At the conclusion of the Ukraine Peace Summit, held on June 15–16, 2024, in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, 78 countries and four organizations signed a joint communiqué. The document called for, among other things, the return of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukraine, ensuring food supplies and access for ships to Ukrainian ports, the release of prisoners of war, and the return of deported children. The signatories emphasized the inadmissibility of using nuclear weapons and conducting attacks on civilian ships and ports. They acknowledged that achieving peace requires dialogue and the involvement of all parties, with concrete steps to be taken in these areas in the future.

Countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa did not join the signatories. A total of 83 countries and organizations, including the European Council, expressed support for the pursuit of a comprehensive and just peace in Ukraine, underscoring the necessity of adhering to international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

June 17: Russia launched a missile attack on Poltava, striking civilian infrastructure and injuring at least 22 people, including three children. Several residential buildings were damaged. In the Kharkiv region, Russian forces carried out air raids lasting up to 16 hours per day, using missiles, glide bombs, and drones. These attacks destroyed settlements and energy infrastructure, leaving approximately 50,000 residents without electricity, and caused numerous civilian casualties. According to Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, at least 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, including 551 children, have been killed since the war began.

President Vladimir Putin dismissed four deputy defense ministers: Nikolai Pankov, Ruslan Tsalikov, Tatyana Shevtsova, and Pavel Popov. They were replaced by Leonid Gornin, Pavel Vladkov, Oleg Savelyev, and Anna Tsivileva, a cousin of Putin.

The Russian Investigative Committee charged Ukrainian Colonel Mykola Dziaman with terrorism in absentia, accusing him of allegedly issuing an "illegal order" to shoot down an A-50U aircraft over the Sea of Azov, reportedly causing the deaths of 10 crew members. The colonel has been placed on the federal wanted list.

June 18: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg held a press conference in Washington, where they discussed Russia's aggressive war and its alliances with authoritarian states such as North Korea, China, and Iran. Stoltenberg warned that China could not simultaneously support Russia and maintain normal trade relations with Europe, suggesting potential consequences. Blinken condemned North Korea and Iran for supplying weapons to Russia and called on China to stop supporting Russia's defense industry, describing their policies as pivotal to international security since the Cold War.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin reported another brutal war crime committed by the Russian army in Donetsk Oblast. Russian soldiers beheaded a Ukrainian prisoner of war and mounted the head on a military vehicle. According to Kostin, Russian commanders allegedly ordered the killing of Ukrainian soldiers using particularly cruel methods instead of taking them prisoner.

Swiss authorities reported foiling an attack on the Ukraine Peace Summit held in June. Weeks before the event, a Russian diplomat was arrested for attempting to procure firearms and dangerous substances in various locations across Switzerland. This incident highlighted the threat posed by Russia to international peace efforts.

Illustrative photo. Generated by AI