A Russian terror attack on 17 June was the largest of the full-scale war, says military expert Ivan Kyrychevskyi. Russia deliberately targeted residential buildings with missiles with cluster munitions to kill as many civilians as possible, Espreso reports. 

“Before 17 June, the maximum was 200–300 aerial weapons launched at once. This time, the Russians used nearly 500, most of them kamikaze drones,” Kyrychevskyi explains.

The UN has also noted that this attack on Kyiv may be the deadliest in nearly a year. The main impact hit densely populated neighborhoods, not military targets.

“X-101 missiles with cluster warheads can’t break through fortifications, but they kill people. That’s why they were used deliberately against civilians,” Kyrychevskyi says.

No one believes anymore that the strikes on Ukrainian hospitals and children’s centers are a “mistake.” After the attack on Kyiv’s Ohmatdyt children’s hospital in 2024, Western governments have stopped buying into the narrative of “accidental strikes,” adds the expert. 

Russia began its full-scale terror campaign against the Ukrainian civilian population in 2022, burning 90% of Mariupol and Bakhmut and committing atrocities during the attacks on Bucha in Kyiv Oblast.

Israel has carried out a large-scale military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, an action reportedly prepared over the years, which resembles tactics used in Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, according to UNIAN. 

According to Israeli media, the Israel Defense Forces established a covert base for strike drones within Iranian territory. From this hidden launch site, a wave of kamikaze drones attacked key components of Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.

Al Jazeera reports that the drones struck earth-to-earth missile launchers at Iran’s Asfaghabad military base near Tehran.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated that the military “will continue its mission to disrupt Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”

Simultaneously, Israeli fighter jets reportedly bombed uranium enrichment facilities in Natanz and Fordow, as well as missile bases in Kermanshah and Khorramabad. Other major cities, Tehran, Isfahan, and Tabriz, were also hit, with precision strikes aimed at top military leadership and nuclear scientists, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports. 

The holy city of Qom, home to much of Iran’s clerical elite, also came under attack.

According to unconfirmed reports cited by Iranian state media, the strikes killed several high-ranking figures, including IRGC Commander Hossein Salami, Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and nuclear physicist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.

Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Efi Defrin says the operation was a preemptive warning against Iran’s near-completion of a nuclear weapon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran had already stockpiled enough enriched uranium for nine nuclear bombs and planned to produce 10,000 ballistic missiles within three years.

Editor's note: This is a breaking story and is being updated.

Israeli forces launched "preemptive strikes" on Iran overnight on June 13, targeting Iran's nuclear program, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an overnight address.

Netanyahu said in an overnight address that Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion," which would last for "many days," marking a drastic escalation in conflict in the Middle East.

"We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program... We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb," Netanyahu said.

The strikes killed Hossein Salami, the Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), multiple Iranian state media outlets reported. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei confirmed that several nuclear scientists and officials had been killed in the attack.

The full extent of the attack was not immediately clear. Multiple explosions were reported in Tehran as videos posted on social media purportedly show fire burning in multiple locations of Tehran.

"Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future" Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned in a statement.

Iran's Supreme Leader vowed to enact "severe punishment" in response to the attack, accusing the United States for "also (being) responsible for the dangerous consequences of this reckless escalation."

In a statement released by the State Department, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States was not involved in the strikes on Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who plans to convene a cabinet meeting in response to the strikes, expressed concerns about escalating tensions between Israel and Iran earlier in the day, warning that a "massive conflict" could erupt in the Middle East.

"Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," Rubio said.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on June 12 ahead of the strikes, Trump warned that an Israeli strike on Iran "could happen" if a nuclear deal is not reached with Iran. Talks between Washington and Tehran were set to resume this weekend on Iran's nuclear program.

Earlier in the day, Trump emphasized that despite tensions, he is committed to avoiding conflict and prefers a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear aspirations. "I want to have an agreement with Iran," Trump said, referring to ongoing Iran-US nuclear talks in Oman.  

Writing on Truth Social later in the day, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to a "diplomatic resolution to the Iran nuclear issue," and insisted that his "entire administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran."

Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and has expressed willingness to accept limited restrictions in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

Coinciding with Trump’s remarks, the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report highlighting Iran’s failure to comply with its obligations to fully disclose activities at its nuclear facilities.

Beyond the Middle East, Iran has emerged as a key ally of Russia in its war against Ukraine, supplying Moscow with drones used in attacks on Ukrainian cities.

In April 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified a strategic partnership with Iran, vowing to strengthen bilateral ties and pledging not to support any third party engaged in conflict with the other.

Iran’s parliament ratifies 20-year strategic agreement with Russia

While the pact does not include a mutual defense clause, it outlines commitments for both countries to cooperate against common military threats, enhance military-technical collaboration, and participate in joint military exercises, according to Reuters.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir

Ukrainian Air Force jets destroyed a building occupied by Russian soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast with four precision bombs, according to footage analyzed by open-source intelligence and reports from WarArchive.

The Telegram channel WarArchive reported that Ukrainian aviation used four high-precision bombs to strike a structure in the village of Kulbaky, Kursk Oblast. The facility was reportedly being used to house Russian soldiers as well as electronic warfare (EW), radio-electronic reconnaissance (RER), and other military equipment, Militarnyi wrote.

A video shows all four bombs striking the upper part of the building in quick succession, causing a massive explosion and total destruction of the structure. Following the direct hits, a secondary explosion occurred due to the blast wave reaching a nearby ammunition depot. The resulting detonation amplified the scale of destruction.

Open-source investigator PJ “giK” verified the location via social media analysis.

Possible use of GBU-39 precision munitions

Militarnyi suggests that the bombs used in the strike were likely American-made GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs). These bombs weigh 130 kilograms and feature deployable wings, allowing them to hit targets up to 110 kilometers away when dropped from high altitudes. With tungsten penetrators, they are capable of punching through concrete structures during steep dives.

Additional precision strikes with Hammer bombs

The Ukrainian Air Force also recently employed French AASM Hammer bombs in separate operations. Recently, the Ukrainian Air force’s MiG-29 fighter jet used these bombs in a precise strike on enemy infantry and an ammunition storage site on the southern front, causing further losses to Russian forces.

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.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 206 Shahed combat drones and decoys, as well as nine missiles, overnight on June 7,  Ukraine’s Air Force reported.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down six Kh-59/69 cruise missiles launched by Russian tactical aircraft from the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and one Iskander-K cruise missile launched from Russia’s Rostov region, according to the Air Force.

Ukraine also downed 87 Russian combat drones, while 80 drones were neutralized by electronic warfare systems or disappeared from radar, the Air Force said.

Russian airstrikes hit 10 undisclosed locations, while wreckage from downed aerial targets landed in seven more, the Air Force said.

Earlier in the day, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that Russian forces attacked the city with drones, missiles, and KAB guided bombs overnight, killing at least three people and injuring 19.

Located along the front line, Kharkiv Oblast in Ukraine's northeast is a regular target of Russian missile, drone, and glide bomb attacks from across the border.

According to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak, six missiles and 27 drones were also downed in his oblast, leaving two people injured in the regional capital.

The attack took place just a day after Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine, launching 452 drones, including Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drones and 45 missiles of various types.

It killed four people, including first responders, and injured 80 across the country.

"A cynical Russian strike on ordinary cities. More than 400 drones, more than 40 missiles. ... We need to put pressure on Russia to (accept a ceasefire) and to stop the strikes," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukraine war latest: Russia hits Ukraine with large-scale attack days after Operation Spiderweb; Ukraine targets Russian air bases in ‘preemptive strike’

Key developments on June 6: * Russia hits Ukraine with large-scale attack days after Operation Spiderweb * Ukraine strikes Russian air bases in ‘preemptive strike’ ahead of drone, missile attack, General Staff says * Ukrainian drone attack destroys helicopter at Russian airfield in Bryansk, media says * Russia plans to occupy Ukraine east of

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

A recent Ukrainian drone strike deep inside Russian territory has sparked anger and concern among Kremlin officials over the exposed vulnerability of a nuclear-capable air force far from the front lines, Bloomberg reported on June 2, citing undisclosed sources close to senior Moscow officials.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out the operation "Spiderweb" on June 1, targeting Russian air bases at Belaya, Diaghilev, Olenya, and Ivanovo with drones hidden in trucks across Russia.

