俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京对邻国乌克兰的“特殊军事行动”始于2月24日，俄罗斯军队从北部的白俄罗斯和东部的俄罗斯入侵。据美国官员称，乌克兰军队进行了“顽强抵抗”。
此后，俄罗斯军队在乌克兰东部有争议的顿巴斯地区发动了全面地面进攻，占领了战略港口城市马里乌波尔，并确保了通往莫斯科吞并的克里米亚半岛的沿海走廊。
对于以前的报道，请点击给你。
克里姆林宫发言人向失踪的美国人布兰妮·格里纳发表讲话
克里姆林宫发言人佩斯科夫告诉MSNBC美国人Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh和Alexander Drueke，他们在乌克兰作战时被俘，“犯了罪”，他们不是乌克兰武装部队的一部分，因此不受日内瓦公约的管辖。
"他们参与了射击和炮击我们的军事人员，他们危及他们的生命，他们应该负责。他们应该为他们犯下的罪行负责，”他说。
日内瓦公约概述了给予战俘的人道主义权利，然而，雇佣军却没有得到同样的保护。
关于WNBA之星布兰妮·格里纳自2月以来一直被拘留在俄罗斯佩斯科夫说她不是人质。
他说，俄罗斯有严格的毒品法，她被发现携带违禁物质。
格林纳在莫斯科附近的一个机场被拘留，据称官员们在她的包里发现了装有大麻油的vape弹药筒。在俄罗斯拥有哈希什石油是非法的。美国政府将她的案件归类为“错误拘留”，这意味着美国将努力谈判她的释放。
联合国难民署亲善大使本·斯蒂勒访问乌克兰
演员本·斯蒂勒在过去五年中担任联合国难民事务高级专员公署的亲善大使，他正在乌克兰访问，以强调难民危机。
“我在这里会见因乌克兰战争而被迫逃离家园的人们。人们分享了战争如何改变他们生活的故事——他们如何失去一切，并对未来深感担忧，”斯蒂勒周一在乌克兰说。
“保护被迫逃离的人们是全球的集体责任，”他说。“我们必须记住，这可能发生在任何人、任何地方。”
有人看到斯蒂勒周一与乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽伦斯基(Volodymyr Zelenskyy)会面。斯蒂勒告诉这位演员出身的总统，“你所做的一切，以及你团结这个国家和世界的方式，真的很鼓舞人心。”
斯蒂勒还会见了波兰的流离失所者。
俄罗斯在卢甘斯克地区发动大规模攻势
乌克兰东部卢甘斯克地区军事当局负责人谢尔盖·海岱(Serhiy Haidai)表示，随着俄罗斯军队“在我们地区发动大规模进攻”，整个卢甘斯克前线的局势“极其”困难
“他们已经积累了足够数量的储备，今天该地区所有的自由定居点都着火了，”海岱说。
他说，卢甘斯克州的Lysychansk市整天都处于俄罗斯的“大规模”炮火之下，受害者人数不详。他说，俄罗斯军队正沿着Lysychansk-Bakhmut高速公路前进，附近的定居点不断遭到炮火袭击。
Haidai补充说，乌克兰军队只控制了Severodonetsk的Azot化工厂。
6月20日早上6点31分
泽伦斯基说，乌克兰开始“历史性的一周”
乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽伦斯基(Volodymyr Zelenskyy)在周日晚上的讲话中表示，周一标志着乌克兰“真正具有历史意义的一周”的开始，因为该国正在等待关于其在欧盟内的未来的决定。
泽伦斯基说:“我们将听取欧盟对乌克兰候选资格的答复。”。上周，欧盟委员会支持乌克兰成为欧盟候选国。乌克兰总统表示，现在要由欧洲理事会(European Council)来确认乌克兰的地位，预计将于本周末做出决定。
泽伦斯基说:“我确信，只有积极的决定符合整个欧洲的利益。”
他补充说，乌克兰和其他欧洲国家应该预料到未来一周俄罗斯的敌意会增加。
“我们正在准备。我们准备好了。我们警告合作伙伴，”他说。
但英国国防部在周日的情报更新中表示，由于冲突双方的作战部队仍致力于在顿巴斯进行激烈的战斗，他们可能会士气低落。
“最近几周，乌克兰军队很可能遭遇了开小差，然而，俄罗斯的士气很可能仍然特别低落，”该部表示。
英国的报告称，随着整个俄罗斯部队拒绝执行命令以及军官和士兵之间武装对峙的情况继续发生，俄罗斯当局可能很难对持异议者施加法律压力，因为入侵的官方身份是“特殊军事行动”。
根据国防部的说法，俄罗斯士气低落的原因是“认为领导不力，部队轮换退出战斗的机会有限，伤亡非常严重，战斗压力大，后勤持续不佳，以及工资问题”。文章称，许多俄罗斯各级人员也可能对这场战争的目标感到困惑。
英国国防部周一还表示，俄罗斯空军的挣扎可能导致了俄罗斯地面部队的疲惫。“在迄今为止的冲突中，俄罗斯空军表现不佳，”另一份情报更新周一表示。
“它未能持续提供空中力量可能是俄罗斯非常有限的战役成功背后的最重要因素之一，”报告称。国防部表示，尽管拥有相对现代化和强大的战斗机，但俄罗斯的空战训练多年来很可能一直是为了给高级官员留下深刻印象而编写的，而不是培养现代技能。
报告总结称，结果是，俄罗斯在乌克兰的地面部队正变得疲惫不堪，而对先进巡航导弹的严重依赖可能导致他们的库存越来越少。
更多庇护所，更少音乐
乌克兰议会周日支持了一项在乌克兰全境建设防空洞网络的法案，包括在新建筑中建设防空洞。
“战争表明，乌克兰几乎没有可靠的避难所，”议员奥莱娜·舒利亚克(Olena Shulyak)说。
