Ukrainians and Americans organized an emergency demonstration at Times Square demanding more US action against Russia following a massive Russian attack on Ukraine that killed more than two dozen people on 17 June.

The rally took place on the evening of 17 June, with demonstrators carrying Ukrainian flags and signs reading “Google Kyiv today,” “‘Ceasefire’ – they said,” and “Sanctions against Russia – now,” according to protest participants Vsevolod Myrnyi and Marichka Hlyten.

Myrnyi called on participants to contact their elected officials.

“Call your representatives and senators. Tell them: ‘We demand more sanctions against Russia. We demand air defense systems for Ukraine. We demand more military aid – weapons that help save lives,'” he wrote.

He emphasized that Ukraine is defending itself while Russia targets civilian buildings, and noted that while Congress already has many supporters for Ukraine, constituent voices help drive action.

The demonstration responded to a Russian assault on the night of 17 June that targeted Kyiv and multiple Ukrainian oblasts. Russian forces launched 440 drones and 32 missiles against Ukraine, striking Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv.

Ukrainian air defenses destroyed most of the incoming targets, but hits were recorded in 10 locations, with debris from downed objects falling in 34 locations. In Kyiv, 28 people died and 134 were injured, with the death toll from a missile strike on a 9-story residential building reaching 23 people.

In Odesa, a 60-year-old woman was killed and 17 people wounded, with damage to residential buildings, an inclusive center, a preschool, and garages.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told G7 leaders that Russia intensified its nightly drone attacks as “the only real change” since Trump returned to the White House, with Moscow now routinely deploying 100 drones per night compared to what would have been shocking levels a year ago.

The Ukrainian leader argued this escalation proves supporters of stronger sanctions are “absolutely right.” While Trump told reporters at the G7 summit he would not approve new sanctions against Russia, citing costs to the US, Zelenskyy called for a $30 per barrel price cap on Russian oil and $40 billion in annual budget support for Ukraine.

The US is currently blocking European efforts to lower the existing $60 per barrel price cap to $45, despite EU and UK pressure to reduce Moscow’s war funding, with Zelenskyy arguing that “Russia blocked all efforts” at ceasefire negotiations and continues military operations without adequate consequences.

US Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg is planning to visit Belarus in the coming days to meet with President Alexander Lukashenko, according to Reuters citing four sources briefed on the matter.

If the visit occurs, Kellogg would become the highest-ranking American official to visit Belarus in years. Two sources told Reuters that Kellogg has privately described the trip as a step that could help restart peace talks aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The meeting’s precise agenda remains unclear and planning for such visits requires careful negotiation. The trip could potentially be canceled or modified at the last minute, the sources indicated.

The last high-level US official visit to Belarus was in 2020 when then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled there. Since then, visits have been limited to lower-ranking officials, such as the February 2025 trip by Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher W. Smith, aimed at securing the release of political prisoners.

The potential visit represents a shift in US-Belarus relations. The US suspended operations at its embassy in Belarus in 2022 after it became clear that Minsk would support Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Biden administration had distanced itself from Belarus following the 2020 election, which international observers condemned as neither free nor fair, and the subsequent crackdown on street protests.

One US official told Reuters that the Trump administration has internally discussed ways to pull Minsk away from Moscow’s influence, even if only marginally. However, Western diplomats have expressed skepticism about US efforts to court Belarus, which maintains strong alignment and economic ties with Russia.

Kellogg’s visit comes after two recent Istanbul meetings between Ukrainian and Russian delegations that were focused on trying to find an end to the war. Both of the resulted mainly in massive prisoner exchanges but little progress on a ceasefire.

During Istanbul talks on 2 June, Russia presented Ukraine with a memorandum outlining its conditions for peaceful settlement. These demands include: 

• Ukrainian military withdrawal from four occupied regions (some parts of which are not even occupied fully).
• written guarantees from Western leaders to halt “NATO’s eastward expansion”, effectively excluding Ukraine, Georgia, and other former Soviet states from membership
• Ukraine adopting a neutral status and limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces.
• partial lifting of Western sanctions
• resolution of frozen Russian assets abroad
• protections for Russian speakers in Ukraine.

Ukraine rejected these demands, insisting on its sovereign right to choose alliances and strong Western security guarantees.

In contrast, Ukraine presented its own ceasefire proposals, as reported by Financial Times journalist Christopher Miller.

These include:

• complete cessation of hostilities 
• confidence-building measures such as the return of deported children and prisoner exchanges
• security assurances
• direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin
• international community involvement while maintaining Ukrainian sovereignty. 

Speaking at the G7 summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy argued that Russia intensified its nightly aerial campaigns as the primary tactical adjustment since Donald Trump returned to the White House, with drone swarms becoming routine rather than exceptional.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia now routinely deploys 100 drones per night against Ukrainian targets, a scale that would have been shocking a year ago.

“If last year the use of 100 ‘Shaheds’ in one night caused real shock, now it already seems unusual if fewer than 100 drones are used in one attack,” the Ukrainian leader stated.

The president characterized this intensification as “the only real change in Russia’s behavior after the change of US president,” suggesting Moscow has adapted its military strategy to the new political landscape in Washington.

“And it proves that those who support new and stronger sanctions against Russia are absolutely right,” Zelenskyy added.

Meanwhile, during the G7 leaders meeting in Canada, Trump told reporters he would not approve new sanctions against Russia, citing them as costly for the US and still expressing hope for a potential peace deal.

The Ukrainian president, however, addressed stalled diplomatic efforts, noting that while the US and President Trump had proposed ceasefires and negotiations, “Russia blocked all efforts.” He urged continued pressure on Trump to leverage his influence with Putin to end the war.

Zelenskyy argued that Russia continues its military operations without facing adequate consequences, making the case for stronger international sanctions.

He specifically called on G7 members to work with the United States to implement a $30 per barrel price cap on Russian oil and to maintain $40 billion in annual budget support for Ukraine.

“Together, we must make this painful for Russia. The EU’s 18th round of sanctions should also hit Russia’s energy and banking sectors,” Zelenskyy said.

The United States, however, is blocking European efforts to lower the G7 price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel, despite EU and UK pressure to reduce Moscow’s war funding. The proposed reduction is part of Europe’s latest sanctions package aimed at cutting deeper into Russian oil profits used to finance the Ukraine invasion, but the final decision rests with President Trump, who has shown no flexibility on the issue.

The number of fatalities from Russia’s 17 June massive attack on Kyiv has climbed to 26 people, with rescue teams continuing to recover bodies from the debris of a destroyed residential building.

Search and rescue operations have been ongoing since the early morning hours on 18 June at a nine-story apartment complex in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district struck by a Russian ballistic missile, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.

Rescue crews worked through the night to extract victims from the rubble. The casualty count increased throughout the day as emergency workers made additional recoveries, with the latest update on death toll being 19 people killed in one single building. Five more civilians died on other sites affected by the Russian attack.

[update] As of 1 p.m. on 18 June, the State Emergency Service reported that the number of killed people retrieved from the destroyed building in Solomianskyi district has risen to 21, moving the total death toll up to 26 people.

Among the victims was a 31-year-old man whose parents had waited all day at the strike site hoping for his rescue. He did not survive.

Dmytro Isaenko was a first-year master’s student at Drahomanov University’s Faculty of Physical Education, Sports and Health, who was studying physical culture and sport with a focus on human health and physical recreation.

“This is the young man whose fate the whole country was following. The one whose parents stood by the ruins of the destroyed house and waited for their son, prayed and did not leave,” the university wrote on its Facebook page. “We all prayed with them. Their photos flew around the world, became a symbol of pain and hope. But no miracle happened.”

According to his social media posts, he enjoyed hiking in the mountains and had tried his hand at stand-up comedy.

The missile strike caused extensive damage to the residential structure, with the projectile penetrating deep enough to break through concrete floors into the basement level. The building housed multiple families across its nine floors.

Beyond the fatalities, the State Emergency Service documented 134 people injured across the capital. Rescue operations remain active in Kyiv as teams continue searching for potential survivors and victims in the damaged structures.

In response to the devastation, Kyiv authorities declared a day of mourning on 18 June, with flags lowered, entertainment events canceled, and the city honoring the victims.

US Embassy in Kyiv announced its participation in the city’s day of mourning for the 26 people killed in Kyiv, including one American citizen. The Embassy also characterized the 17 June Russian strike as contradicting President Trump’s calls to end the war and stop the killing.

The attack on Kyiv was part of a broader Russian assault on Ukraine that also targeted Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, and Mykolaiv oblasts. On the night of 16-17 June, Russian forces launched a total of 440 drones and 32 missiles, including cruise and ballistic types.

In Odesa, the assault killed a 60-year-old woman and injured 17 people, including a pregnant woman and a 17-year-old girl, while also damaging civilian infrastructure including residential buildings, a preschool facility, and garages.

On 18 June, Russia again attacked Ukraine overnight, launching a widespread drone assault that targeted civilian and infrastructure facilities, resulting in deaths, dozens of wounded, and extensive property destruction.

According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian forces deployed 58 drones in their overnight assault. 

Ukrainian air defense systems successfully intercepted 30 of the incoming drones by 08:30 local time. The Air Force reports that defenders used multiple methods to neutralize the threats: 12 drones were destroyed by conventional fire weapons, while 18 were either locationally lost or suppressed through electronic warfare systems.

The remaining 28 drones reached their targets, with Russian weapons striking nine separate locations across the country’s east, south, and north. The primary targets of the assault were Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, areas that have experienced sustained attacks throughout the war.

Zaporizhzhia postal facility destroyed as 13 Russian drones target civilian infrastructure

Regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov reported that 13 drones specifically targeted Zaporizhzhia during the night assault. The attacks caused widespread damage to civilian infrastructure, with apartment building windows shattered and multiple vehicles destroyed by fire. No one was reported killed or injured.

City council secretary Rehina Kharchenko confirmed that a Nova Poshta postal service branch was completely destroyed in the bombardment.

“Instead of the building – burned structures, broken glass, melted plastic,” Kharchenko described the scene.

The regional emergency services department documented additional damage, reporting that 47 vehicles burned in an open parking area while fires erupted in three industrial buildings spanning a total of 800 square meters. The assessment revealed damage to nine apartment buildings and six non-residential structures from the drone strikes.

Medical personnel wounded in targeted drone strike on Kherson ambulance

Russian forces conducted extensive shelling operations in southern Kherson Oblast throughout 17 June , resulting in two civilian deaths and 34 wounded across the region, according to Kherson Regional Military Administration head Oleksandr Prokudin.

The attacks affected 36 settlements throughout Kherson Oblast, including the regional capital. Russian forces targeted both social infrastructure and residential neighborhoods, damaging 12 private homes along with outbuildings, garages, and private vehicles.

The attacks extended to medical personnel, with Russian forces using a drone to target an ambulance in Kherson’s Korabelny district around midnight. The regional military administration confirmed that both a paramedic and emergency medical technician sustained injuries in the attack, suffering concussions, blast injuries, and closed traumatic brain injuries.

The global trend of nuclear disarmament that began after the Cold War is reversing, with nearly all nine nuclear-armed states pursuing intensive modernization programs in 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The historical pattern of gradual dismantlement outpacing new deployments is ending, according to SIRPI. The institute notes that the global nuclear inventory will likely grow in coming years.

“The era of reductions in the number of nuclear weapons in the world, which had lasted since the end of the Cold War, is coming to an end,” said Hans M. Kristensen, Associate Senior Fellow with SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Program. “Instead, we see a clear trend of growing nuclear arsenals, sharpened nuclear rhetoric and the abandonment of arms control agreements.”

China’s nuclear expansion continues at the fastest pace globally. SIPRI estimates China now possesses at least 600 warheads, representing growth of approximately 100 warheads annually since 2023.

The country completed or neared completion of around 350 new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos across six regions – three desert areas in northern China and three mountainous zones in the east – by January 2025.

China could potentially match Russian or American ICBM numbers by decade’s end, though SIPRI projects China’s maximum 1,500 warheads by 2035 would still represent only one-third of current Russian and American stockpiles, which control approximately 90% of all nuclear weapons.

China currently holds third place globally in nuclear warhead stockpiles.

Current global nuclear distribution shows Russia leading with 5,459 warheads, followed by the United States with 5,177. Britain possesses 225 warheads, France 290, India 180, Pakistan 170, North Korea 50, and Israel 90.

The United Kingdom plans to increase its warhead ceiling following the 2023 Integrated Review Refresh. The Labour government elected in July 2024 committed to building four new nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and delivering nuclear arsenal upgrades, despite facing operational and financial challenges.

France continued developing third-generation submarines and new air-launched cruise missiles in 2024, while upgrading existing systems including improved ballistic missiles with new warhead modifications.

India slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal and developed new delivery systems in 2024, according to SIPRI. The country’s new canisterized missiles may carry nuclear warheads during peacetime and potentially multiple warheads per missile once operational. Pakistan also developed new delivery systems and accumulated fissile material, suggesting potential arsenal expansion over the coming decade.

SIPRI Director Dan Smith warned that artificial intelligence and other technologies accelerate crisis decision-making processes, potentially increasing the likelihood of nuclear conflicts arising from miscommunication, misunderstandings, or technical failures.

Smith argued that technological complexity makes determining arms race leadership more elusive than previously. “The old largely numerical formulas of arms control will no longer suffice,” he said.

Photos showing the stark physical transformation of a Ukrainian soldier after three years in Russian captivity have been circulating online, documenting the inhumane conditions faced by Ukrainian prisoners of war.

The comparative images of Oleksandr Strafun, a reserve officer who defended Mariupol, were published by volunteer Olena Zolotariova from the NGO “Power of People.” The photos show Oleksandr with his wife Olena before and after his captivity period. Both of them consented to have their photos appear online. This is how Russia’s full-scale aggression that began in February 2022 changed their lives forever. 

Oleksandr and Olena had lived for each other before the full-scale war. Though he had not participated in the fighting in eastern Ukraine since 2014 and worked at the Ilyich Iron and Steel Works, he felt compelled to serve when Russia invaded explicitly.

On 21 February 2022, Oleksandr contacted military recruitment offices to offer assistance. “He always knew that if something suddenly started, he had no right to stay home,” Olena recalled, according to her interview with 0629 news outlet about Mariupol. When he suggested she evacuate, she refused, citing her two cats and the need to help his parents.

Oleksandr enlisted in territorial defense forces on 25 February, finding the recruitment office nearly empty except for a guard directing volunteers to territorial defense units. The following morning, 26 February, he called from territorial defense headquarters with news that would define their separation:

“He said he wouldn’t return home anymore. I asked, when should I expect you? And he answered: ‘I’ll return after victory.'”

Their final direct communication occurred on 1 March 2022, when Oleksandr requested personal items including soap and socks. Olena was unable to deliver these supplies before contact ceased entirely.

During the siege, Olena remained in blockaded Mariupol despite knowing about the garrison’s order to surrender and the final stand of Ukrainian soldiers at Azovstal. She suspected Oleksandr might not answer calls from unfamiliar numbers, while her own phone had been stolen by Kadyrov forces.

After reaching safety, Olena connected with families of other prisoners through support networks. Through these contacts, she learned Oleksandr had been seen at the notorious Olenivka detention facility in occupied Donetsk Oblast and managed to pass along her new phone number through another prisoner’s wife.

On the night of 29 July 2022, an explosion struck a barracks at the Olenivka prison colony, killing about 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), mostly defenders of Mariupol including members of the Azov Regiment, and injuring over 70 others.

Both Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for the attack: Russia claimed Ukraine used a HIMARS missile to strike the prison, while Ukraine accused Russian forces of deliberately shelling the facility to cover up torture and executions of POWs.

The day before the documented attack, Oleksandr called Olena and described unusual activity at the facility.

“He said something strange was happening in the colony, some constant movements. Some people were being taken away, others relocated. He thought, maybe this is already an exchange?” Olena recounted.

She went to sleep hopeful but woke up to the news of the explosion and casualties, not knowing if her husband remained alive. Oleksandr survived because he had been transferred to another facility prior to the incident.

He managed to call her, promising an exchange was coming and telling her to wait. That conversation marked the beginning of an extended silence lasting for years.

In 2025, Oleksandr was returned home to Ukraine in one of the prisoner exchanges that resulted from Istanbul peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations, that, however, failed to reach a ceasefire agreement.

All released soldiers undergo rehabilitation, including urgent medical care and psychological support. Ukrainian authorities also provide financial compensation for their time in captivity, as part of the reintegration process after often prolonged and brutal detention in Russia.

Satellite imagery obtained by Swedish broadcaster SVT shows Russia has upgraded at least four nuclear weapons bases in proximity to NATO countries over recent years.

Russia has been threatening the West with nuclear weapons explicitly since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a way to deter military support for Ukraine and prevent potential NATO involvement in the war. Since 2022, Russian officials have made nuclear threats more than 200 times across various political levels.

The images, captured by Planet Labs in May 2025 and published by SVT on 16 June, document infrastructure improvements at multiple sites across Russia’s western regions.

The satellite evidence shows four key areas of expansion. In Kaliningrad, positioned 43 km (27 miles) from Swedish territory, the base has received new buildings, triple fencing, and communication infrastructure. The Polish government estimates approximately 100 tactical nuclear weapons are stored at this location.

At the Asipovitchy base in Belarus, Russia upgraded a Soviet-era nuclear storage facility with enhanced security features including three layers of fencing, according to nuclear weapons researchers at the Federation of American Scientists. The site now includes a new loading platform for rail transport and air defense systems.

The Novaya Zemlya facility, which experts describe as Russia’s most important base for nuclear weapons testing and trials, has seen construction of extensive new buildings. Novaya Zemlya is an archipelago located in the Arctic Ocean with closest proximity to Norway or Finland. The base has a history of military use, including being a major Soviet nuclear test site during the Cold War.

On the Kola Peninsula near the Norwegian border, approximately 50 storage bunkers have been built for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, alongside a new dock for missile loading operations.

Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson confirmed his government’s awareness of the developments, stating that officials have monitored the expansion for an extended period.

William Alberque, a senior researcher at Pacific Forum and former NATO nuclear policy specialist, argues that Russia deliberately uses Western concerns about nuclear escalation as a strategic tool.

“Russia knows that these threats cause panic in the Western world and therefore they have experimented with escalating nuclear threats for 25 years,” Alberque told SVT.

The developments occur amid broader concerns about nuclear proliferation. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute noted in its annual report that an arms race between nuclear powers resumed, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte earlier suggested Russia could potentially attack NATO within five years.

Over 60% of residents have evacuated from dangerous territories in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast amid continuous shelling of civilian infrastructure and intensified offensive operations along the border.

The evacuation pace has accelerated in recent days, with more than 400 residents leaving border communities during the week of 9-15 June alone.  Among those evacuated were 26 children, according to the head of Sumy Regional Military Administration, Oleh Hryhorov.

The scale of the evacuation encompasses 213 settlements across Sumy Oblast, with 60 communities now completely abandoned by their residents. 

Russian forces now conduct an average of 80 to 120 strikes daily against the region, Hryhorov reported in a recent interview with Suspilne Sumy. Seven civilians were killed since the beginning of June, including one child. 

The intensity of attacks created a state of near-constant danger, with air raid alerts lasting an average of 14-15 hours daily.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that Ukrainian forces had successfully halted Russian advancement in the Sumy direction. However, he also indicated that Russia has concentrated 50,000 soldiers in the area as part of an attempt to establish what he described as a “buffer zone” within Ukrainian territory.

Current occupation data from the analytical project DeepState shows 12 settlements in Sumy region remain under Russian control as of 14 June.

The Institute for the Study of War and Ukrainian officials, however, assessed that Russia lacks sufficient manpower and resources for a major breakthrough in Sumy, with many targeted villages evacuated and of limited strategic value.

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plan to meet during the G7 summit taking place 15-17 June in Alberta, Canada, according to Axios sources.

The 51st G7 summit is being held in Kananaskis, a remote resort town in western Alberta that previously hosted a G8 summit in 2002. Along with Zelenskyy, Trump will also meet separately with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, according to a White House official cited by Axios.

The summit brings together leaders from the US, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany and Britain, with European Union representatives and other invited heads of state also attending. First-time participants include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Trump’s attendance comes amid heightened tensions with Canada following months of statements expressing interest in annexing the country and imposing tariffs in what has been characterized as a trade war.

During their White House meeting last month, Carney reportedly made clear to Trump that Canada has no interest in becoming the 51st US state.

On 14 June 2025,  President Trump also held a 50-minute phone call with Putin during which the Russian president warmly wished Trump a happy 79th birthday. They mainly discussed the escalating conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran, and postponed the talks about the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump revealed that Putin informed him Russia is ready to resume peace negotiations with Ukraine, while the US president reiterated his interest in a speedy resolution to the conflict.

Ukrainian medical specialists have started procedures to remove a “Glory to Russia” inscription from the body of a serviceman who recently returned from Russian captivity, according to reports from medical professionals involved in the case.

The treatment is being conducted under the “Unburnt” national program, which provides free external rehabilitation and treatment for deformational, post-military injuries, burns and scars for people affected by the war. Maksym Turkevych, director of the program, confirmed the medical intervention alongside dermatologist Oleksandr Turkevych.

According to Oleksandr Turkevych, the Ukrainian serviceman was captured more than 15 months ago following combat injuries. The medical professional explained that when the soldier regained consciousness after surgery while in captivity, he discovered the inscription had been left by the operating surgeon.

The removal process began with an injection of polynucleotide, a substance commonly used in cosmetic and medical procedures to stimulate cellular and tissue regeneration. The treatment represents the initial phase of what doctors expect to be a multi-stage process.

Maksym Turkevych indicated that medical teams are preparing the scarred tissue for more intensive interventions. He projected that within several months, only minimal traces of the inscription would remain visible.

The case came to public attention when Clash Report initially published photographs of the released Ukrainian fighter. The images showed the “Glory to Russia” text visible on the man’s body alongside battle scars, with reports indicating the marking was made by occupying forces during his captivity.

Andrii Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, verified the authenticity of the photographs. Yusov explained that a Ukrainian medical professional took the images during a routine examination of the freed defender.

Ukrainian actor-turned-soldier Yurii Felipenko was killed in action at age 32. On 15 June, his wife, YouTube show host Kateryna Motrych, announced his death on social media, stating that her husband had been her “world, soul, and light” and describing the loss as devastating.

Felipenko was originally from Zaporizhzhia, a southeastern Ukrainian city close to the front line and under constant Russian bombardment since 2022. 

The actor began his screen career in 2014, appeared in numerous famous Ukrainian TV series and also performed extensively at Kyiv’s Academic Drama Theater. His transition from entertainment to military service reflects the broader mobilization of Ukrainian civilians across various professions.

Yurii served as a drone operator with the 429th separate “Achilles” unmanned systems regiment after voluntarily joining the military in 2024. His role involved operating drones, a critical component of modern warfare. The exact cause of his death in combat is yet unknown.

“Yura is gone. Yura was, without exaggeration, my world, my soul, my light. It’s impossible to convey this loss. I feel like I’ve been destroyed,” his wife Kateryna wrote on Instagram.

Ukrainian intelligence operatives destroyed an electrical substation in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on 14 June, cutting power to military and industrial facilities in the surrounding area.

The HUR carried out the operation at approximately 4 a.m. local time. Agents drained cooling fluid from a power transformer at the industrial substation before igniting it, sources told the Ukrainian news outlets Hromadske and Ukrainska Pravda.

The resulting fire damaged the transformer and disrupted electricity supply to nearby Russian enterprises, including facilities belonging to the country’s military-industrial complex and armed forces. A HUR source estimated the financial damage from the sabotage at nearly $5 million.

“Russia no longer has a rear, neither in the east, nor in the west, nor at any point on the planet. Russian assets involved in the war against Ukraine will burn, sink and be destroyed regardless of protection level or location,” the HUR source said, according to Hromadske.

Neither Russian authorities nor local officials have publicly confirmed the power outage or provided details about the incident’s impact on regional infrastructure.

On 1 June, Ukraine also conducted a surprise drone operation, called Spiderweb, destroying or damaging  41 Russian military planes on four key airfields, with damage estimated at over $7 billion. It involved launching 117 first-person view (FPV) drones that were smuggled into Russia and hidden in trucks. The operation took 18 months to plan and execute.

The US Department of Defense faced criticism after posting a Flag Day greeting that appeared to contain Russian flag colors.

However, the image actually contained only two stripes – white and red – with a gap between them. The blue background of the image created the optical illusion of a blue stripe between the white and red ones, giving the appearance of the Russian tricolor.

The Pentagon’s post featured an image that, alongside the American flag, displayed what initially appeared to be two small Russian tricolors.

The post included a message stating: “Let us honor the emblem of our nation and the stars and stripes that unite us all. As we display our nations flag and reflect on the values it represents, let’s celebrate the freedom, courage and resilience that makes our country great.”

The apparent error drew immediate attention from observers. Former Voice of America Ukrainian correspondent Ostap Yarish questioned the design, writing: “Who made this design? I understand it wasn’t intentional, but these white, blue, and red stripes look exactly like the Russian flag.”

Despite numerous comments from users pointing out the perceived mistake, the Defense Department did not remove the image, which remains on their social media platforms.

On 14 June, the US held its first military parade in decades to mark the army’s 250th anniversary. The parade featured thousands of servicemembers and various military equipment, while simultaneously, Americans across the country participated in protests against Trump under the slogan “No Kings.”

US President Donald Trump disclosed details of a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, sharing the information through his Truth Social platform.

