News from Ukraine on June 28, 2023: Ukrainian troops seize strategic initiative, Swiss government banned re-export of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine and Holodomor

This is the most interesting news from Ukraine on June 28, 2023 by Hromadske Radio.

Ukrainian troops managed to seize the strategic initiative on the battlefield, said Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi during a telephone conversation with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley. Zaluzhnyi posted about the conversation with Milley on his Telegram account on the evening of 28 June.

«I had a phone conversation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley. We discussed the situation at the front. We managed to intercept the strategic initiative, the Security and Defence Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct offensive actions, we have made progress,» the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief commented.

The Swiss government has not allowed the re-export of almost a hundred Leopard 1 tanks, which were to be transferred to Ukraine after modernisation in Germany. The Swiss Federal Council rejected Ruag SA’s request on the basis of neutrality legislation. These tanks are currently stored in Italy in a non-combatant state. They were planned to be transported to Germany for modernisation and then transferred to Ukraine as military aid.

Croatia has recognised the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people. The country’s parliament adopted a declaration. Earlier, the Slovak Parliament recognised the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people.