Russia camouflages warships, Ukraine wants to 'shape' the conflict?

Ukraine shot down a Russian ballistic missile, Japan "corrected" the US President's statement, the EU imposed additional sanctions on Iran... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

Russian Navy destroyer Admiral Essen in the Black Sea. (Source: Russian Ministry of Defense)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

* Russian Navy camouflages warships of the Black Sea Fleet : The Naval News website (USA) cited satellite images from Planet Labs (USA) on June 23 saying that the Russian Navy has begun painting camouflage paint on ships in the Black Sea.

Specifically, the bow and stern of the multipurpose frigate Admiral Essen of the Russian Black Sea Fleet were painted in a dark color over the standard gray paint. “Admiral Essen” is the second destroyer of Project 11356R “Petrel”. This ship belongs to the 30th surface division and is one of the most powerful ships of the Black Sea Fleet.

Such camouflage is expected to fool the operators of Ukraine’s unmanned “suicide” boats. These devices use cameras to identify targets, so the camouflage could confuse them. (Naval News)

* Russia denies the possibility of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine : On June 22, speaking to the media about the information that Russia could use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said: "Speculation that Russia could use tactical nuclear weapons is absurd. The provocative and short-sighted words of US lawmakers only contribute to escalating tensions and increasing the risk of the situation slipping into an even more dangerous line."

Earlier, on June 22, US Senator Lindsey Graham said lawmakers were introducing a resolution that would consider Russia's use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine an attack on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Commenting on the information, Antonov criticized it as another “crazy initiative,” noting that the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus was carried out on a legal basis. “We did not violate any international obligations and did exactly what the Americans have been doing for decades: deploying nuclear bombs on the territory of our European allies,” he said. (Sputnik)

* Ukraine shot down 13 Russian cruise missiles : On June 23, the Ukrainian Air Force stated in the media: "We destroyed 13 of their cruise missiles during the day.... The attack was aimed at a military airport in Khmelnytskyi... This series of launches was carried out by 4 Tu-95MS bombers at around midnight on June 22 from the Caspian Sea." Ukraine also announced that it had shot down a Russian reconnaissance drone (UAV) last night. (AFP)

* Ukraine advances in the South, blocking Russia in the East ? On June 23, speaking on Ukrainian television, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar stated: “We had fierce clashes in the direction of Kupiansk and Lyman, but our soldiers stopped the opponent there.”

Ukrainian defense officials say their military operation in the south is going according to plan and their forces are advancing, despite numerous obstacles such as minefields and fire from the other side. “Yes, things are happening slowly, but our forces are gaining ground on these borders and are advancing steadily,” she said.

In another development, the head of the Wagner group (Russia), Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin said: "On the ground... the Russian army is retreating on the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson fronts. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) are pushing back the Russian army." (Reuters/AFP)

* Ukraine: Counteroffensive will 'reshape' the conflict: On June 23, writing on Twitter , Advisor to the President of Ukraine, Mr. Mykhailo Podolyak affirmed: “Counteroffensive is not a new season of the show on Netflix . No need to expect action and buy popcorn. The offensive operations of the VSU continue in some areas. Systemic operations are underway to reset the situation”.

He said the time it took Ukraine to convince its Western partners to provide the weapons it needed gave the Russian military the opportunity to dig in and strengthen its defenses. At the same time, he acknowledged: “Breaking the Russian front today requires a rational and balanced approach. The life of a soldier is the most important value for Ukraine today.” (Reuters)

* US newspaper: Ukraine's counterattack campaign did not go as expected : On June 22, CNN quoted a Western official as saying that Kiev's counterattacks "have not met expectations in any direction". Accordingly, Russia has built many solid defense lines, with the ability to effectively repel VSU attacks with the help of missiles and many minefields. (CNN)

* US, India support Ukraine's "territorial integrity" : On June 22 in Washington DC, a joint statement after a meeting the same day between US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "called for respect for international law, the principles of the United Nations Charter, sovereignty and territorial integrity". (AFP/Reuters)

* Israeli Prime Minister expressed his views on the Ukraine issue: On June 23, in an interview with the Jerusalem Post (Israel), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Western weapons supplied to Ukraine were discovered near the border of the Jewish State.

Regarding the Israeli government’s position on the situation in Ukraine, he stated: “Israel is in a special situation, different from Poland, Germany, France or any other Western country that supports Ukraine. First of all, we have a close military border with Russia. Our pilots are flying side by side with Russian pilots in the skies over Syria.

In my opinion, it is important that we maintain our freedom of action in the face of Iran's efforts to place troops on our northern border…Secondly, we are concerned that any systems sent to Ukraine could fall into Iranian hands and be used against us...”. (Jerusalem Post)

* US wants to tighten semiconductor exports to China : On June 22, informed sources said that Washington plans to expand the scope of control over semiconductor exports to Beijing. A senior US government official is said to have informed Japan and the Netherlands about the above plan.

