15 Ukrainian drones participated in the failed assault, and artillery and missile strikes were launched from the continent
The armed formations of Ukraine (VFU) tried to storm the island of Zmeiny in the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on June 21. 15 Ukrainian drones participated in the attack, artillery and missile strikes were carried out on the island from the continent. But it did not work to destroy the Russian garrison. As a result of retaliatory strikes, the enemy lost 13 UAVs, artillery pieces and launchers of air defense systems. On the same day, at the Grand Kremlin Palace, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met with graduates of higher military educational institutions of law enforcement agencies. At the solemn event, the head of state noted that currently soldiers and officers are selflessly fighting for the Motherland, defending the security of our people, as well as Russia's right to sovereign development.
Attack on the island
The Russian Defense Ministry said that on June 20, the armed formations of Ukraine tried to capture the island of Snake, planning to inflict massive air and artillery strikes on it, followed by the landing of troops.
—The air raid involved more than 15 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in strike and reconnaissance performance, which were guided by two Bayraktar TB-2 UAVs," said the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov. — In addition, a strategic reconnaissance UAV of the US Air Force "Global Hawk" RQ-4 was recorded at high altitudes by Russian means in the airspace near Zmeiny Island. Anti-aircraft cover of Ukrainian UAVs was provided by S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems from combat positions near Tuzla and Ochakov.
Rocket and artillery strikes on the island were carried out by Ukrainian ballistic missiles "Tochka-U", MLRS "Hurricane" and 155-mm howitzers M-777 from firing positions west of Odessa and on the island of Kuban.
Russian anti-aircraft systems "Pantsir" and "Tor" repelled the enemy attack. 13 UAVs, four Tochka-U missiles and 21 Uragan multiple rocket launchers were shot down. Not a single Ukrainian missile or bomb reached the target. The failed fire strike forced the enemy to abandon the landing on the island of Snake, the Ministry of Defense noted.
MLRS "Hurricane" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
— Having been convinced of the failure of the attempt to seize the island, the Kiev regime went on a new adventure with respect to the objects of the Russian gas infrastructure in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, - said Igor Konashenkov.
Gas production platforms "BK-1" and "Crimea-1" were attacked by anti-ship missiles and "Bayraktara TB-2". In response, Russian troops launched Onyx cruise missiles at hangars with Bayraktar-TB2 drones located at the Shkolny military airfield near Odessa. In addition, two artillery platoons of 155-millimeter M-777 howitzers on Kubansky Island and two launchers of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in the Odessa region were destroyed.
The battles for the island will continue in the future, according to military expert Dmitry Boltenkov.
— Serpentine occupies an important strategic position. From its territory, you can fully control all approaches to Odessa," he explained to Izvestia. — The island itself is small and is located near this port city, and this is not the first time it has played a cruel joke with the Ukrainian command. It seems to the Ukrainian military that it will be easy to recapture it, and they are throwing more and more forces at its assault. But our units on the island after the May Ukrainian attacks, apparently, were reinforced. They had time to gain a good foothold, and, as events showed, they were fully prepared for a possible enemy attack. Attempts to attack the Snake will be made in the future. As soon as the Ukrainian Armed Forces accumulate forces, they will definitely take them.
Snake Island
Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org/Mykola Rozhenko
According to the expert, the strikes on the oil and gas platforms of Chernomorneftegaz that followed the unsuccessful assault of the Snake are nothing more than a gesture of despair.
— When they saw that they could not break through the island's defenses, they hit industrial facilities, — Dmitry Boltenkov noted.
The right to sovereign development
On June 21, at the Grand Kremlin Palace, Vladimir Putin and Sergei Shoigu met with the best graduates of higher military educational institutions of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the FSB, the FSO and Rosgvardiya, as well as higher educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSIN.
— Today's officers and soldiers of Russia — heirs of the generation of winners, grandchildren and great—grandchildren of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War — selflessly fight for the Motherland, for our people, fight against international terrorists in Syria, defend Donbass from neo-Nazis, defend peace and security for our people, Russia's right to sovereign development, - said Vladimir Putin.
The Head of State stressed that Russia will continue to develop and strengthen the Armed Forces and improve their combat strength, taking into account potential military threats and risks.
Vladimir Putin at a meeting with graduates of military universities
Image source: Photo: press service of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation/kremlin.ru
— In addition to the new weapons already tested on the battlefield, the S-500 air and missile defense systems, which have no analogues in the world, began to arrive in the troops. A successful test of a heavy intercontinental ballistic missile "Sarmat" was carried out. It is planned that by the end of the year the first such complex will be on combat duty," the president said.
And Sergei Shoigu congratulated graduates of military universities on graduation and reminded them of the responsibility they have to bear in protecting the interests of Russia.
— Very soon you will start practical activities, which undoubtedly involve high personal responsibility for the life and health of subordinates, the safety of weapons, military special equipment. And this is your conscious choice, the choice of patriots, for whom the main task in life is to protect the Motherland," the Defense Minister said.
