Ukraine’s defense intelligence destroyed a Russian tugboat off the Crimea coast. Zelenskyi arrives in France for ceremonies honoring the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Scholz explains why Germany has given Ukraine permission to strike Russian territory with weapons provided by Berlin.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence destroys Russian tugboat off Crimea coast
Ukraine’s defense intelligence destroyed a Russian tugboat off the Crimea coast, using naval drones.
“On June 6, a special unit of the 9th Department of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, off the coast of temporarily occupied Crimea, successfully struck a Russian raid tugboat of the Project 498 Saturn or Protey,” the Ukrainian defense intelligence said in a statement.
“As a result of the operation in the waters of Lake Panske, another Russian vessel was destroyed,” it added.
“The destructive fire damage was inflicted after a successful breakthrough of the Russian line of defensive barriers in the Black Sea,” the statement reads. The defense intelligence released a video that purportedly shows the moment the vessel was destroyed.
The drone reportedly evaded sea barriers and sailed into a lake on Crimea’s northwestern coast. Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said the operation was a “maritime strike.”
“All hits on target. Minus one more enemy ship,” Yusov said during a national broadcast. He did not specify whether the tugboat was hit by Magura V5 drones, one of Ukraine’s most famous uncrewed strike vessels.
Project 498 Saturn tugboats are twin-screw harbor tugs. They are reported to be Soviet-era vessels created in the 1960s. They were part of the Soviet fleet under the codenames “Protey,” “b/k 1,200” or “bychok.”
A Saturn is an all-purpose high-capacity raid tug that was used in civilian ports and for logistical support on military bases. The tugs were reported to be ice-classed. The vessel has been modernized.
Zelenskyi arrives in France for ceremonies honoring the 80th anniversary of D-Day
World leaders gathered in France on Thursday to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the first day of the Normandy landings that laid the foundations for the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
U.S. President Joe Biden, Britain’s King Charles III, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi were among those who joined French President Emmanuel Macron at the international D-Day ceremony on Omaha Beach.
In 2014, at a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the first round of Russia-Ukraine talks in the so-called Normandy format was held with mediation of Germany and France. The attempts to settle Russia’s war against Ukraine through these negotiations have failed and Russia’s full-scale invasion is in its third year now.
The Russian delegation was not invited to the events. Zelenskyi will hold a number of meetings on the sidelines of the commemorations.
He will have a bilateral meeting with Macron on Friday. The French president is expected to announce that France will send instructors to Ukraine. Zelenskyi, who will be welcomed by France’s Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu with military honors on Friday morning, will visit a site of the Franco-German arms group KNDS near Paris. The defense group makes artillery guns used in Ukraine.
According to the White House, Biden and Zelenskyi will meet on the sidelines of the commemorations. Biden is on his first state visit to France.
The Biden-Macron talks on Saturday are taking place ahead of the G7 and NATO summits where Russia’s war against Ukraine is likely to top the agenda.
Scholz explains why Germany has given Ukraine permission to strike Russian territory with weapons provided by Berlin
The German government has given Ukraine a permission to strike Russian territory with weapons provided by Berlin. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had underscored Ukraine’s right to defend itself by striking targets inside Russia in accordance with international law, according to Tagesschau.
Russia has launched a fresh offensive on Kharkiv, Scholz said, explaining his decision.
“For this reason, Ukraine can always use the weapons provided by us and allies according to the international law,” Scholz said as sited by the European Pravda.
“It is right to closely coordinate with our partners and allies again and again before making such long-standing decisions. Our citizens can be sure that we will continue to act with prudence and will assess all risks. This is my position as a chancellor who is committed to peace and safety in Germany,” he added.
“There’s no change to our policy at this point, we don’t encourage or enable the use of U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia,” U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on May 17. The U.S. Department of Defense said western weapons should be used in Ukraine to restore sovereignty over Ukraine’s territory.