The strike is claimed to have hit 41 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers. These planes belong to Russia's nuclear-capable air fleet and are used to launch cruise missile attacks on Ukraine's cities.

Ukraine's General Staff said in its daily update on June 3 that Russian forces lost 12 aircraft, without elaborating on the types of destroyed planes or whether more had been damaged.

Meanwhile, a source close to the Kremlin told Bloomberg that the number of affected aircraft may be closer to 10. According to the outlet’s sources, only a small number of the targeted Russian bombers are required for strikes against Ukraine, meaning the pace of missile and bombing attacks is unlikely to slow.

The SBU claimed the operation caused approximately $7 billion in damage and disabled one-third of Russia's cruise missile bombers.

Independent confirmation of the damage caused is so far limited to satellite images of Belaya air base, which appear to confirm the destruction of at least three Tu-95MS strategic bombers and one Tu-22M3 aircraft, with an additional Tu-95MS visibly damaged.

Another image shows two more likely destroyed Tu-22M3 bombers on the field.

‘Grounds for a nuclear attack’ — Russian propagandists react to Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb

Russian officials and propagandists have chosen different strategies for dealing with the unprecedented Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian airfields that took place on June 1. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said that, as part of an operation dubbed Spiderweb, it had destroyed or damaged 41 Russian aircraft parked at

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

These planes aren’t just expensive — they can’t be replaced. On 1 June, Ukraine launched a devastating operation, Spiderweb, against four Russian airbases, destroying and damaging over 40 aircraft, including key strategic bombers with AI-powered FPV-drones, Channel 24 reports. 

According to Oleh Katkov, editor-in-chief of Defense Express, the losses amount to billions of dollars, and Russia has no way to replace them. 

“A strategic bomber costs an astronomical amount. Its value isn’t even measured in money, especially for Russia. To illustrate, a modern strategic bomber costs over a billion dollars per unit, simply because so few are produced,” says Katkov.

Among the lost aircraft, the Tu-160 supersonic missile carriers, developed during the Soviet era, are especially valuable. Katkov notes that Russia has only about 18 of them left, and not a single one was built from scratch after the Soviet Union collapsed.

The situation is even worse with the Tu-95 bombers — Russia no longer produces them at all.

“The only partial replacement they can attempt is to take a Soviet airframe and try to assemble a ‘new’ aircraft around it. But there’s nothing truly new in their inventory,” Katkov explains.

Thus, the strikes on Russia’s strategic aviation don’t just weaken its military power — they expose a deep crisis in the country’s defense-industrial complex.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the coordination center of the Security Service of Ukraine’s operation Spiderweb on Russian territory was located directly next to one of the FSB’s regional offices. 

As a result of the operation, A-50 radar planes, Tu-95, and Tu-22M3 bombers were struck. The estimated value of the destroyed bombers exceeds $7 billion. 

He added that 117 drones were used in the operation, each operated by a separate team.

The head of the Land Forces of Ukraine resigned on June 1 following a Russian attack that killed 12 service members under his command.

"I have made the decision to file a letter of resignation from the position of Commander of the Land Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi in a statement on Telegram.

"Twelve dead. There are injured. These are young lads from the training battalion. Most of them were in shelters. They should have learned, lived, and fought – not died."

Drapatyi was referring to an incident in the morning of June 1 in which a Russian missile attack struck a training field and killed 12 soldiers and wounded 60 more. The field was at the time unidentified, but Drapatiy named it as the 239th Polygon, north of the city of Dnipro.

Russia has targeted Ukrainian training grounds aggressively in recent months. The 239th Polygon was also the site of a similar attack with an Iskander ballistic missile in March.

At the time, Drapatyi wrote: "Everyone who made decisions that day, and everyone who did not make them on time, will be held accountable. No one will hide behind explanations or formal reports."

In its announcement of the June 1 attack, the Land Forces press office wrote: "In the event of a determination that the action or inaction of responsible individuals led to the death and injury of servicemen, those responsible will be brought to strict accountability."

12 Ukrainian soldiers dead, 60 injured after Russian missile strike on training center

A statement on the attack did not identify the location of the training grounds, nor the specific type of missile used by Russia.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

“An army where no one is held accountable for losses dies from within.” With these words, Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Mykhailo Drapatyi, has announced he is resigning after a Russian attack on the Kyiv forces’ military training base. 

Drapatyi announced his decision via social media. 

“This is a conscious step, driven by my personal sense of responsibility for the tragedy at the 239th training ground… This is my responsibility,” he wrote on Telegram. 

The general emphasized that impunity and complicity are toxic for the army and admitted that his efforts to change the system were not enough.

“We have no right to live in a system that doesn’t learn… Without personal responsibility, there is no victory,” he claimed. 

Drapatyi said he had initiated a full review of the incident, including the commanders’ actions, the condition of the shelters, and the effectiveness of the alert system.

Ukraine’s military command reported that a commission and internal investigation had been launched into the strike, and promised that those responsible would be held strictly accountable.

During the war, Mykhailo Drapatyi rose through the ranks from battalion commander to Deputy Chief of the General Staff. In his previous roles, Drapatyi was responsible for planning military operations.

From the early days of Russia’s aggression in 2014, he led the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the 72nd Brigade, which took part in the liberation of Mariupol in May of that year.

A Russian intercept of a Ukrainian drone’s video feed has revealed how Ukrainian FPV kamikaze drones use smart terminal guidance systems that enable automatic target engagement, even when the signal is disrupted.

According to Defense Express, footage from a Ukrainian FPV drone—its video signal reportedly intercepted by Russian forces—shows the sequence of how a drone with a target confirmation system functions under battlefield conditions.

The intercepted video was published by NIP Tysk Telegram channel.

FPV kamikaze drones now use smart guidance

Russians intercepted the video signal of a Ukrainian FPV drone showing key tech in action:

– RXLOSS mode kicks in when signal is blocked.
– RCSMOOTHING helps stabilize pilot input.
– A menu guides the operator as the drone locks onto… pic.twitter.com/7GqPIhrliF

— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 29, 2025

The drone enters RXLOSS (signal loss) mode multiple times early in the footage, indicating moments where the communication link between the aircraft and operator was blocked or degraded. The signal loss condition in FPV systems can often occur under electronic warfare (EW) interference.

At the 46-second mark, the screen displays RCSMOOTHING, a function that supports stabilization of operator control inputs. At 56 seconds, the interface presents a menu with guidance prompts and a status message indicating that the drone is awaiting target confirmation.

Forbes: Ukrainian AI drones claim 80% hit rate—yet human pilots remain superior

By 1:02, the drone locks on to a target, and the on-screen message changes from “Aim” to “Attacking.” At this stage, the drone autonomously flies toward the locked point, initiating a strike without further input from the operator.

Alternative to fiber-optic drones in EW-heavy conditions

Defense Express notes that these FPV drones equipped with confirmation and guidance systems are emerging as an alternative to fiber-optic-controlled drones, particularly in environments saturated with electronic warfare.

Unlike fiber-optic drones—which become inoperable if their cable is cut—these drones can operate wirelessly and carry heavier payloads. Their ability to continue a strike mission after signal degradation gives them tactical resilience, especially during the final approach to a target.

However, the system also has limitations. It still requires manual piloting to reach a viable launch point before autonomous engagement can begin. If the drone loses connection too early, the mission may fail before the auto-strike phase can activate.

Additionally, as Defense Express reports, the system currently lacks the ability to precisely target specific weak points on vehicles or fortifications, which can be critical for successful destruction of armored vehicles and hardened assets.

