On 17 June, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that its defense forces neutralized 428 out of 472 Russian airborne threats launched during a large-scale night assault that began at 20:00 on 16 June. The full breakdown of the attack was published by the Air Force and included drones, cruise missiles, aeroballistic missiles, and guided aerial weapons.

Earlier, local authorities reported that the attack killed 14 people and injured 104 in Kyiv, while one civilian was reported dead and 17 injured in Odesa.

Kyiv identified as the main target

According to the Air Force, the primary direction of the strike was Kyiv. Defense efforts were carried out by aviation units, anti-aircraft missile forces, mobile fire groups, electronic warfare (EW) units, and unmanned systems belonging to Ukraine’s defense forces.

Russia kills 14, injures 100+ with missiles and drones in Kyiv as G7 leaders meet in Canada and Trump rejects sanctions

Weapons used in the attack

The Air Force detailed that Russia launched 472 air attack assets during the night:

• 440 drones, including Shahed one-way attack drones and decoy UAVs, launched from Kursk, Shatalovo, Oryol, Bryansk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia. Approximately 280 of these were Shahed drones.
• 2 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles launched from the airspace over Tambov Oblast.
• 16 Kh-101 cruise missiles launched from strategic aviation aircraft over Saratov Oblast.
• 4 Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea.
• 9 Kh-59/69 guided missiles launched from tactical aircraft over Belgorod and Bryansk oblasts.
• 1 Kh-31P anti-radar missile.

Interception results and methods

Of the 472 airborne threats:

• 262 were destroyed using firepower.
• 166 were either jammed or lost radar contact (“disappeared from radars”).

Intercepted weapons reportedly included:

• 239 Shahed and similar drones shot down by fire, and 163 “locationally lost” or jammed.
• 2 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles (1 “locationally lost”).
• 15 Kh-101 cruise missiles.
• 8 Kh-59/69 guided missiles (1 “locationally lost”).
• 1 Kh-31P anti-radar missile (“locationally lost”).

The Air Force’s term “locationally lost” refers to aerial targets that disappeared from radar tracking, likely having crashed before reaching their intended targets.

The data suggests that at least 38 drones and six missiles may have reached their intended targets.

Damage and impact on the ground

The Air Force recorded impacts in 10 locations where enemy air weapons struck. In addition, debris from intercepted threats fell in 34 other locations.

 Russia continues its daily air attacks against Ukrainian residential neighborhoods, injuring civilians. In the early hours of 17 June, Russia launched a massive combined air attack on Ukraine, hitting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike “one of the most terrible attacks on Kyiv” and confirmed that a total of more than 440 drones and 32 missiles were launched overnight. According to him, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv Oblast, Zhytomyr Oblast, Kirovohrad Oblast, Mykolaiv Oblast, and Kyiv Oblast were also targeted. As of 9:30, Kyiv authorities confirmed 14 dead and more than 100 injured. In Odesa, the oblast administration reported 1 person killed and 17 injured in the strike.

Kyiv’s air raid alert began at 21:14 on 16 June and lasted until 6:06 on 17 June. The first explosions occurred at midnight. Initial reports at 2:40 confirmed 16 injuries, mainly in the Solomianskyi district. Later, injuries were also reported in the Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi districts, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

By 6:54, over 40 people were confirmed injured, more than 30 of them hospitalized. At 9:29, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported 99 confirmed injuries, later updating the number to 104. Of those, 59 were hospitalized.

Among the dead was a 62-year-old US citizen, who died in the Solomianskyi district. Klitschko stated that the man died “in front of a house where medics were helping other people injured by the shelling.”

In Kyiv, a nine-story residential building was struck in the Solomianskyi district, with an entire section of the building destroyed “down to the basement,” according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. Emergency services were still searching the rubble for survivors.

Infrastructure damage included destroyed buildings in eight districts of the city. The Kyiv Aviation Institute reported that its dormitory No. 10 was hit by a drone. Three other dormitories suffered shattered windows from the blast wave. A kindergarten was damaged in the Darnytskyi district. Public transport was affected, with tram routes No. 15 and 22 halted and traffic blocked on Boryspilska Street, according to the Kyiv City State Administration.

This was one of the most extensive Russian air assaults on Kyiv in recent months. The Kyiv City Military Administration reported that Russia used 175 drones, over 14 cruise missiles, and at least two ballistic missiles, deliberately targeting civilian housing in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy: ‘This is pure terrorism’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that “such attacks are pure terrorism” and urged the international community to respond accordingly.

“Russia destroyed an entire section of a residential building. Buildings in eight districts of Kyiv were damaged. Work continues at all impact sites. All victims are receiving the necessary help. At this time, 15 people are reported dead. My condolences to the families and loved ones,” he posted.

He continued:

“Putin does this only because he can afford to continue the war. He wants war to continue. It is bad when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to this. We are in contact with all partners at all possible levels so there is a proper response. These terrorists must feel pain, not peaceful, normal people.”

Strikes on Odesa and Zaporizhzhia

In Odesa, 17 people were injured, and one woman was killed. According to Odesa Oblast Military Administration official Oleksandr Kharlov, a 60-year-old woman was missing after failing to respond to the air raid alert. Later reports confirmed that her body was found under the rubble. Kharlov also said another person was being searched for at a different location.

Among the injured were a pregnant woman and a 17-year-old girl. One person was hospitalized; others were treated on an outpatient basis. Damage in the city included residential buildings, an inclusive education center, a preschool, and private garages.

In Zaporizhzhia, a missile damaged a multi-story apartment building and a dormitory. Regional head Ivan Fedorov reported that over 50 apartments had windows blown out by the blast wave. No casualties were reported.

Updates:

Ukraine’s Air Force says Russia used 440 drones and 32 missiles in deadly overnight attack against Ukraine. Of those, air defenders neutralized 402 drones and 26 missiles.

Russia targeted Ukraine with 440 drones and 32 missiles in deadly overnight attack, Ukrainian Air Force says

Injury toll reaches 114, day of mourning declared in Kyiv

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that three people were killed in Darnytsia District as a result of the large-scale Russian air assault on the city. By 10:05, medical services had received 114 victims, with 68 hospitalized and the rest treated on-site.

The city declared 18 June as a Day of Mourning, during which flags on all municipal buildings will be flown at half-staff, and entertainment events are banned.

Search-and-rescue efforts continue in Solomyanskyi District, where emergency crews are still working through the rubble, according to Klitschko.

It remains unclear whether the newly confirmed fatalities are part of the 14 earlier reported by the Kyiv City Military Administration. The injury count has risen from a previous 104.

Russia hit 27 locations in Kyiv, including homes and infrastructure, five people missing

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that 27 locations across Kyiv came under attack overnight on 17 June. The strikes damaged residential buildings, educational facilities, and critical infrastructure.

Klymenko stated,

“We received information about at least five missing residents of the building. Rescuers will clear the rubble until we are sure that everyone is safe and receiving help.”

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said 296 rescuers and 75 vehicles are currently involved in response efforts across the city.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister condemns attack during G7 summit

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack a deliberate Russian act to coincide with the ongoing G7 summit in Canada.

Writing on X, Sybiha said Russia does this on purpose to send a signal of total disrespect to the US and other partners, while “pretending to seek diplomatic solutions.”

Civilian infrastructure and grain wagons damaged

CEO of Ukrzaliznytsia railway company CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi reported damage to freight cars carrying grain in Kyiv following the night’s missile and drone strikes. However, he assured that operations would be swiftly restored and train schedules would not be affected.

National postal operator Ukrposhta also suffered damage, with two branches—No. 03124 and No. 03126—destroyed. According to CEO Ihor Smilianskyi, a new branch is expected to start operating at an alternate address by 18 June. 

Energy company DTEK reported that 1,148 Kyiv residents were left without electricity as a result of the Russian strikes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Russia is already at Estonia’s gates. Tallinn may become the next target for Russia’s aggressive war because the Russians have several convenient pretexts for it, The Economist reports. 

For several years, Russia has been conducting a covert campaign of intimidation and destabilization against Estonia, using cyberattacks, undercover agents, sabotage, and legions of disinformation bots on social media.

NATO recognizes these risks and has been increasing its military presence in the region: currently, over 2,000 troops from allied countries are stationed in Estonia.

However, amid the reduction of American forces in Europe, Estonia could become the place where Russia first attempts to test the reliability of NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense. 

Between the 1950s and 1980s, the Kremlin resettled hundreds of thousands of ethnic Russians to Estonia, and today they make up one-fifth of the country’s 1.4 million population. The largest number of them are living in the city of Narva, located right on the border with Russia. Nearly the entire population there is descended from Russian settlers.

More than 30 years later, Russians have shifted from a politically dominant group to a lower-class minority, though many in Narva still feel attached to the Soviet version of history.

Since the war in Ukraine began, Russian destabilizing efforts have intensified throughout Estonia. Last year, a sociology professor who seemed liberal was exposed as a Russian agent. In 2023, vandals damaged the cars of the Minister of Internal Affairs and the editor of a Russian-language news website.

At the same time, Russian attempts to recruit Russian speakers for minor sabotage through social media have found little support.

Russia recruits elderly in covert sabotage campaign across Ukraine and Europe

The war in Ukraine has united Estonians but divided the Russians living there. Some feel sympathy for their homeland, where many have relatives; some resent Estonian nationalism. Some are Putin supporters or simply wish for a brotherly alliance like in the old days. Others, especially younger people, warmly welcome Ukrainian refugees into their schools and communities.

Since 2022, the Estonian government has taken steps to isolate Estonia from Russia. It stopped issuing visas to Russian citizens, restricted Russian business activities, banned Russian TV channels from cable packages, and removed Soviet-era monuments. This year, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania disconnected their electricity grids from Russia.

Most of the well-known and most controversial Estonian residents holding Russian passports, who previously could vote in municipal elections, will no longer be able to do so after this year’s elections.