According to Trump, Putin initiated the call to congratulate him on his birthday. The conversation covered multiple international issues, with Iran featuring prominently in their discussions. Trump indicated that Putin “knows this country very well,” suggesting the Russian leader’s familiarity with Iranian affairs influenced their dialogue.

Earlier, Putin’s assistant Yuri Ushakov told Russian state agency TASS that both leaders discussed the Israel-Iran conflict extensively, with Putin offering Russia as a mediator between the countries while condemning Israeli actions. Trump assessed the situation between the nations as “alarming” but noted the effectiveness of Israeli strikes against Iran.

The US President revealed that while Russia and Ukraine were discussed, these topics received limited attention during this particular call.

“We talked at length. We spent much less time talking about Russia and Ukraine, but that will be next week,” Trump stated, indicating future discussions on the conflict are planned.

Trump disclosed that Putin is also coordinating a prisoner exchange involving “a large number of prisoners” from both sides, describing the exchange as imminent.

Ukraine and Russia conducted a series of prisoner exchanges in June 2025, with the fourth swap occurring on 14 June, marking intense ongoing efforts to repatriate captives following an agreement reached during talks in Istanbul on 2 June. These exchanges primarily focus on releasing severely wounded, seriously ill soldiers, and military personnel aged 18 to 25, many of whom have been held since 2022.

Both leaders addressed peace negotiations regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, with Putin declaring that Russia is ready to continue dialogue with Ukraine after 22 June, according to Ushakov. Trump confirmed his desire for the quickest possible end to the war in Ukraine.

However, on 15 June, shortly after Putin congratulated Trump on his birthday during a phone call, Russia launched its largest missile and drone strike on the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, targeting critical energy and agricultural infrastructure. The strike hit Kremenchuk Thermal Power Plant and oil refinery, vital for Ukraine’s energy and defense systems.

The assault, involving nearly 200 missiles and drones, caused around 30 explosions and fires that burned for hours, damaging residential buildings and vehicles but reportedly causing no casualties due to effective Ukrainian air defenses that intercepted most of the attack.

On his birthday, Trump also attended a military parade in Washington, D.C., featuring over 6,000 troops, 128 tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters, and a 21-gun salute, as part of the US Army’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Despite the grandeur, attendance was much lower than expected, and the parade occurred amid widespread protests nationwide under the “No Kings” movement, denouncing Trump’s perceived authoritarianism and criticizing the parade as an extravagant, ego-driven display amid ongoing political and social divisions.

President Donald Trump’s long-desired military parade proceeded down Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C. on 14 June, featuring tanks, troops and ceremonial displays, while demonstrators across the country organized “No Kings” protests against Trump denouncing what they characterized as authoritarianism.

According to Associated Press, more than 6,000 American military personnel and 128 tanks participated in the parade, which featured a 21-gun salute and a demonstration jump by the “Golden Knights” parachute team over the National Mall. The event included exhibitions of armored vehicles, helicopters and military equipment, alongside sales of army merchandise and Trump-branded items.

Trump had pursued such a parade since his first presidential term, drawing inspiration from a 2017 Paris military display. The Washington event finally materialized as part of the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration.

The celebration included Trump personally administering oaths to 250 army recruits and contractors, along with musical performances and fireworks. However, organizers canceled the planned flyover of American fighter jets due to weather conditions.

Attendance fell significantly short of projected expectations, with many designated spectator areas remaining empty despite predictions of 200,000 attendees.

Meanwhile, protest organizers coordinated “No Kings” rallies in hundreds of cities on the same day, explicitly designed to counter what they described as Trump’s ego-driven celebration. Washington demonstrators carried signs reading “Where’s the due process?” and “No to Trump’s fascist military parade” while marching toward the White House. Protesters displayed a large Trump puppet wearing a crown and sitting on a golden toilet, along with messages referencing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

They called for the defense of democracy, immigrant rights, and civil liberties, highlighting deep divisions in the country.

The parade addition to the Army anniversary celebration drew criticism for its estimated $45 million cost and potential street damage from heavy tanks. Army officials implemented protective measures including metal plates along the parade route.

A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 60 % of Americans considered the parade an inappropriate use of government funds, while 78 % expressed neither approval nor disapproval of the event overall.

On US President Donald Trump’s birthday, millions of Americans participated in coordinated “No Kings” protests across nearly 2,000 locations nationwide. The participants voiced opposition to President Donald Trump while advocating for democracy and immigrant rights protection.

The demonstrations were organized by the 50501 Movement, which takes its name from “50 states, 50 protests, one movement,” according to CBS News. 

Organizers stated the protests aimed to reject what they termed authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and militarization of democracy. 

Demonstrators gathered in major cities including Seattle, Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Denver and Houston, among others, the Associated Press reports. 

Additionally, protesters assembled in cities ranging from small towns to major metropolitan areas, with Seattle alone drawing over 70,000 participants.

Given this scope, Republican governors in Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri mobilized National Guard forces to assist law enforcement agencies in managing the demonstrations.

Lawmaker assassination prompts protest cancellation in Minnesota

Minnesota officials canceled all scheduled “No Kings” protests after state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed, while state Senator John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in politically motivated overnight shootings targeting Democratic lawmakers. Police found “No Kings” fliers and a list of potential targets in the suspect’s vehicle.

Texas state legislators received credible threats ahead of the planned Austin capitol protest, leading to one arrest by the state’s Department of Public Safety.

Trump organizes military parade on his birthday

The demonstrations coincided with Trump’s attendance at a military parade in Washington marking the Army’s 250th anniversary, which also falls on the president’s birthday. The parade involved hundreds of military vehicles, aircraft and thousands of soldiers, with costs estimated at $45 million.

The celebration, however, drew far fewer spectators than the predicted 200,000, with many viewing areas remaining empty.

About 200 protesters assembled at Logan Circle in northwest Washington, chanting “Trump must go now” and displaying a large puppet depicting Trump wearing a crown and sitting on a golden toilet, according to the AP. 

The No Kings Coalition stated after Saturday’s events:

“Today, across red states and blue, rural towns and major cities, Americans stood in peaceful unity and made it clear: we don’t do kings.”

Previous anti-Trump Hands off protests 

In April 2025, tens of thousands of people across all 50 US states and in major cities throughout Europe staged “Hands Off!” protests against President Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk, voicing opposition to sweeping government overhauls, mass federal layoffs, and aggressive cuts to social programs led by the newly created Department of Government Efficiency headed by Musk.

The largely peaceful demonstrations demanded an end to what they called a “billionaire power grab,” condemned attacks on immigrants and marginalized communities, and criticized the administration’s moves to downsize government and restrict rights.

Ukrainian officials report that Russia is expanding its presence and influence across Africa through educational programs and youth initiatives designed to cultivate political leaders and “cultural elite” favorable to Moscow.

According to Andrii Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, Russia maintains government-funded university quotas specifically for African students. The programs focus on agriculture, engineering, education, and medicine, with students receiving state-sponsored education in Russian institutions.

“African education and sports are increasingly being used by the aggressor state as instruments of hybrid influence aimed at forming a new generation of political and managerial elites loyal to the Kremlin,” Yusov stated.

The intelligence assessment indicates that Russia plans to establish Russian language courses at major African universities alongside professional development programs for local educators. The long-term objective involves synchronizing African educational curricula with Russian Federation standards.

This educational strategy represents part of what Ukrainian officials describe as an effort to embed Russian perspectives within African education systems permanently. 

Pushkin’s days in Africa

Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation also reported that Russia utilized celebrations of poet Alexander Pushkin’s birthday to advance its influence campaign. Events marking the occasion occurred in several African capitals on 11 June, organized by Rossotrudnichestvo, Russia’s state agency for international cooperation.

According to the Center, these cultural events served dual purposes. While featuring poetry recitations and Russian language instruction, the gatherings also included anti-Western messaging and justifications for Russian foreign policy decisions.

“‘Pushkin days’ are just a façade that Russia uses to cover its true intentions of increasing its influence in Africa. By holding such events, Russia presents itself as a supposedly powerful country with a great culture, while simultaneously fostering a negative perception of the ‘collective West,'” the Center writes.

The Ukraine Conflict Observatory, a Yale University-led initiative that has documented Russian war crimes including the deportation of Ukrainian children, is preparing to close within weeks after the Trump administration terminated its funding.

Nathaniel Raymond, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, told CNN the program is “running on fumes” with approximately two weeks of funding remaining from individual donations.

“As of July 1, we lay off all of our staff across Ukraine and other teams and our work tracking the kids officially ends. We are waiting for our Dunkirk moment, for someone to come rescue us so that we can go attempt to help rescue the kids,” Raymond said.

The observatory was launched in May 2022 with State Department backing to “capture, analyze, and make widely available evidence of Russia-perpetrated war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine,” according to sources familiar with the program.

Over three years, it has compiled a database containing information on more than 30,000 Ukrainian children allegedly abducted by Russia across 100 locations.

The initiative’s work contributed to six International Criminal Court indictments against Russia, including two cases related to child abductions, Raymond stated. The program’s closure will create what sources describe as a significant intelligence gap, as no other organization has tracked Ukrainian child abductions with comparable scope and detail.

Funding was initially cut as part of Department of Government Efficiency reductions, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio temporarily reinstated support to facilitate data transfer to Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency. The transfer of evidence documenting alleged war crimes – including attacks on energy infrastructure, filtration sites, and civilian targets – is expected to occur within days.

Meanwhile, congressional representatives have mounted efforts to restore permanent funding through bipartisan letters to Rubio. A group led by Democratic Representative Lloyd Doggett wrote that “research must continue unabated to maintain the rigorous process of identifying every Ukrainian child abducted by Russia.” The lawmakers stated the observatory “has verified that at least 19,500 children have been forcibly deported from occupied areas of Ukraine, funneled into reeducation camps or adopted by Russian families, and their identities erased.”

The congressional letter emphasized that “the Conflict Observatory’s work cannot be replaced by Europol or other organizations, none of whom have access to specific resources that have made the Observatory’s work so successful.”

A separate congressional correspondence from Democratic Representative Greg Landsman and colleagues questioned whether $8 million in previously allocated funding could still be disbursed to the program. The letter warned that “withholding these funds could appear to be a betrayal of the thousands of innocent children from Ukraine.”

The lawmakers noted that the actual number of affected children likely exceeds documented cases, citing a Russian official’s July 2023 statement that Russia had relocated 700,000 children from Ukrainian conflict zones. Additional children remain unidentified due to the Kremlin changing their names, place of birth, and date of birth.

During Istanbul talks on 2 June, Ukraine’s Presidential Office head Andrii Yermak said the Ukrainian team provided Russia with a list of deported children requiring repatriation. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated the list contained nearly 400 names. Russian representatives disputed claims of having taken 20,000 children, maintaining the number involved only “hundreds.”

Germany will not supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed during a visit to Kyiv on 12 June.

Speaking at a joint briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Pistorius gave a direct response when asked about potential missile deliveries amid intensifying Russian attacks on Ukraine.

“You asked me whether we are considering this, I answer you — no,” Pistorius stated.

Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz categorically opposed providing the cruise missiles to Ukraine, arguing that such transfers risked drawing Germany directly into the Russian-Ukrainian war. In late 2024, Scholz said that “a German missile that can reach Moscow” and this would carry unacceptable risks.

Merz, by contrast, supported supplying these weapons systems to Ukraine even before assuming the chancellorship. He defended his position claiming that this step would significantly enhance Ukraine’s ability to strike Russian military targets and supply lines up to 500 km (310 miles) away, helping it defend against Russia’s unlawful aggression. 

Germany pledges €9 billion in military aid to Ukraine

Pistorius also stated that Germany plans to allocate €9 billion in military aid to Ukraine for 2025, with portions of this funding designated for long-range weapons production.

“Supporting Ukraine is the task of all European peoples. We must take responsibility and recognize that this is not only Ukraine’s defense. Ukraine is fighting this war to ensure peace in Europe, so helping is our common task,” Pistorius stated.

Pistorius emphasized the effectiveness of Ukrainian drone technology and the technological expertise Ukraine has developed during its defense against Russian aggression.

“We all must learn from this. And I think that in the industrial sector we must also develop. Therefore, it’s about joint ventures that we want to build. We want more of these joint ventures both in Germany and in Ukraine in order to produce weapons faster for the common good and thus strengthen deterrence potential and defense potential,” he explained.

Zelenskyy and Pistorius discussed localizing air defense system production in Ukraine and agreed on additional investments in defense manufacturing. The leaders committed to expanding joint weapons production in both countries.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented nearly 50% more civilian casualties in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

In May alone, at least 183 civilians were killed and 836 injured across Ukraine, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

The data shows that attacks using long-range missiles and loitering munitions caused the most widespread harm across the country. Near frontline areas, short-range drones equipped with high-resolution cameras for precision targeting produced the highest civilian casualty rates. 