Ukrainian drones hit Russian military train with fuel in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast (video)

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Russian Federation. Here, in the aftermath of Russia’s largest missile strike of the war, Ukraine launched a thunderous response that sent shockwaves through the Russian homeland.

As drones swarmed strategic targets and panic gripped the skies over Moscow, even Vladimir Putin found himself uncomfortably close to the line of fire.

Drone swarm sends Russian officials fleeing

Even while the 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner-of-war exchange process was taking place as agreed upon in Istanbul, the Russians launched a massive drone and missile strike campaign targeting Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure.

The Russian strike consisted of almost 300 drones and 69 guided missiles, making it the largest strike launched in a single day, with the campaign lasting over 3 days, using nearly 1,000 drones in total.

The Ukrainians responded with a massive drone strike of their own, targeting critical Russian military and economic infrastructure used for the launch of drones and missiles, as well as their production.

The intensity of the Ukrainian strike caused chaos to the point that a dozen Russian government planes, presumably with Russian government officials, flew from Moscow towards the eastern cities of Samara and Kazan, likely to evade being killed in precision strikes.

Putin’s close call in the sky

At the time of the strike, Russian President Putin was in a helicopter, likely to avoid becoming a victim of the massive Ukrainian strikes on the ground.

However, the commander of Russian air defense forces, Yuri Dashkin, confirmed that Putin was almost killed, as his helicopter ended up in the middle of the Russian effort to repulse Ukrainian drones.

Such close calls and sheer incompetence are a common occurrence, as they previously targeted and shot down not just their own fighter jets, but several civilian airliners in the past as well.

Moscow descends into panic

Another video from Moscow shows a Russian civilian jet being caught amidst the ground fire of Russian air defenses, narrowly avoiding being hit after being mistaken for a very large Ukrainian drone.

Such chaos, as well as Ukrainian strikes targeting military airfields in the area, forced the Russian government to close all airports in the Moscow area and other major cities in Russia during the day.

For the past week, the Ukrainians launched intense strikes that forced the Russian airports to keep all their civilian flights grounded.

If Ukrainians consistently force Russian civilian aviation to stay grounded, it will prevent the travel of the civilian population, on top of denying the flow and export of goods across the country.

This is why the Ukrainians were intensively conducting drone strikes to force the grounding of civilian aviation at major airports in the Moscow and Kaluga regions.

Strikes hit Russia’s military-industrial nerve

The Ukrainian drone strikes properly struck key economic and military infrastructure, including a battery factory in the city of Yelets, as confirmed by satellite footage.

The batteries produced at this plant are used for an application in the Russian military industry, including guided missiles, which could indirectly delay future Russian strikes. Furthermore, two chemical plants in the cities of Kineshma and Tula were struck by Ukrainian drones, with footage confirming the direct impact on the plants.

These chemical plants are directly tied to the Russian military industry, as they produce Nitric acid, ammonium nitrate, TNT, and RDX, which are used to produce missiles, artillery shells, and landmines. Strikes against these plants significantly disrupt Russian production of weapon systems and ammunition.

These strikes are no coincidence, as causing any disruption alleviates the pressure off of frontline Ukrainian infantrymen, as Russia prepares to go all in on the attack this summer.

On top of that, the Ukrainians struck the Skaut tractor factory in Tula, after Ukrainian Military Intelligence discovered that the factory was covertly being used to produce parts for artillery systems and logistics trucks for the Russian army.

Strategic pressure ahead of summer offensive

Overall, the largest Russian missile strike against Ukraine did not pass without an even more devastating Ukrainian retribution, which resulted in successful strikes against critical Russian military industries and the cancellation of air traffic.

Continuation of these strikes by the Ukrainians could lead to devastating blows to the Russian wartime industry, which could consequently weaken the Russian capability to conduct intense assaults during their planned summer offensive.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Overnight on 26 May, a drone strike reportedly hit the NPO Splav facility in Tula, Russia, 340 km from Ukraine, marking the second such attack on the plant this month. The factory produces rockets and Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), heavy “flamethrower” systems (TOS), and guided and unguided aviation rockets.

Ukrainian Telegram channels Supernova+ and Exilenova+ shared footage, published by local residents, showing the moment of the explosion, which took place last night. A woman in the video says “It flies again,” referring to a drone, and then after the distant explosion add, “It’s at the plant.”

Referring to the Ukrainian open-source intelligence (OSINT) community Kyberboroshno, Militarnyi noted that the same workshop was previously struck on 7 April 2025.

Currently, the extent of the damage remains unknown.the extent of the damage remains unknown.

Attempted geolocation

Using video and image analysis, Kyberboroshno geolocated the impact site to coordinates, stating that the explosion occurred on the premises of the same enterprise.

Meanwhile, Supernova+ published its geolocation analysis suggesting other target of the drone attack – the military storage base (military unit 21317) or the 1060th Central Material and Technical Supply Base (military unit 55443-16). This assessment contradicts the eyewitness’s comment in the video, which indicates that the explosion occurred at the plant.

Russian news Telegram channel Astra stated that NASA satellites did not detect fires in the Splav area. However, this report is irrelevant, because NASA FIRMS had already recorded thermal anomalies there in previous days, likely linked to industrial activity — making it impossible to single out fires caused by the drone strike amid numerous existing industrial hotspots.

Third attack on Splav this month

If confirmed, this may have been the third drone attack on NPO Splav in May 2025. The plant was previously hit on 7 May and again overnight on 22 May, when a functioning workshop caught fire. A substation also reportedly caught fire during that attack.

Russia has launched at least 31 attacks on hotels in Ukraine since 2022—most of them housing journalists, aid workers, and civilians—according to a new report by Truth Hounds and Reporters Without Borders. These were not random shellings. Many of the strikes used high-precision, high-value ballistic missiles, sometimes in pairs, and often during the night when hotels were most occupied.

The investigation reveals a chilling pattern: a deliberate campaign to silence independent media by targeting the places where journalists work and sleep.

Hotels near the front lines have become lifelines for the press, offering power, internet, and safety in a war zone. But these essential hubs are now under fire. In 30 of the 31 documented cases, the hotels were operating as civilian facilities. The sole exception involved confirmed military use.

By attacking these buildings, Russia is not just striking infrastructure—it’s attacking press freedom itself. The report argues that this pattern of targeting may constitute war crimes under international law.

31 documented hotel strikes show a consistent pattern

Russian forces have attacked Ukrainian hotels at least 31 times since February 2022, injuring 25 journalists and killing one media worker, according to a new study by Truth Hounds (TH) and Reporters Without Borders.

The attacks represent a systematic campaign to silence press coverage of the war, the organizations reported.

Between 24 February 2022 and 15 March 2025, these strikes hit 25 hotels in oblasts heavily affected by the war, including Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipro, Odesa, and Kyiv.

Missile attacks often timed for night, when hotels are full

The frequency of attacks increased dramatically over time: eight hotels were struck in 2022, five in 2023, and 14 in 2024. Most 2024 attacks (11 of 14) occurred between August and October. Four more strikes happened in the first two months of 2025.

Of these 31 attacks, 23 occurred between 8:00 pm and 8:00 am, when hotels are most busy. At the same time, 15 strikes were carried out using 9K720 Iskander ballistic missiles.

The study found that almost all targeted hotels were operating as civilian facilities. Only one had confirmed military use. The others housed civilians—including journalists, aid workers, and volunteers. One of them, Reuters safety advisor Ryan Evans, was killed during a strike on his hotel in Kramatorsk in August 2024.

According to TH, hotels in frontline cities play an important role in supporting journalists’ uninterrupted work. They offer a power supply, stable internet connection, access to bomb shelters, and generally safer conditions for working on news stories.

Beyond media workers, hotels house volunteers, deminers, humanitarian representatives, displaced civilians, and military families visiting loved ones near the front.

Journalists among the injured and killed in hotel strikes

In total, 25 journalists and media professionals have found themselves under these hotel bombings, and at least seven have been injured, according to the report.

