Russia used Belarus airspace during a deadly drone assault that contributed to over 3,000 aerial weapons fired on Ukraine in the past week. The strikes killed at least seven civilians and injured 20 more over the past 24 hours. Russia targeted rear areas during the day and frontline cities overnight, Ukrainian official sources reported.

Russian bombs kill civilians in Sumy city and oblast

On 12 July around 13:00, Russian guided bombs hit the Sumy community, local authorities reported. A married couple, both 65 years old, died. The strike destroyed two homes and damaged at least 14 others.

That evening around 22:00, nine Russian Shahed drones and two guided bombs struck Shostka. The attack injured three civilians. A 53-year-old and a 57-year-old man are in serious condition. A 37-year-old woman received outpatient care.

The Sumy Oblast Military Administration confirmed damage to 12 homes and a school. A local business also sustained hits. Operational Command North reported nine Shahed drone strikes and two guided bomb impacts.

Air Force confirms 60 drones launched, 40 neutralized

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that from 14:00 on 12 July through the morning of 13 July, Russia launched 60 drones. These included Shahed explosive drones and decoy UAVs.

More than 40 Shaheds were reportedly part of the attack. Over 20 of them targeted rear oblasts during daylight hours. Overnight, Russia struck frontline cities in Donetsk, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.

Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted 20 drones. Another 20 were either suppressed or lost radar contact due to electronic warfare.

Zelenskyy: Russia launches 3,000+ aerial weapons in a week, escalating air war to prolong conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 1,800 drones, 1,200 guided bombs, and 83 missiles in the past seven days. He warned that Moscow seeks to terrorize cities and delay peace.

Ukraine intercepted hundreds of Shaheds this week. Zelenskyy called for more support to expand air defense technology.

“We must neutralize this threat,” he said. “Then diplomacy can begin to work.”

Explore further

ISW: Russia’s true drone target is Ukrainian and Western morale—Ukraine needs more Patriots

Russian strikes kill and injure Kherson civilians

After midnight on 13 July, Russian forces shelled Kherson’s Korabelnyi district. A 75-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man suffered brain and blast injuries. Medics hospitalized both.

Earlier, a 72-year-old man sustained shrapnel wounds in another drone strike. In Bilozerka, Russian artillery fire injured a 40-year-old man at home. He received outpatient treatment.

On 12 July, Russia killed one woman and injured four more locals in Kherson Oblast, local authorities reported.

More civilians killed and wounded across Ukraine, local authorities say

In Donetsk oblast, Russian attacks killed three people on 12 July. The dead were from Sloviansk, Myrnohrad, and Bilozerske. Seven more civilians suffered injuries across the oblast.

In Novodanylivka, Zaporizhzhia oblast, rescuers found a 77-year-old woman’s body in a destroyed home. Shelling likely trapped one more local resident under the rubble. A 66-year-old man also suffered injuries in Polohy district.

In Synelnykove, Dnipropetrovsk oblast, a Russian guided bomb killed an 88-year-old woman. The Russian attacks also injured a 37-year-old man on the previous day. Fires damaged five houses. Emergency crews contained the blaze.

Kharkiv oblast reported new injuries over the past 24 hours. Russian strikes hit Kupiansk and Slobozhanske. The attacks injured three men, aged 72, 69, and 67.

Belarus again enables Russian air operations

Russia routed some Shahed drones through Belarusian airspace during the 12 July drone strike on Ukraine, Militarnyi reported. The outlet cited the Nikolaevsky Vanyok Telegram channel, linked to the Ukrainian air defenses, which reported that three Shaheds were approaching Ukraine’s Zhytomyr Oblast from Belarus.

Moscow has used this tactic before. In 2024, similar drone overflights were recorded, and Belarusian jets reportedly shot some down. 

At least nine civilians were killed and 81 others injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on July 8.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 54 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type attack drones, and fired four S-300/400 guided missiles.

Air defenses intercepted 34 drones, while another eight were likely used as radar-jamming decoys. Drones struck five locations across the country.

The overnight assault was repelled using aircraft, electronic warfare, mobile fire groups, and missile defense systems, the military said.

In Kharkiv Oblast, one person was killed and 40 others were injured, including three children, as the city of Kharkiv and seven other settlements came under attack, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia Oblast injured 20 people and damaged at least 64 houses and apartment buildings, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

In Donetsk Oblast, three civilians were killed — two in Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka and one in Novotroitske — and 10 more were injured, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.

