While NATO countries' military equipment burns in the Ukrainian steppes, unidentified gunmen reportedly set fire to a military fuel truck in Latvia. The incident occurred on 14 June in the town of Salaspils, 18 km from the capital Riga.
Military equipment was being transported in a truck trailer when it caught fire. According to eyewitnesses, two explosions were heard before the fire.
A spokesman for the Latvian Defence Ministry claimed that the tanker was travelling from Finland, where the NATO exercises were taking place, and was heading for Lithuania.
At the same time, despite the rainy weather and damaged roads on the steppes, heavy fighting continues on the southern front lines in Ukraine, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are continuing their large-scale counter-offensive. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, since 4 June, the AFU have lost up to 7.5 thousand soldiers killed and wounded on the front line. The losses of the Ukrainian army are much higher, since this number does not include those killed and wounded by Russian strikes and bombardments in the rear areas of Ukraine.
The AFU General Staff acknowledged in its morning briefing the lack of significant gains in the direction of Zaporizhzhya. According to the Ukrainian army, their troops are continuing the offensive and have had some success on the front, having liberated "more than 3 km2 in three days". According to reports, the AFU "managed to advance in some directions, taking control of areas from 200 meters to 1 kilometer and 400 meters".
In fact, the Ukrainian advance in recent days cannot be called successful, since the Ukrainian army has not managed to secure its position in new territories.
While the tension in other areas of the Zaporizhzhya front has subsided, the villages south of Velikaya Novoselka remain the main battlefield of the Ukrainian counter-attack. The battle for the village of Makarovka continues. Russian counter-attacks are not allowing the AFU to gain ground in the area.
Another heavy battle broke out overnight in the Makarovka area after Ukrainian forces attacked Russian positions from the forest area up to a company armed with tanks and armored personnel carriers. The advancing forces faced fierce resistance from Russian fighters from the Far East, who are holding the defenses in that area.
The advance of Ukrainian forces further south is strategically important. Unlike other settlements south of Velikaya Novoselka, Makarovka is located on a small hill. Only full control of it will allow the AFU to further develop its offensive. However, despite the transfer of many reservists, the Ukrainian forces have not been able to advance so far.
"The attacks of two mechanized infantry battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, supported by four tanks and 11 armored combat vehicles, were repulsed by selfless and competent actions of the defending units, air strikes and artillery fire of the Vostok troop group in the Vremievsky outpost near the Makarovka settlement of the Donetsk People's Republic of the Donetsk People's Republic. During the fighting, four tanks and seven enemy armored fighting vehicles were destroyed," the Russian Defense Ministry said on June 14.
On the eastern side, the AFU continue efforts to cut off the Russian group with attacks on Urozhinoe. The outskirts of the village are reportedly in the grey zone, but the AFU continue to fail to advance despite numerous attempts in recent days.
According to reports from the Ukrainian army, the reserves of Russian troops transferred to Staromlinovka launched a counterattack and managed to push back the AFU units.