In the early hours of 14 June, Russian forces launched a large-scale drone attack on Ukraine, deploying 58 Shahed-type drones, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. Air defenses neutralized 43 of them, including 23 shot down by fire and 20 suppressed or lost from radar through electronic warfare. Hits were recorded in nine locations, and drone debris fell in at least five. The Russian drones injured three people in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, while other attack hurt more people in Donetsk and Kherson oblast, according to local authorities.

Zaporizhzhia hit hardest in drone assault: civilians injured, fires reported

According to the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, 14 Shahed drones targeted Zaporizhzhia. The strikes hit residential buildings, a public transport stop, and a store. A humanitarian aid warehouse was destroyed.

NGO head Oleksandr Belyuha told Suspilne,

“This is our main warehouse. We’ve been helping people for three years. We provided humanitarian aid: food, hygiene products. Now everything is destroyed.”

Emergency services responded to fires that broke out in vehicles, multiple buildings, and the warehouse. Over ten cars burned in a parking area. At least 15 apartment blocks, one-family homes, and non-residential buildings were damaged.

Drone attack damages reported in Kharkiv Oblast

In Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Russian drones caused four direct hits overnight on 14 June. The City Military Administration reported shattered windows, blown-off doors, and damage to garages in both residential and administrative structures.

However, Kharkiv Oblast authorities confirmed that there were no injuries over the past 24 hours despite attacks on five settlements. The region came under varied weaponry, including six KAB guided bombs, one FAB-1500 bomb, four Shahed-136 drones (which the oblast administration, for some reason, persistently calls by their Russian designation, Geran-2), and one FPV drone.

Putin counting on US fatigue to win what his army cannot, WP op-ed argues

Sumy Oblast suffers intense shelling with no casualties

Russian forces struck Sumy Oblast nearly 70 times between the mornings of 13 and 14 June, according to the Sumy Oblast Military Administration. The attacks targeted 21 settlements in nine communities. Most occurred in Sumy Raion. Weapons included around 30 drone-dropped VOG grenades and almost 10 air-dropped KAB bombs.

Two households were damaged in a strike on Pishchane, as confirmed by local official Mykola Sachenko. No casualties were reported.

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

Five injured in Kherson Oblast as attacks continue

Various Russian attacks targeted Kherson Oblast, with 23 under fire in the past 24 hours. Oblast head Oleksandr Prokudin reported on 14 June that five people were injured. Airstrikes and artillery fire damaged an apartment building, six one-family homes, a gas station, a gas pipeline, a garage, and vehicles.

Russians kill one civilian, injure two others in Donetsk Oblast

According to Donetsk Oblast authorities, Russian strikes resulted in one death and two injuries on 13 June.

A Ukrainian air defense brigade used the newly delivered German IRIS-T air defense system to destroy seven Russian cruise missiles during its first operational engagement by the unit, Militarnyi reported on 13 June. The Lviv-based anti-aircraft missile brigade achieved a new record during the battle, surpassing its previous results under Soviet-era systems.

Brigade intercepts every target with German system

According to the brigade’s commander Vitalii, the unit intercepted seven Russian cruise missiles during a large-scale missile and aviation assault.

“While repelling the massive missile and air strike, seven Russian cruise missiles entered our kill zone. We destroyed them one by one,” he said.

This marked the first combat use of IRIS-T by the brigade, and the results immediately exceeded their past performance. 

S-300 replaced after years of reliable use

Before receiving IRIS-T, the brigade relied primarily on the Soviet-era S-300 complex. The commander emphasized that their previous maximum had been five targets in a single engagement when using the S-300.

“We worked well with the three-hundred. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we destroyed 55 enemy cruise missiles and drones,” said Vitaliy. Still, the new system brought an instant improvement, with the seven-missile battle setting a fresh benchmark.

IRIS-T earns confidence of Ukrainian defenders

Vitalii noted that the IRIS-T system had already earned trust within the brigade after its first successful engagement.

“This is a modern and precise system that has already won authority among our anti-aircraft forces,” he stated. “We are confident that with it we’ll surpass our previous result of 55 downed targets.”

The brigade regards this first success not as a peak, but as the start of a new chapter. According to Militarnyi, the air defense personnel are determined to keep building on the new tally.

IRIS-T designed for short-range precision defense

IRIS-T is a modern German short-range surface-to-air missile system built to protect ground forces near the front line. It is engineered to intercept enemy aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs. At its core is the IRIS-T missile, which uses an infrared homing head and has been adapted for ground launch. Target locking occurs during the final flight phase via the infrared seeker.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense signed a memorandum of understanding with IRIS missile manufacturer Diehl Defence in March. 

Every new Russian shelling of Kharkiv results in thousands of broken windows and damage, says Kharkiv’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, UkrInform reports. 

“Currently, the need for windows exceeds 50,000. Every strike increases this number by another thousand, one and a half, two. The record was more than five thousand in one attack,” the mayor reveals.

Municipal services promptly seal off the building envelopes to preserve heat and ensure residents’ safety. Some construction materials are provided by charitable organizations, but, according to Terekhov, the volumes are significantly less than in previous years of the war.

“We are receiving very little now from the funds. The assistance is shrinking, probably due to a lack of financial resources. And it’s not getting easier for us,” the mayor continues.

Volunteers actively help municipal workers eliminate the consequences of the strikes, especially in hard-to-reach buildings.

For example, in a 24-story building in the Saltivka district damaged during the night shelling on 12 June, construction materials had to be carried up manually because the elevators were without power.

The mayor also emphasizes that after each attack, Kharkiv residents unite and support the municipal and emergency services. He recalls an incident when, during a morning shelling on Hymnaziyna Embankment, a local resident brought sandwiches to workers clearing the damage.

Search and rescue workers in Kharkiv have recovered the body of the sixth and final victim of a Russian attack carried out overnight on 7 June, concluding a multi-day search operation, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov’s 12 June report.

Search ends with tragic discovery

Authorities located the body of a missing civilian employee trapped under rubble in the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv City, where a Russian strike targeted a civilian enterprise five days before. Mayor Terekhov confirmed the recovery and declared the search operation officially concluded.

The victim had been listed as missing since the Russian attack, which involved a mix of drones, KAB guided bombs, and at least one missile, launched against the city overnight into 7 June.

Sequence of discoveries

Two additional bodies were recovered from the rubble on the morning of 12 June. Prior to that, the body of the first confirmed victim was found on 10 June, with others discovered over the following days.

Body recovered in Kharkiv after Russia’s 7 June attack, five still missing

According to initial reports, six civilian employees were believed to be trapped under the collapsed structure after the airstrike. All six have now been confirmed dead.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overnight on 12 June, Russia again targeted Ukraine with long-range explosive drones. Although the number of drones dropped significantly—from over 400 in recent days to 63 last night—the attack still caused damage to civilian infrastructure and injured civilians.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched the 63 drones—including Shahed-type explosive drones and decoy UAVs—against Ukraine from directions including Russia’s Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and the Russian-occupied Chauda in Ukraine’s Crimea. The report says 49 drones were neutralized, with 28 shot down and 21 suppressed or lost via electronic warfare systems. Despite these defenses, drones hit at least seven locations, with debris falling in four others, according to the Air Force.

The Air Force’s data suggest that 14 Russian drones may have reached their intended targets.

Kharkiv city’s residential areas targeted

In Kharkiv, Russian drones hit multiple areas, including a high-rise residential building and a nearby fitness club in the Saltiivskyi district, as reported by Suspilne and confirmed by Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

The 24-story building suffered damage, with three vehicles catching fire due to drone debris crash.

Local resident Volodymyr told Suspilne,

“The house shook, plaster fell from the ceiling, and my windows and balconies were blown out.”

Drone strikes also targeted Shevchenkivskyi and Slobidskyi districts of Kharkiv city.

Three civilians killed and nine children wounded as Russia hits residential areas in Kharkiv

Wider damage across Kharkiv Oblast

According to Kharkiv Oblast Head Oleh Syniehubov, 16 people were injured in the region over the past 24 hours, including four children aged 2, 12, 16, and 17. 

Weapons used included two unguided air rockets, six KAB guided bombs, and over 31 Shaheds, and five drones of other types, according to Syniehubov.

Strikes in Odesa and Donetsk oblasts

In Odesa Oblast, drones hit the Izmail district and damaged several multi-story residential buildings and a reed-processing enterprise in the Vylkove community. No casualties were reported, but civilian infrastructure was affected, according to Oblast Head Oleh Kiper.

Meanwhile, Donetsk Oblast Administration reported two civilians killed in Raiiske and Toretske and six others wounded over the past 24 hours. The report did not specify whether Russian drone strikes or artillery shelling caused the casualties.

They call you — and suddenly, you’re an “agent,” without even realizing it. Ukrainian law enforcement is reporting a surge in cases where the Russians target pensioners by phone, impersonating officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) or the National Police. Victims are then blackmailed into carrying out sabotage missions for Russia, according to the National Police.

Russia’s strategy is clear: recruit people who are unaware they have become pawns in a campaign of international sabotage.

In Ukraine, elderly people are typically contacted via Viber. The goal: coerce them into following “orders” based on fake draft notices, fabricated criminal cases, or alleged links to Russia through purchases of medicines or dietary supplements.

One common scheme involves telling a pensioner that a drug they bought is banned because it was “produced in Russia.” That, the scammers claim, amounts to “collaboration with the enemy.” What follows is extortion — and a so-called “way out”: either wire money or complete a “small task.”

Pensioners in Kyiv have already contacted police after being defrauded or drawn into dangerous schemes. Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasizes that legitimate security agencies never issue illegal or covert orders to citizens.

According to the SBU, Russian operatives are also attempting to recruit minors. These efforts often begin with photographing sensitive sites or tagging graffiti, and escalate to acts of sabotage against railway and energy infrastructure.