In Sumy Oblast, four people were killed and four more injured in Russian strikes, the local administration reported.

One person was killed and four others were injured in Kherson Oblast, where Russian forces hit residential areas and public infrastructure, damaging two apartment buildings and 17 houses, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Three people were injured in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where Russian troops attacked with first-person-view (FPV) drones, Governor Serhii Lysak said.

The wave of attacks follows Russia's ongoing refusal to accept a ceasefire and comes amid rising use of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.

‘They have to be able to defend themselves’ — Trump says US will send additional weapons shipments to Ukraine, criticizes Putin

“They’re getting hit very hard. We’re gonna have to send more weapons, your defensive weapons primarily,” U.S. President Donald Trump said.

The Kyiv IndependentVolodymyr Ivanyshyn

At least 12 civilians were killed and 69 others injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on July 7.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 101 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type attack drones, as well as four S-300/400 guided missiles. Air defenses intercepted 75 drones, while another 17 likely served as radar-jamming decoys.

The drone and missile assault was countered using aviation, electronic warfare, mobile fire teams, and air defense systems, the military said.

The heaviest casualties occurred in Donetsk Oblast, where seven civilians were killed — four in Kostiantynivka, two in Druzhkivka, and one in Novohryhorivka — and 15 others were injured, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

In Kharkiv Oblast, 27 people were injured, including three children, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. At least three victims remain hospitalized in moderate condition, and the number may rise.

Russian forces also attacked critical and residential infrastructure in Kherson Oblast, killing two civilians and injuring nine, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Two more civilians were killed in Sumy Oblast in a drone strike, local authorities said. Another person was injured. In Odesa Oblast, one civilian was killed and infrastructure was damaged in an attack on the regional capital, Governor Oleh Kiper reported.

In Zaporizhzhia, at least 12 people were injured in separate attacks throughout the day, including 10 during a drone strike on the city center, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

Five civilians were injured in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — two women and three men — in the latest wave of attacks, according to Governor Serhii Lysak.

The mass strikes come amid Russia's continued rejection of ceasefire proposals and its growing use of aerial assaults to pressure Ukrainian defenses.

Kyiv has repeated its urgent appeals to Western partners to ramp up deliveries of air defense systems to protect civilian areas from drone and missile attacks.

As Ukraine awaits stalled US weapons, Trump says he’s ‘helping a lot’ in war with Russia

“I am helping Ukraine. I’m helping it a lot,” U.S. President Donald Trump said when asked in Washington why the U.S. does not support Ukraine as strongly as it supports Israel.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Russia kills 13, injures 67 in Ukraine as its forces launched sweeping air and ground attacks on civilian areas across at least nine oblasts overnight, according to reports from local administrations. Drones, missiles, artillery, and guided bombs hit cities, villages, homes, schools, farms, and shops—leaving behind a trail of dead, injured, and destroyed infrastructure.

Kharkiv: Explosive drones hit homes and schools, injure 27, other attacks injure five others

In Kharkiv, Russian drones struck the Shevchenkivskyi and Slobidskyi districts around 05:30 on 7 July, hitting high-rise buildings, schools, and a kindergarten. As of 07:50, 27 civilians were confirmed injured, including three children aged 3, 7, and 11, according to Kharkiv Oblast head Oleh Syniehubov and city mayor Ihor Terekhov. An eighth-floor apartment caught fire. A shop and other civilian buildings also suffered significant damage. Syniehubov said Russia used four Shahed explosive drones in the attack.

The broader regional figure includes three civilians injured in Kupiansk—a 73-year-old woman, a 67-year-old woman, and a 56-year-old man. In the village of Ternova, part of Lypetska community, an explosion from an unknown device injured two men aged 68 and 75.

Additionally, Suspilne reported two explosions this morning in the Chuhuiv community, Kharkiv Oblast. Syniehubov later confirmed that two Russian missile strikes hit the area, damaging civilian infrastructure. The full extent of damage was still being assessed.

Odesa: One killed in nighttime strike

In Odesa, a Russian Shahed drone attack killed one person and damaged garages, a car service building, and vehicles, according to regional authorities. 

Donetsk Oblast: Seven civilians killed in one day

According to Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, Russian forces killed seven civilians on 6 July—four in Kostiantynivka, two in Druzhkivka, and one in Novohryhorivka. Another 15 people were wounded in the oblast the same day.

