Zelenskyy signs security agreement with EU amid fierce Biden-Trump debates - Thursday brief

Russia's war against Ukraine: Latest

• 87 clashes since beginning of day, with highest number in Toretsk direction - General Staff
• Ukrainian army ousted Russian forces from Kanal microdistrict in Chasiv Yar
• Shelling of Kharkiv: Russia uses FAB-500 bombs against city for first time
• Russia's losses in Ukraine as of June 27: +1,260 troops and 42 artillery systems

Ukraine and EU sign security agreement

Ukraine and the European Union have signed a security agreement, according to The Guardian.

On Thursday, June 27, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a security agreement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.

It guarantees Kyiv continued arms supplies, training, and other security assistance for years.

Ukraine also signed security agreements with Estonia and Lithuania.

How Biden-Trump debate to sway 2024 presidential election: Key insights

Joe Biden's team's gamble on the presidential debates did not pay off - the current head of state only worsened his re-election chances. RBC-Ukraine provides detailed information on what Joe Biden and Donald Trump said and the possible consequences in the article.

Belarusian diplomat commits suicide: Media reports mention torture by KGB

Former Belarusian ambassador to Germany, Denis Sidorenko, has committed suicide. He jumped from a high-rise building in Minsk, Nasha Niva reports.

According to the source, the suicide occurred on June 23, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus only announced Sidorenko's death today after the information appeared in independent media. However, the ministry did not provide any details about the tragedy.

Sidorenko served as Belarus's ambassador to Germany from 2016 to 2024. He was dismissed from this position by a decree from the country's self-proclaimed president, Alexander Lukashenko, on March 11 of this year. He did not receive a new position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Israel to transfer Patriot systems to Ukraine. Decision to be made very soon - Source

Israel may soon decide to transfer Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. This depends on whether a full-scale war with Hezbollah in Lebanon begins, according to RBC-Ukraine's source in the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Last week, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant discussed the possibility of transferring several Patriot systems to the United States, which would then be delivered to Ukraine.

"The decision has not been made yet, but it will be made very soon," said the source.

He clarified that the decision will depend on whether a full-scale war breaks out in Lebanon; if not, the systems will be transferred to Ukraine.

North Korea to send engineering troops to occupied parts of Ukraine - ISW

North Korea will send military construction and engineering forces to participate in reconstruction efforts in the temporarily occupied areas of the Donetsk region, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Recently, the South Korean TV channel TV Chosun, citing a North Korean government official, reported that Pyongyang plans to send large-scale engineering forces to the occupied Donetsk region as early as July 2024. These forces will assist in rebuilding infrastructure in temporarily occupied Donetsk.

North Korea's military has 10 engineering brigades. TV Chosun estimated that North Korea could receive up to $115 million annually in unspecified foreign currency from Russia if it deploys three to four engineering brigades to the occupied areas of Ukraine.