Russia is making another attempt to expand its exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after U.S. sanctions disrupted production at its flagship Arctic LNG 2 plant, Bloomberg reported on June 28.
Arctic LNG 2, owned by the Russian company Novatek, was envisaged as Russia's largest LNG plant and aimed to produce almost 20 million metric tons of LNG per year. The U.S. State Department targeted the Arctic LNG 2 project with sanctions in 2024.
An LNG vessel has reportedly docked at the Arctic LNG 2 facility for the first time since October, according to ship-tracking data and satellite images analyzed by Bloomberg. Data suggests that at least 13 vessels of Russia's "shadow fleet" have been assembled to potentially serve Arctic LNG 2.
These include four ice-class vessels, including the one currently docked at Arctic LNG 2. Three others are idling in the Barents Sea, along with three traditional LNG vessels. Two more vessels are being repaired in China and another two are idled in the Gulf of Finland. One ship is located near a floating storage facility in Russia's Far East.
While pipeline shipments of Russian gas to Europe have declined sharply since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia's shadow fleet — a group of aging oil tankers used to circumvent global sanctions — continues to grow.
Moscow now has more vessels at its disposal than it did last year, according to Malte Humpert, founder of the Arctic Institute think tank.
"If (Russia) can find buyers, this small fleet should be sufficient to lift cargoes," Humpert told Bloomberg.
Finding buyers may present a difficulty, due to wariness about sanctions violations. Former U.S. President Joe Biden sanctioned ships and companies connected with exports from Arctic LNG 2 in 2024, thought it is not yet clear if U.S. President Donald Trump will enforce sanctions as strictly.
Representatives of Arctic LNG 2 have continued to search for buyers in China and India, but have not yet made any sales, traders familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
Arctic LNG 2 cut production from its gas fields to almost zero in November 2024, after halting liquefaction the previous month due to Western sanctions. The U.S. sanctioned two vessels and two entities connected to Arctic LNG 2 in September 2024, after previously targeting the project in a sweeping round of sanctions late August.
The August sanctions likely forced Novatek to scale back its operations at the facility. Novatek itself was sanctioned after the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022.
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the start its full-scale war overnight on June 29, launching 477 drones and 60 missiles towards Ukrainian cities, Ukraine’s Air Force said.
Russian missile and drone attack terrorized Ukraine overnight as air raid alarms sounded across the country, including western regions far from the front lines.
Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force, confirmed to the Associated Press that the attack had become "the most massive airstrike" since the beginning of Russia's full-scale in February 2022.
Russia's bombardments — a fact of life after three years of full-scale war — have intensified dramatically in May and June, with mass attacks becoming more frequent and more deadly.
Ukraine's Air Force warned late in the evening on June 28 that Russia had launched three Tu-95 bombers from the Olenya military airfield in Murmansk Oblast. The Air Force also warned that multiple groups of Russian drones were heading towards various regions.
Several hours later, the Air Force reported that a Russian MiG-31K — a jet capable of carrying Kinzhal ballistic missiles — took off from Savasleyka airfield in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. The Air Force followed this up with warnings that cruise missiles were bound for several regions, including Ternopil, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts in western Ukraine.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said it scrambled fighter jets and activated ground-based air defense units in response to the Russian aerial attacks in western Ukraine.
Explosions and strikes were reported in Mykolaiv, Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy Oblast, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv as waves of attacks came throughout the night. Some regional officials shared preliminary reports of damage and casualties even as air defense continued to operate in the area.
Civilian infrastructure was damaged and at least three people were injured in attacks on Cherkasy Oblast, Governor Ihor Taburets reported.
In Kremenchuk, Poltava Oblast, an undisclosed enterprise was hit, causing a fire, according to Governor Volodymyr Kohut.
A production facility at an unnamed enterprise in Zaporizhzhia was hit during an overnight missile attack, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. No casualties were reported.
After the alarms died down, officials in Lviv Oblast said that Russia attempted to strike critical infrastructure in the region. According to Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi, these efforts were largely unsuccessful.
"Despite the complexity of this overnight combined attack, no one was injured and no civilian buildings were damaged in Lviv," he wrote on Telegram.
Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitalii Kim reported that Russia targeted the city overnight with ballistic missiles and Shahed drones, hitting an infrastructure facility. The strike caused a fire but no casualties.
The mass missile and drone attack comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that Moscow is ready to hold another round of peace talks.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations have now held two direct talks in Istanbul, but the discussions have yielded few results outside of coordinated prisoner swaps.
Moscow refuses to budge on its maximalist ambitions in Ukraine and is unwilling to enter a ceasefire unless Kyiv preemptively agrees to surrender all foreign military aid. Putin on June 20 declared that "all Ukraine is ours" in a bombastic speech at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
Russian ballistics and kamikaze drones have targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with renewed ferocity, killing dozens of civilians and injuring hundreds more. Just this week, a Russian missile struck a passenger train in Dnipro, leaving 21 dead and over 300 wounded.
Police aggressively dispersed protestors at an anti-government rally in Belgrade, whereover 100,000 demonstrators gathered on June 28 to demand snap elections.
The rally marks the latest mass action in a protest movement that started last fall, with activists calling for an end to corruption and the 12-year rule of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Crowds in Belgrade on June 28 chanted "We want elections!" — a key demand of the movement that Vucic has consistently refused. His term ends in 2027, which is also the date of the next scheduled parliamentary elections.
Police officers in riot gear used tear gas, pepper spray, and stun grenades to forcibly dispersed crowds, according to multiple media outlets. Dozens of protestors were detained, though the police did not provide an exat number.
Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic claimed that demonstrators attacked the police.
Protestors reportedly threw eggs, plastic bottles, and other objects at riot officers blocking the crowd from entering a city park where Vucic supporters were staging a counterprotest. Vucic reportedly bused in groups of his own supporters from around the country ahead of the rally.
Vucic, a right-wing populist leader with authoritarian tendencies and warm ties with Russia, has repeatedly accused foreign states of inciting the protests in order to topple his government. He is provided no evidence to support these claims.
The current wave of protests in Serbia began in November, when a train station roof in the town of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 15. The disaster was blamed on government corruption.
While Vucic has alleged that Western powers are trying to trigger a "Ukrainian-style revolution in Serbia," the Serbian protests are not markedly pro-Ukrainian or pro-Russian. Unlike mass demonstrations in Slovakia, where activists explicitly condemned the government's Kremlin-friendly agenda, the Serbian movement is focused on Vucic's corrupt leadership.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Serbia has attempted to navigate a delicate diplomatic path between Moscow and the West. It has positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war and balanced its status as an EU candidate with its longstanding ties to Russia.
Vucic made his first official visit to Ukraine on June 11.
The U.S. fast-food giant McDonald's plans to open 10 new restaurants in Ukraine this year, signaling faith in Ukraine's struggling but growing wartime economy, the New York Times (NYT) reported on June 28.
McDonald's closed all its locations in Ukraine after Russia launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022, but began reopening later that year. The 10 new restaurants will bring the total number close to 120 — more operating McDonald's locations than before the war.
"Overall, this indicates that despite the military actions, Ukraine's economy is showing positive dynamics," Viktor Mykyta, a top economic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, told the NYT.
"If a business like McDonald's can operate here, it shows any investors that they, too, can confidently work here."
Mykyta served as Governor of Ukraine's far-western Zakarpattia Oblast until last fall. The region was the only one in Ukraine without a McDonald's outpost — until this spring, when two McDonald's restaurants opened in Zakarpattia's cities of Uzhhorod and Mukachevo.
The expansion of McDonald's offers job opportunities and lucrative tax revenues. In 2024, McDonald's paid over $60 million in taxes in Ukraine, making it the country's largest taxpayer in the industry.
Ukraine's economy is projected to grow by 3.3% this year, according to the European Bank for Development and Reconstruction (EBRD). Earlier projections showed over 4% growth, but rising inflation and an economic slowdown exacerbated by Russian attacks on energy infrastructure and nationwide labor shortages brought the forecast down.
Still, Ukraine has been able to welcome back Western businesses that suspended operations at the start of the war, including Ikea, H&M, and Zara.
Russia's war has presented challenges to McDonald's operations. In January 2025, a Russian missile strike on Kyiv damaged Ukraine's oldest McDonald's. Many restaurants also do not offer breakfast due to frequent air raids. In March, the company relaunched its breakfast menu at six McDonald's locations.
McDonald's closed its restaurants in Russia and left the Russian market entirely in 2022.
Pope Leo XIV welcomed Ukrainian Greek Catholic pilgrims to the Vatican on June 28, saying their country has been "martyred" by Russia's "senseless war."
Greek Catholicism is Ukraine's second-largest Christian denomination, with adherents making up around one-tenth of the country's population. Prevalent mainly in western Ukraine, it has retained many rituals and practices of the Orthodox Church while under the pope's jurisdiction.
"I wish to express my closeness to the martyred Ukraine — to the children, the youth, the elderly, and especially to the families who mourn their loved ones," Pope Leo said in an address to Greek Catholic pilgrims at St. Peter's Basilica.
"I share in your sorrow for the prisoners and for the victims of this senseless war."
Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Head of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, was among the pilgrims greeted at the Vatican, along with other bishops, priests, and lay believers. The pilgrimage was made in honor of the Jubilee, a Catholic holy year last observed in 2015-2016. The theme of the 2025 Jubilee is "Pilgrims of Hope."
In his address, Pope Leo said that the faith of Ukrainians is being "sorely tested" by Russia's full-scale invasion.
"Many of you, since the war began, have surely asked: Lord, why all this? Where are you? What must we do to save our families, our homes and our homeland?"