舒利亚克在Telegram上说，许多现有的避难所没有配备疏散出口，缺乏供水和排污系统，也不适合储存食物，并补充说，“更不用说他们在大规模杀伤性武器事件中保护人民的能力了。”
根据新法案，议会禁止具有俄罗斯国籍的艺术家的音乐在公共场合和乌克兰媒体上播放，以防止“人口中的分离主义情绪”的影响，从而结束了繁忙的周末。
三分之二的多数议员同意，俄罗斯音乐将使俄罗斯身份的采用更具吸引力，同时削弱乌克兰国家。
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Russians launching large-scale offensive in Luhansk region
Russian President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation" into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.
The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine's disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
For previous coverage, please clickhere.
Kremlin spokesperson addresses missing Americans, Brittney Griner
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told MSNBC thatAmericans Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh and Alexander Drueke,who were captured while fighting in Ukraine, "committed crimes," and that they were not part of the Ukrainian armed forces and therefore not subject to the Geneva Conventions.
"They were involved in firing and shelling our military personnel, they were endangering their life and they should be responsible. They should be held responsible … for those crimes that they have committed," he said.
The Geneva Conventions outline the humanitarian rights given to prisoners of war, however, mercenaries are not given the same protections.
Regarding WNBA starBrittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February, Peskov said she’s not a hostage.
He said Russia has strict drug laws and she was caught carrying banned substances.
Griner was taken into custody at an airport near Moscow after officials allegedly found vape cartridges with hashish oil in her bag. Hasish oil is illegal to possess in Russia. The U.S. government has classified her case as "wrongfully detained," which means that the U.S. would work to negotiate her release.
Ben Stiller, a goodwill ambassador with UNHCR, visits Ukraine
Actor Ben Stiller, a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the last five years, is visiting Ukraine to highlight the refugee crisis.
"I’m here meeting people forced to flee their homes due to the war in Ukraine. People have shared stories about how the war has changed their lives -- how they’ve lost everything and are deeply worried about their future," Stiller said Monday from Ukraine.
