Good news on the Ukrainian front. The first shipment of ammunition arrives in Ukraine this Tuesday, June 25. This initiative comes at a time when the resupply of ammunition is becoming more fluid on site, particularly since the release of a new envelope by the American Congress.
At the same time, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the head of the Russian army and a former minister. A decision welcomed by the Ukrainian presidency but described as “insignificant” by the Russian authorities.
Information to remember
⇒ ICC issues arrest warrants for Russian army chief, former minister
⇒ Arrival in Ukraine of the first munitions sent as part of the Czech initiative
⇒ EU and Ukraine officially begin accession negotiations
ICC issues arrest warrants for Russian army chief, former minister
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Tuesday that it had issued arrest warrants against Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov and former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
They are both accused of being responsible for the war crimes of directing attacks against civilian objects and causing excessive accidental harm to civilians, as well as the crime against humanity of “inhumane acts”, it said. the ICC in a press release.
The decision was described as “important” by the Ukrainian presidency and “insignificant” by the press service of the Security Council, an body close to the Kremlin, according to the Tass agency.
Arrival in Ukraine of the first munitions sent as part of the Czech initiative
Prague announced on Tuesday the arrival in Ukraine of the first delivery of munitions purchased outside Europe as part of a Czech initiative, in order to face the invasion of Russia.
“The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago. We are doing the right thing,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on the X social network.
EU and Ukraine officially begin accession negotiations
On Tuesday June 25, the European Union officially launched negotiations in Luxembourg with Ukraine on the one hand, and Moldova on the other, intended to allow these two countries to one day be full members of the EU. Russia has sought by all means to obstruct this process, which promises to be long and difficult, leading these two former Soviet republics to anchor themselves to Europe.
“Congratulations to Moldova and Ukraine,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday on X. “The road will be difficult but full of opportunities,” she added in a video message. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the opening of these negotiations last week, hailing the consecration of a “European dream”.
EU extends protection for Ukrainian refugees until 2026
The European Union once again extended on Tuesday the temporary protection granted to some 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees, until March 4, 2026. Ukrainians fleeing the war started by Russia have benefited since March 2022 from a status allowing them to stay, work and access support in the EU.
This protection, which was due to expire on March 4, 2025, was again extended for another year, due to the continuation of the war. “Day after day, Russia terrorizes the Ukrainian people with its bombings […] Those who fled Russian aggression can continue to count on our solidarity,” underlined the Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Nicole de Moor, whose country holds the biannual presidency of the Council of the EU. .
Ukraine says it hit an ammunition depot in Russia overnight
Ukraine said it hit a Russian army ammunition depot in the Russian region of Voronezh, bordering Ukraine, on Tuesday, causing a major fire at the site. “On June 25, 2024, an ammunition depot of the Russian aggressive army was hit […] in the Voronezh region,” the Main Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a statement this morning.
According to this source, the operation was carried out by Ukrainian military intelligence forces. “A fire broke out on this site containing shells and with a total area of 3,500 m2,” said the Ukrainian ministry, specifying that the fire “is still burning”.
Russian army claims to have destroyed 30 Ukrainian drones, one dead
The Russian army claimed on Tuesday to have destroyed 30 Ukrainian drones overnight in regions bordering Ukraine where a woman was killed according to local authorities. “During the night, during an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out terrorist attacks with aerial drones on the territory of the Russian Federation, air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 29 drones in the Belgorod region and one drone in that of Voronezh”, indicated the Russian Ministry of Defense, in a press release on Telegram.
“Unfortunately […]a civilian resident was killed” in the village of Belovskoye, in the Belgorod region, declared for his part the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. It concerns an “elderly woman whose house was directly targeted” by a drone, he said.