European Parliament prepares plea for Ukraine to be named a candidate for EU membership. The European Parliament prepares a plea to leaders of EU member states to grant Ukraine EU candidate status at the bloc’s June summit, Interfax Ukraine reports quoting a draft document provided to the news agency. The statement is to be adopted during the Conference of Presidents on June 9.
In Severodonetsk, Ukrainian troops face no threat of encirclement. Russian troops control most of Severodonetsk, head of the Luhansk regional military administration Serhiy Hayday said. “Russians control most of Severodonetsk. The industrial zone is ours, they are not there. Fighting rages only in the streets inside the city,” Hayday said. Russia occupied more than 90 per cent of the region’s territory, he added.
At the same time, Lysychansk is fully controlled by Ukrainian troops. Russians make chaotic heavy attacks on the city. “We have tremendous destruction of residential buildings. There is no threat that Ukrainian troops in Luhansk region would get encircled,” the head of administration said.
Ukrainian troops continue to counterattack in Kherson region. “The Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated Blahodatne as they continued a counteroffensive operation. Kherson is just 15 kilometers away,” military correspondent Roman Bochkala said on Telegram. Advisor to the head of the Office of the President Oleksiy Arestovych said Russians retreated from Blahodatne village to regroup.
“On June 6, Russian troops retreated from Blahodatne. It is very close to Kherson. They did not flee in panic, it was a maneuver. They are bolstering units on the Kherson axis and on the right bank,” Arestovych said.
All Russian forces were redeployed from Blahodatne to another area in Kherson region as Ukrainian troops went on counterattack, advisor to the President’s Chief of Staff added.
Russia may put to doubt Lithuania’s independence. A draft law suggesting to revoke a resolution by the Soviet Council of the USSR recognizing independence of Lithuania was submitted to the Russian State Duma on June 8. Ukraine responded. The submission is yet another proof of Russia’s intentions, advisor to the head of the Office of the President Mykhailo Podolyak said.
“Russian Duma’s intention to ‘cancel’ Lithuania’s independence is another proof that the empire’s appetites are not limited. Talks about peace through saving Russia’s barbarian face are self-deception that will bring war to the EU,” Podolyak twitted. War can be only stopped if Ukraine’s allies speed up and increase military assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he added.
Ukraine in Flames #90: How Russia Russifies Stolen and Occupied Children
President Vladimir Putin has simplified laws for adoption of Ukrainian orphans into Russia. In practice, he legalized stealing the children and the disabled from the occupied territories of Ukraine. Ukraine in Flames #90 gathered Ukrainian human rights defenders to comment on the abductions of Ukrainian children and the instruments to return them.
Speakers:
Lyudmyla Volynets, merited social worker of Ukraine, head of secretariat at the deputies’ union “Protecting children’s right – priority of the state”
Iana Dabizha, Manager of the Executive Committee of the Enerhodar City Council
Tetiana Skrypka, Member of Ukrainian Parliament