Kherson: Drone kills driver, previous attacks kill two other civilians

The Kherson Oblast Military Administration says that between 06:00 on 6 July and 06:00 on 7 July, Russian aggression killed 2 civilians and injured 9 others across the oblast. 

Later this morning, Russian forces launched new attacks, killing another civilian and injuring two more.

A Russian drone strike hit a tractor near Beryslav, killing the driver on the spot, the regional prosecutor’s office said. In a separate artillery attack on a residential house in Nadezhdivka, Bilozerska community, a 19-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman were wounded. According to the Oblast Military Administration, both sustained explosive injuries and contusions; the man also suffered shrapnel wounds to the back and leg.

Sumy: FPV drones kill two

The Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported that nearly 90 Russian strikes hit 38 settlements between 6 and 7 July. In Sumy community, two civilians were killed and one injured in Russian FPV drone strikes. Another person was injured in Khotinska community.

The attacks reportedly included 30 VOG munition drops from drones, 20 KAB bomb strikes, and missile attacks.

Dnipro: Five wounded, school set ablaze

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast head Serhii Lysak said five civilians were injured overnight. In Nikopol and Marhanets communities, Russia’s artillery and drone attacks injured a 66-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man. Two one-family homes were damaged, and a fire broke out in a preparatory school. In Malomykhailivska community, three more civilians—a woman and two men—were injured, and fires were reported in homes and a dining hall.

Zaporizhzhia: Hundreds of drone and artillery strikes

The Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration reported that Russian forces used 378 drones—mostly FPV—to attack multiple towns, including Huliaipole, Kamyanske, and Mala Tokmachka.

Two civilians were injured in Vasylivskyi and Polohy districts. The oblast also saw six airstrikes, 152 artillery attacks, and MLRS fire.

Read the follow-up:

Russia floods Ukraine with 1,270 drones and nearly 1,000 bombs in a week—“We need air defense now,” Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian forces have stabilized the situation in Sumy Oblast and pushed the Russian army further away from Sumy, the region's capital, Ukraine's General Staff reported on June 30.

Moscow launched its new summer campaign in May, aiming to push deeper into Ukraine's northeastern and eastern regions and disregarding Kyiv's calls for an unconditional ceasefire.

Ukrainian troops advanced near the village of Oleksiivka, located less than 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the city of Sumy, and liberated the village of Andriivka, which had been captured by Russia in early June, the statement read.

In the meantime, Ukraine also stopped the Russian advance along the Yunakivka-Yablunivka-Novomykolayivka-Oleksiivka-Kindrativka line and the border with Russia near Kursk Oblast, according to the General Staff.

Russia has deployed its best brigades on this section of the front line and is using long-range artillery, aircraft, and attack drones, the General Staff said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky also said on June 30 that Ukrainian troops had halted the Russian offensive in Sumy Oblast.

"The Russian plan for an offensive in Sumy Oblast is not succeeding — thanks to every Ukrainian unit operating in the area," Zelensky said after a meeting with the military leadership and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

The Russian offensive's goal is to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the east and create a buffer zone in the border areas of Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told journalists on June 21.

Russian forces are also attempting to fully oust Ukrainian troops from Russia's Kursk and Belgorod oblasts.

Ukraine launched a cross-border offensive into Kursk Oblast — bordering Ukraine's Sumy Oblast — last August, initially seizing 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) but losing the vast majority of this territory in a Russian counteroffensive earlier this year.

Moscow initially declared that it had fully liberated the region on April 26, but this claim was rejected by Ukraine and later disputed by Russian officials themselves.

Tired of military aid delays, Ukraine has designed its own ballistic missile — and it’s already in mass-production

Ukraine announced on June 13 that its short-range Sapsan ballistic missile would go into mass production, a major development in Kyiv’s ongoing efforts to domestically produce the weapons it needs to fight Russia’s full-scale invasion. As Ukraine faces growing challenges in securing weapons from Western partners, and Russia continues launching

The Kyiv IndependentYuliia Taradiuk

Ukraine has halted Russia's advance in Sumy Oblast, stabilizing the front line and blunting the momentum of Moscow's summer offensive, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on June 26.

"Based on the results of May and June, we can say that this year's wave of the enemy's summer offensive from Russian territory is faltering," Syrskyi said, reporting that Russian troops in the northeastern border region had been stopped.