The pope also offered a special blessing to mothers of soldiers killed on the front lines in Ukraine.
After Pope Leo's remarks at St. Peter's, President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the pontiff for his support.
Thank you, Your Holiness, for your continued prayers and compassion for Ukraine and our people," Zelensky wrote on X.
"Together we must stop this wanton Russian aggression and protect innocent lives. A just peace is needed. And we would also deeply appreciate your kind help in bringing back all our people — adults and children — held in Russian captivity against their will."
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected head of the Catholic Church in the conclave on May 8 after the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Zelensky met with Pope Leo at his inauguration mass on May 18 and described him as "a symbol of hope for peace." The two discussed the return of children forcibly deported by Russiaand other humanitarian issues.
Pope Leo has called for "a just and lasting peace" in Ukraine and has offered to host peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow at the Vatican — an offer Zelensky has welcomed and Kremlin officials have dismissed.
Early in June, Pope Leo spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging Russia to make "a gesture that would favor peace."
The pope's support for Ukraine has been viewed as a departure from his predecessor Pope Francis, whose legacy among Ukrainians was marred by his at times controversial comments about Russia. In 2024, Pope Francis called on Ukraine to have the "courage" to "raise the white flag" and negotiate with Moscow.
A former deputy mayor for Kharkiv is facing multiple charges related to creating and leading a scheme that allegedly embezzled 5.4 million hryvnias ($130,000) of budget funds allocated for fortifications, law enforcement agencies announced on June 28.
Ukraine's military as well as public officials has seen several corruption scandals since the start of Russia's full-scale war, related to illicit enrichment, money laundering, bribery, and misconduct of the command.
A total of four people, including two company heads and two entrepreneurs, were arrested alongside the former official, the National Police said.
The scheme allegedly involved a shell company procuring purchased materials for fortifications at prices over 30% above market value.
While authoritiesdid not name the former official, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing law enforcement sources, that the suspect in question is Andrii Rudenko, Kharkiv's Deputy Mayor for Housing and Communal Services between 2015 and 2024.
Authorities did not publicly release the identities of the remaining suspects.
The five suspects are currently facing charges under 17 articles of Ukraine's Criminal Code, with motions filed to impose pre-trial detention without bail.
It was not immediately clear as to the maximum sentence the suspects may receive if found guilty, however, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said that he will seek for "stolen budget funds must be fully returned to the state."
Law enforcement agents have previously arrested Kharkiv officials with corruption related charges.
In April, authorities charged a total of eight individuals, including local officials and entrepreneurs, accused of colluding with contractors to supply firewood to the military at prices significantly above market value. Several officials and entrepreneurs of housing and utilities departments in several regions, including Kharkiv, were allegedly implicated.
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk said on June 28 that Ukraine's parliament is preparing a draft bill to hold elections following the end of the martial law period enacted as a result of the war.
"We are working on this draft law, because for the next elections, a new special draft law is needed that will regulate the so-called post-war elections," Stefanchuk said on Ukraine's marathon TV broadcast.
"We are preparing various basic scenarios so that people can exercise their fundamental constitutional right to vote. And this must take place in Ukraine. And I believe we will be able to find the right legislative compromise," he added.
The reason for separate legislation on a post-war election, Stefanchuk previously said, was due to the fact that Ukraine's Constitution does not not provide clarity on the details of holding elections following the end of a martial law period.
No details on the bill or timeline for implementation were provided.
Russia's full-scale invasion and the subsequent declaration of martial law in Ukraine meant elections have been impossible to hold, and President Volodymyr Zelensky's term has been extended, something constitutional lawyers say is allowed under Ukrainian law.
Despite criticism, Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed a resolution on Feb. 25 to hold elections after "a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace is secured" in the country.
While polling shows a vast majority of Ukrainian citizens do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, the lack of elections has stirred some controversy with Ukraine's allies.
At the start of his second term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to hold elections — something that Ukraine has thus far refused to do citing the difficulties of holding elections amid active warfare, as well as security implications.
Zelensky has previously said he is willing to step down in exchange for a peace agreement.
Russian propaganda has widely used the issue of elections in Ukraine to discredit the Ukrainian leadership. Mocow has repeatedly claimed that Zelensky is no longer a legitimate president, as his first term was originally meant to end on May 20, 2024.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) struck on June 28 the 1060th Material-Technical Support Center in the city of Bryansk, Ukraine's General Staff said.
The facilities store a Russian missile and drone arsenal, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing a source in HUR.
Local residents reported hearing explosions and gun fire throughout the morning of June 28. Pictures posted on social media show smoke billowing from the area of where the centre, formerly the the 120th arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate, is located in an industrial area in the southern part of the city.
The General Staff said it was assessing the strike as extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz acknowledged a drone attack on the region overnight claiming that four civilians were injured in the attack, damaging ten homes and a vehicle.
Later in the morning, Bogomaz claimed that all the drones had been downed by Russian air defense unit in a separate attack, claiming that no damage had been inflicted. He did not mention the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate in his comments.
The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately verify the reports or claims made by Russian officials.
Bryansk Oblast, located in Russia's far-west, borders Ukraine's Chernihiv and Sumy Oblast, and has been the target of various Ukrainian strikes.
Ukraine's military regularly conducts strikes onto Russian and Russian-occupied territory.
Drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck the Kirovske military airfield in occupied Crimea overnight on June 28, the SBU told the Kyiv Independent. The attack destroyed Mi-8, Mi-26 and Mi-28 attack helicopters, and a Pantsyr-S1 self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun system, the SBU claimed.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on June 28 that he does not intend to meet directly with President Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming that the Ukrainian president "hates" him, as relations between the two countries continue to sour.
Fico's comments come just one day after Slovakia joined Hungary in blocking an 18th package of sanctions against Russia, an unnamed EU official toldthe Kyiv Independent. Unlike Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has consistently opposed sanctions against Russia, Slovakia has not previously attempted to block EU sanctions.
"I see no reason to meet with the Ukrainian president," Fico toldSlovak broadcaster STVR, stressing he has better relations with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. "My meeting with President Zelensky has no significance because he hates me," he added.
Fico's comments on a potential meeting refer to talks on improving bilateral relations between the two countries, including in areas of Ukraine's EU accession as well as additional sanctions on Russia.
"I’m the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, and my task is to do everything to ensure that gas prices in Slovakia do not rise because of Ukraine," Fico told STVR, in reference to concerns over Slovakia's reliance on Russian gas and energy exports that were allegedly not addressed in the 18th sanctions package.
Slovakia has requested that the adoption of the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia be postponed until a decision is made on the consequences for the member states from RePowerEU, the European Commission's initiative to end dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2030 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
EU foreign policy decisions, including sanctions, require unanimous approval by all member states. A Slovak veto could continue to force concessions or delay enforcement in future rounds.
Despite the criticism, Fico added that "Ukraine's EU membership brings more advantages than disadvantages for Slovakia," but stressed that other officials, including Slovakian President Peter Pellegrini would handle discussions with top Ukrainian leadership.
Since taking office in 2023, Fico has also reversed Slovakia's previous pro-Ukraine policy, ending military aid to Kyiv and questioning the value of EU sanctions on Russia.
German fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea near NATO airspace on the morning of June 27, the German tabloid Bild reported.
The incident adds to a series of aerial provocations reported by NATO allies since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as Moscow is suspected of using the aircraft to spy on the alliance's positions.
The Russian Il-20M, which took off from Kaliningrad with its transponder switched off, was headed west toward international airspace near Poland and Germany when it was detected by NATO radar systems.
NATO alerted the German Armed Forces’ Quick Reaction Team (QRT), prompting the launch of two Eurofighter jets to intercept the aircraft.
The German jets made visual contact with the Russian plane approximately 100 kilometers off the German coast and took a photograph of it. Despite the interception, the Il-20M did not alter its course.
The Russian aircraft eventually veered north, just 40 kilometers from the Baltic Sea island of Usedom, avoiding a breach of German airspace.
According to Bild, this was the ninth such interception mission conducted by German forces in 2025.
As Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine and poses an increasing threat to NATO, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung published on June 27 that he would refrain from phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin given the intensified attacks on Ukraine.
Merz’s predecessor, Olaf Scholz, was the first EU leader from a country supporting Ukraine to resume direct contact with Putin since the start of the full-scale invasion, speaking with him by phone in November 2024.
Editor's note: The previously published footage, provided by an SBU source, was allegedly related to a different operation and was deleted after the mistake was identified.
Drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck the Kirovske military airfield in occupied Crimea overnight on June 28, the SBU told the Kyiv Independent.
The attack destroyed Mi-8, Mi-26 and Mi-28 attack helicopters, and a Pantsyr-S1 self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun system, the SBU claimed.
According to the SBU, Ukraine targeted Russian aviation, air defense systems, as well as ammunition, reconnaissance and attack drones storage facilities.
Secondary explosions were heard at the airfield during the night.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
Earlier on June 27, Ukrainian drones struck four Su-34 fighter jets at the Marinovka airfield in Russia's Volgograd Oblast, according to the military.
Preliminary reports indicate that two Russian fighter jets were destroyed in the June 27 attack, and the other two were damaged. Russia uses the aircraft to bomb Ukraine.
Since the start of its full-scale war in February 2022, Russia has lost 420 airplanes and 337 helicopters, Ukraine's General Staff said in its latest update on June 28. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these figures.
Russia is returning outdated T-62 tanks to service due to mounting equipment losses in its full-scale war against Ukraine and a shortage of modern military equipment, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) said on June 28.
"The key factors limiting the ability to produce modern armored vehicles in Russia are a lack of industrial capacity and a shortage of imported high-tech components," the agency said.