Specifically, the plan is aimed at matching Japan’s new restrictions, which will see Tokyo add 23 items to its existing restricted list starting in July. The revised list will go beyond the current U.S. restrictions, which currently include various types of advanced cleaning, lithography and etching equipment needed to produce the most advanced chips. (Kyodo)

* The US and China have a responsibility to coordinate with each other : On June 23, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen emphasized: "As the two largest economies in the world, we have a responsibility to coordinate with each other on global issues. That is what we can do and what the world expects of us." The above statement was made by a US official at the Paris Summit on Debt Relief for Poor Countries and Disbursement for Climate, an activity attended by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and several other leaders. (Reuters)

Southeast Asia

* Cambodia passes new law on election eligibility : On June 23, the Cambodian National Assembly passed a law that prohibits anyone who does not vote in the upcoming national election from running in future elections. Specifically, Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Kheng said that anyone who does not vote “without a valid reason... will lose the right to run in four consecutive elections”. Thus, the law will prohibit candidates from participating in the 2024 Senate election, the 2024 municipal election, the 2027 commune-level election and the 2028 general election.

Cambodians are expected to vote in a general election in July. Prime Minister Hun Sen's party has virtually no candidates, while the main opposition has failed to qualify to run. (AFP)

* Philippines: Fishing boat sinks, many casualties: On June 23, the Philippine Coast Guard reported the sinking of the Genesis 2 fishing boat in waters 337 km east of the main island of Mindanao.

Accordingly, 14/23 crew members were rescued by other fishing boats shortly after. Mr. Joseph Dacuyan, an official of the Philippine Coast Guard in Davao Oriental province, said: "The waves were very strong at that time, the fishermen were very surprised and did not expect the waves to be so strong." Therefore, the boat "sunk within minutes" after it began to take on water.

Authorities have found the bodies of two fishermen on June 22 and 23. However, the captain and six crew members are still missing. Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident and continuing to search for the missing. (AFP)

Northeast Asia

* Japan and France agree to strengthen defense partnership : On June 22, the Japanese government's Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and his French counterpart Catherine Colonna reaffirmed joint cooperation efforts to deal with China's growing military power.

Mr. Hayashi and Ms. Colonna also pledged to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation through activities such as joint exercises between the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the French military. The two sides also agreed that the two sides would establish a working group to address economic security issues.

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Mr. Hayashi and Ms. Colonna affirmed that Tokyo and Paris will maintain tough sanctions against Moscow. Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa is currently on a working trip to Europe from June 20-24. (Kyodo)

* Japan responds to US President's statement on defense policy : On June 23, the Japanese government sent a response to the US administration after the White House owner affirmed that he himself had convinced the leaders of the land of the rising sun to increase defense capabilities. Accordingly, Tokyo is said to have responded that "the decision to increase defense spending was made by Japan itself".

Earlier that day, NHK (Japan) reported that during a talk with supporters in California on June 20, Mr. Biden claimed that he had convinced Japan to increase its defense budget. The leader said that Japan had not increased its defense budget for “a long time.” However, he asserted that in three different meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on three different occasions, including at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, he convinced Mr. Kishida that “something different had to be done.”

In addition, at another campaign event on June 19, Joe Biden said he had tried to persuade Japan to change its attitude toward South Korea, its defense budget and its engagement in Europe. (Yomiuri)

Europe

* NATO completes air exercise in Europe : On June 23, NATO concluded its largest air exercise ever in Europe. Speaking on NTV (Germany), Air Force Commander Ingo Gerhartz said: "We wanted to show that these 25 different countries can operate together from day one and we did it." He also assessed the exercise as a "complete success" at the organizational and tactical levels.

Earlier, the German-led Air Defender 23 exercise brought together around 250 military aircraft from 25 NATO countries and partner countries, including Japan and Sweden. Up to 10,000 servicemen took part in the exercise, which aimed to enhance interoperability and prepare for defense against drones and cruise missiles in the event of an attack on NATO territory. (AFP)

America

* Cuba reaffirms ties with Russia: Speaking to reporters on June 23, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Gerardo Peñalver said the two sides reaffirmed their relations through a series of key agreements related to oil supplies, wheat sales and the resumption of flights suspended due to the situation in Ukraine. According to him, the above agreements and other new efforts between the two traditional allies, both facing economic sanctions from the United States, were the result of the recent visit of Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero to Russia.

Mr. Peñalver, who accompanied the delegation, affirmed that “there has been progress in the high-level political dialogue, given that both countries are strategic allies and are affected by unilateral coercive measures.”

Specifically, Russia pledged to continue supplying fuel to the Caribbean island nation during a difficult time for Havana. At the same time, Aeroflot (Russia) will resume flights between the two countries from July 1. Mr. Peñalver also mentioned the possibility of Cuba buying wheat and fertilizer from Russia thanks to new payment methods, as well as the fact that the two sides have reached a framework for Russian businessmen to enter the Cuban market through direct investments. (TTXVN)

Middle East-Africa

* EU adds sanctions to Iran over supply of UAVs to Russia : On June 23, the European Union (EU) added four Iranian organizations to the list of entities directly supporting the Russian military-industrial complex, accusing them of supplying UAVs to Moscow. In addition, the EU added a number of third-country entities to the list, citing the fact that these entities circumvented trade restrictions related to Moscow. As of now, a total of 87 entities from different countries have been added to the latest EU sanctions list. (Sputnik)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-236-nga-nguy-trang-tau-chien-ukraine-muon-dinh-hinh-xung-dot-232081.html