Moscow launched its new summer campaign in May, aiming to push deeper into Ukraine's northeast and eastern regions, disregarding Kyiv's calls for an unconditional ceasefire.

Russian forces had made modest gains, occupying around 449 square kilometers (173 square miles) in May, the highest monthly total in 2025, according to the open-source intelligence group DeepState.

In Sumy Oblast, however, the line of contact has stabilized. Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops are not only defending but also reclaiming ground using active defense tactics.

"In certain areas, our units are liberating Ukrainian territory," he said.

Syrskyi said Ukrainian operations in Russia's Glushkovsky district had forced Moscow to shift elite units, including Airborne Forces and Marine Corps brigades, into defensive positions, undermining their offensive capabilities in Sumy.

"In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, we have once again pinned down about 50,000 Russian Armed Forces personnel," Syrskyi said. He provided no further details about how Ukraine had achieved this.

Ukraine launched a cross-border offensive into Russia's Kursk Oblast in August 2024, initially capturing 1,300 square kilometers before losing most of that territory in a Russian counterattack earlier this year.

Russian officials declared complete control over the region on April 26, though the claim was later disputed by Kyiv and contradicted by Russia's own local authorities.

Russia's broader offensive aims to seize the remaining administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and carve out a buffer zone along the Sumy and Kharkiv frontiers.

Sumy Oblast, which borders Russia to the east, remains a strategic region. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, it has faced near-daily attacks.

Putin insists the Russian economy is fine, but Kremlin officials say otherwise

In a rare public sign that all is not well in Russia, two high-ranking Moscow officials last week issued separate warnings about the state of the country’s economy. Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina and Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov both highlighted that amid the Kremlin’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the tools Moscow once relied on to maintain wartime growth are nearly exhausted. Almost immediately, Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 20 dismissed the concerns, clai

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Russian forces launched a drone attack on Sumy Oblast overnight on June 24, killing three people, including an 8-year-old boy, and injuring six others, local officials reported.

The strike targeted a settlement near Verkhnia Syrovatka around midnight local time, Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Telegram. The victims included an adult man and woman, and the child.

As of 7:00 a.m. local time, six people – including three children – have been reported injured. All have been hospitalized and are receiving medical care.

The attack damaged about 30 residential buildings and four cars, and sparked a large-scale fire. Police investigators, rescue workers, and medics are responding at the scene.

Sumy Oblast, which borders Russia, has faced intensified assaults in recent weeks amid a broader Russian offensive along Ukraine's northeastern border.

Since March, Russian forces have reportedly captured around 200 square kilometers in the region, prompting evacuations from over 200 settlements.

Ukrainian forces, however, have been reportedly driving Russian troops back amid the continued cross-border attacks.

Ukraine war latest: ‘It was impossible to look at’ — Russian mass missile, drone attack on Kyiv kills at least 9, injures 33

Key developments on June 23: * ‘It was impossible to look at’ — Russian mass missile, drone attack on Kyiv kills at least 9, injures 33 * Ukraine strikes Atlas oil depot in Russia’s Rostov Oblast, General Staff says * Ukraine returns bodies of 3 Russian soldiers repatriated as remains of Ukrainians, Interior Ministry

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Ukrainian forces continue to hold around 90 square kilometers of territory in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, according to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyy. He claims that the operation has blocked a planned Russian assault on the Pokrovsk direction in Donetsk Oblast by forcing the redeployment of enemy troops.

Liga reports on 22 June that General Syrskyy, speaking to journalists, has confirmed that Ukrainian forces remain in control of approximately 90 km² in the Glushkovo district of Kursk Oblast. He explained that the operation prevented a large-scale Russian advance toward Pokrovsk by anchoring enemy troops in place.

“Our active operations in the Glushkovo district of Kursk Oblast disrupted these plans. As a result, those units were not relocated to other directions. One of the brigades already moving toward the Pokrovsk direction was returned to Kursk,” Syrskyy said.

Syrskyy also highlighted that the Kursk operation had earlier drawn in nearly 63,000 Russian soldiers and about 7,000 North Korean troops, reducing pressure along other fronts and enabling Ukrainian forces to regroup.

The Ukrainian battlefield monitoring project Deep State’s map shows only 5.5 km² in Kursk Oblast as controlled by the Ukrainian forces.