According to HUR, the restoration of T-62 tanks is primarily carried out at a facility in the village of Atamanovka in Russia's far-eastern Zabaykalsky Krai.
Russia transferred 21 T-62 tanks from its eastern military district to the European part of the country, the intel claimed.
HUR said that Russia’s stockpile of Soviet-era tanks from the 1970s is being depleted, while most T-62s are even in worse condition after decades of open-air storage without maintenance.
Some of these tanks can also be used at the front as stationary firing points to reinforce defensive positions.
"Due to a severe shortage of modern main battle tanks such as the T-90M and T-72B3M, the deployment of T-62s is seen as a temporary but necessary measure," the statement read.
Since the start of its full-scale war in February 2022, Russia has lost 10,970 tanks, Ukraine's General Staff said in its latest update on June 28.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these numbers.
Russia launched its new Grom-1 bomb missile at Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for the first time on June 28, but it was shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
The attack comes as Russian troops continue their offensive in neighboring Donetsk Oblast, pushing closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — a major industrial region in central Ukraine.
In mid-June, Ukraine's military denied reports that Russian troops had entered the region, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that Ukrainian troops had intercepted Russian reconnaissance units attempting to breach Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Explosions in Dnipro were heard around 11:30 a.m. local time, shortly after the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia had launched guided aerial bombs.
The strike was later confirmed to have been launched from the Russian-occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
"The target flew more than 100 kilometers and was shot down by air defense outside the city of Dnipro," the statement read.
Authorities are verifying the wreckage of the downed weapon.
To date, neither Russian guided aerial bombs nor the Grom-1 bomb missile had previously reached the city of Dnipro.
The Grom-1 is described to be a hybrid of a guided aerial bomb and a missile, developed from the Kh-38 missile platform, with an estimated range of up to 120 kilometers.
Russia regularly uses guided aerial bombs to attack front-line areas in Ukraine's east and south, as well as regional centers such as Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia.
As Moscow intensifies its attacks on Ukrainian cities, earlier this week on June 24, Russian forces struck civilian infrastructure and a passenger train with ballistic missiles, killing at least 21 people and injuring more than 300 others.
The Atesh partisan group set fire to a signal cabinet that helps control traffic on a railway line near the Russian-occupied city of Yasynuvata in Donetsk Oblast, a route used for Russia's military logistics, the group claimed on Telegram on June 28.
Yasynuvata lies some 22 kilometers (12.5 miles) from the occupied city of Donetsk and is considered to be a major railway junction in the region.
According to the group, the sabotaged section is located near Russian military units, warehouses, and industrial facilities.
Atesh said the attack disrupted the delivery of a train carrying fuel for Russian forces.
"On Ukraine's Constitution Day, we remind the occupiers that this is an independent and free country. And Donetsk will always be Ukrainian," the statement read.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
The Atesh partisan group regularly conducts sabotage attacks in Russia and Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories.
In early June, Atesh claimed to have destroyed a signal cabinet on the new Volnovakha-Mariupol railway, which had been recently built by occupying Russian forces.
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed 10 people and injured at least 50 others over the past day, regional authorities said on June 28.
Ukrainian forces downed 21 out of the 23 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
One drone was intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars, according to the statement. Russia usually launches decoys alongside real drones to overwhelm Ukraine's air defense.
A Russian drone attack on the city of Odesahit a high-rise building,killing a married couple and injuring at least 14 other people, including three children,Governor Oleh Kiper said.
A Russian missile strike on the city of Samar in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast killed five people and injured at least 25 others, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
Three men aged 30, 36 and 53 were injured in a Russian attack on Chuhuiv in Kharkiv Oblast, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Russian attacks near Polohy and Vasylivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblastinjured a man and a woman, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
Russian troops injured a man by dropping an explosive device on the Bilopillia community in Sumy Oblast, local authorities reported.
Two people were killed in Kostiantynivka and Ivanopillia in Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Two others suffered injuries in the region over the past day.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces targeted 42 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. One person was killed, and three others injured, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
Outgoing Polish President Andrzej Duda arrived in Kyiv to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky as part of a farewell gesture ahead of his departure from office in August, Duda announced on social media.
"President Duda has stood by Ukraine's side during the most difficult times of Russia's full-scale aggression," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X on June 28, which is also Ukraine's Constitution Day.
"We are grateful to him and all Poles who have shown true solidarity with Ukraine."
Upon his arrival, Duda joined Zelensky in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring fallen soldiers at an event marking Ukraine’s Constitution Day.
The two leaders discussed the further development of relations between Kyiv and Warsaw at the EU level and in coordination with NATO partners.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, Polish President Andrzej Duda, First Lady Olena Zelenska, and Ukrainian officials are seen during an official event marking Ukraine’s Constitution Day at Sofiyska Square in Kyiv on June 28, 2025. (Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram)
"In recent months, we have been implementing some fairly substantial Ukrainian-Polish agreements on defense cooperation," the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky also awarded Duda the Order of Freedom, one of Ukraine’s highest honors.
"Andrzej has been with Ukraine since the first days of the war, always side by side, a reliable ally and a true friend. This is undoubtedly the level of relations we want to preserve and strengthen with Poland," Zelensky said.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Poland has emerged as one of Ukraine’s most committed allies, providing weapons, sheltering millions of refugees, and rallying international support.
Russia has lost around 1,017,720 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on June 28.
The number includes 1,000 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 10,970 tanks, 22,908 armored fighting vehicles, 53,415 vehicles and fuel tanks, 29,665 artillery systems, 1,425 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,189 air defense systems, 420 airplanes, 337 helicopters, 42,477 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
Russia attacked the southern city of Odesa overnight on June 28, killing two people and injuring at least 14 others, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported.
The drone attack hit a 21-story building, causing a fire on the 7th, 8th, and 9th floors that left residents trapped in their apartments. First responders rescued five people, including a small child.
Two people, a married couple, were killed in the attack, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported. Emergency workers recovered their bodies from the damaged building.
At least 14 other civilians were injured, including three children. Both are receiving treatment in medical facilities, Kiper said.
Ongoing air raid alarms throughout the night complicated rescue efforts, the State Emergency Service said.
Odesa, a port city on Ukraine's Black Sea coast with a population of around 1 million, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks since the full-scale invasion. A massive Russian drone strike on June 20 killed one civilian and injured 14 others, including three first responders.
Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities have intensified dramatically in May and June.
Around 50% of Americans support sanctions against countries that purchase Russian oil and gas, according to the results of a YouGov poll published on June 27.
A bipartisan sanctions bill in the U.S. Senate aims to slap 500% tariffs on imports from countries that continue to purchase Russian energy products. U.S. President Donald Trump has not backed the measure and a vote on the bill has reportedly been postponed.
In a YouGov survey of adult U.S. citizens conducted June 12-16, 24% said they "strongly support" sanctioning Russian energy buyers while 25% said they "somewhat support" secondary sanctions against these countries.
Like the Senate bill, support for secondary sanctions among respondents was bipartisan. Of "strong supporters," 26% indentified as Democrats while 27% were Republicans.
More Republicans than Democrats said they favored the specific 500% tariff penalty proposed by legislators. While 29% of respondents who "strongly supported" the measure were Democrats, 41% were Republicans. Only 32% of survey respondents overall said they supported the 500% tariff.
The 500% tariff has been championed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally and co-author of the sanctions bill alongside Democrat Richard Blumenthal. Along with tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil, the bill would also slap "bone-crushing" new sanctions against Russia, according to Graham.
A majority of Americans support increasing or maintaining U.S. sanctions against Russia, the survey found. Here the division along party lines is stark, with 59% of those in favor of increasing sanctions on Moscow identifying as Democrats and only 37% identifying as Republicans.
The poll also showed that about 50% of Americans oppose cutting military aid to Ukraine. According to YouGov, 26% of U.S. adults are in favor of increasing military aid while 23% believe Washington should maintain its current levels of support.
The results illustrate the contrast between the prevailing views of the American public and the policies of the Trump administration. Trump has repeatedly undercut the Senate sanctions bill, requesting delays to the vote and calling on lawmakers to weaken the proposed measures.
While Trump has at times threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia, he has never followed through on any of those threats and consistently shoots down domestic and international appeals to get tough on Moscow. At the recent G7 Summit in Canada, Trump reportedly insisted that sanctions would be at odds with U.S. business interests.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced earlier this month that Washington will cut military aid to Ukraine in its upcoming defense budget.
Ukraine provides over 40% of the weapons used to defend the nation's independence against Russia's full-scale invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the State and Business Forum in Kyiv on June 27.
As Ukraine scales up domestic defense production, Zelensky has been lobbying foreign partners to provide funding to help match its manufacturing capacity.
The government and Ukrainian businesses now provide more than 40% of the weapons the country uses in its fight against Russia, Zelensky said. Business-driven innovations in technology have helped Ukraine on the battlefield, particularly in drone development.
"Thanks to Ukrainian entrepreneurship and all the conditions we have created as a state, a new sector of our domestic manufacturing has emerged and immediately become one of the world’s most advanced — the production of drones of various types," Zelensky said.
"Hundreds of companies are now involved in weapons production in one way or another."
Zelensky's comments come a day after Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported that Ukrainian companies have increased their industrial capacity in order to produce four million drones a year.
At the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24, Zelensky said Ukraine could potentially produce as many as eight million drones per year, but lacks the financial backing to achieve its full capacity. During the summit, Ukraine signed agreements on joint weapons production with the U.K. and Denmark in an effort to bridge the gap between Kyiv's capacity and current funds.