The Donbass Front
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation note the deterioration of the moral and psychological state of the Ukrainian troops against the background of heavy losses. In one of the battalions of the 57th mechanized brigade of the VFU, 28 servicemen remained in the ranks, in the other — one command staff. In addition, more than 600 servicemen of the Military Defense of the VFU refused to take part in the battles. The newly arriving theroborona battalions from the west of the country also refuse to move to the front line.
According to the Ukrainian prisoners, the units of the 79th airborne assault brigade were abandoned by their command.
Over the past day, Russian forces have destroyed 15 units of American 155-millimeter M-777 howitzers that came to Ukraine from the West. Most of them never reached the front line.
Photo: REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva
Image source: iz.ru
The information spread by Kiev about Zelensky's allegedly "secret" trip to Lisichansk, where he came under fire, does not correspond to reality, since the Ukrainian group in this area is under the control of the Russian army.
In the areas adjacent to the combat zone, forced mobilization is carried out, accompanied by the blocking of settlements by the national police. At the same time, men of all age groups are detained.
The "hurricane" did not pass
On June 21, the Russian Armed Forces continued to strike at the objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine.
— High-precision air—launched missiles destroyed four ammunition depots in the areas of Mirnaya Dolina, Loskutovka, Podlesnoye in the LPR, as well as the Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system near the settlement of Seversk (DPR), - said Igor Konashenkov.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine and nationalist formations, including the "Right Sector" (the organization is banned in Russia) were defeated.
As part of the counter-battery struggle in the Donetsk direction, two platoons of the "Hurricane" air defense system and two platoons of 152-millimeter howitzers "Hyacinth-B" were hit in firing positions.
Planes and helicopters of the Russian Aerospace Forces during the day hit 57 areas of concentration of troops, a control point and a multifunctional radar station for targeting missiles of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system.
Ka-52 attack helicopters before carrying out the task of destroying the AFU strongholds
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Rocket troops and artillery hit 216 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment, 28 control points, 64 artillery units in firing positions and two ammunition depots.
570 nationalists, 13 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, as well as 29 special vehicles were eliminated.
On June 21, Russian air defense units shot down a Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, 19 unmanned aerial vehicles, five Tochka-U tactical missiles and 30 Uragan MLRS rockets.
— In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 209 aircraft, 132 helicopters, 1,292 unmanned aerial vehicles, 348 anti—aircraft missile systems, 3,709 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 580 multiple rocket launcher combat vehicles, 2,065 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,760 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed, - Igor listed Konashenkov.
Sniper points in hospitals
The VFU continues to use civilian and medical infrastructure for military purposes, Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the National Defense Management Center of the Russian Federation, said on June 21.
Territorial defense units are deployed in the Odessa city polyclinic No. 29, and artillery and MLRS are located in the adjacent territory. At the same time, all patients, regardless of their state of health, were expelled from the medical institution. In the central city hospital of Avdiivka (DPR), nationalists have equipped firing positions and sniper points, the approaches to the institution are mined, but the local population has not been intentionally notified about this, he noted.
The servicemen of the VFU on the territory of the Lysychansk regional psychiatric hospital in Privolye equipped a strong point, ammunition and weapons depots, placed armored vehicles and artillery pieces, and forcibly detain civilians in the basement of the building. In addition, in Slavyansk (DPR), barracks are equipped on the territories of a psychoneurological boarding school and a sanitary-epidemiological station. Armored vehicles, artillery and MLRS are also stationed there. At the same time, local residents from nearby houses have not been evacuated and are actually being used by nationalists as a "human shield".
"Despite the repeated statements of the Interdepartmental Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response, these and other similar facts have so far been ignored by the World Health Organization and the world community," Mikhail Mizintsev said.
Covered the gunners
The Defense Ministry on Tuesday told about the servicemen who showed dedication and courage during the battles.
The company of Corporal Valery Oskin was ordered to occupy a height in one of the settlements controlled by the militants. Valeria's BMP was advancing at the head of a column of Russian troops deep into the enemy's defenses when a corporal noticed an armed group of nationalists. Valery, without slowing down, destroyed a group of militants with aimed fire from a large-caliber machine gun.
Thanks to the professionalism of Senior Lieutenant Andrei Nikulin, four helicopters and up to 12 nationalists from the crews of combat vehicles were hit by his calculation. Also, the calculation of the launcher under the leadership of Andrei struck a cruise missile at a hangar with weapons and military equipment of the VFU.
Photo: RIA Novosti
Image source: iz.ru
The competent actions of Senior Lieutenant Nikulin ensured the rapid advance of Russian battalion tactical groups deep into the enemy's defenses, the military department noted.
Airborne Sergeant Maxim Repko and his subordinates covered the artillery battery during its relocation. Moving along the route, Maxim found a group of armed nationalists. Despite the fact that the enemy had more strength, he decided to join the battle.
Having quickly assessed the situation, Maxim Repko ordered the guns to be taken to a safe place, and he and a group of paratroopers remained to cover the gunners. During the battle, Sergeant Repko personally destroyed more than five nationalists, and a group of militants was defeated. With his competent actions, Sergeant Maxim Repko prevented the death of personnel and the destruction of guns, the Russian military department noted.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Andrey Fedorov