Ukraine 'wary' of cheap Russian UAVs, Belarus reveals Wagner's fate

Russian Guards may take over equipment from Wagner forces, Polish President visits Kiev, positive developments in Sudan... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

President Alexander Lukashenko affirmed Belarus' role in resolving tensions between Russia and Wagner. (Source: Reuters)

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

* Cheap Russian UAVs threaten Ukraine : Ukrainian servicemen from four different artillery squadrons told Reuters on June 28 that Lancet, a cheap “suicide” unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is a growing threat. Multiple videos posted by pro-Russian social media channels last month showed the UAV damaging or destroying Western-funded equipment such as Leopard 2 battle tanks and Caesar self-propelled guns.

According to Russia, a Lancet UAV costs 3 million rubles ($35,000). On the other hand, the estimated value of an S-300 missile used by Russia is at least several hundred thousand dollars, while a Leopard 2 tank is several million dollars. Notably, in recent months, this UAV has appeared more and more. (Reuters)

* Ukraine : Russia shelled Kramatorsk and Kharkov : On June 28, writing on Telegram , Kharkov region Governor Oleh Synehubov said that at least 3 people were killed after shelling the village of Vovchanski Khutory on the same day.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities have also announced more casualties after a Russian missile hit a restaurant in the city of Kramatorsk on June 27.

Earlier, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that on June 27, Russia launched two missiles into a densely populated area in the city of Kramatorsk, killing at least two people and injuring 22 others.

For its part, the Kremlin asserted that the Russian army only attacked military targets. (AFP/Reuters)

* Ukrainian Minister declares that reserve troops have not been mobilized yet : Speaking in an interview with the Financial Times (UK) published on June 28, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov denied media reports that Ukraine's counterattack on Russian positions was progressing slowly.

He said the recapture of Ukrainian villages under Russian control in recent weeks was “not the main event” in Kiev’s planned counter-offensive. Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stressed that Ukraine’s main reserves, including most of its brigades that have recently trained in the West and are equipped with modern tanks and armoured vehicles from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), had not yet been used in the offensive. (Financial Times)

* Ukraine : No need for reconciliation with Russia: On June 27, the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian President, Mr. Andryi Yermak, stated: “Our position is clear and has been expressed publicly: we do not need any reconciliation and that is because we have had a bad experience. We do not trust Russia.” (Reuters)

* Russia appreciates China's active role on the Ukraine issue: Speaking on June 28, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey said: "During the meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and the consultations with Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu earlier, we exchanged views on a range of issues related to both the bilateral agenda and international and regional issues. We had the impression that the Chinese side is still interested in efforts to maintain peace."

According to him, the two countries' views on many issues are "almost identical and very close", including developments in Ukraine. Neither Russia nor China considers the Ukraine issue a mere confrontation between Moscow and Kiev. (TASS)

* Russia's assessment of the new US military aid package for Ukraine: On June 28, the Russian Embassy in Washington emphasized: "By providing additional military equipment, Washington only confirms its obsession with the idea of ​​inflicting a strategic defeat on the Russian Federation. To do this, the US administration pushes its partners to increasingly reckless adventures."

A day earlier, the US Department of Defense announced an additional $500 million military aid package for Ukraine. The package includes 30 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 25 Stryker armored personnel carriers, Stinger air defense systems, as well as various weapons for the Patriot missile defense system and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). (Sputnik)

* Russia, Ukraine express their views on Vatican's mediation efforts: On June 28, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We appreciate the Vatican's efforts and initiatives and welcome the Pope's desire to contribute to efforts to end the armed conflict (in Ukraine)." Mr. Peskov also said that at Mr. Putin's request, President Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs adviser will hold talks with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who is expected to arrive in the country in the next few days.

For his part, Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, does not believe that the Vatican can successfully push for a peace deal. But he said that if Cardinal Zuppi achieves results on the issue of children deported to Russia and prisoners, Ukraine would welcome these results. (Reuters/Sputnik)

* Switzerland rejects request to transfer tanks to Ukraine : On June 28, the Swiss Federal Council rejected the request of the military company Ruag to transfer 96 Leopard 1 A5 tanks to Ukraine. According to the announcement, the Federal Council considers the above transaction to be an act related to war and affects the adjustments in Switzerland's neutrality policy. (TTXVN)

* The United Nations speaks out on Russia's accusations against the US: On June 28, the United Nations (UN) called on the US to comply with its obligations as the host country of international organizations, in the context of Russia accusing the US intelligence agency of putting psychological pressure on staff of the Russian permanent mission to the UN. Deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Farhan Haq said: "The only thing I want to say is that we are in constant contact with the US as the host country. We will call on the US to comply with all its commitments regarding the treatment of foreign delegations."

Earlier, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Maria Zabolotskaya said that US intelligence is trying to put psychological pressure on members of the Russian permanent mission there. "The updated information we have received clearly shows that the United States continues to implement a series of measures and restrictions on our permanent mission and its members, aimed at reducing the effectiveness of our interaction with the UN and putting psychological pressure on Russian diplomats," she said. (TASS)

Southeast Asia

* Japan, Australia conduct joint drills in the South China Sea : On June 27, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) said that the helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH-183) and the destroyer JS Samidare (DD-106) conducted drills with the destroyer HMAS Anzac (FFH150) of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) P-8A Poseidon of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the South China Sea. This exercise, part of the Indo-Pacific Deployment 2023 (IPD23), focused on tactical operations, including anti-surface warfare and air defense.