“This year has been devastating for civilians across Ukraine, with significantly more deaths and injuries than during the same period in 2024,” stated Danielle Bell, Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. 

Bell described the combination of intensified long-range attacks and frequent short-range drone strikes along the frontline as “a deadly combination for civilians.”

The attacks affected cities across the country, with Kharkiv experiencing particular impact, along with Kyiv, Odesa and other cities located far from active frontlines.

Bell characterized the sustained nature of the attacks as particularly harmful to civilian populations.

“Hours-long nightly attacks with hundreds of weapons sow fear among families who spend their nights in bomb shelters, listening to the sounds of drones flying overhead,” she said. “At this pace and scale, further loss of civilian life is not just possible—it is inevitable.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha publicly condemned countries that sent congratulatory messages to Russia on its national holiday, specifically targeting recent greetings from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Speaking before a “Weimar+” format ministerial meeting in Rome, Sybiha expressed his displeasure at what he described as inappropriate diplomatic gestures toward an aggressor nation.

“As a minister of a country at war, it was particularly unpleasant for me to read public congratulations from some countries addressed to the Russian aggressor on their national holiday this morning. There can be no reward for aggression. There can be no reward for an aggressor country,” Sybiha said, according to reports from Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sybiha argued that his position stems from direct exposure to the war’s realities. The minister referenced a recent visit to Kherson with his Lithuanian counterpart, noting the city’s proximity to active fighting at just 13 kilometers (8 miles) from the front line.

This short distance to active hostilities makes Kherson vulnerable to heavy and continuous shelling and drone attacks by Russian forces. Sybiha described observing children attending classes in underground schools as evidence of what he termed “Russian terror.”

The minister’s comments came in response to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Russia Day message, in which Rubio stated that the United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people who “continue to build their aspiration for a better future.”

Rubio also emphasized a desire for “constructive engagement with the Russian Federation to bring about a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine. It is our hope that peace will foster more mutually beneficial relations between our countries.”

His greeting came as the Russian troop losses in Ukraine have surpassed one million and the recent polls indicated that approximately 75% of Russians still support the ongoing invasion. 

Sybiha also claimed that Russia presented what he called “old and unrealistic ultimatums” during peace talks in Istanbul. Russia demands Ukraine withdraws from four occupied regions, adopts a neutral status, abandon aspirations to join NATO, and recognize Russian as an official languag.

Meanwhile, Ukraine rejects any veto over its NATO aspirations and insists on strong Western security guarantees. The country also accepted a US ceasefire proposal 100 days ago, which Russia continues to reject. Russian President Vladimir Putin also avoided meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul even though this was proposed to him. 

The foreign minister stated Ukraine’s goal of ending the war within the current year, emphasizing the importance of maintaining pressure on Russia to achieve a ceasefire that could lead to broader negotiations.

Ukraine returned a group of severely wounded and seriously ill military personnel from Russian captivity as part of an ongoing major prisoner exchange program negotiated during Istanbul talks on 2 June.

Among the freed prisoners are defenders of Mariupol who spent more than three years in Russian captivity. All released individuals are male enlisted personnel and sergeants, with some previously classified as missing in action.

The returned personnel include service members from multiple branches of Ukraine’s armed forces, including the Airborne Assault Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces, and Territorial Defense Forces, as well as personnel from the State Border Guard Service and National Guard, according to the Coordination Headquarters for Treatment of Prisoners of War.

“All need treatment, and they will definitely receive the necessary assistance,” Zelenskyy stated. “We continue working to bring everyone back from Russian captivity.”

The ages of the returned prisoners range from 22 to 59 years old, according to Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. All freed personnel will undergo medical examinations and receive physical and psychological rehabilitation services, along with compensation payments for their time in captivity.

In a previous recent swap on 9 June, Ukraine returned captured defenders under 25 years of age, followed by wounded and ill military personnel the next day.

On 11 June, Ukraine repatriated the bodies of 1,212 fallen service members for forensic identification and return to families.

Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called in Russia’s chargé d’affaires for questioning following a suspected airspace violation on 10 June, marking the second such incident within a month.

Finnish authorities suspect a Russian military aircraft breached the country’s airspace on 10 June near the coastal city of Porvoo. The Border Guard has launched an investigation into the incident, according to Yle.

The diplomatic meeting is scheduled for 11 June, though ministry officials have not disclosed specific details about the proceedings.

This latest violation follows a similar incident that occurred at the end of May. Following that previous breach, Finland’s foreign ministry summoned Russian Ambassador to Finland Pavel Kuznetsov and formally delivered a diplomatic note addressing the matter.

Russia builds up forces along Finnish border

The airspace incidents come amid broader concerns about Russian military activities along Finland’s border. In May, Major General Sami Nurmi, head of the strategic department of Finland’s Defense Forces, indicated that the country anticipates further Russian military buildup along their shared border after the conclusion of the war in Ukraine.

Earlier, Western media outlets have published satellite imagery showing Russia’s expansion of military installations near the Finnish border. The images revealed new military housing facilities and enlarged storage areas for military equipment.

Finnish intelligence services assessed that Russia could strengthen its military presence along the Finnish border to what they describe as a “threatening level” within the next five years.

NATO intelligence sources also told a Finnish newspaper that Russia is actively maintaining and updating plans for a potential multi-front offensive against NATO’s eastern flank, targeting Finland, Norway, and the Baltic states, with intelligence indicating it could amass up to 600,000 troops along these borders despite its main forces being engaged in Ukraine. 

Germany’s intelligence chief disclosed that Russia intends to challenge NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense pact, which states that an armed attack against one NATO member in Europe or North America is considered an attack against all members. 

“We are absolutely certain and have intelligence evidence confirming that Ukraine is just one stage on its path westward,” Kahl stated.

“They don’t need to send tanks for that,” Kahl added. “They just have to send ‘little green men’ to Estonia to defend the allegedly oppressed Russian minority.”

However, Kahl clarified that German intelligence does not anticipate conventional military operations involving large armored formations moving from east to west. This suggests Russia may pursue alternative methods, such as cyberattacks or energy coercion, to challenge NATO’s resolve.

Sinan Selen, deputy head of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), reported escalating Russian cyber operations and sabotage activities targeting Western nations. According to Selen, Russian aggression in Ukraine has intensified pressure on German cyber defense and counterintelligence capabilities.

According to Kahl, Russia’s objectives include reversing NATO’s eastward expansion to 1990s boundaries, removing American military presence from Europe, and expanding Russian influence regardless of cost. The intelligence chief emphasized the need to counter these efforts immediately. Despite tensions, Kahl noted that German-American intelligence cooperation remains stable. 

Previous warnings of NATO-Russia conflict 

Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that Russia could potentially attack NATO countries by 2029 or 2030 due to its rapid military industrialization and expansion of armed forces, which are expected to reach 1.5 million troops by 2026.

He highlighted that Russia currently produces more weapons and ammunition in a few months than all EU countries combined produce in a year, signaling a significant buildup. 

NATO intelligence sources told a Finnish newspaper that Russia is actively maintaining and updating plans for a potential multi-front offensive against NATO’s eastern flank, targeting Finland, Norway, and the Baltic states, with intelligence indicating it could amass up to 600,000 troops along these borders despite its main forces being engaged in Ukraine. 

NATO officials and intelligence sources, including Sweden’s Armed Forces Commander and US Vice Admiral Douglas Perry, assess a Russian attack as inevitable rather than hypothetical, emphasizing Russia’s willingness to accept massive casualties and use missile strikes on civilian targets, mirroring tactics used in Ukraine.

An American English teacher Stephen Hubbard, captured by Russian forces in 2022, has been located in Russia’s Mordovia penal colony after months without family contact, with former fellow prisoners reporting he endured systematic abuse because of his nationality. 

Stephen James Hubbard, now 73 and a native of Michigan, is being held in the IK-12 penal colony in Mordovia, a southwestern Russian Oblast known for its extensive prison system, according to the New York Times.

He is the only American remaining in Russia who has been designated by the US State Department as “wrongfully detained,” indicating that the United States considers the charges against him to be fabricated.

Russian authorities captured Hubbard in April 2022 from the eastern Ukrainian city of Izium in Kharkiv Oblast, where he had been living since 2012 after meeting a Ukrainian woman named Inna. He had retired to Cyprus that year and moved to Ukraine to be with her, earning income by teaching English online to Japanese students. When the relationship ended Stephen continued living in Ukraine.

According to Russian court documents reviewed by the Times, authorities accused Hubbard of joining Ukraine’s territorial defense forces the day after Russia’s full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022. The documents claim he signed up at a recruitment center in a kindergarten, seeking to earn at least $1,000 monthly, and was given the call signs “Samurai” and “Ninja” while manning a checkpoint on a bridge.

However, text messages between Hubbard and his son Hisashi Tanaka contradict this narrative. The communications show no evidence of military involvement. Instead, Hubbard sent daily updates describing civilian life during the invasion, including taking shelter in a church and continuing to teach English lessons when possible.

His final message, sent through a friend’s phone after Russians seized Izium, stated: “I am well, waiting for the war to end.”

Earlier, his sister Patricia Fox told Reuters that Hubbard was “so non-military” and “more of a pacifist.” She said he “never had a gun, owned a gun, done any of that” and was unlikely to take up arms at his age. Fox also noted that her brother held pro-Russian views, making the mercenary accusations even more implausible.

Russian authorities convicted Hubbard of being a mercenary in October and sentenced him to nearly seven years in prison. Following his conviction, his case file was removed from public view in an unusual move by the Russian judge.

Ukrainian prisoners of war who were held with Hubbard told the Times that he was repeatedly tortured because of his American citizenship. They reported that he was beaten, forced to stand all day, given inadequate food, and denied proper medical care. The released Ukrainian prisoners said they feared for his life.

Hubbard’s family lost contact with him after his conviction until recent weeks, when he was able to call one of his sons. His lawyer, Martin De Luca, said his team has spoken with Hubbard three times since April.

“He’s had a rough three and a half years,” De Luca said.

American officials have raised Hubbard’s imprisonment with Russian counterparts and demanded his immediate release. The United States Embassy in Moscow has not been granted access to Hubbard despite Russia’s obligations under international law.

In a 19 May phone call, President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a potential prisoner exchange involving nine people from each side. Given Hubbard’s wrongful detention designation, he would likely be a top candidate in any such exchange.

Germany releases Russian hitman, enabling largest post-Cold War prisoner exchange

Ukrainian drones struck the Tambov Gunpowder Factory in Russia’s Tambov Oblast during the night of 11 June, marking the latest attack on a facility that supplies explosives to Russian military forces.

Acting governor of Tambov oblast Yevgeny Pervyshov confirmed that authorities repelled what he described as a “massive drone attack” on the city of Kotovsk, 700 km (434 miles) away from the Ukrainian border. Pervyshov said law enforcement officers responded to the scene and that “the situation is under control.”

Russian Telegram channels Astra and Mash provided additional details about the incident. Local residents told Astra that the drones targeted the gunpowder factory, which subsequently caught fire. Mash reported that 15 explosions occurred during the attack.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, noted that the facility has been attacked “not for the first time” and indicated that the factory has paused operations following the strike.

The Tambov Gunpowder Factory produces ammunition and gunpowder for small arms, artillery, and rocket systems, as well as colloxilin used in explosives manufacturing. The enterprise manufactures over 200 product types, including pyroxylin gunpowders for small arms, hand grenades, grenade launcher ammunition, and artillery shells.

The factory operates as part of the Rostec state corporation and serves as one of Russia’s primary suppliers of explosive materials to its armed forces. Production at the facility increased substantially following the start of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine.

This attack continues a pattern of Ukrainian strikes on the facility. Previous drone attacks occurred in January 2024, July 2024, and November 2023, demonstrating the site’s recurring status as a military target.

Three people died and 60 others were wounded, including nine children, when Russian forces conducted a large-scale drone assault on Ukrainian territory during the night of 11 June.

Ukrainian air defense intercepts 49 out of 85 drones

Russian forces deployed 85 Iranian-designed Shahed type drones along with decoy drones and one missile in the overnight attack, according to the Air Force of Ukraine. Ukrainian defense forces successfully intercepted 49 of the aerial targets across multiple regions. The primary targets were Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Odesa oblasts.

Of the 49 neutralized targets, 40 were destroyed by fire weapons while nine were lost or jammed through electronic warfare measures. The attack resulted in confirmed hits at 14 locations, with debris from downed aircraft falling at two additional sites.

Russia kills three people in Kharkiv Oblast

Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv suffered the most severe impact from the attack. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that enemy forces struck with 17 Shahed-type drones in the midnight, targeting the Slobidskyi and Osnovianskyi districts and killing two civilians.

“There were direct hits on apartment buildings, private homes, playgrounds, enterprises, and public transport,” Terekhov stated, describing damage to burning apartments, destroyed roofs, and broken windows.