Ukraine has rapidly developed its drone capabilities since 2022, evolving from modifying commercial aircraft to producing military UAVs, attack drones, and reconnaissance systems at scale.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed government officials to prepare a decision introducing a long-term moratorium on business inspections in Ukraine, the Presidential Office announced on June 27.
Zelensky discussed the moratorium during an address at the "State and Business Forum: From Dialogue to Partnership," held in Kyiv.
"I have instructed that a decision on a long-term moratorium on business inspections be prepared to protect businesses from any pressure by unscrupulous individuals in various government positions," he said.
Economic growth is a vital component of Ukrainian resilience, necessitating ongoing dialogue between the government and entrepreneurs, Zelensky said. In addition to imposing the moratorium on inspections, Kyiv will also expand the Council for Entrepreneurship Support in an effort to cultivate entrepreneurship in Ukraine.
"Even under such harsh conditions of this war, Ukraine can rely on its entrepreneurs — on our domestic Ukrainian manufacturing, our Ukrainian logistics, our Ukrainian services across all sectors — from security to everyday life, as well as on Ukrainian developments and investments," the president said.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022 and the onset of martial law, Ukraine temporarily suspended certain business regulations, including tax inspections for businesses. Zelensky signed a law resuming tax inspections for certain businesses in December 2023.
Now in its fourth year of full-scale war against Russia, Ukraine's economy is still attempting to recover from the massive blow dealt in 2022, when the GDP dropped by 29.1%. At the same forum on June 27, Ukraine's new Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced another measure meant to boost business: an audit of criminal cases related to businesses in Ukraine.
"The second priority is to finally sort out the proceedings related to business, protect business, and achieve justice in these matters," Kravchenko said.
The Prosecutor's Office will be dedicated to "ensuring the rights of investors and businesses," Kravchenko wrote on his Telegram channel on June 26. Efforts to safeguard businesses will not interfere with Ukraine's legal obligations and the regulatory reforms required for its integration into the European Union, he said.
Pokrovsk remains the "hottest spot" along Ukraine's front lines, with Russia concentrating its largest group of personnel in that direction — a force numbering 111,000 troops, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on June 27.
Russia has for months focused its offensive efforts on the embattled town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast and has recently been escalating attempts to break through to neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a region that has not yet seen combat. Ukraine denied reports that Russian forces breached the regional border in May and June.
In May, Syrskyi reported that Ukraine had stabilized the situation in Pokrovsk.
After a working visit to the Pokrovsk sector, Syrskyi on June 27 said that the city is still "the hottest spot along the entire 1,200-kilometer front line" with nearly 50 combat clashes recorded per day. It's also where Russia has concentrated the bulk of its forces in Ukraine.
Russia has amassed "about 111,000 personnel" in the Pokrovsk sector, Syrskyi said, but Ukrainian forces are holding the line.
"The enemy continues to try to break through to the administrative border of Donetsk Oblast ... Russian sabotage and assault groups were particularly active here two weeks ago," Syrskyi said.
"But they were all destroyed or neutralized, and the remnants were pushed back from the administrative border. The situation is under control."
Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)
Russia is attempting to break into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast not only for operational reasons, but also for performative ones, Syrskyi said.
"To achieve a psychological effect: to put the infamous 'foot of the Russian soldier' there, plant a flag, and trumpet another pseudo-'victory.'"
Syrskyi's comments echo recent remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who claimed in a propaganda-heavy speech on June 20 that "wherever the foot of a Russian soldier steps is Russian land." President Volodymyr Zelensky fired back the next day, promising "Ukrainian drones for the foot of every Russian soldier."
While Putin claimed on June 27 that Moscow is "ready" for a third round of peace talks with Kyiv, the Kremlin has sent no signal that it's ready to abandon its maximalist ambitions in Ukraine.
Russia's so-called "peace memorandum" demands that Ukraine recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea, as well as Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk oblasts — none of which are fully under Moscow's control.
Zelensky's Deputy Chief of Staff Pavlo Palisa said on June 6 that Russia aims to occupy all Ukrainian territory east of the Dnipro River and advance toward Odesa and Mykolaiv in a broader plan to sever Ukraine's access to the Black Sea amid a renewed summer offensive.
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on June 27 imposing sanctions on 52 Russian citizens as well as an additional 34 Russian companies and one Chinese entity involved in the production of Shahed-type drones and chip manufacturing machinery.
Ukraine introduced new restrictions as Russia has escalated drone attacks against Ukrainian cities over the past weeks, launching upwards of 400-500 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) per night.
Individuals and legal entities subject to Ukrainian sanctions cannot do business and trade in Ukraine, cannot withdraw their capital from the country. In the meantime, their assets are blocked, as well as their access to public and defense procurement, and entry into the territory of Ukraine, among other restrictions.
Andrii Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, said on Telegram that the sanction primarily enterprises and individuals collaborating with a Shahed manufacturing facility located in the town of Yelbuga in Russia's Tatarstan.
Russia has launched thousands of cheap but effective Iranian-designed Shahed drones against Ukraine since the fall of 2022. Originally designed in Iran, Russia has since produced its own Shahed-type drones on Russian territory.
Drones have become one of the defining tools of the full-scale war, used extensively by both Ukraine and Russia for surveillance, long-range strikes, and tactical battlefield advantage.
Earlier in the day, Zelensky signeda decree to coordinate sanctions against Russia with international partners, particularly the European Union and the Group of Seven (G7).
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on June 27 that Moscow plans to cut its military expenditure beginning next year, in a rebuke of NATO members' plans to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Putin's claims will likely be met with harsh skepticism from Western officials as Russia's military spending has continued to increase throughout its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify claims made by Putin. The Russian president did not provide any specifics as to how Moscow plans to cut military spending, but added there has yet to be an agreement between ministries.
"We are planning to reduce defence spending. For us, next year and the year after, over the next three-year period, we are planning for this," Putin told reporters during a visit to Belarus. "Europe is thinking about how to increase its spending, on the contrary. So who is preparing for some kind of aggressive actions? Us or them?" Putin continued.
Putin's comments comes as NATO allies are increasingly concerned about Russia's military capabilities, including future threats to alliance members as well as ongoing sabotage efforts.
On June 25, NATO member states agreed to a new defense spending benchmark, committing to allocate 5% of their GDP annually to defense and security-related expenditures by 2035.
The decision comes as NATO allies increasingly believe Russia could rebuild sufficient military capacity to challenge the alliance within five years, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warning that allies must act urgently to prepare for future threats.
"We see Russia's deadly terror from the skies over Ukraine every day. We must be able to defend ourselves from such attacks," Rutte said during a press briefing on June 23. "Our security environment has changed, and not for the better. The threats we face today demand that we do far more," he added.
Various European intelligence agencies as well as officials have increasingly delivered dire warnings about the threat emanating from Russia and Europe's current lack of preparedness. German intelligence chief Bruno Kahl told a parliamentary hearing in October that Russia will have the military capabilities to be able to attack NATO by 2030.
In 2024, Russia’s military spending surpassed the combined defense budgets of all European nations. Russia’s total defense expenditures surged by 42% in real terms amounting to $462 billion, according to the data by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
By comparison, total defense spending across Europe, including the U.K. and EU member states, increased by nearly 12% last year to $457 billion, slightly trailing Moscow’s budget.
The Moscow Times reported in December that the Kremlin had spentan unprecedented $43 billion in the third quarter of 2024 alone.
The United States would consider bombing Iran again if the country's nuclear program once again became of concern, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters during a press briefing on June 27.
When asked whether Trump would consider bombing Iran if the country were able to enrich uranium to a concerning level, Trump responded: "Sure. Without question, absolutely."
On June 21, the United States conductedstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, dropping over a dozen bunker buster bombs on the sites and causing significant damage to the country's nuclear program.
"Turned out to be unbelievable," Trump said of the strikes on June 27, despite mixed reports on the success of the strikes.
A leaked U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment, reported by CNN, found that the strikes did not destroy the core of Tehran's nuclear program. Instead, the intelligence suggests the attacks likely delayed Iran's progress by "a few months."
Despite the leak, Trump administration officials have rebuffed reports that the strikes did not fully fulfill its object, amid reports of Iran having possibly moved its enriched uranium away from the sites.
"The objective was to eliminate enrichment in Iran… and he achieved that objective," U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said on June 24, adding that he personally reviewed damage assessments and saw "no doubt" that key nuclear infrastructure was destroyed.
Trump's comments on future attacks comes as Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei downplayed the success of the strikes, claiming victory over Israel and the United States.
"I SAVED (Khamenei) FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH," Trump wrote on Truth social on June 27, adding that he has halted plans to potentially ease sanctions on Iran. "The sanction are BITING," Trump wrote.
"Iran has to get back into the World Order flow, or things will only get worse for them," he added.
On June 24, Trump announced that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel had come into effect, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and a retaliatory Iranian attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar.
Russia is ready to hold a third round of peace talks on the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on June 27, without specifying if he would directly participate in the negotiations.
"In general, we are ready for this (next round of peace talks), we need to coordinate the place and time," Putin said.
Putin added that the talks could potentially be held in Istanbul but the details have not yet been worked out. He added that another round of talks may bring peace closer as the terms for peace outlined in the countries' peace memorandumsremain "absolutely opposite."
The latest peace talks between Russia and Ukraine took place on June 2 in Istanbul, following an earlier meeting on May 16. Despite Ukraine's insistence on a 30-day ceasefire, Russiahas repeatedly rejected the offer, proposing only a temporary 2–3-day truce in limited areas to retrieve the bodies of fallen soldiers.
While no agreement on a comprehensive ceasefire has been reached, talks have led to a few major prisoner exchanges, including a 1,000-for-1,000 swap that took place in late May and a follow-up deal for up to 1,200 prisoners from each side.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said during a press briefing on June 26 that it was Ukraine's goal to organize a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin during the next round of negotiation.