According to Japanese Rear Admiral Takahiro Nishiyama, both countries are considered “special strategic partners” in the Indo-Pacific. He stated: “The relationship between the JMSDF and RAAF is stronger and more important than ever. The JMSDF will promote improved interoperability and mutual understanding with the RAN to improve the security environment in the Indo-Pacific.” (USNI)

South Pacific

* New Zealand, China sign many cooperation agreements : On June 28, Wellington's announcement said that within the framework of his visit to China to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Tianjin, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and his host counterpart Li Qiang had an important meeting. During the meeting, the two sides discussed many issues such as the Indo-Pacific, tensions in the East Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

At the same time, Wellington representatives signed a series of cooperation agreements with Beijing on trade, agriculture and forestry, education and science and innovation. (Reuters)

Northeast Asia

* South Korea imposes sanctions on Russians of Korean descent : On June 28, the country's Foreign Ministry imposed new unilateral sanctions on two individuals and two organizations, including a Russian citizen of Korean descent. Choi Chon Gon, a former South Korean citizen, is believed to have set up a North Korean front company called Hanne Ulaan LCC in Mongolia to evade international sanctions while securing funding for Pyongyang's weapons program.

He is also accused of illegally financing North Korea through Epsilon, a Russian trading company, in a joint investment partnership with So Myong, head of the Foreign Trade Bank of Korea branch in Vladivostok, Russia.

This marks South Korea's ninth unilateral sanctions against North Korea since the Yoon Suk Yeol administration took office in May 2022, and the first time it has added a foreign individual of North Korean descent to the blacklist. (Yonhap)

* North Korea criticizes Japan over the issue of abductions : On June 28, KCNA (North Korea) quoted expert Ri Pyong-dok, Institute for Japanese Studies under the North Korean Foreign Ministry, noting that the issue of abductions has been resolved "thoroughly and irreversibly", saying that Tokyo is focusing on an "unfeasible" issue.

The researcher also said that mentioning the issues that have been resolved would go against Japan's wish for a summit with North Korea without preconditions. ( Yonhap )

Europe

* Russian National Guard may receive Wagner equipment : On June 27, the head of the Russian National Guard, Mr. Viktor Zolotov, said that this force could be equipped with tanks and armored vehicles after the army received military equipment from the private military corporation Wagner.

“We don’t have tanks or long-range heavy weapons. We will provide our forces with them depending on the finances,” he said. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said it was preparing to receive equipment seized from Wagner after the recent uprising.

The Russian National Guard was established in 2016 to assist the police in maintaining public order and is accountable to Russian President Vladimir Putin. (TTXVN)

* Bahrain supports efforts to suppress Wagner forces : On June 28, the Kremlin issued a statement saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa on the same day. During the phone call, the Bahraini King expressed support for the measures taken by the country's leader to stop the armed uprising of Wagner forces. (Reuters)

* Belarusian President reveals 'behind the scenes' of Wagner case, affirms stance: On June 27, speaking with security officials, leader Alexander Lukashenko said: "I told Mr. Putin: we can destroy (Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Wagner group), no problem. If not the first time, then the second time. Therefore, I told him: don't do this."

After agreeing with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko spoke by phone with Mr Prigozhin to stop Wagner's advance towards Moscow and take de-escalation action.

At the same time, the leader also said that Belarus will not build any barracks for Wagner soldiers or open recruitment centers on the territory of Minsk. However, he affirmed that he would accept this force if they wanted to: “We have now offered them one of our abandoned military bases.” (BELTA)

* Polish President arrives in Kiev : On June 28, the Polish Presidential Office announced that President Andrzej Duda is in Kiev for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Writing on Twitter , the agency stated: "The talks with Mr. Zelensky are related to... the current situation on the ground, including the possibility of Russia launching an attack behind the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Preparations for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in July will also be discussed." (Reuters)

Middle East-Africa

* Sudanese army declares unilateral ceasefire : On June 27, writing on social media, this force quoted General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereign Council and commander of the Sudanese Army, as saying: "The armed forces declare a unilateral ceasefire on the first day of Eid Al-Adha." For his part, a day earlier, the commander of the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo also unilaterally declared a ceasefire in Sudan during this holiday. Eid al-Adha is one of the major holidays of Islam. (Sputnik)

* Germany accelerates troop withdrawal from Mali : On June 28, speaking to ZDF television, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated: "For us, this means we will try to withdraw our troops from Mali even faster, but still in an orderly manner." Germany is currently seeking to withdraw all 1,000 troops from Mali earlier than the original plan of May 2024, in the context that the UN is expected to end its military mission on June 30. (ZDF)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-286-ukraine-de-chung-uav-gia-re-cua-nga-belarus-tiet-lo-so-phan-wagner-232696.html