infrastructural facilities sustained direct hits, and at least one passenger vehicle was charred . Emergency services responded quickly to extinguish the fires and assist the injured.

Zelenskyy visits destroyed apartment block o deadly Russian missile strike in Kyiv 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on June 19 visited the scene of a Russian missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv that killed 23 civilians during a nighttime attack.

Footage released from the site shows the aftermath of the high-explosive missile impact and the president paying tribute to the victims. Zelenskyy laid flowers and observed a moment of silence in the capita’sl central-western part of the city..

“This cowardly strike in the middle of the night took the lives of 23 innocent people,” Zelenskyy said. “My condolences go to their families and loved ones. Assistance for all those affected is ongoing.”

Ukraine’s second war-time president described the attack as a reminder to the international community that Russia continues to reject ceasefire efforts and chooses violence instead. He thanked Ukraine’s partners for their support and urged further pressure on Moscow.

Key Takeaways:

• Russian forces conducted an at least platoon-sized mechanized assault in the Toretsk direction on June 17.
• The Kremlin likely aims to use the ongoing St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) to support ongoing efforts to consolidate control over the information space and prepare Russian society for a prolonged war effort.
• The Kremlin also aims to use SPIEF to promote Kremlin narratives to Western audiences.
• Ukraine’s Western partners continue to supply Ukraine with military aid and announce new sanctions packages against Russia.
• The Kremlin continues to crack down on critical Russian military bloggers as part of its years-long effort to censor and control the Russian information space.
• Russian forces advanced in northern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts and near Chasiv Yar and Toretsk, both of which are in the Donetsk region.

In Memoriam: Ruslan Ralko, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces. Pvt. Ruslan Ralko, known by the call sign “Rashpel,” was killed on July 12, 2024, during a battle with Russian forces near the village of New York in Donetsk Oblast. He was 44.

Ralko was born and lived in the village of Hora, Kyiv Oblast. He graduated from the Boryspil Vocational School and worked as a shift supervisor at an ATB warehouse. In civilian life, he had a passion for gardening—he tended to his own orchard and vegetable plot, growing and preserving produce to share with guests.

In January 2024, Ralko received his draft notice and joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served as a machine gunner in the 1st Separate Siversk Tank Brigade, defending both Sumy and Donetsk regions.

“My father was always confident,” his daughter Daria said. “He believed in our victory. During leave, whenever he learned about a fallen or missing comrade, he couldn’t hold back tears. He loved this world and he loved us.”

Ralko was posthumously awarded the Order for Courage, 3rd Class. He was laid to rest in his native village of Hora. He is survived by his parents, wife, two daughters, a granddaughter, and a grandson.

*Ralko’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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