In previous rounds, Putin had failed to show in-person sending lower-level officials to the meeting instead — despite Zelensky's willingness for in-person talks as well pressure from the United States.
On June 26, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara is workingto organize a meeting between Zelensky and Putin, with U.S. President Donald Trump potentially joining the talks.
Putin said on June 27 that it was "quite possible" that a meeting between himself and the U.S. president could take place. "We will be happy to prepare it," he briefly added.
Zelensky and Trump met during the NATO summit on June 25, where the two leaders discussed battlefield developments, Kyiv's need for additionalair defense systems, and the potential for co-production of drones.
Zelensky has previously voiced openness to a trilateral meeting. On May 27, he told public broadcaster Suspilne that he was ready to sit down with both Trump and Putin.
Turkey previously hosted direct peace talks in March 2022 and has remained one of the few countries with open lines to both Kyiv and Moscow.
Ukrainian companies have increased their industrial capacity to produce four million drones a year, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said at a June 26 press briefing.
The statement comes as Ukraine seeks to increase domestic arms production amid uncertainty over further U.S. support and reduced dependence on supplies from European partners.
Ukrainian manufacturers will supply four million drones to the front line this year, while the Ukrainian army has already received up to 1.5 million drones as of the end of June, according to Umerov.
The minister said that brigades made many requests for direct funding last year, with a commitment secured for 2025. The government is currently allocating Hr 2.5 billion ($60 million) per month for direct procurement teams, he added.
In the meantime, Umerov said that not all brigades spend money due to a lack of procurement specialists, so the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) launched the DOT Chain Defense marketplace for Ukrainian soldiers
"The teams see a 'marketplace' of drones: each team orders what it needs, and the healthcare organization pays for it. This way we significantly reduce all the bureaucracy, and the teams get what they need ten times faster," Umerov said.
Russian drone strikes across Ukraine have been breaking records in recent weeks, with nearly 500 drones and missiles launched overnights.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has focused heavily on developing and deploying advanced unmanned systems. As of April 2025, more than 95% of drones used by Ukrainian forces on the front line are domestically produced.
Both Ukraine and Russia have increasingly relied on drone warfare, employing aerial, naval, and ground-based drones for reconnaissance and combat operations – making technological innovation a critical component of the war.
Ukrainian drones struck four Su-34 fighter jets at the Marinovka airfield in Russia's Volgograd Oblast overnight on June 27, Ukraine's General Staff said.
The operation was carried out by the Special Forces and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in cooperation with other military units, according to the General Staff.
Volgograd Oblast is located some 900 kilometers (560 miles) southeast of Moscow.
According to preliminary data, two Russian fighter jets were destroyed, and the other two were damaged. Russia uses such aircraft to bomb Ukraine, particularly to drop guided aerial bombs, the General Staff said.
The attack also caused a fire in the airfield's technical and operational unit, a facility where combat aircraft are serviced and repaired, according to the General Staff.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
As Russia intensifies aerial attacks on Ukraine and the civilian death toll climbs, Ukraine has stepped up its drone attacks on Russian territory. The recent surge in drone strikes aims to disrupt airport operations, overwhelm air defenses, and mount pressure against the Russian population.
Editor's note: The story was updated with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's statement voiced during the EU summit.
EU ambassadors have failed to approve the 18th package of sanctions against Russia due to opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, an unnamed EU official told the Kyiv Independent on June 27.
After the 17th package of sanctions against Russia took effect on May 20, Ukraine's allies announced the following day that another round of restrictions was already in the works. Meanwhile, officials in Hungary and Slovakia protested against the approval of new restrictions against Russia.
Unlike Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has consistently opposed sanctions against Russia, Slovakia has not previously attempted to block EU sanctions.
"No agreement was reached. Ambassadors will return to this issue after two reservations are removed," the source told Suspilne in a reference to the position of Slovakia and Hungary.
Slovakia has requested that the adoption of the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia be postponed until a decision is made on the consequences for the member states from RePowerEU, the European Commission's initiative to end dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2030 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico voiced this proposal during the EU summit, the Slovak Foreign Ministry told Suspilne.
The ambassadors also agreed to extend sectoral sanctions against Russia for six months. These sanctions encompass a broad array of economic areas, including restrictions on trade, finance, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport, and luxury goods.
In June, the European Commission presented the 18th package of sanctions, which includes new restrictions against the Russian energy and banking sectors and transactions related to the Nord Stream gas pipeline project.
Ukraine's European allies are tightening sanctions against Russia as Moscow refuses to accept a ceasefire. Despite Russia's refusal, no new U.S. sanctions have been imposed so far.
Active fighting is still taking place around the village of Shevchenko in Donetsk Oblast, home to one of Ukraine's largest lithium deposits, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces told the Kyiv Independent on June 27, denying reports Russia had occupied the village.
Earlier on June 26, Russia'a Defense Ministry said it had captured Shevchenko along with another other small settlements in the Velyka Novosilka region of the oblast, as Russian troops continue to push along all areas of the front line.
The spokesperson said that while Russian forces had pushed out Ukrainian soldiers on June 26, the situation is constantly evolving and subject to change several times a day.
"This is one of the two most intense directions right now," Viktor Trehubov, the spokesperson, told the Kyiv Independent.
According to the Ukrainian Geological Survey, the Shevchenkivske deposit covers nearly 40 hectares (98 acres) on the eastern outskirts of Shevchenko. Exact data on the Shevchenkivske deposit's lithium reserves are classified, but it's considered one of the most promising.
The deposit's main reserves consist of lithium ores, but it also contains other rare elements such as rubidium, cesium, tantalum, niobium, beryllium, and tin.
Ukraine is home to 20 of the world's critical minerals and metals like titanium used in the aerospace and defense industries and lithium, an essential component of electric vehicle batteries.
The U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, signed April 30, specifically mentions lithium as one of the mineral resources that both parties could profit from extracting.
Despite the deposit's relatively small size, it could be operated by a single mine, which could make extraction more efficient, according to a Ukrainian Geological Survey data.
The survey classifies the deposit in the highest complexity category of three possible levels, which could complicate development.
According to KSE, Ukraine holds one-third of the European Union's lithium reserves and approximately 3% of global lithium reserves.
Around 150 pro-Palestinian activists have broken into a storage facility and damaged military equipment intended for Ukraine, the Belgian news outlet 7sur7 reported on June 26.
The facility belongs to OIP Land Systems, a company that produces military equipment for Ukraine. The activists reportedly thought the equipment would be supplied to Israel.
The activists, who were wearing white overalls and masks, took part in the Stop Arming Israel campaign. The protests seek to pressure Belgian authorities to maintain the military embargo against Israel and impose sanctions on it.
The protesters, armed with hammers and grinders, first entered the company's offices, where they smashed computers, and then broke into the hangars, where they severely damaged some vehicles, Freddy Versluys, CEO of OIP Land Systems, said.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the company has supplied the Ukrainian army with about 260 armored vehicles. The damage caused by the activists' actions is estimated at $1.1 million, according to 7sur7.
"A further delivery has now been delayed by at least a month. That's all these Hamas sympathizers will have achieved with their action," Versluys said.
The company was reportedly targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters because Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense company, owns it.
Protesters believe that Elbit supplies 85% of the drones and most of the ground military equipment used by the Israel Defense Forces, 7sur7 reported.
Yet, the OIP Land Systems CEO claimed that his company has not produced defense systems for Israel for over 20 years.
OIP Land Systems has provided defense products to Ukraine on several occasions, including Leopard 1 tanks, which are manufactured at the Tournai plant.
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on June 27 to coordinate sanctions against Russia with international partners, particularly the European Union and the Group of Seven (G7), the President's Office said on its website.
A day earlier, EU member states' leaders gave their political consent to extend the sanctions previously imposed on Russia for its war against Ukraine.
The EU Committee of Permanent Representatives (CORPER) also extended sectoral sanctions against Russia for another six months on June 26, European Pravda reported, citing a diplomatic source. The sanctions include restrictions against entire sectors or industries of the Russian economy or areas of operation of Russian businesses.
Meanwhile, the participants did not approve the new 18th package of sanctions, which targeted Russia's energy and banking sectors, due to Slovakia's veto.
Zelensky's June 27 decree implements a decision by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council's (NSDC) to synchronize the sanctions against Russia with the EU and G7.
According to the document, sanctions approved by partner states must be submitted to the NSDC for consideration and approval no later than the 15th day after the partner state's decision comes into force.
The Cabinet of Ministers, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and the National Bank of Ukraine must also ensure the implementation of sanctions approved by international partners in Ukraine.
After the 17th package of sanctions against Russia took effect on May 20, Ukraine's allies announced the following day that another round of restrictions was already in the works.
The push for tighter sanctions comes as Russia continues to reject ceasefire proposals and presses forward with military operations.
Russian forces struck a critical energy facility in Kherson Oblast, causing widespread power outages across several communities, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on June 27.
"Russia decided to plunge Kherson Oblast into darkness," Prokudin wrote on Telegram. He said the attack has disrupted electricity supply to multiple settlements.
Local power engineers are working to stabilize the situation, Prokudin said.
"I ask the residents of the region to prepare for a prolonged power outage. Power engineers are doing everything possible to stabilize the situation," he said.
Kherson and the surrounding regions have frequently come under Russian fire since Ukrainian forces liberated the city from occupation in November 2022. Russian troops continue to attack the area with artillery and drones from across the Dnipro River.
The Russian army consistently targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Throughout 2024, Moscow launched 13 mass attacks with drones and missiles on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Ukraine was forced to introduce emergency blackouts across the country.