"Protecting people forced to flee is a collective global responsibility," he said. "We have to remember this could happen to anyone, anywhere."
Stiller was seen meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday. Stiller told the actor-turned-president, "What you’ve done and the way that you’ve rallied the country and for the world, it’s really inspiring."
Stiller also met with displaced people in Poland.
Russians launching large-scale offensive in Luhansk region
Serhiy Haidai, the head of the Regional Military Administration in Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, said the situation along the entire Luhansk front is "extremely" difficult with Russian forces "launching a large-scale offensive in our region."
"They have accumulated a sufficient number of reserves and today all the free settlements of the region are on fire," Haidai said.
The city of Lysychansk in the Luhansk Oblast has been coming under "massive" Russian fire all day, he said, with the number of victims unknown. He said Russian forces are advancing along the Lysychansk-Bakhmut highway and nearby settlements are under constant fire.
Haidai added that Ukrainian troops are only in control of the Azot chemical plant in Severodonetsk.
'Historic week' begins for Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Monday marks the beginning of a "truly historic week" for Ukraine, as the country awaits a decision on its future within the European Union, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his Sunday evening address.
"We will hear the answer from the European Union on the candidate status for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said. Last week, the European Commission backed Ukraine for EU candidate status. Now it is up to the European Council to confirm Ukraine's status, with a decision expected by the end of this week, the Ukrainian president said.
"I am convinced that only a positive decision meets the interests of the whole of Europe," Zelenskyy said.
He added that Ukraine -- and other European countries -- should expect increased hostility from Russia in the coming week.
"We are preparing. We are ready. We warn partners," he said.
But as combat units from both sides of the conflict remain committed to intense combat in the Donbas, they are likely experiencing dips in morale, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense stated in a Sunday intelligence update.
"Ukrainian forces have likely suffered desertions in recent weeks, however, Russian morale highly likely remains especially troubled," the ministry said.
As cases of whole Russian units refusing to carry out orders and armed stand-offs between officers and their troops continue to occur, Russian authorities are likely struggling to put legal pressure on the dissenters due to the invasion's official status as a 'special military operation', the UK report said.
Low Russian morale is driven by "perceived poor leadership, limited opportunity for rotation of units out of combat, very heavy casualties, combat stress, continued poor logistics, and problems with pay," according to the Defense Ministry. Many Russian personnel of all ranks also likely remain confused about the war's objectives, it said.
The U.K. Defense Ministry also said Monday the struggles of Russia's air force likely contributed to the exhaustion of Russian ground troops. "In the conflict to date, Russia's air force has underperformed," another intelligence update said on Monday.
"Its failure to consistently deliver air power is likely one of the most important factors behind Russia's very limited campaign success," the report stated. Despite boasting relatively modern and capable combat jets, Russia's air combat training has for years highly likely been heavily scripted and designed to impress senior officials, as opposed to fostering modern skill-sets, the Defense Ministry said.
As a result, Russian ground troops in Ukraine are becoming worn out while a heavy reliance on advanced cruise missiles has likely led to their stocks running low, the report concluded.
More shelters, less music
The Ukrainian Parliament on Sunday supported a bill on the construction of a network of bomb shelters across Ukraine, including in new buildings.
"The war has shown that there were few reliable shelters in Ukraine," said Olena Shulyak, a member of parliament.
Many of the existing shelters are not equipped with evacuation exits, lack access to water supply and sewerage systems, and are not adapted for food storage, Shulyak said on Telegram, adding, "Not to mention their ability to protect the population in the event of weapons of mass destruction."
The parliament topped off a busy weekend when it banned music by artists with Russian citizenship from being aired in public and in Ukrainian media to prevent the influence of "separatist sentiment in the population," according to the new bill.
A two-thirds majority of lawmakers agreed that Russian music would make the adoption of a Russian identity more attractive while weakening the Ukrainian state.