Moreover, in Europe, the Russians recruit Ukrainian agents to cause a double wave: shock in the West and propaganda within Russia. 

Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Ukraine’s defense forces have proven remarkably effective at targeting Russian rotary-wing aircraft, achieving key tactical victories that have impacted Russia’s air support capabilities. These incidents are not just statistics; they highlight evolving warfare dynamics, the ingenuity of defenders, and underscore the potency of modern weapon systems used against even advanced aircraft. Tracking confirmed losses and captures provides crucial insights into the ongoing air war. Here are five major incidents including notable captures and successful shoot-downs that have significantly impacted Russia’s helicopter fleet and made international headlines between 2022 and 2025.

Detailed Incidents

1. Captured Ka‑52 “Alligator” near Kyiv Airport (Feb–Apr 2022)

• Incident: During the initial, intense assault on Kyiv on 24 February 2022, Russian Ka‑52 “Alligator” attack helicopters played a key role in attempting to secure objectives like the Hostomel airport. Exposed to determined Ukrainian air defenses, several were hit by MANPADS (Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems). One specific Ka-52 sustained damage and crash-landed near Hostomel airport. Its wreck remained relatively intact in the field through early April 2022, after the initial Russian advance was repelled. Ukrainian special operations forces eventually secured the downed helicopter.


• Significance:
  
  
  
  • This incident was one of the earliest high-profile confirmed losses of Russia’s most advanced attack helicopter type.
  
  
  • Crucially, securing a relatively intact airframe provided Ukrainian forces, and potentially their Western partners, with rare access to modern Russian aviation technology.
  
  
  • Analyzing its systems, avionics, and countermeasures offered invaluable insights into Russian capabilities and weaknesses, informing defensive strategies and electronic warfare efforts.
  
  
  • The capture became a symbol of failed Russian air assault tactics during the initial phase of the invasion.
  
  
  
  

2. Russian Mi-8 Helicoper Captured by Defecting Pilot (Aug 2023)

• Incident: In a stunning and highly unusual incident in August 2023, a Russian Mi-8AMTSh transport helicopter, carrying parts for Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets, landed at a Ukrainian military airfield near Kharkiv. The pilot, Maksym Kuzminov, had deliberately defected to Ukraine in a pre-planned operation coordinated with Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR). The two other crew members onboard, unaware of the plan, were reportedly killed attempting to resist after landing.


• Significance:
  
  
  
  • This was a major intelligence coup for Ukraine, providing access not only to a modern Mi-8 variant but also to valuable aircraft parts and, most importantly, the pilot’s testimony and insights into Russian air force operations and morale.
  
  
  • The incident delivered a significant psychological blow to the Russian military, highlighting potential internal dissent and raising concerns about the trustworthiness of their personnel.
  
  
  • It demonstrated the effectiveness of Ukrainian intelligence operations aimed at encouraging defections.
  
  
  • The captured helicopter itself became a military asset for Ukraine and a subject of international media attention.
  
  
  
  

3. HIMARS Strikes on Ka‑52 & Mi‑8 in Russia’s Belgorod (Mar 2025)

• Incident: In a sophisticated deep-action strike in March 2025, Ukrainian forces successfully targeted a forward staging airfield in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located relatively close to the Ukrainian border. Utilizing M30A2-guided rockets fired from the US-provided HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), Ukrainian precision strikes reportedly destroyed two Ka‑52 attack helicopters and two Mi‑8 transports that were positioned on the ground.


• Significance:
  
  
  
  • This strike demonstrated Ukraine’s increasing capability to accurately hit high-value Russian military assets located deep behind the immediate front lines using Western-supplied long-range precision artillery.
  
  
  • Targeting helicopters on the ground, particularly advanced types like the Ka-52, is an effective way to degrade Russia’s air support capabilities before they can even reach the combat zone.
  
  
  • The incident underscored the vulnerability of even seemingly secure forward operating bases to modern guided missile systems like HIMARS.
  
  
  • It highlighted Ukraine’s intelligence capabilities in identifying and targeting valuable concentrations of Russian military equipment.
  
  
  
  

SOF, along with the military intelligence and Rocket Forces and Artillery, struck and destroyed 4 russian helicopters – two Kamov Ka-52 and two Mil Mi-8 – behind enemy lines at russia’s hidden position for rapid redeployment or attacks against Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/57swOQxZnc

— SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES OF UKRAINE (@SOF_UKR) March 24, 2025

4. Significant Mi‑24/35 and Ka‑52 Losses in 2023 Combat Operations

• Mi‑24/35: The Mi-24 (Hind) and its modernized variants (Mi-35) have been workhorse attack helicopters for Russia. Throughout 2023, these aircraft continued to operate in contested airspace and faced significant threats. For instance, in early April 2023, a Russian Mi‑24VM variant was specifically reported as shot down in Kharkiv Oblast due to MANPADS fire.


• Ka‑52: The Ka-52 “Alligator” saw extensive use, particularly in supporting ground offensives in 2023. However, it also suffered heavy losses. Reports from open sources and visually confirmed losses tracked by organizations like Oryx indicate that numerous Ka‑52s were destroyed across combat zones including critical sectors like Vuhledar, Avdiivka, and areas in Belgorod Oblast. Visual confirmations alone account for over 64 losses of this type throughout the conflict by the end of 2023, with reports suggesting over 20 destroyed within that specific year.


• Significance:
  
  
  
  • These sustained losses underscore the persistent vulnerability of Russian attack helicopters to a combination of layered Ukrainian defenses, including shoulder-fired MANPADS, short-range air defenses, artillery fire, FPV drones, and electronic warfare that disrupts their targeting and navigation.
  
  
  • Despite their armor and countermeasures, both older Mi-24/35 and newer Ka-52s proved susceptible when operating in high-threat environments.
  
  
  • The attrition rate for these helicopters significantly degraded Russia’s ability to provide close air support and perform reconnaissance effectively.
  
  
  
  

5. Mi‑28N “Night Hunter” Wreckages Found in Hostomel (2022)

• Incident: During the initial invasion in February 2022, Russian forces attempted to seize key airfields, including Hostomel, using helicopter assaults spearheaded by attack aviation. Among the types deployed was the Mil Mi-28N “Night Hunter,” intended as Russia’s premier all-weather attack helicopter. Following the failed assault on Kyiv and the withdrawal of Russian forces from northern Ukraine in late March and April 2022, the wreckage of at least two Mi‑28N attack helicopters was discovered in the vicinity of Hostomel and other northern areas like Kharkiv Oblast. These losses were attributed to successful engagements by Ukrainian ground forces using MANPADS and other ground-based anti-aircraft fire.


• Significance:
  
  
  
  • The loss of Mi-28N helicopters, similar to the Ka-52 losses, demonstrated that even Russia’s newer, technologically advanced attack helicopters were not immune to Ukrainian air defenses.
  
  
  • It showed that aircraft intended for high survivability in contested environments could be effectively neutralized by relatively low-cost, portable weapon systems when operating at low altitudes or during vulnerable phases of flight like landings and takeoffs.
  
  
  • The presence of their wrecks among others near key objectives like Hostomel highlighted the heavy cost Russia paid in rotary-wing assets during the initial, unsuccessful attempts to achieve rapid air superiority and capture strategic points from the air.
  
  
  
  

Quick Stats on Russian Helicopter Losses (as of mid-2025)

Based on aggregated data from open sources like Oryx and reputable military analysis sites, the confirmed visual losses of Russian helicopters in Ukraine are significant:

• Ka‑52 “Alligator”: Around 60 visually confirmed destroyed, with others damaged or captured. This represents a substantial portion of Russia’s operational Ka-52 fleet entering the invasion.


• Mi-8/Mi-17 Transports: Over 23 visually confirmed destroyed, including various transport and specialized variants, with some captured (like the notable incident in August 2023). These losses impact troop and cargo movement capabilities.


• Mi-24/Mi-35 Attack Helicopters: Over 13 visually confirmed total losses of these older, but still widely used, attack helicopters.


• Mi-28N “Night Hunter”: Around 13 visually confirmed destroyed, with others damaged. These losses are particularly impactful given the Mi-28N’s intended role as a premier attack platform.


• Other Types: Additional losses include Mi-26 heavy transport helicopters, Ka-29, and other types, though in smaller numbers.

Collectively, the confirmed visually verifiable losses of Russian helicopters in the conflict likely exceed 100 airframes by mid-2025. While challenging to give an exact real-time figure (actual losses are likely higher than visually confirmed), this represents a significant percentage of Russia’s pre-war rotary-wing force and seriously degrades their air assault, close air support, and logistical capabilities. 

Why These Losses Matter

These specific incidents and the overall high rate of Russian helicopter losses are important for several reasons:

• Technological Evolution of Warfare: They powerfully demonstrate the rising efficacy and proliferation of modern anti-air systems, ranging from advanced MANPADS and short-range air defenses to guided missiles (like HIMARS against ground targets) and the increasing threat posed by various types of drones.


• Shifting Air Warfare Dynamics: The vulnerability of rotary-wing assets in contested airspaces signals a significant shift from earlier conflicts where helicopters could often operate with relative impunity. This forces changes in tactics, requiring greater caution, better electronic warfare support, and adaptation to operate in environments where the “air is not clear.”


• Impact on Ground Operations: Helicopters are vital for rapid troop deployment, close air support, medical evacuation, and logistics. Their significant attrition rate directly impedes Russia’s ability to conduct these operations effectively, impacting the pace and success of ground offensives.


• Intelligence Gathering: The capture of intact or relatively intact airframes (like the Ka-52 and Mi-8) provides invaluable intelligence on Russian technology and tactics, aiding Ukraine and its allies in developing countermeasures.