Ukraine and Russia agreed to a partial 30-day energy truce, following consultations with the U.S. in Riyadh on March 25. Moscow violated the ceasefire more than 30 times, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on April 16.
Ukraine's one-year military contract for volunteers aged 18 to 24 is proving effective on the battlefield, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said at a June 26 press briefing, citing fresh reports from commanders across the front line.
Umerov said units made up of young contract soldiers had shown "resilience, professionalism, and confident actions in combat," challenging early skepticism about the new recruitment model.
"We saw them on the battlefield — and it's truly motivating."
The contract, launched in February, offers substantial benefits to young volunteers. It includes basic general military training, vocational training, and an adaptation course in an army unit. Volunteers will receive a one-time monetary aid payment of Hr 1 million ($24,000) and a monthly allowance of up to Hr 120,000 ($3,000).
The campaign initially faced backlash from some front-line troops and activists, who argued it created unfair disparities in pay and support. Now, the initiative is being credited with improving performance in specific units, Umerov said, citing internal military assessments received by the ministry two weeks ago.
Umerov, however, hasn't shared the number of soldiers recruited through the campaign.
The campaign is under constant evaluation based on financial, personnel, and training metrics. Umerov said the Defense Ministry is working to enhance the motivational package further, using data and feedback from participants and focus groups.
Despite pressure from international partners, particularly the United States, to lower Ukraine’s mobilization age from 25 to 18, service for those aged 18–24 remains voluntary. President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently rejected compulsory mobilization starting at 18, warning that it could damage Ukraine's long-term future.
In a recent interview, Zelensky said Ukraine's Western allies have at times withheld new sanctions on Russia over Kyiv's refusal to lower the draft age. He stressed that the "weapons and technology," rather than raw manpower, were more decisive on the battlefield.
Ukraine faces personnel challenges as Russian forces continue to press along the front line. While a mobilization reform law lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 in 2024, the pace of new enlistment has slowed, leaving infantry units understaffed.
"The younger generation is a powerful human resource that deserves support and development," Umerov said.
Ukraine is preparing to request European Union sanctions against Bangladeshi entities over importing wheat stolen from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, Ukraine's ambassador to India told Reuters.
In comments for Reuters published on June 27, Oleksandr Polishchuk said that Bangladesh had failed to respond to Ukrainian diplomatic appeals to stop the trade, prompting Kyiv to escalate the matter to the EU level.
"It's a crime," Polishchuk told Reuters. "We will share our investigation with our European Union colleagues, and we will kindly ask them to take the appropriate measures."
Russian forces have seized millions of tons of Ukrainian grain from occupied areas, with at least 180,000 tons looted through the port of Mariupol alone, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhalsaid in October 2024.
The Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi sent multiple letters to Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry this year, requesting rejection of more than 150,000 tonnes of grain allegedly stolen and shipped from the Russian port of Kavkaz, according to documents reviewed by Reuters, shared by people familiar with the matter.
According to Polishchuk, Ukrainian intelligence showed that entities in Russia mask grain obtained from occupied Ukrainian territories by mixing it with Russian wheat before shipping it to other countries.
Bangladesh's Food Ministry, in comments to Reuters, denied the imports, saying that they banned grain deliveries originating from occupied Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine's agricultural sector has suffered approximately $80 billion in losses due to Russia's full-scale invasion, Agriculture Minister Vitalii Koval said in February.
The losses include direct damage, disrupted logistics, higher fertilizer and fuel costs, land reclamation expenses, demining costs, and impacts from occupied territories.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A Russian missile strike on the city of Samar in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on June 27 killed five people and injured at least 25 others, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
In a statement posted to Telegram, Lysak said most of the injured were hospitalized. Four of the victims are in serious condition, while the others sustained moderate injuries. A fire broke out following the strike, and emergency services are continuing to work at the site.
"We're doing everything possible to assist those affected," Lysak said.
The attack comes just days after Russia launched one of the deadliest assaults on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. On June 24, missiles struck multiple locations in the regional capital of Dnipro and in the oblast, killing at least 21 people and injuring over 300 others.
The strike hit civilian infrastructure, a dormitory, a gymnasium, and a train traveling from Odesa to Zaporizhzhia, as well as the nearby town of Samarske. Two people were killed and 14 others wounded there. At least 100 victims of the Dnipro attack remain hospitalized, Lysak said.
At least two civilians were killed and 13 were injured in Russian drone and missile attacks across Ukraine over the past day, local officials reported on June 27.
According to Ukraine's Air Force, Ukrainian air defense intercepted 365 of 371 incoming Russian air weapons, including 363 Shahed-type drones, two Kinzhal ballistic missiles, and six Kalibr cruise missiles.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said one person was killed and four were wounded in Vovchanski Khutory and Pidlyman during a Russian attack. Infrastructure damage included houses and an agricultural facility. The region also endured heavy shelling.
In Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported one death, while three people were injured across Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, and Bakhmut districts. Damage was observed to houses, a farm, administrative buildings, gas pipelines, and vehicles.
In Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said four people were injured as Russian drones and artillery struck social and residential infrastructure. Seven apartment buildings and 25 houses were damaged, along with utilities and vehicles.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Ivan Fedorov said one person was injured when an air-dropped bomb hit a settlement in the Huliaipole district.
In Kyiv Oblast, a person was injured near Fastiv during an overnight drone and missile attack. One house was damaged each in Boryspil and Fastiv districts, while a tire repair shop and five cars were hit in Bila Tserkva. No critical infrastructure was reportedly affected, and air defense forces shot down Russian drones and missiles.
North Korea has already deployed around 11,000 elite troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine, accounting for more than 20% of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's elite "personal reserve" force, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said during a June 26 press briefing.
"These are soldiers specially selected based on physical, psychological, and other criteria," Umerov said. "These units have already suffered significant losses."
Umerov said intelligence indicates North Korea had considered sending additional forces to fight with Russia. However, according to Umerov, the move would further deplete its strategic reserves and increase risks to regime stability. There have been four known rotations of North Korean units deployed against Ukraine, according to Umerov.
According to a June 15 report from the United Kingdom's defense intelligence, North Korea has likely sustained more than 6,000 casualties in Russia since the deployment of troops to Kursk Oblast in fall 2024.
U.K. intelligence attributed the high casualty rate to large, highly attritional dismounted assaults.
Russia's growing military partnership with North Korea has raised concerns in Kyiv and among its allies. The two countries signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2024. The treaty commits both countries to provide assistance if either is attacked.
Kim previously described the pact as having a "peaceful and defensive nature," framing it as a formal security guarantee between the longtime partners.
In practice, Umerov said, North Korea is bearing the military burden, while Russia has not upheld its reciprocal obligations, raising concerns within the North Korean regime.
"Russia's use of elite North Korean troops demonstrates not only a growing reliance on totalitarian regimes but also serious problems with its mobilization reserve," Umerov said. "Together with our partners, we are monitoring these threats and will respond accordingly."
Umerov added that Ukraine, working in coordination with its Western partners, is closely tracking the movement and deployment of North Korean units deployed to fight against Ukraine. He said Russia's dependence on foreign forces may signal critical shortages in its own recruitment and mobilization efforts.
According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, North Korea is likely to send more troops to Russia over the summer. Pyongyang may also send up to 25,000 laborers to Russia to support drone production, according to the report.
The additional troop deployment would come on top of what Seoul estimates is already substantial support from North Korea, which includes the shipment of over 10 million artillery shells and ballistic missiles in exchange for economic and technical assistance from Moscow.
Ukraine's next goal in ongoing negotiations with Russia is to organize a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said during a press briefing on June 26.
Speaking to journalists in Kyiv, Umerov, who was part of Ukrainian peace talks delegation, outlined a multi-stage negotiation process that began in January with an initiative from U.S. President Donald Trump. Umerov stressed that Ukraine welcomed the idea of a ceasefire from the outset and remains fully committed to a just peace.
"Ukraine has always remained consistent in its pursuit of peace," Umerov said. "We supported the U.S. initiative for a full ceasefire from the very beginning and demonstrated our commitment through multiple rounds of negotiations. But any dialogue must take place without ultimatums and with full respect for our country's sovereignty."
The talks unfolded in several rounds in Jeddah, Riyadh, Paris, London, and Istanbul. During the second round of negotiations in Riyadh, Ukraine communicated with Russia indirectly, through U.S. mediators. In Turkey, U.S. mediators were excluded from talks due to Russia's request, according to Umerov.
"President Zelensky's proposal to meet with Putin is aimed at showing Donald Trump that Moscow is not truly seeking peace," Mykola Kniazhytzkyi, a Ukrainian lawmaker from the European Solidarity party, told the Kyiv Independent.
"Its real goal is the destruction of Ukrainian statehood and the genocide of the Ukrainian people."
Oleksandr Merezhko, a lawmaker from Zelensky’s party and chair of the parliament's foreign affairs committee, called the proposal for a bilateral high-level meeting "an interesting political step." He said it is a logical move since "Putin decides everything in Russia."
However, the MP questioned the overall advisability of a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin.
"It seems to me that it would be better to conduct such negotiations in a format involving not only Zelensky, but also the United States and the European Union," Merezhko said, adding that European leaders could help build a "balance of power," given the risk that the U.S. might potentially lean toward Russia.
He said that talks between the leaders should take place after the ceasefire, at least a temporary one, is in place.
"For them (Russia), negotiations are a tool of war. They have never conducted them in good faith and will never do this. In general, there is no need for negotiations, there is a need for pressure (from the West)," Merezhko said.