Russia concentrates forces but stalls at Ukrainian border

Currently, roughly 10,000 Russian troops are engaged in combat within Glushkovo, according to Syrskyy. Meanwhile, near the Northeastern border in the Pivnichnoslobozhanskyi direction – north of Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts, Russia has amassed around 50,000 personnel, including two airborne divisions, four main brigades, the 177th Marine Regiment from the Caspian Flotilla, and other units.

Despite the buildup, Russian forces advancing from Kursk into Sumy Oblast have been stopped just several kilometers inside Ukraine, along the line of Kindrativka, Andriivka, Yablunivka, and Yunakivka.

Syrskyy noted progress on the border:

“The situation there is stabilized. During this period, we reclaimed Andriivka, and in Yunakivka we advanced between 200 to 700 meters over the past week.”

Ukrainian forces launch assault on Yunakivka after liberating Andriivka in Sumy Oblast

Ukrainian Defense Forces launched an assault toward Yunakivka in Sumy Oblast after liberating the village of Andriivka earlier in June, top Ukrainian general Oleksandr Syrskyi says, according to Militarnyi. Units reportedly advanced between 200 and 700 meters over a week, dislodging Russian troops from several positions.

Claimed tactical gains along the northern frontline

According to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukrainian troops initiated offensive operations near Yunakivka, a key logistics hub halway between Sumy city and the Russian border. He made the statement during a press event attended by a Miliatarnyi correspondent on 22 June. The assault reportedly builds on momentum after Andriivka was reclaimed in early June by the 225th Separate Assault Battalion, located about 5 kilometers from the Russian border.

Syrskyi emphasized that the Russian military’s reliance on small assault units lacking heavy equipment created a window for Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Despite the limited nature of the enemy’s firepower, Ukrainian forces have made measurable progress in pushing them back.

Andriivka reclaimed amid rising battlefield momentum

Ukrainian forces declared Andriivka liberated on 14 June. A day earlier, on 13 June, Deputy Head of Sumy District Council Volodymyr Bitsak said Russian attacks in the area had been halted, paving the way for a counterstrike. Soon after, the 225th Separate Assault Battalion published a photo of documents belonging to a killed Russian major, Andrey Yartsev. Born in 1974, Yartsev had commanded a battalion within Russia’s 30th Motor Rifle Regiment operating in the area.

WSJ: Russia wants the West to believe it’s winning in Ukraine

Continued resistance and complex conditions on the ground

The Ukrainian frontline monitoring project DeepState reports that the situation remains tense. Their analysis highlights particularly challenging conditions on the Novomykolaivka–Varachyne–Yablunivka–Yunakivka axis, where Russian forces are attempting to consolidate control.

DeepState also pointed to Russian activity near the village of Loknia.

“Special attention should be paid to the Loknia area, where the enemy is trying to push east of the village and establish positions in the forest toward Sadky. If their infantry enters this area, it will be extremely difficult to drive them out,” analysts warned., 

Russian forces are attempting to advance along almost the entire front in eastern Ukraine while trying to establish a buffer zone in northeastern Sumy Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told journalists on June 21.

The comments come as Moscow launched a new summer offensive against Ukraine, disregarding calls by Kyiv and its Western partners for an unconditional ceasefire.

The offensive's goal is to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the east, and create a buffer zone in the border areas of the Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, Syrskyi said at a meeting attended by the Kyiv Independent.

As of mid-June, Ukrainian defenders are fighting close to 695,000 Russian troops in Ukraine across a 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) front, the commander said, adding that Moscow recruited about 440,000 contract soldiers this year.

According to the open-source intelligence group DeepState, Russian forces occupied approximately 449 square kilometers (173 square miles) in May, the highest monthly figure this year.

Ukraine has managed to stop the Russian advance in Sumy Oblast at the moment, Syrskyi noted. "The situation there has been stabilized... we have recaptured Andriivka, and advanced between 200 and 700 meters in Yunakivka in a week," he said.

Russian forces are also attempting to fully oust Ukrainian troops from Russia's home territory in the Kursk and Belgorod oblasts.

"We control about 90 square kilometers (35 square miles) in the Glushkovsky district of Russia's Kursk Oblast," Syrskyi said.

Ukraine launched the cross-border offensive into Kursk Oblast — bordering Ukraine's Sumy Oblast — last August, initially seizing 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) but losing the vast majority of this territory in a Russian counteroffensive earlier this year.

Moscow initially declared to have fully liberated the region on April 26, but this claim was rejected by Ukraine and later disputed by Russian officials themselves.