• Psychological and Morale Impact: Capturing and destroying expensive, high-profile military assets like attack helicopters not only has operational consequences but also serves as a powerful symbol of resistance and success for Ukrainian forces, undermining Russian morale.

Takeaway

The cases of Russian helicopters captured or destroyed in Ukraine showcase the brutal realities of modern warfare and the effectiveness of determined defense against technologically advanced adversaries. The evolving methods used by Ukrainian forces ranging from proven surface-to-air missiles and precise HIMARS strikes against ground targets, to innovative uses of drones and successful intelligence operations leading to captures highlight Ukraine’s strategic innovation and adaptation.

These incidents not only shift battlefield dynamics by making rotary-wing assets significantly more vulnerable but symbolize a broader recalibration of air power effectiveness in the face of widely available and capable defensive systems in 2025.

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Today, there is a lot of interesting updates from the Russian Federation.

Here, Ukraine is launching a coordinated campaign across Russia’s military-industrial heartland, to cripple the Kremlin’s ability to wage high-tech war. With a devastating cyberattack on the Tupolev Design Bureau and precision strikes on microelectronics plants, Ukraine is not just targeting weapons, it is forcing Russia’s production capabilities back to the stone age.

The Ukrainian Operation Spiderweb inflicted significant losses on Russia, with 25 strategic aircraft confirmed damaged or destroyed. Notably, Russian authorities are already trying to hide the extent of the damage by swapping out destroyed bombers for intact ones taken from airfields not hit by the strikes.

To complement the severe blow against the Russian strategic bomber aviation, the Ukrainian Military Intelligence conducted an extensive cyberattack on the Tupolev Design Bureau, which designs and produces all Russian strategic bombers. Ukrainian intelligence gained access to more than 4 gigabytes of sensitive data. The leaked files include internal correspondence between company executives, personal data of employees, home addresses, biographies of engineers and designers, procurement documents, and classified disclosures from closed-door meetings. 

The breach provides Ukrainians with comprehensive insight into operations and personnel involved in maintaining Russia’s strategic aviation fleet. This information could be used for the sabotage of the plant through low-ranking aviation engineers who can be recruited into Ukrainian information networks, with humans always being the weakest link in such large-scale organizations. 

Additionally, to cement the inability of Russians to rebuild their strategic bomber fleet, the Ukrainians decided to strike factories that produced other high-tech components necessary for the Russian war effort. These factories produce various microchips and technology essential in the production of Russian bombers, tanks, missiles, guidance systems, vision sights, and radars.

The Ukrainians most recently struck the Avangard microchip and radio-electronics factory in Saint Petersburg. While Russian media initially claimed that all Ukrainian drones were intercepted, Russian emergency services confirmed a major fire in the section of the plant responsible for microchip production and assembly. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the facility, with the blaze covering around 100 square meters.

Before that, Ukrainian drones targeted the Bolkhov Semiconductor Device Plant, scoring multiple direct hits on the main building. The explosions triggered extensive fires that spread across the facility, causing significant damage and putting the factory out of commission.

Earlier, the Strela microelectronics plant in the town of Suzemka, Bryansk region, was struck. Located just 8 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, it was within range of HIMARS strikes, which caused the most extensive damage of all the targeted Russian military-industrial plants. Satellite imagery later confirmed that nearly the entire facility was destroyed, leaving no operational production capacity.

Finally, the Ukrainians hit the Kremniy El microelectronics plant in the city of Bryansk, delivering multiple strikes that ignited a large fire throughout the site. This was the fifth attack on the plant since the start of the war, but the latest damage appears to be the most devastating yet.

The Ukrainian strikes had a major impact, targeting key sites in Russia’s military-industrial complex. The Avangard plant, where a massive fire broke out, produces radio electronics, microchips, and communication systems used in ballistic and cruise missiles, with even Russian authorities listing it as one of the most strategically important facilities. 

The strike on the Bolkhov plant was even more severe, disrupting the production of critical components for Sukhoi fighter jets, Iskander ballistic missiles, and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. The Strela plant in Suzemka, which produces microchips for systems like the Tor air defense platform, was entirely reduced to rubble and must be rebuilt from the ground up.

Meanwhile, the Kremniy El plant in Bryansk, one of Russia’s largest microelectronics producers, supplied parts for Pantsir systems and Iskander missiles. These strikes severely limit Russia’s ability to produce advanced weaponry, forcing a shift to lower-tech solutions that reduce combat effectiveness and increase frontline losses.

Overall, the Ukrainians conducted some of the most devastating strikes on the Russian military industry in recent months. With over thirty percent of Russia’s nuclear-capable strategic bombers destroyed, Ukrainians are now starting to dismantle their ability to build these weapons entirely. The breach of the Tupolev Design Bureau internal systems means now Ukraine possesses Russia’s most sensitive data on its strategic bombers designs and still active aircraft fuelling future precision strikes and combat operations that place the remaining Russian fleet at serious and growing risk. 

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

When Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian cyber warfare was supposed to be a game-changer. Intelligence agencies worldwide expected devastating digital attacks to cripple Ukrainian power grids, government systems, and military communications within hours.

Instead, the cyber offensive largely failed – and now exclusive leaked documents reveal why. GRU Unit 29155, Putin’s most notorious kill squad responsible for poisoning dissidents with Novichok and bombing weapons depots across Europe, had secretly built a hacking unit specifically for this moment. But their digital army was undone by the very traits that define modern Russia: corruption, incompetence, and personal scandals.

A year-long investigation by The Insider reconstructed this hidden history with surprising ease. By examining call logs, travel records, and leaked internal chats, investigators identified dozens of GRU hackers—convicted cybercriminals, young university recruits, and seasoned saboteurs with no technical training.

Their common weakness? Extraordinary sloppiness.
Many used personal phones and real identities when conducting operations or arranging meetings with mistresses and sex workers. The investigation reveals for the first time how Unit 29155’s hackers prepared for the invasion – and why their own incompetence doomed them to fail.

The spies who couldn’t keep secrets

Unit 29155’s cyber operations began modestly in 2012 under Tim Stigal (real name probably Timur Magomedov), an ethnic Chechen blogger from Dagestan recruited by then-GRU director Igor Sergun. Operating under the alias “Key,” Stigal initially focused on disinformation in Azerbaijan before expanding to more ambitious false-flag operations.

In 2016, they penetrated Qatar’s largest state bank, stealing 1.5 GB of customer data and falsely attributing the hack to Turkish nationalists. They impersonated Ukraine’s Right Sector, a far-right nationalist group, to inflame tensions with Poland, and created fake “Anonymous” accounts to target Bellingcat, an independent investigative outlet known for exposing Russian intelligence operations.

Their most valuable asset became Dilyana Gaytandzhieva, a Bulgarian journalist who, according to investigators, maintained contact with GRU operatives and published material advancing Kremlin disinformation—most notably, conspiracy theories accusing the US of running secret bioweapons labs in Eastern Europe. In 2019, she launched ArmsWatch.com, a site styled as an investigative outlet but used to publish hacked documents and reinforce Russian intelligence narratives in the run-up to the war in Ukraine.

Preparing for war

By 2021, as Russia prepared for its invasion, Unit 29155’s cyber efforts in Ukraine escalated sharply. The unit paid locals $1–5 to spray anti-Zelenskyy graffiti across Ukrainian cities and infiltrated nationalist groups like the Azov Battalion, with Stigal impersonating Akhmed Zakayev, a pro-Ukrainian Chechen separatist leader living in exile in London, to gain the trust of nationalist groups and individuals—one of whom is now serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

They compiled dossiers on key Ukrainian officials, including Ihor Zhovkva, deputy chief of President Zelenskyy’s office. In October 2021, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at Zhovkva’s home in Kyiv by a 20-year-old who said he had been promised $7,000—the exact sum recorded in Unit 29155’s expense logs for “processing Zhovkva.”

When Colonel Yuriy Denisov, the overseer of Unit 29155’s hackers, saw news of the attack, he left a telling comment in a chat group: “idiots.”

Server records show the hackers spoofed websites for Zelenskyy’s office and Ukrainian ministries, setting up spear-phishing campaigns and credential theft targeting energy providers, anti-corruption agencies, and military infrastructure.

The new generation

Starting in 2019, Unit 29155 began recruiting from university coding competitions in Russia’s Voronezh. These recruits — nicknamed “eaglets” — were managed by GRU officer Roman Puntus and paid salaries of 400,000 rubles ($5,100) per month.

The first recruit, Vitaly Shevchenko, a 22-year-old Moldova-born hacker, successfully breached Estonia’s Ministry of Defense. He and five others — Borovkov, Denisenko, Goloshubov, Korchagin, and Amin Stigal (Tim’s son) — were later indicted by the US Department of Justice for the WhisperGate campaign, a pre-invasion cyberattack that deployed data-wiping malware across Ukrainian government and infrastructure networks.

Sex, lies, and cyber warfare

As the war neared, the cyber unit began to collapse. Stigal resigned or was sidelined due to COVID-19 illness, replaced by Puntus, who turned out to be more invested in romantic escapades than cyber sabotage.

The affair that doomed a cyber war: GRU officer Roman Puntus began a long-term relationship with accountant Darya Kulishova, whom he installed as the nominal head of a shell company called Aegaeon-Impulse. He made frequent luxury trips from Moscow to Sochi to visit her. By November 2023, Kulishova had given birth to his son—while Puntus funneled GRU funds through the company to support his second family.

Meanwhile, Colonel Yuri Denisov left a massive digital footprint: over 687 Telegram messages full of racism, anti-LGBT hate, and criticism of military leadership. He reused a single phone number across four cover identities — exposing the unit’s entire hacker network.

The failed invasion

When the invasion began in February 2022, Unit 29155’s cyber efforts fizzled. Rather than disabling Ukraine’s power grid, they managed only cosmetic website defacements. On January 13–14, they falsely claimed to have deleted government databases — which Ukrainian authorities later confirmed remained intact.