The attack also damaged trolleybuses, contact networks, and utility infrastructure. Terekhov emphasized that the targeted locations were “ordinary objects of peaceful life” that should not become military targets.

Kharkiv Regional Administration Head Oleh Syniehubov provided updated casualty figures, confirming that the death toll rose to three after a 65-year-old man died in intensive care from severe burns.

The regional official reported that 60 people were injured in Kharkiv city alone, with nine children aged 2 to 15 among the wounded.

Beyond the drone strikes, Russian forces also deployed various weapons systems against Kharkiv Oblast, including 13 guided aerial bombs, two Molniya-type drones, and two FPV drones.

Odesa Oblast under attack

Odesa Oblast came under assault during the same timeframe, according to the State Emergency Service. The attack caused damage to summer houses, outbuildings, passenger vehicles, and civilian watercraft, with fires breaking out at several locations.

Emergency responders quickly extinguished the blazes, and officials reported no casualties in the region.

Sumy Oblast sees agricultural damage

In Sumy Oblast, a Russian drone struck the Lebedyn community, igniting a fire in a non-residential building used to store agricultural equipment, the State Emergency Service reported. Firefighters successfully extinguished the blaze, and preliminary reports indicated no injuries occurred.

Utility and emergency services across all affected regions continued working to restore damaged infrastructure and assist victims, according to local officials.

When Vitalii’s skull was shattered near Avdiivka in August 2022 during military operations defending Ukraine, doctors gave no guarantees that he would survive and could not even predict how far his recovery path would go.

Today, Vitalii Shumey is speaking in full sentences, cracking jokes with his nurses, recovering memories, and preparing to walk again. Just a year ago he was not able to eat and respond to his surroundings at all.

For nearly three years, his father Serhii Fedorovych has refused to leave his son’s bedside, believing in his recovery and supporting his progress like no one else. His  unwavering smile has become a beacon of hope at the rehabilitation center Modrychi in Lviv Oblast, where the workers called him a hero for his determination and fatherly love. 

“This is my child,” Serhii said to Suspilne News. “While my hands and legs work, I won’t leave him. Never. Because this is my child. He defended our country so we could live peacefully. This is my duty.”

The father plays harmonica for his son, jokes with him, reads him, and maintains the constant conversation that helped bring Vitalii back from the brink of nothingness.

“Hope, hope. Cling to every goal, to every straw. Cling and hope that everything will be fine. Don’t give up. Because if we, parents, give up, it will be bad for our children,” Serhii believes.

Defender of Ukraine

Vitalii Shumey, standing over two meters tall, began his military service in 2014, when Russia covertly supported separatists in eastern Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and illegally annexed Crimea. 

As commander of a long-range anti-aircraft missile complex, he defended Ukraine across multiple fronts – from Kyiv and Chernihiv in the early days of the full-scale invasion to the brutal fighting in Donbas,  earning three concussions before his final, nearly fatal encounter with war.

“Since 2014, he constantly was in ‘hot’ spots on Donbas,” his father explains with evident pride. “When the full-scale war began, he commanded a unit near Kyiv. He eliminated a lot of the enemy there. And he fought near Chernihiv. Then they transferred him to Donbas and he was there again – it was a nightmare there.”

“I’m proud of him. I never tried to talk him out of this,” he adds.

A deputy brigade commander once remarked, “If I had five such sergeants in the battalion, I wouldn’t need anything else.” Vitalii’s courage and leadership on the battlefield earned him such respect that in February 2025, a petition was created to award him the title of Hero of Ukraine.

Darkest hour: life-changing war injury 

In August 2022, near Avdiivka of Donetsk Oblast, Vitalii’s life changed forever. A mine-blast caused severe trauma and a skull fractured on both sides. The prognosis was grim – doctors gave no chance for survival.

“The scariest was when he got injured, how his head was broken, how bad he felt,” Serhii recalls, his voice heavy with emotion. “When they transferred him to Chernihiv, he was hopeless. But I held on. I knew that everything should be good.”

Vitalii couldn’t move, speak, eat, or respond to his surroundings. He underwent three operations on his head in different hospitals across Ukraine – Dnipro, Kyiv, and Chernihiv. Doctors removed sections of his skull to allow his injured brain room to heal, placing him on tube feeding while his father watched, waiting for any sign of awareness.

“He didn’t even blink his eyes, he looked down and that’s it,” recalls volunteer Iryna Tymofieieva in 2023, who witnessed those darkest days. “In Kyiv, he was on tube feeding, and then our doctors stabilized him.”

For almost two years, Vitalii remained paralyzed and bedridden, his powerful frame reduced to stillness, his voice silenced. In those long months, his father was absent from his son’s side for only two days – when he himself was hospitalized with respiratory illness.

Father’s love works miracles

Five months after the injury, while in Chernihiv, came the first miraculous sign. Serhii had developed a routine of reading letters from well-wishers and books about local history to his seemingly unresponsive son, talking to him constantly, believing somehow that love could reach through the darkness.

“I realized that he hears, that he understands that they are reading to him,” Iryna remembers the breakthrough moment. “At some point he was touched and tears came from Vitalik. From that moment, he began to blink his eyes, then his eyes began to look left and right.”

These tears became the foundation of a new language between father and son. Serhii learned to read every minimal movement, every expression.

“By his eyes I can see when he wants water. When he needs to be changed, he starts making some movements – that’s enough. I already hear what needs to be done.”

Without medical training, the father learned to provide round-the-clock care, performing procedures himself and supporting medical professionals.

He feeds Vitalii, massages his limbs, reads to him, plays harmonica, and maintains constant conversation. All while also worrying about his older son Roman, who continues to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“My older son also serves in the Ukrainian military, defending Ukraine. Sometimes he doesn’t call for two or three days, though usually he calls constantly: ‘Dad, Dad, everything is fine with me.’ But I can hear from his voice whether it’s fine or not,” he shares.

Sometimes Roman manages to find time off his military duty and visits the rehabilitation center to see his brother.

Serhii beams as he watches his two sons finally talk again – something they had waited for so desperately long. Vitalii peppers Roman with questions about family, asks eagerly about his nephew, remembers old friends, and his humor flows naturally. These conversations that once seemed impossible now fill the room with warmth and hope.

A remarkable breakthrough: first words after serious injury

In March 2023, Vitalii and his father traveled to Barcelona, Spain, for specialized treatment. The Ukrainian football club Shakhtar stepped in to cover expenses for the operation and rehabilitation. There, surgeons installed plates to protect Vitalii’s brain and removed remaining blood clots.

For seven months, father and son lived together in a foreign country, Serhii learning medical procedures, providing round-the-clock care, and never losing faith.

The defining moment of their time in Spain came unexpectedly. Serhii bent down to his son’s face and asked, “Do you know who I am?”

After a pause, Vitalii responded: “Papa.” [father]

“I got goosebumps,” Serhii remembers. “Then I asked – what should I give you: water or juice? He said – juice. I quickly poured it for him.”

These first words gave way to more communication, but progress faced a serious setback when Vitalii suffered an epileptic seizure in late summer 2023. His condition regressed to what it had been immediately after surgery, devastating his father but not diminishing his determination.

“I will never get on my knees. Never. Not in front of the Russians who came to us,” says Serhii. “I can only kneel in church and in the garden near the flower beds. I will crawl, but I will get him on his feet. This is my dream!”

Progress that inspires and gives hope 

In November 2023, father and son returned to Ukraine, continuing rehabilitation at the specialized Modrychi center in western Lviv Oblast. There, Vitalii began an intensive program – more than five hours daily of various therapies with physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech specialists.

“At this stage, we spend a lot of time in a vertical position,” explains his physical therapist Mykola Nadych. “We stretch Vitalii, keep his joints in tone, and provoke him to do something: say something, show something.”

Serhii remained constantly at his side, living at the center, hanging photos of Vitalii before his injury and military chevrons from Spanish soldiers above the bed as reminders of how far they had come.

By early 2025, Vitalii’s progress accelerated dramatically. He began speaking not just in short phrases but in complete sentences. His cognitive abilities improved significantly – he could identify his location in Lviv Oblast and remembered his home address. He began commenting on television programs and politics. His memory includes much of his pre-injury life, with gaps only around the time of injury and his coma in Kyiv and Chernihiv.

“He started talking and controlling his head more, showing various emotions, such as, laughter, crying, and sadness. It’s the achievement of the occupational therapist and the speech therapist, we work as a team. The father also communicates a lot, tells stories – this makes a significant contribution to the result,” says physical therapist Mykola Nadych.

His physical progress is equally remarkable. Vitalii strengthened his shoulder girdle muscles and cervical spine, learning to hold his head independently. He tenses and makes movements with his arms and legs, learns to hold a spoon and eat independently.

One of the most emotionally significant moments came when Vitalii’s recovering memory led him to ask about his absent mother.

“About two weeks ago we were having lunch and he said to me: ‘Dad, can I ask a question?'” Serhii recounts. “I said: ‘Yes.’ And he asked: ‘Tell me, has Mom probably died, since Mom doesn’t call, doesn’t visit, I haven’t heard Mom’s voice for a long time.'”

Having hidden this painful truth throughout his son’s recovery, Serhii finally confirmed that Vitalii’s mother had indeed passed away. Though the news brought tears, Serhii comforts his son by telling him, “Mom is in heaven, Mom sees us, prays for us, and wants everything to be good for us.” He then turns to journalists saying “Mom is not here so I must be with him.”

Sadly, it’s been discovered that Vitalii has practically gone blind – his vision will be studied further to understand if there’s a chance for recovery. Ahead also lies leg surgery to remove contractures from his feet, which will help him sit better in a wheelchair, verticalize, and eventually try to take steps and learn to walk again.

But his transformation from an unresponsive patient given no chance of survival to an engaged, communicative person with improving physical abilities represents an extraordinary testament to medical care, rehabilitation, and above all, unwavering familial support.

This story of recovery inspired others at the rehabilitation center and outside its borders. Recently, American and French filmmakers visited Modrychi to document Vitalii’s journey for a film about Ukrainians who refused to surrender.

For Serhii, whose life has been entirely dedicated to his son’s recovery for nearly three years, the ultimate goal remains clear:

“I think a little more and we will get up. I assure you, we will achieve our goal. And we will go home healthy.”

A young couple planning to marry died in their home when a Russian missile struck their apartment building in Lutsk, burying them under the rubble.

Russian forces deployed six missiles and 15 Shahed drones against the city of Lutsk in western Ukraine. The strikes resulted in 30 people sustaining injuries, while the targeted eight-story residential building experienced partial destruction.

Mykola and Ivanna lived on the eighth floor but were found dead in the basement after the structure collapsed suffering direct impact from the strike. 

“Their car is parked next to the building, but they are not responding. We hoped for a miracle… But unfortunately, they were killed by Russian terrorists,” said Roman Kravchuk, a deputy on the Lutsk City Council.

Emergency responders found Mykola’s body on 6 June, while Ivanna’s remains were located at 4:15 a.m. the following day.

The large-scale attack on 6 June targeted also Kyiv, Ternopil, Lviv, and several other Ukrainian cities with a massive barrage of over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles, including cruise and ballistic types. The assault resulted in six people killed and around 80 injured alongside widespread destruction of residential buildings, infrastructure, and energy facilities.

Ukrainian refugees — a 46-year-old mother Lilia and her six-year-old daughter Anna  — were found dead with stab wounds after a deliberately set fire at their home in Haasrode, Belgium. The Leuven prosecutor’s office has opened a double murder investigation.

Emergency services responded to the blaze at approximately 9:30 a.m. on 6 June at a former rectory-turned shelter for refugees on Milsestraat. Firefighters brought the fire under control by 10:20 a.m. but discovered two bodies during their search of the first-floor apartment, according to VRT, Sudinfo, and La Libre.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while paramedics attempted to resuscitate the child before she died from her injuries. Both victims had sustained stab wounds across their bodies, the prosecutor’s office confirmed Friday evening.

Fire experts determined the blaze was intentionally set, leading prosecutors to launch a formal investigation into double homicide. An autopsy is scheduled for 10 June to determine the exact cause of death.

The family had lived in Belgium for three years after fleeing Ukraine due to the war. The woman’s husband remains fighting on the front lines in Ukraine, while their 16-year-old son was at school during the incident and is now receiving care from authorities.

The building where the family lived is owned by the local church but rented by the Oud-Heverlee municipality to house Ukrainian refugees.

Acting mayor Francis Van Biesbroeck expressed the community’s grief, stating that “the death of a young child affects an entire community, and certainly also the school.” He praised the rapid response of emergency services and support staff.

Father Mykola Paliukh of the Leuven parish described the incident as “a tragedy,” noting how the family had “fled Ukraine because of the war and hoping to build a better life” before being “struck by such a tragedy.”

The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and arson attack.