Kyiv has said the incursion was meant to preempt a Russian offensive into Sumy Oblast and force Russia to redirect troops fighting in Donetsk Oblast.

Syrskyi stressed that at one point, the Kursk operation drew in almost 63,000 Russian soldiers, which, in addition to North Korean soldiers, amounted to about 70,000 troops deployed in the region.

"In April 2025, Russian units – and this, I remind you once again, is about 60 thousand people... were tasked with moving to new sectors and reinforcing Russian assault groups in the Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Lyman, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson directions," Syrskyi said.

"But our actions in the Glushkovsky district of Russia's Kursk Oblast thwarted these plans." At the moment, about 10,000 Russian soldiers are fighting in the Glushkovsky district, the commander added.

Syrskyi also said Russian assault units approached the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast but were thrown back.

"As for our plans and intentions. Of course, we will not simply remain in a blind defense... Therefore, we combine defensive actions with active defense and active offensive operations," Syrskyi said.

For this purpose, the Ukrainian military is scaling up its assault units, which were created at the beginning of the Kursk operation and are currently deployed in all areas of the front, he added.

Russia pulls its scientists out of Iranian nuclear plant, as Israeli strikes threaten decades of collaboration

Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have alarmed none more than Russia, the country that first brought nuclear power to Iran in defiance of Western objections. We’re “millimeters from catastrophe,” said Kremlin spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on June 18 in response to a bombing campaign that Israel launched against

The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post

At least 13 civilians were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on June 21.

Russia launched 272 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, along with two ballistic missiles and six cruise missiles, Ukraine's Air Force said.

Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 140 drones, three Iskander-K cruise missiles, one Kinzhal air-to-air missile, and one Kalibr cruise missile. Another 112 drones reportedly dropped off radars — likely used as decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian systems.

The Air Force said the combined attack was repelled using aviation, mobile fire groups, electronic warfare units, and anti-aircraft missile systems.

In Kherson Oblast, Russian strikes on residential areas and social infrastructure injured seven civilians, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Kherson and surrounding settlements west of the Dnipro River face near-daily Russian attacks.

In Donetsk Oblast, three people were wounded in Russian strikes, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. The region remains one of the most heavily targeted areas amid ongoing Russian offensive operations.

In Poltava Oblast, one person was moderately injured after Russian attacks damaged energy infrastructure and open areas, according to local officials.

A 75-year-old woman was injured in Sumy Oblast after a drone strike, regional authorities said. A woman was also wounded in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported, without specifying the nature of the attack.

The strikes come amid Russia's ongoing refusal to accept ceasefire proposals as it intensifies coordinated aerial assaults across Ukraine.

‘All of Ukraine is ours’ — Putin on Russia’s territorial ambitions in Ukraine

Editor’s Note: This story was updated with comments from Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Russian President Vladimir Putin said “all of Ukraine” belonged to Russia in a speech on June 20 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, amid increasingly aggressive official statements about Moscow’s final territorial ambitions in Ukraine. Putin’s

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 20 condemned Russia's attempts to advance in Sumy Oblast, as Moscow intensifies its rhetoric of maximalist demands toward Ukraine.

"The Russians had various plans and intentions there — absolutely insane, as usual. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy Oblast," Zelensky said in his evening address.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, earlier on June 20, claimed that "all of Ukraine" belonged to Russia, citing the Kremlin's propaganda talking points. Moscow regularly claims that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people."

Putin singled out Sumy, saying that "the city of Sumy is next, the regional center. We don't have a task to take Sumy, but I don't rule it out."

Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast borders Russia and regularly faces Russian shelling as well as drone and missile attacks.

"There was a meeting of the Staff — a very detailed report on the frontline. Particular attention was paid to the Sumy Oblast, to operations in the border areas. I am grateful to our units for their resilience," Zelensky said.

Ukraine continues efforts to work with its allies to increase investment in defense production, he said.

"The volume of support this year is the largest since the start of the full-scale war," Zelensky noted.

Ukraine and Russia held direct peace talks in Turkey on May 16 and June 2. The efforts were largely inconclusive, with Moscow reiterating maximalist demands towards Ukraine.

The two sides were able to agree on large-scale prisoner exchanges. Despite the efforts, Russia has intensified drone and missile attacks on Ukraine.