Their main server, Aegaeon, was left unprotected and discovered by hacktivists. Its mythological namesake — a traitorous titan punished for betrayal — proved painfully apt.

A broader shadow war

Though Unit 29155’s cyber operatives failed spectacularly in Ukraine, they haven’t vanished. Intelligence sources say they’ve repurposed their flawed tactics for a broader shadow war across Europe. Using playbooks first developed for Ukraine, GRU agents now recruit saboteurs via Telegram, offering cryptocurrency payments for arson attacks on NATO facilities and critical infrastructure.

The Insider’s investigation exposes how one of Russia’s most feared covert units, built for hybrid warfare, collapsed under the weight of corruption, dysfunction, and internal betrayal. Their mission didn’t fall to enemy fire — it failed from within.

In the end, Russia’s greatest cyber threat wasn’t the West. It was Russia itself.

Overnight on 10 June, Russia launched one of the war’s largest air attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, also targeting Odesa, killing at least three people and injuring over a dozen, according to local authorities.

The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that Russia launched 322 aerial weapons, including 315 Shahed drones and decoy UAVs, two North Korean-supplied KN-23 ballistic missiles from Voronezh Oblast, and five Iskander-K cruise missiles from Kursk Oblast.

Of these, Ukraine’s air defenses reportedly destroyed 284 targets: 213 Shahed drones, two ballistic missiles, and five cruise missiles, while 64 drones were jammed or lost from radar tracking.

The Air Force’s data suggest that at least 38 Russian drones may have hit their intended targets.

11 locations were hit, while drone debris crashed in 16 locations, according to the report.

Kyiv: Unprecedented strike on the capital

Kyiv was the primary target of Moscow’s air assault last night. Russia targeted Kyiv with an intense wave of aerial attacks overnight on 10 June, causing major fires and destruction across eight city districts.

The attack killed a woman in the Obolonskyi District and injured four men of various ages. Two remain hospitalized while two were treated on site, according to Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko and the Kyiv City Military Administration (KMVA).

Several residential buildings, businesses, a stadium, and infrastructure were damaged in the Darnytskyi, Obolonskyi, Holosiivskyi, Desnianskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, Podilskyi, Solomianskyi, and Dniprovskyi districts. In Obolonskyi, a helicopter was deployed to extinguish a major fire.

Debris damaged homes, cars, a sanatorium, and even a former consulate building of a European country, which caught fire. Though long out of use, the building was occupied by a guard and several animals—all survived.

In Shevchenkivskyi, the 11th-century St. Sophia’s Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sustained damage to its main apse cornice due to the blast wave. Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi confirmed the damage.

Police reported that a drone detonated near a patrol vehicle responding to the attack, injuring one officer with shrapnel. The incident is being investigated as part of a broader criminal case into the attack.

Russia just gave North Korea the blueprint for Iran’s long-range killer drones, Ukraine’s spy chief says

Odesa: Moscow targeted three medical facilities

The southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on the Black Sea coast also came under heavy drone attack. Odesa Oblast Military Administration (OVA) head Oleh Kiper reported two civilian deaths and nine injuries. One of those killed by Russia was a 59-year-old man. Among the injured were five women and three men, while another woman suffered an acute stress reaction. Four of the wounded were hospitalized with moderate injuries.

A maternity ward, private medical clinic, sports facility, zoo, and a central railway station building were damaged. Though no casualties were reported in the maternity hospital strike, all staff and patients were evacuated in time. In total, over 10 drones were used in the attack on Odesa.

An administrative building of the emergency medical services station was completely destroyed, with ambulances also damaged. Fires broke out across multiple locations in the city center. City authorities confirmed that residential buildings were hit, with initial reports of at least one woman killed and three hospitalized.

Cherkasy Oblast

Elsewhere, Cherkasy Oblast’s chief Ihor Taburets confirmed that local air defense shot down 15 Russian drones overnight. No injuries or infrastructure damage were reported.

Rescue workers discovered a body on 10 June under the debris of a Kharkiv enterprise destroyed in Russia’s deadly overnight attack on 7 June. The search for five more missing workers continues.

One body recovered, five more feared buried

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov announced the discovery via Telegram on 10 June.

“During rescue work at the enterprise shelled on 7 June, a body was found. The process of its recovery is ongoing,” Terekhov wrote.

He added that rescue operations are being conducted around the clock, and according to available data, up to five individuals may still be trapped under the rubble.

Kharkiv endures most extensive attack since full-scale invasion began. Three civilians killed, dozens injured

Enterprise struck in powerful overnight air assault days ago

The enterprise, located in Kharkiv’s Kyivskyi District, was hit during what Terekhov described as the “most powerful attack” on the city since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The assault began at approximately 03:00 a.m. on 7 June and included over 40 explosions. Russian forces used more than 50 Shahed explosive drones, four guided bombs (KABs), and one missile, according to Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office head Spartak Borysenko.

A large fire erupted at the site, and initial reports said six workers might be blocked under the rubble. Five of them—three women and two men—were confirmed injured.

Injured teen dies week after Russian attack on Sumy

Earlier toll from the 7 June attack

The overnight Russian assault on Kharkiv killed three civilians and injured 21 others, including a one-and-a-half-month-old infant and a 14-year-old girl. Later that evening, Russian forces attacked again with guided bombs, one of which hit the children’s railway, killing two and injuring over 40 people.

Russian missile killed young couple planning marriage. They lived on 8th floor —their bodies found in basement after collapse

A 17-year-old boy has died in hospital from injuries sustained during the Russian rocket artillery strike on the city of Sumy on 3 June, raising the total death toll to six. “Doctors fought for his life for nearly a week,” local authorities reported on 10 June.

On 3 June, Russian forces shelled central Sumy city in northeastern Ukraine, reportedly using the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the strike was a deliberate attack on civilian areas.

“Russians savagely hit Sumy. Just the city, ordinary streets – with rocket artillery. A completely deliberate strike on civilians. A rescue operation is underway now,” Zelenskyy said back then.

The President also highlighted that at least one rocket did not detonate. The unexploded munition penetrated the wall of a ninth-floor apartment.

Russia kills civilians in central Sumy with Tornado-S cluster munitions. “Hypersonic” Kinzhal hits near Mykolaiv (updated)

Casualties and aftermath

On the evening of 3 June, officials reported four people killed and 28 injured in the attack. Among the wounded were three children.

On 4 June, the death toll rose to five after an 86-year-old woman died in hospital from injuries sustained during the shelling.

Now, the latest victim, the 17-year-old boy, passed away nearly a week later despite intensive efforts by medical personnel.

War intensifies amid Russia’s summer offensive. Ukraine has spotted a massive redeployment of Russian self-propelled artillery and air defense systems to Sumy Oblast. 

Ukrainian forces have recorded a large-scale transfer of Russian military equipment from Crimea and Kherson towards Sumy Oblast. According to Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Occupation Studies Center, this is the largest movement of weaponry in the past six months.

“More than 10 self-propelled artillery systems, air defense systems, and convoys of over 40 trucks carrying ammunition and personnel,” Andriushchenko says.

The equipment is being loaded onto trains and sent to Russia’s Kursk Oblast, effectively heading to Sumy. The Russians are now stationed approximately 25-30 km from it. If they reach the city’s border, they will use artillery to strike it. 

Special attention is drawn to the military equipment markings, which, with their dominant tactical symbol of a triangle within a triangle, indicate reinforcement of this specific direction.

Amid this buildup, Sumy faces heavy drone attacks. Konotop mayor Artem Semenikhin stated that on 8 June, the region endured the most powerful drone assault since the war began: “The entire sky over the region turned red with targets.”

Ukraine is still waiting for the United States to respond to its request to purchase air defense systems, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 7 June. This followed a major Russian air assault on Kharkiv city the same day, as Russia reportedly targeted the city with 67 explosive drones, nine aerial bombs, and a missile.

Zelenskyy calls for urgent US support

In his evening address on 7 June, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine urgently needs “positive signals” from the US — not just words, but concrete decisions.

“We are working to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense. We urgently need positive signals from the United States – concrete signals regarding air defense systems,” he said. “We are still waiting for a response to our request to purchase systems that can help — concrete signals, not words.”

He also thanked European nations for their support and emphasized the importance of joint production efforts.

“We must also achieve results in the joint production of air defense systems and missiles for them – this is absolutely essential for our whole Europe,” Zelenskyy noted, adding that “only time separates us from that result, and what matters most is shortening that time.”

Reuters: US expects another multi-pronged Russian strike after Ukraine’s Spiderweb drone attack

The statement came after a Ukrainian delegation visited Washington on 6 June. According to the head of the Office of the President, Andrii Yermak, Ukraine expressed its readiness to buy weapons from the US. However, Yermak stated that members of Congress believe Washington can continue supplying arms directly to Ukraine instead.

On 6 June, Russia attacked Kyiv, Lutsk, and Ternopil with hundreds of drones and 45 missiles, leading to heavy casualties among civilians. That day, US President Donald Trump appeared to defend Russia’s massive airstrike on Ukrainian cities the night before, claiming that Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb had given Vladimir Putin “a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night.” Earlier, after a phone call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, he said Russia’s reaction would “not be pretty.” 

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 49 explosive Shahed drones, decoy drones, a cruise missile, and two guided missiles overnight on 8 June, with Ukrainian defenses neutralizing 40 of the drones.

According to the Air Force, the attack was countered by air defense missile units, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare teams from both the Air Force and broader Defense Forces.

As of 09:00, 40 Shahed drones and other types of unmanned aerial vehicles were neutralized over the east, south, north, and center of Ukraine. Among these, 22 were destroyed by direct fire, while another 18 were either jammed or lost on radars with no further consequences.

Reuters: US expects another multi-pronged Russian strike after Ukraine’s Spiderweb drone attack

The Air Force’s data suggest that all three missiles and at least nine drones may have reached their intended targets. 

