Russian forces use banned chemical munitions against Ukraine - Captain Shershen

Captain Valerii Shershen, spokesman for the Joint Press Center of the Tavria Defense Forces, said this on Espreso TV. 

“Over the past day, the nature of combat actions in the sector has not changed. We hold our positions in the defense and are taking measures to improve the tactical situation. In the course of offensive actions we have partial success. The enemy is making significant efforts to stop our advance. The Russian forces suffer significant losses in manpower, equipment and weapons,” he said.

Shershen added that the Russian troops are attacking in the Avdiivka and Marinka directions - there were 13 firefights, almost all of them in the Marinka area.

“They were repulsed and retreated. There were over 440 attacks on our positions. One of the positions was fired upon with a banned chemical munition of aerosol suffocating effect K-51. The wind was blowing in the direction of the occupiers. Missile and artillery units of the Defense Forces performed more than 1,090 fire missions. Enemy losses in killed and wounded amounted to 242 soldiers. 16 units of Russian weapons and military equipment were destroyed. Five munitions depots were destroyed,” the spokesman summarized.

• On June 11, the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced the liberation of Blahodatne, Neskuchne, and Makarivka settlements, near the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

• On the morning of June 12, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that the Ukrainian state flag was raised again over Storozhove, Donetsk region.

• She said that over the past week, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had liberated 7 settlements and advanced 6.5 kilometers.

• On June 19, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that Russian troops were attacking in Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions. Despite the losses, Russian troops are trying to advance, but are not successful.

• Also, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Maliar reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated Pyatykhatky, Zaporizhzhia region, and advanced up to 7 km in the Tavria direction.

• On June 24, the Ukrainian Defense Forces officially confirmed the liberation of the territories near Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region, which had been under occupation since 2014.

• On June 24, the eastern grouping of Ukrainian troops launched an offensive in several other areas simultaneously.

• On June 25, the General Staff reported that the enemy was attacking in the Lyman, Avdiivka and Marinka directions. There were 29 combat engagements on the frontline over the day.