On June 17, a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed 30 people and injured another 172. The nearly nine-hour-long strike saw Moscow's forces launch large numbers of drones and missiles at Ukraine's capital.

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv calls on West to isolate Moscow after Putin claims ‘all of Ukraine’ belongs to Russia

Key developments on June 20: * “All of Ukraine is ours” — Putin on Russia’s territorial ambitions in Ukraine * Ukraine, Russia carry out 2nd prisoner swap this week under Istanbul deal * “Massive” Russian drone attacks on residential buildings in Odesa kill 1, injure 14 * Ukraine imposes new sanctions on Russian, Chinese, Belarusian

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Editor's Note: This story was updated with comments from Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said "all of Ukraine" belonged to Russia in a speech on June 20 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, amid increasingly aggressive official statements about Moscow's final territorial ambitions in Ukraine.

Putin's claim was based on the false narrative often pushed both by himself as leader and by Russian propaganda that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people."

The narrative has long figured prominently in Putin's rhetoric, often brought up as justification for its aggression in Ukraine.

In July 2021, just half a year before the full-scale invasion, the Russian leader stoked fears of a larger attack when he wrote and published an essay on the "historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians."

In response to the speech in St Petersburg, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned Putin’s comments as "cynical," saying it showed “complete disregard for U.S. peace efforts."

"While the United States and the rest of the world have called for an immediate end to the killing, Russia's top war criminal discusses plans to seize more Ukrainian territory and kill more Ukrainians," he wrote in a post on X.

Putin made several other statements at the forum, some contradictory, about Moscow's aims in the war going forward.

"Wherever the foot of a Russian soldier steps is Russian land," Putin said, directly implying Russia's intention to continue occupying more than just the five Ukrainian regions that Moscow has illegally laid claim to: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, as well as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

Sybiha said that "Russian soldier's foot" brings only "death, destruction, and devastation." He accused Putin of indifference toward his own troops, calling him “a mass murderer of his own people.”

"He already disposed one million Russian soldiers in a senseless bloodbath in Ukraine without achieving a single strategic goal. One million soldiers. Two million feet," the minister said.

"And, while Putin is busy sending Russian feet to invade other countries, he is bringing Russians inside the country to their knees economically."

Russia just accidentally admitted to its staggering troop losses in Ukraine

A senior Russian official on June 19 inadvertently confirmed the staggering troop losses incurred by Moscow’s forces during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In an interview with CNN, Russian Ambassador to the U.K. Andrey Kelin was asked about Moscow’s maximalist intentions in Ukraine and its ability to recruit enough

The Kyiv IndependentChris York

As per the "peace memorandum" presented by the Russian delegation at the last round of peace talks in Istanbul on June 2, Moscow demands Kyiv recognize the oblasts as Russian and hand over all territory not yet controlled by Russian forces into occupation, including the regional capitals of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Asked whether Russia aimed to seize the regional center of Sumy in Ukraine's northeast, Putin said that while such a mission has not been assigned, he wouldn't rule it out.

Russian ground attacks into Sumy Oblast have intensified along the northeastern border in the past weeks, having first crossed the border after Ukraine's withdrawal from most of its positions in Kursk Oblast in March.

Russian troops have moved 10-12 kilometers (6-8 miles) deep into the region, according to Putin.

"The city of Sumy is next, the regional center. We don't have a task to take Sumy, but I don't rule it out," Putin said.

Sybiha urged the West to ramp up military aid to Ukraine, tighten sanctions against Russia, designate Moscow a terrorist state, and "isolate it fully."

"His cynical statements serve only one purpose: to divert public attention away from the complete failure of his quarter-century rule," the minister added.

Since March, Russia has reportedly taken control of about 200 square kilometers (80 square miles) in northern Sumy Oblast, including roughly a dozen small villages, according to open-source conflict mapping projects.

As of May 31, mandatory evacuations had been ordered for 213 settlements.

In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to create a so-called "security buffer zone" along the border with Ukraine, while Zelensky said on May 28 that Moscow had massed 50,000 troops near Sumy.

In a separate interview with Bild on June 12, Zelensky dismissed Moscow's claims of significant territorial gains as "a Russian narrative" aimed at shaping global perceptions. He stressed that Ukrainian forces have managed to hold off a renewed offensive for nearly three weeks.

When asked if Moscow requires the complete capitulation of Kyiv and the Ukrainian leadership, Putin denied this, saying that Russia instead demands the "recognition of the realities on the ground."

The statement follows a consistent line from Russian officials since the return of U.S. President Donald Trump brought new momentum to the idea of a quick negotiated peace in Ukraine.

Projecting a winning position on the battlefield and gaining confidence from Trump's frequent anti-Ukrainian rhetoric and refusal to approve further military aid to Kyiv, Moscow has stuck to maximalist demands, refusing the joint U.S.-Ukraine proposal of a 30-day unconditional ceasefire along the front line.

On June 18, in an interview to CNN, Russian ambassador to the U.K. Andrei Kelin said that while Russian forces were advancing on the battlefield and taking more Ukrainian, there was no incentive to stop, and that Kyiv must either accept Moscow's peace terms now or "surrender" after losing much more.

With no new US aid packages on the horizon, can Ukraine continue to fight Russia?

The U.S. has not announced any military aid packages for Ukraine in almost five months, pushing Kyiv to seek new alternatives. But time is running out quickly as Russian troops slowly advance on the eastern front line and gear up for a new summer offensive. “While Ukraine’s dependence on

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six civilians and injured at least 49, including a teenage boy, over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 18.

Russian forces launched 58 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, targeting mainly the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the Air Force said.

Ukrainian defenses shot down 12 drones, while 18 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare systems, according to the statement.

In Chernihiv Oblast, a Russian drone attack against a village in the Snovsk community on June 17 injured a 68-year-old woman, Governor Viacheslav Chaus reported.

A Russian attack against Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on June 17 killed a 63-year-old man, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Two more people were injured, and an educational institution and houses were damaged.

Russian attacks across Donetsk Oblast killed a civilian in Myrnohrad and injured eight others in the region, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.

In Kharkiv Oblast, three people were injured in Russian attacks, including a 69-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy in Izium and a 52-year-old man in Ripky, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast killed two people and injured 34, according to the regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin.

In Sumy Oblast, one person was killed and another injured in a Russian drone attack against the Bilopillia community, and another man was killed during an air strike against the Yunakivka community, the regional administration reported.

Russia launched missile and drone attacks against Zaporizhzhia, damaging multiple residential and non-residential buildings but inflicting no casualties, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

‘He said he wasn’t going anywhere’ — Survivors search for missing following Russia’s deadliest attack on Kyiv this year

Sitting a few meters from the rubble of what used to be a nondescript nine-story residential building in Kyiv, Lilia rises to her feet every time another pile of debris is cleared from the site targeted by Russia during a mass overnight attack on June 17. “We are waiting (as

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova

Ukrainian forces are gradually driving Russian troops back from parts of Sumy Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 12, amid escalating cross-border assaults in the region.

"Today, there was a report from Commander-in-Chief (Oleksandr) Syrskyi — the front and, above all, the Pokrovsk direction, the Kursk operation, the border area of Sumy Oblast," Zelensky said in a video address.

"Our units in Sumy Oblast are gradually pushing back the occupiers. Thank you to each of our soldiers, sergeants, and officers for this result."

The statement follows weeks of intensified Russian offensives along the northeastern border. Russian troops have advanced into Sumy Oblast since Ukraine's withdrawal from most of its positions in Russia's Kursk Oblast in March.

Since March, Russia has reportedly taken control of about 200 square kilometers (80 square miles) in northern Sumy Oblast, including roughly a dozen small villages. As of May 31, mandatory evacuations were ordered for 213 settlements.

In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to create a so-called "security buffer zone" along the border with Ukraine, while Zelensky said on May 28 that Moscow had massed 50,000 troops near Sumy.

In a separate interview with Bild on June 12, Zelensky dismissed Moscow's claims of significant territorial gains as "a Russian narrative" aimed at shaping global perceptions. He stressed that Ukrainian forces have managed to hold off a renewed offensive for nearly three weeks.

Sumy Oblast, which shares a long border with Russia, has been under near-constant attack since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

On June 3, Russian strikes on the city of Sumy killed six people and injured 28 others, including children.

As Russian losses in Ukraine hit 1 million, Putin’s war economy heads toward breaking point

Russian losses in Ukraine hit a massive, and grim milestone on June 12 — 1 million Russian soldiers killed or wounded during the 39-month-long full-scale war, according to figures from Kyiv. Although hugely symbolic, the number is unlikely to prompt a change in tactics from Moscow as it gears up for

The Kyiv IndependentChris York