1 Instute for the Study of War and AEI’s Crical Threats Project 2023
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 19, 2023
Karolina Hird, Nicole Wolkov, Grace Mappes, and Mason Clark
June 19, 2023, 5:30pm ET
Click here to see ISW’s interactive map of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This map is
updated daily alongside the static maps present in this report.
Click here to access ISW’s archive of interactive time-lapse maps of the Russian
invasion of Ukraine. These maps complement the static control-of-terrain map that
ISW produces daily by showing a dynamic frontline. ISW will update this time-lapse
map archive monthly.
Note: The data cutoff for this product was 2pm ET on June 19. ISW will cover
subsequent reports in the June 20 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment.
Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations in at least three sectors of the
frontline and made gains on June 19. A Russian milblogger reported that Ukrainian troops
continued attacks northwest, northeast, and southwest of Bakhmut on June 19 claimed that
Ukrainian forces advanced near Krasnopolivka (about 12km northeast of Bakhmut).[1] Ukrainian
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar additionally announced that over the past week, Ukrainian
troops in the Tavrisk (Zaporizhia) direction have advanced up to seven kilometers and liberated 113
square kilometers of territory, including eight settlements in western Donetsk and western Zaporizhia
oblasts.[2] Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian troops attacked south of Velyka Novosilka in
western Donetsk Oblast.[3] Geolocated footage posted on June 19 confirms that Ukrainian troops
liberated Pyatykhatky, about 25km southwest of Orikhiv in western Zaporizhia Oblast.[4] Milbloggers
also reported fighting south and southwest of Orikhiv over the course of the day on June 19.[5] The
UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) assessed on June 19 that Russia has likely deployed large portions of
the Dnipro Grouping of Forces from the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast to the Zaporizhia and
Bakhmut directions to respond to Ukrainian counteroffensive actions over the past 10 days.[6]
Russian forces conducted drone and missile strikes targeting southern Ukraine on
June 19. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces launched four Kalibr cruise
missiles and four Shahed-131/136 drones at Ukraine and stated that Ukrainian air defenses destroyed
all the drones and missiles.[7] Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces launched the Kalibr
cruise missiles from a submarine in the Black Sea and the Shahed drones from the eastern coast of the
Sea of Azov.[8]
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reported that the Chinese government reiterated
that it is not providing, and will not provide, lethal assistance to Russia for use in
Ukraine. Blinken reported on June 19 that the United States has not seen evidence contradicting
Beijing’s claims.[9] Blinken expressed concern that Chinese companies may be providing Russia
technology that it can use in the war against Ukraine, however.