The most high-profile case involved Ryan Evans, who had traveled to Ukraine over 20 times with Reuters. On 24 August 2024, a Russian missile struck the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk, killing Evans and injuring two colleagues: American journalist Dan Peleschuk and Ukrainian journalist Ivan Liubysh-Kyrdey.

No military personnel were present in the hotel, according to witness testimonies.

Other journalists were wounded in similar attacks. On 10 January 2024, two missiles—reportedly fired from an S-300 or S-400 system—hit the Park Hotel in Zaporizhzhia, injuring Davit Kachkachishvili of Türkiye’s Anadolu agency and Violetta Pedorych, a Ukrainian producer for France 2.

Kryvyi Rih emerges as a major hotspot in 2024

The intensity of hotel attacks increased sharply in August-October 2024, with Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast becoming a key target. Over the course of several months, Russia attacked at least five hotels in the city.

On the night of 5 March 2025, Russian forces struck the Tsentralny (Central) Hotel in Kryvyi Rih with a ballistic missile. There, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, volunteers from a humanitarian organization, including citizens of Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom, had recently checked in.

The shelling resulted in the deaths of five people and injuries to 32 others. This was reportedly the second time this hotel has been damaged as a result of an attack by Russian forces. On 28 October 2024, it was partially destroyed by a ballistic missile strike.

Civilian hotels hit—even when closed or banning military

Most Russian strikes targeted operational hotels serving civilians—including journalists, aid workers, displaced residents, and business travelers. While military personnel occasionally stayed in some facilities, their presence was minimal and uncoordinated.

A notable example is Hotel Reikartz in Zaporizhzhia, hit by two Iskander missiles in August 2023. At the time, it housed Ukrainian and international journalists, Red Cross and UN staff. Ukrainian military personnel comprised no more than 20-30% of guests—mostly servicemen with families on leave. A children’s camp had just ended hours before the strike, which killed a passerby and injured at least 19.

Other civilian-only hotels were hit with deadly consequences. A two-month-old infant was killed in Zolochiv in February 2024. The owner said, “Once is accidental, twice is tactical.”

In Odesa, the Bristol Hotel—used by journalists and diplomats—was struck by a concrete-piercing missile in January 2025, injuring seven.

Some hotels explicitly banned military personnel. Hotel Kramatorsk enforced a no-uniform policy to avoid being targeted, yet was still struck in 2022 while sheltering only civilians, injuring a female guest.

“We had a rule not to house military personnel or individuals wearing military uniform, as this would put people in danger,” Director Valeriia Karpenko told Truth Hounds.

Even closed hotels were not spared. In Chernihiv, Hotel Ukraina was bombed in March 2022 despite being non-operational during the siege. The Druzhba Hotel in Pokrovsk was hit in August 2023 in a double-tap missile strike that killed 10 and injured 93, days after it had closed for safety reasons.

At the Grand Palace Hotel in Zaporizhzhia, a September 2024 missile strike killed a woman and her 8-year-old son. The hotel had not operated since early in the war. Her husband, the hotel’s co-owner, was severely injured along with their daughter.

“I never housed the military; I was afraid of an attack,” he told Truth Hounds.

Just one hotel used by military, despite Kremlin claims

Among all targeted hotels, only one confirmed case involved military housing. The Profspilkovyi Hotel in Chernihiv was attacked in April 2024, killing 18 and injuring 78.

Pro-Kremlin sources claimed it served as barracks for the 5th Separate Signal Regiment, supported by photographs showing military uniforms and bunks. This represents the sole documented strike on an actual military objective.

Ukraine also struck hotels used by Russian forces

By contrast, over the same period, the Ukrainian Army conducted strikes on hotels in Russian-occupied territories. Truth Hounds identified eight such incidents involving artillery or missile fire. In at least four cases, the hotels were reportedly being used for military purposes, making them legitimate targets under international humanitarian law.

On 11 July 2023, a missile strike hit Hotel Duna in Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing Russian officer Oleg Tsokov, deputy commander of Russia’s Southern Military District. The hotel was reportedly struck by a Storm Shadow missile.

