Victorious news of 799th day of war: prospects for Crimean bridge’s destruction, SSO fighters destroy Russian Buk SAM

U.S. announces new package of sanctions against Russia

The U.S. Treasury Department has announced sanctions against nearly 200 individuals and legal entities that support Russia's military-industrial complex and help it evade restrictions.

This is stated in a press release from the department.

The sanctions package targets Russia's military-industrial base and chemical and biological weapons programs, as well as individuals and legal entities in third countries that help Moscow purchase components for weapons production.

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on nearly 60 individuals from Azerbaijan, Belgium, China, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, which allow Moscow to purchase technology and equipment.

Over 100 organizations on the list operate in the technology, defense, manufacturing, and transportation sectors of the Russian economy.

Another set of sanctions is against major importers of cotton pulp, nitrocellulose and its key components, as well as two suppliers from China.

The Ministry of Finance has added to the list three Russian legal entities and two individuals involved in the procurement of goods for military organizations developing chemical and biological weapons.

The United States has added two Russian companies involved in the construction of gas infrastructure, Neftegazstroy and Vnipigazdobycha, to the list of restricted companies.

The State Department has imposed sanctions on more than 80 entities and individuals involved in evading sanctions against Russia or linked to Russia's chemical and biological weapons programs and military industrial base.

The State Department also took restrictive measures against Russia's energy, metals, and mining sectors and imposed additional sanctions in connection with Navalny's death.

Destruction of the Crimean Bridge is a real possibility – Captain Ryzhenko, 1st Rank, Ukrainian Navy Reserve

Andriy Ryzhenko, 1st Rank Captain of the Ukrainian Navy Reserve, strategic expert at Sonata, notes the destruction or damage to the Crimean Bridge would deprive the Russia's logistics in Crimea.

He said this on the Espreso TV channel.

“With the delivery of the equipment that was announced by the US, the destruction of the Crimean bridge is quite real. Destroying the Crimean bridge or damaging it will give us the opportunity to deprive the Russian group located in Crimea of this logistics artery,” Ryzhenko explained.

The captain of the Ukrainian Navy Reserve 1st rank reminded that Crimea is supplied by Russians from two directions.

“From the north, it is the Kalanchak area and the Crimean bridge. If the bridge is blocked, the entire Russian grouping, including the Russian Black Sea Fleet, is left without logistics. Of course, it is possible to supply logistics to Crimea by sea and air, but it will be completely different volumes,” Ryzhenko added.

Zelenskyy announces the date and venue of the first Peace Summit

He wrote about this on the social network X.

“In accordance with our agreements with Swiss President Viola Amherd, the first peace summit will be held on June 15-16 in Burgenstock, near the city of Lucerne in Switzerland. Heads of state and government from all continents are invited and expected to participate,” the statement said.

According to the President, the summit will become a platform for discussing ways to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine in accordance with the UN Charter and international law. He added that all states invited to the summit have demonstrated their commitment to these principles.

Zelenskyy also expressed confidence that every peaceful country is interested in participating in the summit, as it holds significant importance not only for Ukraine.

"This concerns the global role of each country, as well as genuine respect for international law and peaceful coexistence worldwide. These shared rules, enshrined in the UN Charter, protect all countries from aggression and violence. Therefore, our collective global duty is to defend them with real actions, not just words. This will be the focus of the first Peace Summit in Switzerland," emphasized the head of the state.

Ukrainian Navy reveals names of two Estonian boats supplied to Ukraine

This was reported by the Ukrainian Navy. 

It is stated that the boats Reni and Irpin, which were previously named P01 Roland and P02 Risto, raised the naval flags of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The ceremony was attended by the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, sailors and the Estonian delegation led by Commodore Jüri Saska, Commander of the Estonian Navy.

"The names of the boats P01 Roland and P02 Risto, which were handed over to Ukraine this year in excellent condition, almost new, by the Estonian Navy, were assigned by order of the command of the Ukrainian Navy in honor of the hero city of Irpin and the city of Reni, whose port is the closest to the Republic of Estonia," the statement said. 

The Irpin and Reni boats will perform combat missions, including the protection of civilian shipping.

Ukraine’s Special Forces soldiers destroy Russian Buk system

This was reported by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"The targets were struck by attack drones. The occupiers tried in vain to extinguish the fire and save the equipment," the channel writes.

The damage destroyed a launcher with six missiles. The Buk-M1 firing unit was damaged.

In 2023, not a single Russian song was broadcast on national television and radio companies

This was announced by Taras Kremin, the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, at the presentation of the 2023 report at the Ukraine-Uninform Media Center.

He said that the study monitored the activities of 14 television and radio organizations in December 2023. It was carried out by employees of the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language.

"We have studied the activities of 14 television and radio organizations that carry out nationwide broadcasting. I would like to note that for the first time since independence, not a single Russian song has been recorded in the broadcasts of our TV and radio organizations," Kremin said.

According to him, 8,334 songs were analyzed, of which almost 33% were performed in the official languages of the European Union, 0.1% in other languages, and more than 67% in Ukrainian.

The Language Ombudsman emphasized that last year, 37% more books were published in Ukrainian compared to 2022.

Ukrainian aviation strikes at 9 Russian personnel concentrations

This was reported by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

During the day, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck 9 concentrations of Russian personnel and 1 anti-aircraft missile system.

Ukrainian missile troops destroyed 2 Russian ammunition depots, 1 artillery system and 1 anti-aircraft missile system.