Key targets: Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts

The Air Force identified Kharkiv Oblast and Donetsk Oblast as the main directions of the overnight Russian assault. Strikes were recorded at five locations.

While no direct damage or casualties from the latest attack were cited, regional reports provided updates on the previous day’s strikes. In Kharkiv Oblast, Head of the Oblast Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov stated that the city of Kharkiv and nine other settlements came under heavy Russian fire during 7 June.

Previous day’s toll: Civilians killed and injured

According to Syniehubov, the earlier attack left three civilians dead and 23 injured. Two of the fatalities occurred in Kharkiv, where 18 people were wounded. In the village of Staryi Saltiv, two women aged 46 and 53 and a 30-year-old man were injured. In Kupiansk, a 44-year-old man sustained injuries. In Kozacha Lopan, a 60-year-old man was killed, and another man aged 47 was injured.

Kharkiv endures most extensive attack since full-scale invasion began. Three civilians killed, dozens injured

Syniehubov detailed that Russian forces had used a wide variety of weapons in Kharkiv Oblast during the day, including one Kh-59 missile, nine guided aerial bombs (KABs), 64 Shahed drones, three “Geran-2” drones (the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 that Syniehubov, for some reason, refers to by its Russian designation), one Lancet drone, and two Molniya drones. In the city of Kharkiv itself, four KABs struck the Shevchenkivskyi and Kyivskyi districts.

Donetsk civilians also suffer casualties

Donetsk Oblast Head Vadym Filashkin reported that Russian attacks on 7 June killed four civilians: two in Yablunivka, one in Kostiantynivka, and one in Siversk. Another nine people in the oblast were injured.

FPV drone strike in Zaporizhzhia sets home ablaze

Separately, in the frontline town of Prymorske in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a Russian FPV drone targeted a detached house, as reported by Oblast Head Ivan Fedorov on 8 June. The attack resulted in a fire that completely destroyed the building and left a 63-year-old man with shrapnel wounds. He was hospitalized and is receiving medical care.

Today, there is important news from the Russian Federation.   

Here, Ukraine exploited the chaos after its devastating Operation Spiderweb and targeted more Russian airfields with long-range drones, while the Russians were too busy to check every truck on their road network because of the paranoia that more Ukrainian drones may pop out at any moment. 

As details continue to surface, it is clear that Ukraine executed Operation Spiderweb in spectacular fashion, destroying a third of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet in a single coordinated drone strike on multiple airbases deep inside enemy territory. Satellite imagery continues to surface, raising the number of confirmed losses and solidifying the operation as an unparalleled success in modern military history, with some analysts drawing comparison to how nuclear bombs changed the way wars can play out.

But despite this tremendous success, Ukrainian forces were far from finished. Capitalizing swiftly on the chaos and panic gripping the Russian defense systems, Ukraine quickly unleashed further drone assaults on key Russian airfields. 

Notably, overnight drone strikes targeted military airbases in Borisoglebsk and Tikhoretsk. In Tikhoretsk, newly constructed hangars were set ablaze, suggesting damage or destruction of aircraft concealed inside. Meanwhile, the Borisoglebsk airbase experienced a particularly heavy drone barrage, leading to confirmed fatalities among Russian Air Force personnel.

Though Russian officials hastily assured the public that no aircraft were harmed in the attack, the human casualties represent severe losses, as training pilots and air force personnel, particularly instructors, takes years and substantial resources, deepening Russia’s military setbacks.

The aftermath of Operation Spiderweb extended well beyond physical destruction, dramatically impacting Russian domestic logistics and economy due to unprecedented paranoia about possible further truck-based drone attacks. Russian authorities, gripped by panic and desperate to prevent further humiliating strikes, now view nearly every truck as a potential threat. Across Russia, widespread checkpoints and roadblocks have been hastily established, resulting in kilometers-long traffic jams of trucks awaiting rigorous inspections. 

Videos circulating online illustrate hundreds of immobilized trucks, indicating that Russia’s extensive and crucial domestic road transport network is grinding to a halt. While the economic repercussions are difficult to predict precisely, the sheer scale of Russia and its heavy reliance on road transport suggests a prolonged paralysis that will almost certainly disrupt critical supply chains, harming economic productivity for weeks to come. This will also lead to delays in military logistics, which will hurt Russia’s summer offensive in Ukraine.

Amid this growing logistical chaos, Russia’s internal response has devolved into a frenzied search for scapegoats. Prominent Russian media figures and military analysts were humiliated by the effectiveness of the Ukrainian operation. Additionally, the blame and anger fell on the role ordinary citizens and conscripts played in documenting and circulating results and evidence of the attacks online by posting footage of the strikes. These videos not only boosted Ukrainian morale but also provided vital intelligence, allowing Ukraine to assess the precision and success of their strikes and to plan even more devastating future operations.

This frenzied climate has triggered widespread arrests, as Russian security services desperately detain anyone remotely connected to the strikes. Notably, a couple accused of housing one of the warehouses used to stage the drone attacks has already been arrested. Another individual, a truck driver involved in transporting a Ukrainian drone container, claimed ignorance, asserting he was simply instructed to meet someone at a location.

Panic and hysteria during the operation spiraled so much out of control that another truck driver was brutally killed by an angry mob, highlighting the volatile and dangerous situation rapidly unfolding within Russian society with each Ukrainian success.

Overall, though Operation Spiderweb formally concluded, it continues to profoundly destabilize Russia, creating further tactical and strategic opportunities for Ukraine. The initial operation ignited panic across Russia, which Ukrainian forces promptly exploited through timely follow-up drone strikes, delivering additional damage to Russian airfields.

Meanwhile, Russia remains preoccupied, hunting feverishly for additional hidden threats in trucks spread across its vast territory. With Russian society descending into paranoia and uncertainty, it remains unclear when and where Ukraine’s next surprise attack will occur, ensuring that Russia’s strategic leadership remains in confusion and dread.

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

Overnight on 6 June, Russia launched a massive aerial assault on Ukraine, using 407 drones, 38 cruise missiles, and six ballistic missiles, according to preliminary data from the Ukrainian Air Force. Later, the Air Force published the updated data.

In a televised appearance, Yuri Ihnat, head of communications for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that the attack included various types of aerial threats, according to Liga.

“A very large number of air attack weapons are flying. Each week we are essentially breaking records for the number of assets used. Today there were ballistic and cruise missiles, and a large number of strike UAVs and drone imitators,” Ihnat said.

Ihnat emphasized the figures are early estimates and have not been formally released by the Air Force yet due to the need for thorough verification.

Russian missiles, drones target Kyiv, Ternopil, Lutsk in one of Moscow’s largest air assaults, civilians killed and injured (updates)

Air Force preliminary assessments report the destruction of up to 30 missiles through air defense measures. Additionally, up to 200 strike drones were intercepted. A further 167 drones are currently classified as “radar lost” or disappeared from radars during the operation.

Attack route and defense deployment

According to Ihnat, Russia primarily launched its drones and missiles from the northern oblasts of Ukraine, with the projectiles advancing westward in what was described as a “crawling offensive.“

To counter the threats, Ukraine deployed anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare systems, and aviation assets. Fighter aircraft including F-16 and Mirage-2000 jets participated in the overnight operation. Ihnat noted that these units “performed quite effectively” during the night strike.

Final strike data pending

The Air Force Command is expected to release final verified statistics in its upcoming official summary, confirming the extent of the aerial attack and Ukraine’s defense performance.

Updated data

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that overnight on 6 June (starting 20:00 on 5 June), Russia launched 452 aerial attack assets at Ukraine,

• including 407 Shahed-type strike drones and decoy UAVs from multiple directions,
• six Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles,
• 36 Kh-101 cruise missiles from Tu-95MS and Tu-160MS bombers,
• two Iskander-K cruise missiles, and
• one Kh-31P anti-radar missile.

By 10:00, Ukrainian air defenses had destroyed 406 targets:

• 199 drones were shot down, 169 suppressed or lost via electronic warfare, four ballistic missiles intercepted (two failed mid-air),
• 30 Kh-101 cruise missiles downed, and
• both Iskander-K missiles destroyed.

Airstrikes caused direct hits in 13 locations, with debris from intercepted weapons falling in 19 others.

In the early hours of 6 June, Russia conducted one of the largest air attacks since the start of its full-scale invasion, targeting Kyiv, Ternopil, Lutsk, Lviv, and several other cities using a combination of missiles and drones. The Russian assault resulted in civilian casualties — with four people known to have been killed and 25 injured — along with widespread damage to infrastructure and multiple fires.

At the time of reporting, the attack was still ongoing, with several Russian drones remaining airborne over multiple regions.

Here’s what we know so far.

Known details and air defense response

So far, there is no official count of the missiles and drones used in the attack, but live reporting from Ukrainian monitoring channels indicated that Russia launched over 100 missiles, along with a significantly higher number of drones.

The Ukrainian air monitoring channel Monitor summarized that the Russian assault involved Kh-101 cruise missiles launched by Tu-95MS bombers from Volgograd Oblast, Kalibr missiles fired by the Black Sea fleet, and Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from Kursk and Voronezh Oblasts. The attack also included Shahed drones and other types of UAVs.

The assault affected Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, Lviv Oblast, Lutsk, Ternopil and Ternopil Oblast, Rivne Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Poltava Oblast, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district of Odesa Oblast. Energy infrastructure, residential areas, and civilian sites were hit, as confirmed by local authorities and military administrations.

Monitor stated the missile phase of the assault lasted from 03:10 to 04:40, while drone waves began at 20:10 and continued for over 10 hours.

Kyiv: Fires and casualties

Ukrainian airspace monitoring channels reported that Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital with cruise and ballistic missiles, and Shahed explosive drones. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, confirmed that as of 6:00, one person was killed and 20 others were injured, 16 of whom were hospitalized. Strikes hit multiple districts, including Solomianskyi, where a school and residential buildings were damaged.

