Victorious news on 847th day of war: US arms giant to produce ammo in Ukraine, Russian Lancet destroyed by Ukrainian FPV drone

Ukraine returns 16-year-ol teenager deported from Lysychansk to Russia

On June 18, the 16-year-old brother of a Ukrainian serviceman who had been taken by Russian forces from the temporarily occupied Luhansk region to Russia was returned to the territory controlled by Ukraine

This information comes from the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories and the Ukrainian Child Rights Network.

Illia, a soldier in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, reached out to the Ministry of Reintegration upon learning that his younger brother, Sviatoslav, was in Russia. The boys are orphaned, and Svyatoslav was taken to Russia from the temporarily occupied Lysychansk by relatives.

"Sviatoslav really wanted to return to Ukraine, but he couldn't do it alone. For a long time, Ilya tried to find ways to bring him back himself. He contacted various authorities in Ukraine but faced refusals or redirections. His brother's fate changed after a call to the Ministry of Reintegration hotline," the ministry stated.

US arms giant Northrop Grumman to produce ammunition in Ukraine

Northrop's co-production deal is the first confirmed agreement between a US defense company and the Ukrainian government for a manufacturing project in Ukraine

Northrop Grumman plans to produce medium caliber ammunition in Ukraine, a company official announced, Breaking Defense reports on June 19. 

While several European defense companies have committed to large-scale manufacturing in Ukraine, Northrop's co-production deal is the first publicly confirmed agreement between a US defense company and the Ukrainian government for a manufacturing project in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian outlet Defense Express reports that this category includes ammunition for automatic guns. According to Northrop Grumman's product list, it includes 20x102 mm, 30x113 mm, 30x173 mm, 40x180 mm, and 50x228 mm rounds. These sizes are designed for automatic cannon such as the M61 Vulcan and Bushmaster Chain Gun models like the M230, Mk44, and XM913.

These calibers are standard for many combat vehicles and anti-aircraft drone systems. It's important to note that these shells can be produced in various versions, including armor-piercing, high-explosive, and programmable explosive types.

First non-participant of Ukraine peace summit joins communiqué

Antigua and Barbuda is the first country that didn’t attend the Global Peace Summit but has now signed the final communiqué.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared this news on June 19.

”I am grateful to Antigua and Barbuda for joining the Global Peace Summit’s communiqué. It is the first country that did not attend the Summit but later joined the final document,” Zelenskyy wrote.

According to him, this demonstrates that the Ukrainian Peace Formula and vision for a just and lasting peace are shared by every continent and region of the world, from Europe to the Caribbean. And this coalition will only grow.

Russian Lancet destroyed in the sky by Ukrainian drone

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have recorded the first instance of shooting down a Russian Lancet 'kamikaze' drone with an FPV drone. Pilots from the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Brigade tracked down the loitering munition, as reported on the brigade's page.

"It is no longer a secret that in recent months the defense forces have begun to effectively use FPV drones as a means of air defense against enemy drones such as Zala and Orlan. We detected a Lancet, a Russian kamikaze drone, and damaged it with an aerial explosion during its rapid descent on a likely target. This caused it to crash and explode in the field without causing any harm," the Signum unit reported.

Oleh Katkov, editor-in-chief of Defence Express, explained that the fact that a Russian Lancet was shot down by an FPV drone is an exception rather than a pattern, emphasizing the importance of the operator's skill and luck.

EU budget for 2025 includes €15.5 billion for Ukraine

The European Commission has submitted for approval a draft EU budget for 2025 worth €199.7 billion, Liga.net reports.

For Ukraine, the draft budget allocates €4.3 billion in grants under the Ukraine Facility and €10.9 billion in loans.

The largest expenditures in the EU budget for next year are allocated to the Common Agricultural Policy, with €53.8 billion set aside."