Victory Chronicles-DAY 1223

Russian-occupied Crimea came under drone attack on June 29–30 leading to a full suspension of traffic on the Crimean bridge that links mainland Russia with the occupied Crimean Peninsula. 

It is considered a critical logistical artery for supplying Russian troops with materiel and supplies. 

Crimean-based Telegram channels, including Krymskyi Veter (Crimean Wind), reported explosions and active air defense at Kerch shortly after midnight. Witnesses said Russian forces scrambled military helicopters from the Kacha airbase, a key installation northwest of Sevastopol. 

Footage circulating online from open-source intelligence sources shows the bridge in darkness while vehicle movement is non-existent, suggesting a serious security response. 

The Crimean bridge is heavily fortified and symbolically significant and is a regular target in Ukraine’s campaign to degrade Russia’s military supply routes. Attacks on the bridge have previously disrupted troop movements and logistics vital to sustaining Russian occupation forces in Ukraine. 

Beyond its strategic function, the bridge is also under international scrutiny: it is subject to sanctions imposed by Ukraine and its Western allies, who view it as an illegal structure built on sovereign Ukrainian territory following Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

Hungary and Slovakia block EU’s latest Russian sanctions package. The European Union’s 18th sanctions package against Russia has been blocked by both Hungary and Slovakia, a diplomat from a key EU member state told European Pravda on June 30. While Slovakia is seeking guarantees from the European Commission over its energy transition after 2028, Hungary has offered no clear demands. 

Budapest’s obstruction aligns with its consistent record of undermining EU efforts against Russia, drawing criticism for its pro-Kremlin stance. 

The sanctions were halted during a meeting of EU ambassadors on June 28. Further talks are unlikely before a European Commission visit to Bratislava scheduled for July 3. 

Romania, while not involved in this particular block, has also faced scrutiny in recent years for domestic actors sympathetic with to Kremlin narratives. 

Ukrainian divers destroy Russian drone warhead found in Dnipro River. State Emergency Service (SES) divers in the southern regional capital of Zaporizhzhia have destroyed a warhead of a Russian Shahed-type drone discovered in the Dnipro River that bisects the country by a local resident.

Using an underwater drone, SES personnel inspected the area and confirmed that the object was the explosive payload of a downed unmanned aerial vehicle. The warhead was safely neutralized on site following established safety protocols.

Ukraine unveils new anti-drone ammunition, but details remain scarce. Ukraine’s defense technological cluster Brave1 has announced the development of specialized 5.56 millimeter caliber ammunition designed to boost infantry effectiveness against moving drones. 

According to a June 30 statement, the new rounds intended to improve the odds of hitting small aerial targets like first-person view drones or reconnaissance drones. 

However, few technological details have been released. The design of the warhead remains undisclosed, and its performance has not been independently verified. Despite the limited public information, the ammunition has already been codified for use, with production now scaling to supply Ukraine’s defense forces. 

Key Takeaways:

• Russia conducted its largest combined strike series of the war on the night of June 28 -29 by launching over 500 missiles and drones against Ukraine.
• Russia appears to be increasingly striking civilian areas in its large-scale strike packages.
• Satellite imagery and Russian government announcements indicate that Russia is trying to increase its aircraft production in the medium- to long-term.
• Ukrainian forces advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and near Chasiv Yar.

In Memoriam: Serhii Filin, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces

Soldier Serhii Filin, known by the call sign Filin, was killed in action on May 4, 2024, during a combat mission in the village of Urozhayne, Volnovakha district, Donetsk region. He sustained a fatal blast injury. He was 25.

Filin was born in the village of Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, and lived in Zaporizhzhia. He graduated from the Zaporizhzhia Vocational Railway Transport Lyceum and worked at the Zaporizhstal steel plant.

He served in the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade as a rifleman-grenadier’s assistant in a rifle battalion. His rank was private.

“The best son—brave and courageous. I’m proud that he never stood aside. For his sisters, he was a protector, a pillar, and a best friend. According to his comrades, Serhii cared more about others’ safety on the battlefield than his own. He defended our homeland with dedication, holding the line firmly and preventing the enemy from advancing. In his final days, Serhii and a few of his fellow soldiers absorbed the enemy’s assault to shield others. Because of that, many boys made it out of that hell. In our hearts, brave Serhii will forever be 25,” wrote his mother, Alla Lisiv. He was laid to rest in Zaporizhzhia. Filin is survived by his mother, two younger sisters, and stepfather.

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

• German foreign and defence ministries urge EU to “search” for air defence systems for Ukraine
• EU officially extends sectoral sanctions against Russia for another six months
• Center for Countering Disinformation: Russia to intensify campaign to discredit Ukraine’s European integration
• US Senator Graham’s Russia sanctions bill to pass in watered-down form
• Norwegian F-35s to protect key Ukraine aid hub in Poland
• Zelenskyy signs decree to withdraw Ukraine from landmine ban treaty
• Russia wants to build a port and railway in annexed Crimea with help from China