Drone debris caused fires in Darnytskyi, where vehicles were destroyed, and in Holosiivskyi, where building structures were reportedly damaged. Fires also broke out in Shevchenkivskyi and Sviatoshynskyi. Debris fell in Desnianskyi and other parts of the city. Metro lines between “Darnytsia” and “Livoberezhna” were damaged. Some areas on the city’s left bank experienced temporary power outages.

“They were working under fire to help people. Another nine emergency workers were wounded. Some are in serious condition — doctors are fighting for their lives,” Klymenko wrote on Telegram.

Ternopil and oblast: Infrastructure and industrial sites hit

Ternopil mayor Serhii Nadal reported that industrial and infrastructure targets in the city were struck. Part of the city was left without electricity and water pressure dropped. Emergency services were working at the scene.

Head of the Oblast Military Administration, Viacheslav Nehoda, described it as “the most massive air attack on our oblast,” noting multiple strikes and ongoing firefighting efforts. Explosions were first reported during an air raid starting at 03:16.

Lutsk: Injuries and extensive property damage

In Lutsk, mayor Ihor Polishchuk confirmed five people were injured in the strikes. According to him, the Russians targeted the city with 15 drones and five missiles. It is the largest attack on the city since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

A residential building suffered partial destruction and windows were shattered in multiple buildings. Commercial facilities and private vehicles were also damaged. The Oblast Military Administration added that people were evacuated and received medical help, noting that air defenses “destroyed a lot of [aerial] targets.”

Russia kills Ukrainian baby and seven more people as Trump keeps pushing predictably doomed peace talks

Lviv Oblast: Air defense in action

Lviv mayor Andrii Sadovyi and regional head Maksym Kozytskyi confirmed that air defenses operated successfully and no Russian strikes reached Lviv community infrastructure. Loud explosions were heard during the air raid, which started at 00:53 and ended at 05:01.

Chernihiv: Shahed struck near apartment block

Chernihiv City Military Administration head Dmytro Bryzhynskyi reported that a Shahed drone exploded near a high-rise building on the city’s outskirts. No casualties or damage were mentioned.

Khmelnytskyi Oblast: Explosions heard during air raid

Explosions were reported by Suspilne correspondents in Khmelnytskyi during an air raid early in the morning. The Ukrainian Air Force noted that cruise missiles entered the oblast around 04:05.

Read the followup:

Russia launches 407 drones and 44 missiles against Ukraine in overnight assault, Air Force says

Russian forces launched an overnight air assault on 5 June using over 100 drones and a ballistic missile against Ukraine, and continued ground and artillery attacks. Russian strikes killed at least eight civilians, including a baby, and injured dozens across Ukraine, according to local authorities.

Mass aerial attack

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia used 103 Shahed-type drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile in its latest assault from Russian territory and Crimea’s occupied zone. The main directions of attack included Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa oblasts. Air defenses neutralized 74 drones—28 shot down and 46 jammed or lost. Impacts from the airstrikes were confirmed in 16 locations across Ukraine.

The Air Force’s data suggest that the missile and at least 29 Russian drones may have reached their targets.

Civilians killed in Pryluky

In Pryluky, Chernihiv Oblast, Russia struck with at least six Shahed drones, for some reason referred to by their Russian designation as “Geran” by Regional Military Administration head Vyacheslav Chaus.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the fatal strike destroyed the home of a rescuer, killing his wife, daughter, and grandson.

“This is already the 632nd child killed during the full-scale war,” Zelenskyy said.

Large fires broke out in residential areas. The State Emergency Service reported two detached houses, two garages, one outbuilding, and a car were destroyed.

Kharkiv: targeted residential buildings

Kharkiv’s Slobidskyi district was hit by seven Russian drones, with a total of 16 explosive drones targeting Kharkiv Oblast. Additionally, the region was targeted by an Iskander-M Russian missile, two Kh-35, and one more unidentified missile. Mayor Ihor Terekhov and Oblast head Oleh Syniehubov reported 19 injured, including a pregnant woman, a 93-year-old, and four children, aged 7, 9,  and 13. Additionally, a 38-year-old man was injured in Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, after an explosion of an unidentified device.

Terekhov stated:

“This is not a strike on military targets. This is deliberate terror against residential areas and ordinary Kharkiv residents.”

Seven apartment buildings were damaged, with drones hitting 17th and 2nd floors directly. Fires erupted in apartments and vehicles.

Odesa Oblast: schools and clinics damaged

Russia struck Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district in Odesa Oblast with drones, damaging a family medicine clinic, a children’s creativity center, and a lyceum school. Local authorities reported no casualties. Fires were extinguished by emergency services. Oblast head Oleh Kiper said law enforcement is documenting Russia’s actions as war crimes.

Sumy Oblast: children among injured

Sumy Oblast authorities confirmed injuries to two civilians over the past 24 hours: a 42-year-old man and a 13-year-old girl. Nearly 100 Russian strikes hit 35 towns and villages, including the use of more than 20 guided bombs and 30 VOG grenades dropped from drones.

Kherson: airstrikes kill two

Kherson Oblast authorities reported two killed and 10 injured over the past 24 hours. This morning, Russian forces bombed central Kherson with four KAB bombs, causing additional injuries to a 74-year-old, 68-year-old, and a 44-year-old man.

One apartment block’s entrance was destroyed, and nearby buildings damaged. The strike targeted the Kherson Oblast Administration building.

Four people trapped in a basement were rescued unharmed.

Earlier, a 66-year-old man suffered a blast injury in Bilozerka and will receive outpatient treatment.

Civilian casualties in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk oblasts

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, two were injured during 428 Russian strikes across 14 settlements, including Vasylivskyi district, local authorities reported.

In Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 71-year-old man was severely wounded by a Russian drone-dropped munition.

The Donetsk Oblast Military Administration reported an additional fatality and five more injuries from Russian attacks on 4 June.

“Terrorism”

President Zelenskyy condemned the Russian strikes as acts of terrorism:

“This is another massive attack by Russian terrorists who kill our people every night. We expect action from the US, Europe, and everyone who can help stop this.”

He called for further sanctions and international pressure, stating that peace can only come through force and determination.

Related:

• Putin “gives the finger” to the entire world, Zelenskyy says after Trump’s call with Russian president
• 95 Russian drones target Ukraine overnight: Kharkiv hit for 90 minutes straight
• ISW: Russia continues to want Ukraine’s “complete destruction.” Russian missile stockpile only grows.
• Russia kills civilians in central Sumy with Tornado-S cluster munitions. “Hypersonic” Kinzhal hits near Mykolaiv (updated)

Ukraine launched overnight drone strikes on Russian military infrastructure and Russian-occupied power facilities, including an airfield in Rostov Oblast and energy infrastructure in occupied parts of southern Ukraine, leading to damage and power outages.

Millerovo air base targeted in drone attack

In the early hours of 5 June, explosions were reported across Russia’s Rostov Oblast, adjacent to eastern Ukraine’s occupied Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. According to Russian news Telegram channel Astra, local residents claimed that a military airfield in Millerovo came under drone attack. Acting governor of Rostov Oblast Yuriy Slyusar later confirmed that drones were active in the Millerovo district, though he did not explicitly confirm an attack on the airfield.

He stated that debris from the downed drones allegedly caused damage in the village of Sulin, hit structures on two properties on Dachna Street. One house ostensibly had a partially destroyed roof, while another suffered broken windows and torn electric wiring. He added that “No civilians were injured according to emergency services on the ground. The military continues to repel the enemy’s attack. Information is being clarified.”

Occupied parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts suffer blackouts

In a separate development, Russian-installed “Kherson Oblast governor” Vladimir Saldo claimed that more than 120,000 people in Russian-occupied parts of Kherson Oblast were left without electricity and water after a strike on a main transformer substation.

The hit allegedly occurred at 23:10 and resulted in a total blackout for 192 settlements across seven “municipal districts” – a term not used in Ukraine’s territorial structure – including Henichesk, Novotroitske, and Velyka Lepetykha.

Occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast reportedly also experienced blackouts. Head of the Russian occupation administration in the region, Yevgeny Balitsky, blamed Ukrainian forces for shelling the area, stating that “no fewer than five explosions were recorded over Melitopol,” along with an attempted strike on a power substation. Power outages were reported in parts of Melitopol, Prymorsk, Enerhodar, and Akimivka.

Exclusives

Ukraine’s jets adopt Western tactics, learn to hunt in packs. More Ukrainian air force pilots are flying and fighting in complex teams.

Bedtime stories and ballistics: How Ukraine’s children are growing up fast. Ukrainian psychologist Oksana Pisareva says kids in therapy talk about missiles, not monsters.

“They trample corpses”: Ukraine’s Muslim leader-turned-medic exposes what Russians really fight for. As Russian soldiers crawl over their own dead, Ukraine’s ex-mufti saves the lives they claim — revealing what really drives the world’s second army to raze peaceful cities.

Military

Russia captures Sumy’s Kostiantynivka village as Russians try to widen frontline in region. ISW and DeepState report mounting pressure as Moscow’s troops seize new ground in Sumy Oblast.

This is how Ukrainian drones destroy Russian bombers that attack Ukraine in surprise Spiderweb operation

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) revealed that when communication was severed, the drones continued missions using pre-programmed routes and AI algorithms before automatically activating warheads at designated targets.

Drone hits house in Russian Kursk oblast, woman injured. Russian air defense systems intercepted seven Ukrainian drones across three regions overnight, with two shot down over Kursk region, the Defense Ministry claimed.

Russian missile hits Ukrainian training ground in Poltava, servicemen wounded. A Russian missile attack on a Ukrainian military training facility in Poltava Oblast on 4 June left servicemen wounded, marking the second such strike on Ground Forces training units within four days.