Umerov said Ukraine had accepted a U.S.-proposed full ceasefire across land, sea, and air in early March, but Russia has rejected the proposal.
While no agreement on a comprehensive ceasefire has been reached, talks have led to a few major prisoner exchanges, including a 1,000-for-1,000 swap that took place in late May and a follow-up deal for up to 1,200 prisoners from each side.
Umerov said the focus of recent negotiations has included humanitarian issues such as the release of civilians and children, as well as conditions for a meeting of Ukrainian and Russian leaders. He emphasized that the next stage must include top-level dialogue.
"After completing discussions on humanitarian issues, Ukraine plans to move forward to the topic of a leaders' summit for substantive dialogue," he said.
The latest peace talks between Russia and Ukraine took place on June 2 in Istanbul, following an earlier meeting on May 16. Both times, the Ukrainian delegation was led by Umerov. Despite Ukraine's insistence on a 30-day ceasefire, Russia proposed only a temporary 2–3-day truce in limited areas to retrieve the bodies of fallen soldiers. Umerov called this offer "insufficient" and accused Moscow of avoiding meaningful peace.
"Russia rejects even the very idea of stopping the killings," Umerov said following the June 2 talks. "That's why we appeal to the world: pressure is needed for real peace, not for an imitation of negotiations."
Zelensky has also criticized Moscow's limited ceasefire offers and called on Trump to follow through on promised sanctions if talks remain fruitless. Trump has repeatedly suggested that he is monitoring the peace process closely and warned that the U.S. response could change if Putin is not prepared to end the war.
No further U.S. sanctions were imposed after more than 100 days of Moscow's refusal to the proposed ceasefire.
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have filed a motion with the High Anti-Corruption Court seeking to impose bail and suspend Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov from office, NABU's press service reported on June 27.
Chernyshov was officially named a suspect on June 23 in what NABU called a "large-scale" illegal land grab case. Chernyshov heads the new National Unity Ministry in charge of returning refugees and is a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky. He left Ukraine days before law enforcement revealed a massive corruption scheme and detained two of his former close associates — Maksym Horbatiuk and Vasyl Volodin.
Investigators allege that Chernyshov and his associates undervalued the land fivefold, costing the state Hr 1 billion (about $24 million), and received discounted apartments worth over Hr 14.5 million ($346,000) in return. In a comment to the Kyiv Independent, Chernyshov has denied the allegations and said he has no plans to step down.
The agencies are requesting that Chernyshov be placed under a bail measure of Hr 120 million ($2.8 million) and be formally removed from his current post while the investigation proceeds.
The agencies said the proposed measures reflect the risks identified during the investigation, including concerns about potential obstruction of justice. They emphasized that their motion aligns with the court's precedent in similar high-profile corruption cases.
The motion also requests that Chernyshov be subject to standard obligations, including a travel ban, passport surrender, and mandatory cooperation with law enforcement. SAPO additionally urged that he be prohibited from contacting other suspects or witnesses in the case.
The agency noted that Chernyshov returned to Ukraine voluntarily and responded to their summons.
If the court upholds the request, Chernyshov would be required to pay the bail within five days. Failure to do so or breach of the imposed conditions could result in a more severe pre-trial measure, prosecutors said.
Chernyshov returned to Ukraine on June 22 following growing public pressure and reported to NABU the following day. Despite his claim that he had been on a scheduled business trip, critics accused him of attempting to evade charges.
Chernyshov is considered a close ally of Zelensky and has held several high-profile roles, including CEO of state-owned oil and gas giantNaftogaz.
A Chinese journalist was reportedly injured in a drone strike near Russia's border with Ukraine in Kursk Oblast, acting governor Alexander Khinshtein said on June 27.
According to Khinshtein, 63-year-old reporter Lu Yuguang from the Chinese television network Phoenix TV was wounded in a Ukrainian drone strike on the village of Korenevo in Russia's Kursk Oblast. He sustained an open head injury and a contusion on the parietal region of his skull, but later declined hospitalization after being examined at a regional hospital, Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.
"Fortunately, the journalist received skin wounds on the head. No other damage was found," the governor said, adding, "Please refrain from traveling to the border area, it can be dangerous."
If confirmed, this would be the first publicly reported case of a Chinese journalist being injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast as a result of cross-border drone strikes amid Moscow's full-scale war against Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast in August 2024, marking the first large-scale invasion of Russian territory by foreign troops since World War II. The move was intended to disrupt a planned Russian offensive targeting Ukraine's Sumy Oblast and to relieve pressure on the Donetsk front.
Since then, Ukraine claims it has inflicted 63,402 Russian troop casualties in the oblast, including 25,625 killed and 971 captured. Ukrainian forces also say they have destroyed or damaged over 5,664 pieces of Russian military equipment in the area.
Russia retook most of the lost territory during a renewed offensive in March 2025, supported by North Korean troops.
Russia has lost 1,016,720 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on June 27.
The number includes 970 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of June 27, 2025, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 10,969 tanks, 22,896 armored fighting vehicles, 53,284 vehicles and fuel tanks, 29,630 artillery systems, 1,425 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,188 air defense systems, 416 airplanes, 337 helicopters, 42,240 drones, 3,388 cruise missiles, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
The Netherlands and Belgium have delivered two minehunter vessels to Ukraine to support maritime security in the Black Sea, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced on June 26.
"The Netherlands and Belgium are transferring two minehunters to Ukraine. A vital contribution to Black Sea security, and key to safeguarding trade routes and global food supply," Brekelmans said on X. He added that Ukrainian crews and technicians were trained "in record time."
According to the Dutch Defense Ministry, the vessels involved are the Belgian ship BNS Narcis and the Dutch Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen. The official handover ceremony took place earlier in Zeebrugge, Belgium, but was disclosed only later due to security concerns.
"The major ports of Odesa and the Black Sea shipping lanes are the lifeblood of the Ukrainian economy," Brekelmans said. "And (they are) under constant threat. Ukraine may not win the war at sea, but it can certainly lose the war there. We simply cannot let that happen. That is why it is so important for maritime security and free passage that Ukraine can use minehunters."
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the Netherlands has provided Kyiv with a combined 8.4 billion euros ($9.4 billion) in support, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy while Belgium has allocated over two billion euros (about $2.2 billion) in support, including military, financial, and humanitarian assistance.
Short-range drone attacks have become one of the deadliest threats to civilians in Ukraine’s front-line regions, killing at least 395 people and injuring 2,635 between February 2022 and April 2025, according to a new bulletin by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
The report, "Deadly Drones: Civilians at Risk from Short-Range Drones in Frontline Areas of Ukraine," highlights the growing use of first-person-view (FPV) drones by Russian forces and their devastating impact on the civilian population.
The bulletin documents attacks in which drone operators deliberately targeted civilians engaging in daily activities — driving private cars, riding bicycles, walking outdoors, or evacuating others in clearly marked ambulances.
"Although individually less destructive than artillery or missiles, the sheer scale and increasing frequency of short-range drone attacks have made them one of the deadliest weapons in Ukraine," said Danielle Bell, head of the mission. "Over 3,000 civilian casualties — and the relentless frequency of these attacks — have not only caused immense human suffering but also instilled fear, severely disrupted daily life, and crippled access to essential services in several frontline communities."
The monitoring mission documented, verified, and analyzed 3,030 civilian casualties resulting from short-range drones between 24 February 2022 and 30 April 2025. The researchers conducted site visits to very high-risk areas, including the southern city of Kherson, Zolochiv in Kharkiv Oblast, and other front-line locations. Investigators interviewed survivors and witnesses of drone attacks, medical personnel, and humanitarian workers to assess the full impact of these strikes on civilian life.
Ukraine's Kherson Oblast (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)
Casualties surged in late 2023 and early 2024, with numbers suddenly doubling in July 2024. April 2025 marked the deadliest month on record, with 42 civilians killed and 283 injured. Drone strikes continued into May and June.
On 23 June, a 65-year-old driver was killed in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, when a drone struck a minibus. In Kharkiv region, a 58-year-old volunteer was killed on 22 May when a drone dropped a munition on a residential balcony. On 20 May, six civilians were injured when a drone hit a bus in Kherson Oblast.
The vast majority of casualties — 89% — occurred in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government. The UN says these attacks violate international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of distinction and precaution, and may in some cases constitute war crimes.
Russia is using financial incentives to recruit teachers, cultural workers, and coaches to work in occupied parts of Ukraine in a campaign aimed at reshaping local identity and fostering loyalty to Moscow’s regime, according to a report published by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) on June 26.
The Kremlin is offering up to two million rubles (around $22,000) to Russian teachers who agree to work for five years in occupied areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, and one million rubles for positions in Crimea.
The initiative, an extension of Russia’s “Zemskyi Uchitel” (Rural Teacher) program, which originally targeted underserved regions in Russia, was formally launched in the newly occupied Ukrainian territories in 2024 — though Russian educators began arriving as early as 2022.
Over 100 teachers have relocated to Crimea through the program, according to Ukraine’s Regional Center for Human Rights/ Most of them arrived from regions including Krasnodar, Altai Krai, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Saratov, Tyumen, Ivanovo, and the Republic of Udmurtia.
“We have documented cases of teachers — and people assigned to managerial roles, such as school principals and deputy heads — arriving as early as 2022,” said Kateryna Rashevska of Ukraine’s Regional Center for Human Rights. “The first group came from Dagestan, arriving in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, and by 2024, there were already 37 teachers from Dagestan working there.”
According to Rashevska, these teachers often lead courses in Russian language, history, and “basics of life safety and defense of the Motherland” — classes focused on conscription and military training. “These people are also involved in reprogramming Ukrainian children, attempting to raise them as Russian patriots and future members of the Russian armed forces,” she added.