Other documented attacks included:

• Hotel Ninel in Kherson (October 2022), resulting in casualties among FSB officers and Russian military personnel.

• A site in Kadiivka (Luhansk Oblast), targeting Wagner PMC fighters.

• Hotel Shesh-Besh in Donetsk (December 2022), where artillery hit the restaurant during the birthday celebration of Dmitry Rogozin, a former Roscosmos director. Several high-ranking military figures were present, including commanders from the 1st Army Corps of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.

Hotel strikes leave journalists traumatized and displaced

According to a survey by Truth Hounds and Reporters Without Borders, 52% of Ukrainian respondents reported psychological effects from the attacks on hotels, citing heightened stress and emotional trauma caused by the constant threat of being targeted. Among foreign respondents, 35% reported similar impacts.

One Ukrainian journalist interviewed for the report described the lasting toll. Injured in a missile strike on a hotel used by the press, she spent ten days in the hospital—five of them unable to walk.

“It’s like a flash in front of my eyes—the pain, crawling on the ground, the smell of dust, the struggle to breathe,” she recalled. Since then, she has avoided field assignments and rarely travels outside the capital. “I had never felt fear like this before.”

The persistent targeting of hotels has forced journalists to reconsider where they stay, moving away from hotels and toward less visible alternatives. This shift hampers their ability to operate safely in war zones. According to the survey, 13% said they had reduced or halted assignments to high-risk areas because of the strikes.

The impact extends beyond fear. 64% cited logistical complications due to limited access to safe accommodation, while 44% reported ongoing emotional trauma.

In response, many journalists have adopted new safety measures: using unmarked vehicles, removing “press” labels from bulletproof vests, and turning off geolocation—a survival strategy in today’s reporting landscape.

Russia spreads disinformation to justify hotel attacks

Russian authorities have repeatedly pushed the narrative that journalists in Ukraine are actually “foreign mercenaries,” using this label to justify strikes on hotels where media workers stay.

The Russian Ministry of Defence rarely comments publicly after such attacks. When it does, it typically frames them as legitimate military operations, claiming the hotels were used by Ukrainian forces, intelligence operatives, or foreign fighters.

After the strike on Hotel Druzhba, the Ministry claimed it had destroyed a Ukrainian command post. In the case of Hotel Reikartz in Zaporizhzhia, officials said the target was “foreign mercenaries.” Following the Kharkiv Palace Hotel strike, they alleged the deaths of Ukrainian intelligence agents and “up to two hundred foreign mercenaries”—despite witness accounts confirming no military personnel were present.

A revealing case is that of Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk. In February 2023, Russian officials claimed the hotel hosted Western journalists under Ukrainian security supervision to fabricate war crimes. Eighteen months later, Russian forces struck the same hotel—killing Reuters safety advisor Ryan Evans, despite its well-known civilian function.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later dismissed Evans as “some kind of safety adviser,” while Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova baselessly described him as a former MI6 agent. Reuters and Evans’ family refuted the claim.

“The targeting of journalists has a direct impact on the scale and depth of war reporting,” the study warns, “reducing the presence of independent observers who could document potential violations of international law.”

Targeting journalists may be a war crime

Under international humanitarian law and international criminal law, attacks on hotels accommodating civilians — including journalists and humanitarian workers — may constitute war crimes. The Geneva Conventions prohibit the intentional use of violence to instill fear among civilians.

The study found that Russian strikes on Ukrainian hotels followed a deliberate pattern, not random acts of war. Available evidence shows that Ukrainian military personnel, when present, were there for private purposes, not military operations — with the sole exception of the Profspilkovyi Hotel.

Meanwhile, Russian narratives blur the line between civilians and combatants, increasingly portraying journalists as legitimate military targets. This violates their protected status and undermines press safety. The consistency of such claims, despite a lack of evidence, suggests a systematic attempt to justify unlawful strikes.

“Russia’s disregard for its obligations under international humanitarian law is clear,” the study states. “Instead of protecting journalists, Russia treats them as expendable—or even legitimate targets.”