The foreign affairs committees of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania released a unified statement declaring comprehensive support for Ukraine’s integration into NATO and the European Union, while reaffirming their commitment to Ukraine’s victory against Russian aggression.

The committees stated that Ukraine’s victory over Russian aggression and its NATO membership “would consolidate a just and lasting peace not only in Ukraine but also in all of Europe and help to preserve the rules-based international order globally.” They argued that NATO membership would provide “a more effective and enduring framework for safeguarding Euro-Atlantic security.”

The statement emerged from a meeting held in Birstonas, Lithuania on 6 June, according to Žygimantas Paviljonis, head of the Lithuanian parliament’s foreign affairs committee. The three Baltic nations outlined five specific commitments regarding Ukraine’s future security and political alignment.

Five Key Commitments:

• Support Ukraine until its full victory, including liberation of all temporarily occupied territories, accountability for war crimes, and full implementation of international justice
• Support Ukraine’s EU membership with the goal of concluding accession negotiations and welcoming Ukraine as a full member by 1 January 2030
• Support Ukraine’s path toward NATO membership and call on the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague to take concrete political steps for Ukraine’s accession
• Welcome growing defense cooperation between Ukraine and partners and encourage Ukraine’s invitation to join the Joint Expeditionary Force as “a meaningful step towards deeper regional security integration”
• Continue diplomatic efforts to isolate Russia and its supporters, expand sanctions regimes, and ensure full legal and political accountability for crimes against Ukraine

The Baltic committees urged other national parliaments, international assemblies, and governments to endorse their position and take corresponding actions supporting Ukraine’s integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions.

Earlier media reports citing Finnish intelligence sources revealed that Russia was actively maintaining and updating plans for a potential multi-front offensive against NATO’s eastern flank, including Finland, Norway, and the Baltic states.

Intelligence sources warned that a Russian attack is considered inevitable rather than a possibility, with Russia willing to accept massive casualties and likely to use missile strikes on civilian targets, mirroring tactics seen in Ukraine.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that without “eliminating the root causes of the conflict” Moscow will not permit Ukrainian forces to use any potential pause in fighting for “rest and regrouping.”

“It is necessary to exclude any possibility for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to take advantage of a pause for respite and regrouping of forces,” Ryabkov stated in an interview with Russian state-funded TASS.

The Russian official said this position has been consistent since Putin outlined it to Foreign Ministry leadership nearly a year ago. Ryabkov argued that Washington is well aware of Moscow’s stance and that sanctions threats will not alter Russia’s position.

He criticized what he termed “hotheads who have lost the remnants of common sense in the US Senate” for not acknowledging this reality.

Despite expressing openness to negotiations, Ryabkov set conditions for talks.

“We are open to honest negotiations based on consideration of Russian interests and mutual respect, but we are not deluding ourselves,” he said, adding that Russia will continue efforts to achieve what it calls the goals of its “special military operation.”

Ryabkov said Russia expressed gratitude for US support in resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which Moscow claims were interrupted by Ukraine in 2022. 

The Institute for the Study of War warned earlier that peace terms modeled on 2022 proposals would amount to Ukraine’s capitulation, as Russia seeks to weaken Ukraine militarily and diplomatically to eventually destroy its statehood, seize resources, and use its population for further aggression.

Ryabkov also indicated that Russia views the return of Donald Trump to the White House as grounds for cautious optimism regarding potential normalization of US-Russia relations. He confirmed that the two presidents have held four telephone conversations since Trump’s inauguration.

This statement follows earlier comments by Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, who said that Russia seeks the “complete destruction” of Ukraine, signaling a lack of genuine interest in peace negotiations despite recent talks in Istanbul.

Militarily, Russia is expanding its capabilities, stockpiling over 13,000 missiles and increasing drone production, preparing for a prolonged war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly disputed Donald Trump’s recent characterization of the war between Russia and Ukraine as “two kids fighting in a park.”

Zelenskyy emphasized that Putin is “a murderer who came to this park to kill the kids.” According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Russia killed 631 Ukrainian children since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

“We are not kids with Putin at the playground in the park. He [Putin] is a murderer who came to this park to kill the kids,” Zelenskyy said in an exclusive interview with ABC News.

The Ukrainian president argued that Trump cannot fully comprehend the suffering experienced by Ukrainians.

Zelenskyy illustrated this point by describing a conversation with a Ukrainian father who lost his wife and three children in a missile strike. The man told Zelenskyy that every morning upon waking, he searches for his family throughout his apartment, still believing their deaths were a nightmare.

“He wasn’t mentioning any statistics or figures and numbers of strikes,” Zelenskyy said, describing how the father’s words differed from official discussions of casualties.

“He just said, ‘Every morning when I wake up, I’m just looking for my family — I’m looking everywhere in the flat … I still feel that it was a nightmare … a bad dream,'” Zelenskyy shared.

While the president did not specify the family name or what city they were from, he might be referring to the Bazylevych family tragedy which occurred on 4 September 2024, when a Russian hypersonic missile struck their home in Lviv.

Yevheniia Bazylevych and her three daughters—Yaryna (21), a program manager for Lviv’s European Youth Capital 2025 office; Daryna (18), a university student active in cultural studies and volunteering; and Emilia (7), the youngest—were killed in the attack. Their father, Yaroslav Bazylevych, was injured but survived the strike.

Trump “could not feel fully and understand this pain,” Zelenskyy stated, while clarifying that this limitation applies to anyone located thousands of miles away from the conflict.

US President Donald Trump argued that Ukraine’s recent Spiderweb drone operation against Russian airfields gave Russia justification for its retaliatory strike on civilians.

“They gave the reason to go and bomb the hell out of them last night. That’s the thing I didn’t like about it. When I saw it, I said “Here we go, now it’s going to be a strike,” Trump said to journalists. 

Trump’s comments came after he held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 4 June that lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes. During that call, Putin warned that Russia would retaliate for a recent “Spiderweb” drone operation, according to Trump’s account.

Russia’s Defense Ministry also subsequently characterized its bombardment of Ukraine as retaliation for the Ukrainian airfield operation.

On the night of 6-7 June, Russian forces conducted an extensive overnight assault on Ukraine, deploying 215 weapons, with the most extensive damage caused in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv.

The attack resulted in three civilian deaths and 21 injuries, including an infant and teenage girl.

The nationwide assault combined 206 Shahed strike drones and decoy unmanned aircraft with ballistic and cruise missiles, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Russian forces also fired two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, six X-59/69 guided air missiles, and one Iskander-K cruise missile in the coordinated attack.

Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted the majority of incoming threats, destroying 87 drones through direct fire and neutralizing another 80 through electronic warfare systems or locational suppression. Defense forces also shot down all six guided missiles and the cruise missile.

The assault’s most devastating impact occurred in Kharkiv, where Russian forces killed three civilians and wounded 21 others, including a month-and-a-half-old infant and 14-year-old girl.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov characterized the bombardment as “the most extensive attack during the entire full-scale war,” with Russian forces deploying missiles, Shahed drones, and guided aerial bombs simultaneously against multiple city districts. The attack lasted approximately 90 minutes and produced at least 40 explosions across Kharkiv. 

In the Kyivskyi district, a Russian drone struck a civilian enterprise where people may remain trapped under debris, while also hitting a private residence and a higher education facility.

The Osnovianskyi district suffered a direct hit on a residential high-rise building, causing fires on floors six through nine and trapping residents under rubble. Emergency responders successfully extracted one woman alive from the collapsed building debris, and she is receiving medical assistance.

The strikes on Kharkiv damaged two apartment buildings, two private houses, two enterprises, two vehicles, an administrative building, and a children’s music school.

When Yulia Navalnaya accepted the 2023 Oscar for the film about her husband — Putin’s chief political rival then jailed in Russia — she never mentioned Ukraine: the country bombed daily by the regime they allegedly opposed.

Navalny was the “good Russian” — outspoken, dead in unjust captivity under strange circumstances — and highly controversial for Ukrainians who remembered his words: Crimea would remain part of Russia. In his agenda, the war was “Putin’s aggression”—not centuries of Russian imperialism.

The echo repeated two years later, when Anora — a saga about the affair between a sex worker and the son of a Russian oligarch — swept five Oscars, including Best Picture. Months before, Russian actors on stage, including Yuri Borisov, who starred in Kremlin propaganda films and visited occupied Crimea, were showered with standing ovations at Cannes.

Since 2022, Ukraine’s war has extended beyond the battlefield, capturing the world’s attention. In reality, some of its deadliest frontlines run along Eurovision contests, literary classics readings, and opera performances — all viable tools of Russian soft power and imperial messaging.

And here is the uncomfortable truth: Western audiences can’t spot the difference between Russian dissidents and Russian imperialists. Ukrainians can — and they’re tired of explaining why it matters.

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“Any conversation about Ukraine quickly turns into a conversation about Russia’s problems”

In 2022, Olha Rudenko, editor of The Kyiv Independent, sparked this discussion in her social media post criticizing Western roundtables and discussions about Ukraine for routinely inviting “good” Russians, arguing that this practice leads to the Ukrainian narrative being overshadowed or hijacked by Russian voices, even when the topic is Ukraine’s reconstruction or the war itself.

According to Rudenko, mixing Russian and Ukrainian narratives in these forums is not only wrong but deeply inappropriate because the war is fundamentally about Ukraine’s sovereignty and identity, which Ukrainians are defending at great cost.

“It is important for our future that Russia is reborn into something normal. But that doesn’t mean that every conversation about Ukraine [should be] a conversation about Russia,” Rudenko wrote. “Such mixing is a shameful and humiliating practice that directly follows both old Soviet and more recent Kremlin narratives.”

She also criticizes Russian liberals and independent media for lacking responsibility and self-reflection about their society’s support for the war, describing them as seeing themselves as “hero victims” rather than confronting their complicity.

For example, just recently this year, the Russian opposition outlet Meduza launched a promo campaign in several European cities — including Berlin, London, Paris, and Helsinki — featuring photos of Ukrainian civilian casualties and war victims.

The backlash came fast — Meduza plastered Europe with the images of Ukrainians killed by Russia to advertise their own struggles as exiled journalists. Critics called it exploitative, and the campaign was later terminated.

“When 70+ percent of society supports the killing of civilians and a war of aggression, they are not victims, they are potential killers,” Rudenko believes. “In 30 years, Russian society has not created values to fill this void, and so it is filled by Solovyev and Simonyan [top propagandists].”

The vicious cycle behind the West’s obsession with “good Russians”

A panel discussion titled “Exiled but Accountable: The Ukrainian Answer to the ‘Non-Putin Russians’ Dilemma” revealed how Ukrainian analysts understand Western confusion through a simple psychological framework that governs human relationships.

When you watch Western media coverage of the war, you might notice something puzzling: stories about Ukrainian suffering often appear alongside sympathetic portraits of Russian opposition figures. Both groups compete for your attention as victims of Putin’s regime. This isn’t accidental — it follows a predictable psychological pattern.

The triangle that traps Western thinking

Executive Director of the Institute of Post-Information Society and Ukraine’s former Deputy Minister of Information Policy Dmytro Zolotukhin explains this through the Karpman Drama Triangle — a psychological model that reveals how dysfunctional relationships actually work.

The Karpman Drama Triangle, developed by psychiatrist Stephen B. Karpman in 1968, maps three shifting roles that people unconsciously adopt: victim, abuser, and savior.

In this dynamic, Ukrainians consistently appeal to Western audiences from the victim position, sending the message that “we are victims who need saving.”

Western governments and institutions respond by adopting the savior role, expressing belief in Ukrainian victimhood and promising to help mediate between Ukrainians and their Russian “abusers.”

However, the triangle becomes complicated when Russian opposition figures enter the equation. These individuals compete with Ukrainians for victim status, claiming they too suffer under Putin’s regime. This competition splits Western attention and resources between two competing victim narratives.

“They compete with Ukrainians for the attention of Western saviors and for resources like the National Endowment for Democracy budget, which has significant funding for Russian democracy activities,” Zolotukhin said.

Breaking free from the victim trap

Zolotukhin’s solution involves Ukrainian withdrawal from the victim position entirely, emphasizing that Ukrainians have already demonstrated remarkable resilience and democratic functionality even while under military attack.

“We’ve shown how to stop being victims several times in our history,” he argued.

The numbers support his point. Since Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine has conducted multiple free and fair elections under wartime conditions — something few democracies have managed historically. This track record positions Ukraine not as a victim seeking rescue, but as a democracy offering lessons in resilience.

Why “good Russians” is the wrong question entirely

Another expert at the discussion panel, Valerii Pekar — who heads an NGO focused on Russia’s decolonization — challenged the way the West often frames conversations about Russians in moral terms, such as “good” or “bad.” Instead, he proposed a strategic lens better suited to Ukraine’s wartime reality.

“We don’t primarily want Russian responsibility — we want sustainable peace,” Pekar stated.

He argued that instead of judging Russians based on their personal ethics or opinions, Ukraine should assess them based on whether their actions are helpful or unhelpful to Ukraine’s goals — specifically, achieving a sustainable peace and eventual victory over Russian aggression.

“The key issue isn’t responsibility — it’s whether Russians are imperialist or not,” he said. “From this perspective, asking who possesses Crimea isn’t enough; I also ask who possesses Kazan and Baikal [colonized territories within present-day Russia.]”

The centuries-long problem Putin didn’t create

This reframes the entire conflict. Western policymakers often frame the war as Putin’s personal project, suggesting that regime change could resolve the underlying issues. Ukrainians, in turn, increasingly view it as the latest manifestation of centuries-old Russian imperialism that will persist regardless of who leads Russia.

This historical perspective suggests that Russian imperial structures are inherently unstable and that Ukrainian strategy should focus on facilitating controlled dissolution rather than attempting to reform the system.

“What we need is not a chaotic collapse, it’s a managed collapse,” Pekar explained. “And those who help us to do this manageable, those are “good” Russians — or not Russians.”

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Ukraine’s new playbook: Presence without confrontation

Pekar’s analysis leads to specific tactical recommendations that flip conventional wisdom about Ukrainian international engagement.

First, Ukrainians must maintain presence at any platform where Russians engage with Western, Eastern, or Southern audiences. However, the purpose should not be argumentation but strategic positioning.

“We must be present at any platform where Russians are, whether good Russians or bad Russians,” he stated.

The second principle is to avoid direct confrontation:

“Don’t argue with them. We are there not to argue with them. We are there to promote our vision and to tell our narrative not from the victim position, not from the abuser position, but from the strategic position.”

Speaking Trump’s language: security over sympathy

This tactical shift becomes especially crucial with the new US administration. Trump’s “America First” approach values tangible benefits to US security, economy, or geopolitical influence over abstract moral arguments.

Pekar suggests framing discussions around concrete national security interests — defense capabilities, regional stability, strategic advantages — rather than appeals to democracy, human rights, or moral righteousness.

The logic is simple: when your audience prioritizes practical outcomes over moral positions, your messaging must adapt accordingly. Ukrainian survival depends on speaking the language your allies actually understand.

When individual courage meets imperial reality

While the problem with “good” Russians exists within a broader context of centuries-old Russian imperialism, some experts emphasize individual responsibility regardless of nationality.

Oleksandra Romantsova, CEO of the Center for Civil Liberties and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, knows this tension firsthand. She received the Nobel Prize alongside Russian activists for documenting war crimes and human rights violations throughout the invasion.

Romantsova works with thousands of human rights defenders who have Russian citizenship or connections.

“Some still hold Russian citizenship; others were forced to leave the country or change their citizenship,” she said. “These 2,000 people have been helping Ukrainians throughout all eleven years of this war.”

The 2,000 who chose differently

She acknowledged that these human rights defenders with Russian connections have helped document war crimes and assist Ukrainians since 2014, often at personal risk.

This collaboration has continued despite increasing repression within Russia, with some participants facing imprisonment for their activities.

“Some have gone to jail because they feel it’s the only way to express their political position,” she observed.

However, these 2,000 individuals represent a statistical anomaly within Russia’s 144 million citizens — people who chose to document their own government’s crimes rather than remain silent. Their work provides crucial evidence for international courts, yet their extreme rarity underscores how deeply imperial thinking has penetrated Russian society.

The accountability exam most Russians fail

Romantsova emphasized that this doesn’t translate into blanket forgiveness. When encountering Russians, Romantsova applies a systematic four-point assessment that moves beyond symbolic opposition to examine concrete actions and future commitments:

1. War Opposition and Victory Support: “Are they against the war? What’s their position on Ukrainian victory?”

2. Concrete Action Beyond Symbolism: “Are they taking real action beyond posting black squares on Instagram? Are they participating in grassroots initiatives?”

3. Post-War Financial Responsibility: “Are they prepared to be citizens who will pay taxes for reconstruction and compensation mechanisms for Ukraine?”

4. Recognition and Action on Partial Responsibility: “Do they recognize their partial responsibility and act on it?”

This framework allows Romantsova to distinguish between individuals acting autonomously and those functioning as components of the Russian state system. Her analysis helps determine whether specific Russians offer genuine alternatives to imperial policies or merely represent different tactics for achieving similar ends.

The distinction matters because many Russians who publicly oppose the war still fail her test — unwilling to support Ukrainian victory, pay for reconstruction, or acknowledge their role in enabling the system that made the war possible. They want credit for opposition without accepting responsibility for solutions.

What Ukraine’s verdict means for the Western strategy

The debate over “good Russians” reveals a fundamental split about what the war is really about and how it should end.

Western institutions keep looking for “reasonable” Russians to work with after the war. Ukrainians increasingly believe the problem goes deeper than Putin — that Russian imperial thinking will outlast any regime change.

Polish authorities launched an investigation into anti-aircraft weapons and ammunition found abandoned at an airport hangar near the Polish-Ukrainian border. The weapons belonged to a private company that was contracted to deliver the systems to Ukraine but failed to complete the transport for unclear reasons.

TV Republika first reported the discovery of the mysterious containers at the Laszki aeroclub site before the Przemyśl district prosecutor’s office dispatched Central Bureau of Police Investigation officers to the location, where they confirmed the presence of anti-aircraft weapons. Prosecutors have since opened a criminal case examining a private company’s mishandling of military equipment and ammunition, according to RMF24.

Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesman for the minister coordinating special services, confirmed the weapons were anti-aircraft systems described as “a kind of launcher.” Dobrzyński stated that “the warehouse was not supervised, which is a scandal,” emphasizing that such weapons require proper storage and supervision.

The Polish Ministry of Defense issued a statement clarifying that the containers with ammunition and weapons “are NOT the property of the Polish Army.” 

Now investigators are conducting activities to determine the weapons’ source and intended recipient, with assistance from experts at the Military Institute of Armament Technology.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) published video documentation of a large-scale Spiderweb drone operation that targeted Russian strategic airbases.

The released footage shows FPV drone attacks on Russian airfields at Olenya, Ivanovo, Dyagilevo, and Belaya, some as far as 2000 km or 4000 km from the frontline. The SBU identified these locations as bases for Russia’s strategic aviation units that conduct regular strikes on Ukrainian civilian areas, the SBU reported.

The operation resulted in strikes against 41 Russian military aircraft, including A-50 early warning planes, Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, Tu-22 medium-range bombers, along with An-12 transport aircraft and Il-78 tankers.

The SBU stated that many of the struck aircraft were destroyed beyond repair, while others will require extended reconstruction periods.

The operation employed advanced drone control systems that combined artificial intelligence with human operators. When drones lost communication signals, they switched to autonomous mode using pre-programmed flight paths and AI algorithms. The warheads activated automatically upon reaching designated targets, according to the technical description provided.

The SBU estimated the total value of damaged equipment at over $7 billion. President Volodymyr Zelensky personally oversaw the mission’s execution, while SBU Head Vasyl Maliuk led the operational implementation.

President Zelenskyy described the Spider Web mission deep inside Russia as “restoration of justice” and a step toward “coercion to real peace.” On 4 June, he awarded Security Service personnel who carried out the special operation.

“The war is now inflicting tangible losses and damage on the aggressor as well,” he wrote.

President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, that lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform.

According to the US president, they discussed Ukraine’s recent surprise operation targeting Russian aircraft “as well as various other attacks happening on both sides.”

“It was a good conversation, but not the conversation that will lead to immediate peace. President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,” Trump stated.

The New York Times previously reported that American officials expect Russia to deliver a “significant response” to Ukraine over these strikes.

While US intelligence has not yet determined specific targets for potential retaliation, they believe Moscow may conduct more massive drone strikes on civilian targets, hit energy infrastructure, or launch new waves of medium-range ballistic missiles.

The leaders also addressed Iran and what Trump described as a nuclear agreement he proposed to Tehran.

“I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe we were in agreement. President Putin suggested that he will participate in discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion,” the American president added.

Ukraine and Russia are preparing to conduct a significant prisoner exchange on 7-8 June, with Russia indicating it can transfer 500 Ukrainian military personnel as part of a larger agreement, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced during a press briefing on 4 June.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia committed to exchanging 500 prisoners from a previously agreed total of 1,000, with Ukraine prepared to provide an equivalent number in return, Suspilne reports.

Meanwhile, Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky confirmed to the Kremlin that Russia expects the exchange to follow a “1200 for 1200” format beginning 7 June.

A notable change from previous negotiations involves the advance provision of prisoner lists. Unlike the May talks in Istanbul, both sides have now agreed to share these lists beforehand, though Ukraine has yet to receive them.

“The Russians gave their word that they would give us the lists in advance of who we are exchanging, this is important for us,” Zelenskyy stated.

This comes as reports emerged revealing that Russia manipulated the prisoner exchanges by sending mostly former prisoners convicted of non-war-related crimes who had been indefinitely detained in Russian deportation centers rather than captured Ukrainian soldiers or civilian activists.

The sides also committed to exchanging all severely wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war, plus all military personnel aged 18-25, focusing on prisoner categories rather than numerical equivalents. 

Beyond prisoner exchanges, the sides have established protocols for returning deceased soldiers’ remains. Zelenskyy explained that both Ukrainian and Russian documentation indicates only 15-20% of recovered bodies have been properly identified. The president emphasized the importance of accurate identification procedures, noting that body exchanges will commence after prisoner transfers are completed.

The most recent large-scale prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia happened from 23 to 25 May involving about 1,000 prisoners from each side.

Since March 2022, Ukraine has secured the release of 5,757 citizens through prisoner exchanges, with an additional 536 Ukrainians returned through other means.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal compared Ukraine’s recent long-range drone attacks against Russian air bases to the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, Politico reports.

The Democratic senator from Connecticut Richard Blumenthal called the Spiderweb operation one of the great military achievements in recent years, according to Politico.

Blumenthal believes it refutes the “false narrative that Ukraine is losing the war.” He suggested the recent battlefield developments could influence Washington’s approach to Ukraine aid and potentially sway President Donald Trump, who the senator noted remains skeptical of increased support.

“They can strike air bases 4,000 miles from Ukraine; They can hit anywhere,” Blumenthal said. “Just in the skill and audacity of these attacks, it will rank with the United States raid on Osama bin Laden and the Israeli pager operation as one of the great military achievements in recent years.”

The White House has not commented on the Ukrainian strikes, though spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt previously emphasized that Trump was not informed about the operation in advance.

On 4 June, Blumenthal organized a closed-door briefing for senators alongside Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to discuss their sweeping sanctions bill targeting Russia and major energy customers including China and India. The Ukrainian delegation included Andriy Yermak, a top adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Deputy Defense Minister Serhii Boyev.

The bipartisan legislation, which now has 82 co-sponsors evenly divided between parties, proposes 500% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil and other products. Blumenthal described the sanctions package as potentially a “game changer” designed to increase pressure on Russia’s wartime economy.

The senator indicated Congress could move forward with the sanctions bill regardless of White House support, stating that events on the battlefield might shift momentum among lawmakers previously hesitant to increase aid to Ukraine.

Kremlin officials publicly stated that Russia seeks the “complete destruction” of Ukraine, signaling Moscow’s lack of interest in genuine peace negotiations, according to recent statements analyzed by the Institute for the Study of War.

Russia’s Istanbul memorandum reflects the Kremlin’s public demands for Ukraine to make significant territorial and political concessions while Russia offers no concessions of its own.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev claimed on 3 June that Russia needs negotiations in Istanbul to result in Russia’s “swift victory [in Ukraine] and the complete destruction” of the Ukrainian government rather than a “compromise[d] peace on someone else’s delusional terms,” the ISW reports.

Medvedev stated that Russia’s 2 June Istanbul memorandum aligned with these objectives and threatened that Russia will “explode” everything and “disappear” anyone who opposes Russia in response to recent Ukrainian drone strikes.

The operation Spider Web on 1 June involved over 100 Ukrainian drones, covertly transported into Russia hidden in trucks, which targeted Russian strategic airbases destroying or damaging 41 long-range bombers used for attacks on Ukraine.

The ISW assesses that Russian officials have engaged with the United States in bilateral meetings as part of ongoing US mediation efforts, but have yet to demonstrate willingness to compromise on their long-standing demands.

Russia remains committed to pursuing demands that amount to nothing short of Ukraine’s full capitulation and will continue this objective as long as Putin believes Russia can militarily defeat Ukraine.

Simultaneously, Russia continues expanding its military capabilities against Ukraine, with reports by Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate showing that Russian forces had stockpiled over 13,000 ballistic, cruise, and other missiles as of mid-May 2025.

The stockpile includes almost 600 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, over 100 Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles, almost 300 Kh-101 cruise missiles, over 400 Kalibr cruise missiles, up to 300 Kh-22/32 cruise missiles, about 700 Oniks cruise missiles and Zirkon anti-ship missiles, about 60 North Korean-produced KN-23 ballistic missiles, and approximately 11,000 S-300/400 air defense missiles.

The intelligence directorate estimated that Russia can produce roughly 150-200 missiles per month. The ISW concludes that Russian efforts to increase domestic drone and missile production and ongoing adaptation of strike packages are likely part of preparations for a prolonged war in Ukraine and possibly a future conflict against NATO.

In May 2025, the ISW also reported that Russia increased production of Shahed drones from about 100 to a planned 500 per day, and upgrading drone technologies with AI and improved navigation to evade Ukrainian defenses.

Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister and former UN representative Serhii Kyslytsia publicly criticized the United Nations General Assembly’s recent decision to establish an International Day of the Horse, questioning the organization’s priorities amid global challenges.

According to Kyslytsia, who posted his criticism on social media platform X, the UN’s focus on such initiatives demonstrates a disconnect from pressing international issues.

He referenced Ukrainian author Mykhailo Kotsyubynsky’s literary work “Horses are not to blame,” noting that the phrase represents “hypocritical unwillingness to see the real culprits, to remove blame from the guilty.”

The Ukrainian diplomat drew a sharp contrast between the horse initiative and the resistance Ukraine faced when attempting to establish a Day against Disinformation over several years, with the UN officials claiming there were already enough such commemorative days.

“I recall what resistance the Ukrainian delegation faced when it tried for several years to advance the initiative to establish a Day against Disinformation,” Kyslytsia stated.

Despite this previous opposition, Kyslytsia noted that “an endless stream of flora and fauna days rushes through the thickets,” suggesting the UN continues to approve nature-related observances while rejecting what Ukraine considers more urgent initiatives as the country fights Russia on the front line and in the information space. 

The resolution for the International Day of Horses was proposed by Mongolia. Kyslytsia pointed to what he characterized as inconsistency in Mongolia’s international legal obligations, noting that the country failed to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin during his September 2024 visit, despite having ratified the Rome Statute which would have required such action.

While Mongolia has not actively supported Russia’s full-scale invasion, it has also refrained from condemning Russia at the United Nations, reflecting a policy of neutrality in the conflict. The country imports 95% of its petroleum products and over 20% of its electricity from Russia, making it heavily dependent on its northern neighbor for energy.

Mongolia is also geographically sandwiched between Russia and China and has close historical and economic ties with Russia, including a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

In response to the horse day resolution, Kyslytsia announced he would recommend that Foreign Ministry departments handling UN affairs “clarify our approaches to supporting similar initiatives in the future.” He expressed concern about reinforcing the UN’s image as an “organization irrelevant to its primary mandate.” Only the US voted against the horse resolution.

Russian military forces increased their offensive operations by 19% in May compared to April, according to data from DeepState, a Ukrainian open-source project that tracks real-time military operations.

Data from DeepStateUA shows that Russian forces carried out an average of 183.6 assaults per day in May. In contrast, April saw a daily average of 154.8. 

In April, Russian troops exceeded 190 assaults per day only twice. However, in May this threshold was crossed on thirteen separate days. The single most intense day came on 4 May, when Russian forces launched 269 assault actions.

However, the increased attack frequency contrasts with declining territorial gains and high casualty rates. The Institute for the Study of War estimates Russian territorial advances dropped from approximately 627 square kilometers in November 2024 to roughly 203 square kilometers in March 2025.

The ISW assesses that Russia lacks sufficient manpower and resources amid growing personnel losses and a deepening recruitment crisis for a successful large-scale offensive operation in Sumy.

Nevertheless, Russian troops continue their advance, increasing their use of small, mobile assault groups on motorcycles and quadbikes to evade Ukrainian drone strikes.

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow is amassing over 50,000 troops near Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast, where Russia reportedly intends to establish a 10-kilometer “buffer zone” inside Ukrainian territory along the border with Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

At the end of May, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi also reported that Russian army activity significantly increased on the Zaporizhzhia direction, where active offensive operations are underway.

At current territorial gain rates and casualty levels, the Institute for the Study of War estimated it would take over 80 years for Russia to capture remaining Ukrainian territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered congratulations to Poland’s newly elected president Karol Nawrocki, despite the incoming leader’s previous statements questioning Ukraine’s path to NATO and EU membership over unresolved historical grievances.

Nawrocki secured victory in Poland’s presidential runoff with 50.89% of the vote, narrowly defeating opponent Rafał Trzaskowski who received 49.11% support.

Zelenskyy described Poland as “a pillar of regional and European security and a strong voice defending freedom and dignity for every nation” in a message posted on social media platform X.

The Ukrainian leader expressed expectations for continued cooperation, stating that mutual strengthening between the countries would “give more power to Europe in global competition.”

Who is new Poland’s president?

Nawrocki is a first-time politician who has led two influential cultural bodies in Poland – the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk, and then the Institute of National Remembrance, where he has overseen the removal of Soviet-era monuments and conducted extensive research into the Volhynian tragedy of the 1940s. Nawrocki also controversially referred to Ukraine’s Eastern Galicia region as “Lesser Poland.”

During his campaign, Nawrocki argued that Ukraine should not join NATO or the European Union until it addresses what he characterized as crimes committed in Volhynia during World War II. The region saw mass killings of Polish civilians by Ukrainian nationalist forces between 1943-1944, an event that remains a sensitive diplomatic issue between the two countries. 

President Donald Trump invited Nawrocki to the Oval Office last month, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had urged Poles to elect Nawrocki, saying he would work together with Trump.

Nawrocki is backed by Polish nationalist-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party and endorsed by prominent right-wing figures such as US President Donald Trump and Hungary’s Viktor Orban.

Despite these positions, Nawrocki has pledged to maintain Polish support for Ukraine while pursuing what he described as policies “based on the principle of reciprocity.” According to his statements, Poland would prioritize representing its own national interests in the relationship.

He has also tapped into growing antagonism towards the million or so Ukrainian refugees in Poland, accusing them of “taking advantage of Polish generosity”, and promising to prioritise Poles for social services such as healthcare and schooling.

Nawrocki’s victory delivers a major blow to the centrist government’s efforts to cement Warsaw’s pro-European orientation and presages more political gridlock as he is likely to use his presidential veto to thwart Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s liberal policy agenda.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced that its large-scale Spiderweb drone operation, that simultaneously targeted four Russian military airfields on 1 June, destroyed or damaged 41 strategic aircraft worth over $7 billion.

SBU Chief Vasyl Maliuk confirmed the operation struck the Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, and Ivanovo airfields, located 2,000 (1242 miles) and over 4,000 km (2485 miles) from the frontline.

The strikes hit Russian aircraft, including A-50 early warning planes, Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, and Tu-22 M3 medium-range bombers.

The operation destroyed 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers used for attacks on Ukraine 

“The enemy bombed our state almost nightly with these aircraft, and today they truly felt that ‘retribution is inevitable […] We will respond to Russian terror and destroy the enemy everywhere – at sea, in the air, and on land. And if necessary – we’ll get them from underground too,” SBU Chief Vasyl Maliuk said.

Maliuk stated that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally monitored the operation’s progress and had tasked the SBU with destroying Russian bombers.

The operation required over 18 months of preparation and presented significant logistical challenges due to coordination across three time zones.

The SBU first transported FPV drones into Russian territory, followed by mobile wooden houses. The drones were concealed within these structures on cargo vehicles, with roofs designed to open remotely when activated.

“According to the laws and customs of war, we worked on absolutely legitimate targets – military airfields and aviation that bombs our peaceful cities. So from our side, this is real demilitarization of Russia, as we destroy precisely military targets,” Maliuk added.

The security service emphasized that all personnel involved in the operation have returned safely to Ukraine. 

Earlier, satellite images, captured by American aerospace company Umbra Space, revealed extensive destruction of Russian strategic bombers at the Belaya air base in Irkutsk Oblast, over 4,000 km from Ukraine. Satellite data confirmed the destruction of multiple Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers.

Russian forces killed and injured civilians across Ukraine in overnight attacks that targeted Ukrainian regions with 80 drones and four missiles on 2 June.

The Russian military deployed 80 Iranian-designed Shahed strike drones and decoy unmanned aerial vehicles, three Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, and one Iskander-K cruise missile, Ukraine’s Air Forces reported.

Ukrainian defense forces neutralized 52 targets across the eastern, southern and northern regions, with 15 enemy drones shot down by conventional weapons and 37 suppressed through electronic warfare systems.

The strikes primarily targeted Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Donetsk and Kherson oblasts, with confirmed hits recorded in 12 locations across the country.

Russian strike injures children in Kharkiv

Kharkiv experienced a two-phase assault beginning with drone strikes followed by missile attacks, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov and regional administration head Oleh Syniehubov.

Russian forces struck the Kyivsky district with two ballistic missiles, with one projectile hitting near an apartment building and another striking a road dozens of meters from a school.

Six people sustained injuries in the city, including two children with one victim being a seven-year-old boy.

The attacks damaged the facade of a dormitory, a civilian enterprise, three five-story residential buildings, private residences and vehicles.

Russia kills five civilians in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia Oblast killed five people and wounded nine others over a 24-hour period, according to regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov.

Russian forces conducted 593 strikes against 16 settlements, including a missile attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia itself.

The overnight drone assault damaged residential buildings and infrastructure. One private house was completely destroyed while more than 60 others sustained damage, with four apartment buildings also affected.

Overnight drone attacks from 1 to 2 June, the coordinated assault targeted military and industrial facilities in eight regions across Russia’s western border, causing infrastructure damage and residential fires.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that its air defense systems intercepted 162 Ukrainian drones. Russian officials reported shooting down 57 drones over Kursk, followed by 31 over Belgorod Oblast and 27 over Lipetsk Oblast. Smaller numbers were intercepted over Voronezh (16), Bryansk (11), Ryazan (11), Oryol (6), and Tambov (1) regions. Two additional drones were reportedly downed over occupied Crimea.

Voronezh Oblast experienced infrastructure damage when a high-voltage wire broke on the M-4 “Don” highway. Governor Alexander Gusev reported broken windows in houses and vehicles but stated there were no civilian casualties among the 15 drones intercepted in the region. Local residents reported attacks on the Borisoglebsk military airfield, which houses an aviation repair plant previously targeted in January 2025, according to Russian independent media Astra.

In Lipetsk Oblast, a drone crashed behind a three-story apartment building in Lebedyan, causing a fire and shattering windows from the blast wave. Local reports suggested drones attempted to target the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant NLMK industrial plant that produces steel. 

In Kursk, Governor Alexander Hinstein reported damage to residential buildings and other structures, however this information is not verified. Debris from intercepted drones struck the upper floors of a nine-story apartment building on Dmitrov Street, damaging at least two apartments. Two houses in the city’s private sector caught fire, though no official casualty reports were released at the time.

The city of Ryazan experienced more than 10 explosions during the night, according to local Telegram channels. Regional authorities reported damage to vehicles and residential building windows.

New satellite imagery has emerged showing the destroyed Russian strategic aircraft at the Belaya air base in Russia’s Irkutsk Oblast, located over 4000 km (2485 miles) away from Ukraine, after smuggled Ukrainian drones struck Russian military airfields on 1 June.

The images, captured by American aerospace company Umbra Space and published by geospatial intelligence consultant Chris Biggers on X, show destroyed and damaged Russian bombers.

According to Biggers’ analysis of the satellite data, the strike resulted in the destruction of three Tu-95MS strategic bombers with one additional aircraft damaged, along with one destroyed Tu-22M3 bomber.

A second image reveals what appears to be three Tu-22M3 strategic bombers that were either destroyed or heavily damaged.

The satellite images utilize synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, which allows imaging through cloud cover. 

Ukrainian Spiderweb operation

The operation, conducted on 1 June, targeted four Russian military airfields: Olenya, Belaya, Dyagilevo, and Ivanovo, using 117 AI-powered FPV drones smuggled into Russia hidden in trucks.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reports that the strikes hit various Russian aircraft including A-50 early warning planes, Tu-95 strategic bombers, and Tu-22M3 bombers.

Ukraine’s intelligence service claims the operation damaged 41 Russian aircraft, representing what they describe as “34% of strategic cruise missile carriers at their base airfields.” However, independent verification of this figure is not available.

The SBU has stated that personnel involved in preparing the operation, which spanned over 18 months, have returned to Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the SBU’s coordination center for the operation was located directly next to a Russian regional FSB [Russia’s Federal Security Service] office, highlighting the boldness and sophistication of the mission.

The Spiderweb operation represents Ukraine’s culmination of developing and utilizing drones for successful modern warfare. Ukrainian drone capabilities rapidly evolved from makeshift, volunteer-built systems into a $2.8 billion domestic industry producing millions of advanced drones, including AI-powered kamikaze models and heavy bombers like the “Baba Yaga.”