In parallel, Russia is also exerting pressure on Ukrainian teachers in occupied areas to adopt the Russian curriculum. Those who refuse face serious consequences. "In Berdiansk, a school principal was deported for refusing to open the school under Russian standards," said Mariia Sulialina, head of Ukrainian NGO Almenda. Sulialina noted that teachers are now required to praise President Vladimir Putin and report "extremist behavior" among students — often defined as pro-Ukrainian views.
Human rights experts say these efforts amount to colonization and are violations of international law, including Article 49 of the Geneva Convention and Article 8 of the Rome Statute.
“Russia plans to move another 100 teachers into occupied areas in 2025 — a clear example of colonization,” Rashevska said. Despite existing legal tools, she added, “The International Criminal Court still doesn’t prioritize colonization… even though these federally coordinated programs involving teachers, cultural workers, and coaches create a clear chain of command.”
European firms continue to ship critical weapons components to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the European Council on June 26 in a plea for tougher EU sanctions against Moscow.
"Some European companies are still sending critical components to Russia. These end up in missiles and other weapons used to kill us, kill Ukrainians," Zelensky said in a video address to the European Council summit in Brussels.
Ukraine is in the process of identifying these materials and will pass along evidence to EU officials, he said.
Zelensky's remarks were part of a broader appeal for the EU to expand and strengthen economic penalties on Russia. While the bloc reached an agreement in Brussels to extend current sectoral sanctions for another six months, it is still debating its proposed 18th package of sanctions against Russia.
Zelensky urged the EU to pass "a truly strong" 18th package, targeting "Russia's oil trade, its shadow tanker fleet, Russian banks and other financial instruments, and the supply chains that bring equipment or parts for making weapons."
The sanctions should not only penalize Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" vessels, but also the tankers' captains and the ports Russia uses to export oil, Zelensky said.
The president also reiterated his call to drop the current oil price cap to $30 per barrel.
"Russia's military ambitions grow when its oil revenues are high," he said.
Several European countries still rely heavily on Russian oil and gas, Zelensky pointed out. Ukraine understands the complexities of this situation and treads carefully in order to respect its partnership with the EU.
"Yet, sadly, we don't always feel this same understanding in return when it comes to Ukraine's needs," Zelensky said.
"It feels especially strange to hear such strong criticism — even political pressure from some leaders — while our respect for EU rules allows oil to keep flowing."
While Zelensky did not specify any particular EU leaders, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in June threatened to veto the 18th sanctions package, citing concerns over Slovakia's reliance on Russia's energy imports. Fico has emerged as one of the EU's strongest supporters of Russia, alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Orban took aim against Kyiv at the Brussels summit by blocking a unanimous statement of support for Ukraine's accession to the EU. All 26 other member states supported the statement, while Hungary was the sole opponent.
In his address to the Council, Zelensky urged the EU to send a clear signal of support for Ukraine's European path. Ukraine has fulfilled its obligations in the accession process, the president argued, and deserves recognition of its progress.
"Any delay by Europe at this point could create a global precedent and a reason to doubt Europe's words and commitments," he said.
The White House has recommended terminating U.S. funding for multiple programs that investigate war crimes worldwide, including Russian war crimes in Ukraine, Reuters reported on June 26.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration in January, the administration has imposed sweeping layoffs and budget cuts, targeting foreign aid, media outlets, and federal workers. Many of the cuts have directly impacted programs assisting Ukraine.
The Trump administration's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on June 25 recommended canceling funds for nearly two dozen programs that investigate and seek accountability for war crimes, two U.S. sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The outlet also reviewed internal government documents to support their claims.
The targeted programs include groups investigating Russian war crimes in Ukraine, as well as atrocities in Myanmar, Syria, Iraq, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Gambia.
Multiple programs designated for termination are operating in Ukraine, three sources told Reuters. One of the groups is Global Rights Compliance, which gathers evidence of Russian war crimes across the country, including torture and sexual violence. Another is Legal Action Worldwide, a legal aid organization that supports efforts to prosecute suspects accused of perpetrating war crimes in Ukraine.
The State Department will have the opportunity to appeal the OMB's recommendation, though two U.S. officials told Reuters that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is not likely to advocate for most of the programs.
Rubio could potentially argue to preserve a few key programs, such as those supporting the prosecution of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, one source said.
According to an internal State Department email viewed by Reuters, the department has until July 11 to submit their arguments on behalf of preserving any of the targeted war crimes accountability programs.
The Trump administration's funding cuts have already impacted humanitarian aid and civil society programs across Ukraine as the country faces its fourth year of Russia's full-scale invasion. One of Trump's first acts in his second term was to freeze all U.S. foreign assistance for 90 days. He then worked alongside former ally Elon Musk to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Among the defunded organizations is Ukraine Conflict Observatory, the leading U.S.-backed initiative documenting Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children. A part of Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab, the group will end its efforts to track and monitor illegally deported Ukrainian children as of July 1 due to funding cuts.
The White House also previously disbanded the U.S. Justice Department's War Crimes Accountability Team and fired a coordinator responsible for collecting data on Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
The European Union on June 26 reached an agreement to extend sanctions against Russia for another six months, an undisclosed EU official told the Kyiv Independent.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the agreement shortly afterwards in a joint press conference alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa at the EU summit in Brussels.
The EU made the decision on June 26 to extend its current sanctions against Russia for six more months, Tusk said.
"We still have a decision about the 18th sanctions package ahead of us," he added.
The EU votes to renew its sectoral sanctions against Russia every six months in January and July. Sanctions encompass a broad array of economic areas, including restrictions on trade, finance, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport, and luxury goods.
The latest agreement comes amid fears that Hungary, one of the bloc's most Kremlin-friendly member states, would attempt to block the extension. Hungary has repeatedly threatened to use its veto power to obstruct the sanctions process.
The European bloc first adopted sanctions related to Russian aggression on July 31, 2014, after Moscow occupied Crimea and invaded Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. The EU has significantly scaled up its sanctions measures in the wake of the full-scale invasion, adopting 17 major sanctions packages since February 2022.
The EU on June 10 unveiled its 18th package of sanctions against Russia, expanding current measures to include new restrictions on energy, banking, oil, and other sectors. The initial proposal included banning transactions involving the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines and reducing the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel.
Soon after the package was announced, however, the EU reportedly postponed the effort to reduce the oil price cap.
The 18th round of sanctions is currently under debate. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, another Moscow-friendly European leader, has threatened to veto the package. Slovakia has not previously attempted to block EU sanctions against Russia.
Ukrainian drones struck air defense equipment in Russian-occupied Crimea, damaging radar units and components of the S-400 Triumph system, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) claimed on June 26.
The drone strike was carried out by the agency's "Ghosts" unit, HUR said. Video footage of the operation published on HUR's official Telegram channel shows the trajectory of multiple drones as they approach and hit their targets.
The attack damaged "critical and expensive components" of Russia's S-400 Triumph air defense system, including two 92N2E multifunctional control radars, two 91N6E detection radars, and an S-400 launcher, according to HUR.
"Radars are the 'eyes' of the enemy's air defense system. Without them, anti-aircraft systems become combat ineffective," HUR wrote.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
0:00
/
Video footage of an alleged Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian S-400 air defense radar system in occupied Crimea, June 2025. (Ukraine's military intelligence agency / Telegram)
Earlier this month, the Atesh partisan group reported that a Ukrainian drone attack hit Russian military facilities near Simferopol. The group claimed on June 13 that Ukrainian drone attacks likely hit a Russian air defense system.
Ukraine has previously carried out successful attacks on S-400 radar systems in Crimea and other regions, including Russia's Belgorod Oblast. Kyiv regularly launches strikes on military and industrial targets in both Russia and Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.
Russia has illegally occupied Crimea since 2014, transforming the peninsula into a heavily militarized stronghold. Moscow uses the region to support its war in Ukraine, launching missiles from the Black Sea and exploiting the peninsula as a key logistics and transport hub.
The Kerch Airport in Crimea has also been repurposed from civilian to military use, with Moscow-backed proxies transferring part of the airport's land to the Russian Defense Ministry in spring 2025, according to an investigation by Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe.
Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)
The European Council failed to unanimously adopt a statement of support for Ukraine during its June 26 meeting in Brussels, after Hungary once again failed to support it.
On the eve of the European Council summit, Hungary's government announced on June 26 that 95% of participants in a so-called "national consultation" opposed Ukraine's accession to the EU.
The highly-particized plebiscite, promoted by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, has already drawn criticism over its credibility and turnout, raising concerns that Orban may use its results to justify future resistance to Ukraine’s EU accession.
To register their "vote" in the national consultation, Hungarian citizens received their "ballot" in the post, together with a letter from Orban urging people to vote against.
According to the European Council's statement, the document found "firmly supported" by 26 out of the 27 states. All EU states, except Hungary, reaffirmed Ukraine's "inherent right to choose its own destiny" and support for the country's "path towards EU membership."
"The European Council commends Ukraine for the pace of its accession-related reforms under the most challenging circumstances, welcomes the significant progress achieved, and encourages Ukraine and the Commission to intensify work in the accession process," the statement read.
EU member states also agreed to take note of the Commission’s assessment that Ukraine is ready to open the Fundamentals cluster. However, formal negotiations can only begin with the unanimous consent of all 27 member states.
Ukraine applied for EU membership shortly after Russia launched its war in 2022 and was granted candidate status within months.
As an EU member, Hungary has veto power over further progress.
Orban said he voted against Ukraine's accession to the EU in the consultation, publicly sharing photos of himself marking "against" on the poll ballot. He warned earlier this year that allowing Kyiv to join the EU would "destroy" Hungary.
Connexion
The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat
