On Friday, June 10, the Luhansk Region Military Administration reported on Russia not trying to repair power supply in occupied towns and on destroying jobs in those it seeks to occupy. Invader authorities have sentenced to death two British and one Moroccan soldier, who were fighting of Ukraine’s side. In terms of artillery systems, Russia continues to have superiority over Ukraine by 20:1 despite recent Western supplies, according to Ukrinform, Nexta TV, Al Jazeera and BBC.
Serhy Haidai, the head of the Ukrainian Luhansk Region Military Administration, reported early on Friday that Ukrainan forces were holding the defence of a small part of the strategic eastern city of Severodonetsk.
Putting the Donbas Battle into context, Haidai evaluated: «They haven’t rebuilt anything for eight years in Luhansk, they aren’t even trying to restore water or electricity supply in [occupied – BNN] Popasna and Rubizhne – they are just destroying everything. The ‘Russian world’ is a desert. The enemy is trying to achieve this aim. The Ice Palace or the ammonia production plant at Azot, one of the [industrial] company’s main divisions [in Severodoneck] did not disturb anyone. Thousands of people have been freed from their hope to work.»
According to Haidai, Russian troops are trying to establish full control over the Luhansk region by June 10, but, according to the Ukrainian official, the Russian command has already announced a new date – June 12, when Russia marks Russia Day.
Haidai claimed in the report that fighting continued in Severodonetsk and in the settlements of the Hirske and Popasna districts and that a number of Russian assault operations had been repelled.
Ukrainian authorities are gradually revealing the casualties of the Ukrainian military that it continues to suffer in the battle for the Donbas. Ukrainian military casualties are now between 100 and 200 per day, senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with the BBC. The estimate given by Mykhaylo Podolyak is the highest daily to have been made public so far.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has given on Thursday, June 9, a number of up to a hundred per day. «Every day we have up to 100 of our soldiers killed and up to 500 wounded. The Kremlin continues to press by sheer mass, stumbles, faces strong rebuff and suffers huge casualties. But yet still has forces to advance in some parts of the front,» Reznikov wrote and called on Ukraine’s Western partners to send multiple-launch rocket systems and «hundreds of heavy armoured vehicles, without which effective counterattack is impossible,» according to Reznikov’s post on Facebook. The Ukrainian Defence Minister also noted that its objective was «to obtain fighter jets, anti-aircraft and missile defence systems to protect our skies».
Nexta TV reports that Ukrainian troops are outgunned 20 to one in artillery and 40 to one in ammunition by Russian forces if Western-supplied artillery systems are counted.
Russia adds death sentence to war prisoners to its list of crimes
An institution in the self-declared pro-Kremlin «Donetsk People’s Republic» has found three foreign nationals guilty of being mercenaries and taking action towards violent seizure of power. Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, as well as Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim have been sentenced to death penalty.
The press secretary of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson commented: «We have said continually that prisoners of war shouldn’t be exploited for political purposes. (..) Under the Geneva Convention prisoners of war are entitled to combatant immunity and they should not be prosecuted for participation in hostilities.»
Putin compares his actions to Tsar Peter I, Zelenskyy urges everyone to help defence
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare appearance in front of an audience and TV cameras. At an exhibition devoted to Russian Tsar Peter I, who led a conquest of the Baltic coast during the Great Northern War against Sweden in the 18th century.
Al Jazeera quoted him as saying: «It is our responsibility also to take back and strengthen. (..) Yes, there have been times in our country’s history when we have been forced to retreat, but only to regain our strength and move forward.»
Zelenskyy, however, called on every person in Ukraine to help defend the country against the invasion continuing for over three months.
«We have to get used to the fact that there can be only two parts of society – those who defend our independence and those who work in a way to ensure that defence,» Zelenskyy said in his daily address to Ukrainians and the world.
Watch the speech with English subtitles.
Day 107 of war in Ukraine: Russia’s aim is «a desert», foreign prisoners of war sentenced to death, artillery system ratio 1:20