As of 4 JUN 2025, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

• • • Personnel: 991820 (+1020)
    • Tanks: 10884 (+3)
    • APV: 22678 (+7)
    • Artillery systems: 28711 (+88)
    • MLRS: 1402
    • Anti-aircraft systems: 1176
    • Aircraft: 413
    • Helicopters: 336
    • UAV: 38924 (+176)
    • Cruise missiles : 3271
    • Warships/boats: 28
    • Submarines: 1
    • Vehicles and fuel tanks: 50730 (+123)

Intelligence and technology

Russia ramps up Shahed production to 170 daily, eyes 190 by year-end. Russian engineers have doubled the explosive payload in Shahed drones from 50 to 90 kilograms while introducing new warhead types targeting specific objectives, according to Ukraine’s intelligence services.

UK drone deliveries to Ukraine jump from 10,000 to 100,000 in 2025. The UK government will invest a record $474 mn in drone production for Ukraine this year, scaling up from the 10,000 drones delivered in 2024 to an ambitious target of 100,000 units, the Defence Ministry announced.

International

Netherlands announces new maritime security support package for Ukraine worth $456 million. The package will consist of over 100 naval vessels, including ships, patrol boats, transport boats, interceptors, special operations vessels, and 50 maritime drones, according to Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans

Putin tells Trump in phone call he will retaliate recent Spiderweb drone operation on Russian airfields. Trump also emphasized that this was not a conversation that “will lead to immediate peace.”

US senator compares Ukrainian Spiderweb drone operation to anti-terror bin Laden killing. Richard Blumenthal believes that the recent Ukrainian surprise drone attack that hit 41 Russian aircraft could “shift momentum in Washington in favor of increasing aid for Ukraine.”

Trump envoy warns Ukrainian strikes on Russian bombers push conflict toward dangerous escalation. Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine warned that recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian strategic bomber bases might push the war toward dangerous escalation

Ukraine’s diplomat slams UN for passing World’s Horse Day resolution while ignoring more pressing global issues. Serhii Kyslytsia contrasted this decision with years of resistance Ukraine faced in the UN when trying to establish a day against disinformation while fighting Russia, who remains a UN member.

US Defense Secretary skips Ukraine meeting for first time since creating it. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will miss Wednesday’s gathering of 50 defense ministers coordinating military aid for Ukraine. The absence marks the first time since 2022 that America’s top defense official has skipped the meeting the US originally created.

Frontline report: Putin knew Serbia’s weapons were in Ukraine — now he’s making it personal. Serbian ammo has been showing up in Ukraine for years. Only now, with a factory in flames, is Putin pretending to be shocked.

Humanitarian and social impact

Ukraine and Russia to exchange prisoners of war this weekend — only result of Istanbul peace talks. The exchange is expected to involve 1,200 prisoners from each side.

95 Russian drones target Ukraine overnight: Kharkiv hit for 90 minutes straight. Russian forces pummeled Kharkiv with drones and missiles for 90 consecutive minutes overnight, leaving one man hospitalized and seven buildings damaged across Ukraine’s second-largest city.

Ukrainian media groups demand True Story Festival drop Russian speakers, add Ukrainian journalists. Ukrainian media organizations demanded True Story Festival organizers remove Russian speakers from the June event in Bern, citing five Russian representatives scheduled for war-related sessions while no Ukrainian journalists appear on the programme.

Other developments

ISW: Russia continues to want Ukraine’s “complete destruction.” Russian missile stockpile only grows. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev stated that Moscow’s peace negotiations in Istanbul must result in the Ukrainian government’s elimination rather than compromise.

Read our earlier daily review here

In the cold December of 2023, Russia launched the most intense massive missile and drone strikes on Ukraine since the start of the war.

The most devastating came on 29 December, when Russia fired around 158 aerial targets, including various types of missiles. Approximately 55 people were killed, and over 170 were injured.

That same month, Ukraine began planning its largest-ever operation against Russian aircraft — and activated it in June 2025, launching hundreds of drones from trucks prepared by covert agents.

“The planning, organization, and every detail were perfectly executed. It’s safe to say this was a truly unique operation,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained.

A senior US defense official told CNN that Ukraine’s attack showed a level of sophistication that they had not seen before.

The official added that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received regular updates on the operation during his visit to Joint Base Andrews on 1 June but had not yet spoken to his Ukrainian counterparts.

This chain of events unfolded as Russia and Ukraine returned to tense peace talks in Istanbul, shadowed by uncertainty. Ahead of the talks, US President Donald Trump had voiced frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s resistance to advancing the negotiations.

Putin had proposed “direct talks” in Turkiye earlier in the month but failed to appear, even after Zelenskyy agreed to the meeting. In the end, both countries sent only low-level delegations.

These aircraft rained death on Ukrainian cities — now they’re burning on their own airfields. On 1 June, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) carried out a stunning special operation dubbed “Spiderweb,” destroying or disabling at least 41 Russian aircraft involved in massive airstrikes against Ukraine.

“There are aircraft that were burned, and others damaged beyond repair. For a long time, they won’t be able to carry out terrorist acts,” said Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat.

Since 2022, the Russians have launched 2,437 Kh-101, Kh-555, and Kh-55 cruise missiles from these bombers, of which 1,916 were intercepted. However, more than 500 reached their targets.

“Russia also used Tu-22M3 bombers with Kh-22 and Kh-32 missiles. The Kh-22 is known as an ‘aircraft carrier killer’… the enemy used them to strike major cities. There were many casualties,” Ihnat adds. 

Russia has also launched over 400 Kh-22 missiles, and only a few were intercepted by air defenses. The missile carries a warhead weighing over 900 kg and is among the most powerful in Russia’s arsenal.

For instance, in 2025, Russia killed 14 civilians, including two children, with such missiles, demolishing a five-storey residential building in Poltava. No military targets were located in the area. 

In 2024, a missile of the same type broke a huge hole in the residential building in Dnipro, ruining a driveway and killing almost every civilian in it. 

Ukraine’s air defense downed 25 out of 38 Russian missiles during massive attack

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked SBU Chief Vasyl Maliuk for the operation’s results. He noted that the SBU’s operational office in Russian territory was located right next to a regional FSB headquarters. In total, 117 drones were used in the operation.

Following Ukraine’s 1 June high-profile Spiderweb drone operation that targeted nuclear-capable Russian bombers deep inside Russian territory, US President Donald Trump has not issued any public comment. Meanwhile, MAGA influencers are reacting with suspicion, warnings, and accusations of US involvement, Axios reported late on 2 June.

While officials and media in Ukraine praised the operation’s scale and success, voices within Trump’s MAGA movement sharply criticized it, according to Axios. Some expressed anger that Trump had not been informed of the strike in advance. Others framed the event as a provocation with potential global consequences.

Influencers speculate about US role

On Steve Bannon’s “War Room,” pro-Trump commentator Jack Posobiec questioned the possibility of US involvement in planning. Charlie Kirk, a leading MAGA activist, said, “Seems very much on the interior of Russia. I sure hope America had nothing to do with it.”

Rogan O’Handley, who runs the DC Draino account, claimed — without providing evidence — that the strike was “intentionally conducted to drag America into WW3.” Former Pentagon official Dan Caldwell warned of direct risks: “US should not only distance itself from this attack but end any support that could directly or indirectly enable attacks against Russian strategic nuclear forces.”

Meet First Contact’s Osa: Ukrainian FPV drone used to strike Russian bombers in Spiderweb operation

Longstanding MAGA hostility toward Zelenskyy and Ukraine

Axios noted that MAGA-aligned figures have consistently criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and framed Ukraine as a corrupt and untrustworthy actor. Military actions by Ukraine, even against legitimate military targets, often provoke stronger backlash within the Trump-aligned sphere than Russian daily strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

“Zelensky and any Ukrainian military operations against Russian troops have been met with hostility from MAGA for years,” Axios wrote.

Trump himself has issued occasional criticism of Russian attacks but remains largely quiet on many events involving Ukraine

Axios highlighted growing pressure on Trump from different factions within the Republican Party. While some GOP senators advocate for tougher stances on Russia, the MAGA base demands disengagement from Ukraine and views the country with deep suspicion.

In the early hours of 3 June 2025, Russian forces launched a massive drone assault on Ukraine, using 112 UAVs including Shahed explosive drones and decoys from various directions. The Ukrainian Air Force reported 75 drones were neutralized, while 11 locations were struck, causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage in multiple oblasts, according to local authorities.

Later in the morning, Russia shelled Sumy with rockets, killing two civilians and injuring about 20 others, and targeted Mykolaiv with an air-launched ballistic missile:

Russia kills civilians in central Sumy with Tornado-S cluster munitions. “Hypersonic” Kinzhal hits near Mykolaiv (updated)

Odesa: five civilians injured, fires break out

According to the Odesa Oblast Military Administration and the regional prosecutor’s office, Russian drone strikes injured five civilians. One person was hospitalized in moderate condition, while others were treated at the scene. Fires erupted at multiple sites, including a major blaze at a food warehouse. Two cars burned down in a detached house area, and damage was reported to garages and residential buildings.

The State Emergency Service (DSNS) deployed 22 vehicles and 72 personnel, supported by three more units and 12 additional responders from the National Guard and local authorities. Air raid alerts were issued at 03:00, and explosions began around 03:32. According to Suspilne, Ukrainian air defense warned earlier that drone groups were advancing from the Black Sea toward Odesa Oblast.

Balakliia: one dead, one injured in drone strike

Overnight on 3 June, Russian drones struck Balakliia in Izium district, Kharkiv Oblast. Balakliia City Military Administration head Vitalii Karabanov reported several impacts in the town. A civilian was killed, and another person was injured.

Some strikes hit a civilian enterprise and open areas, causing wildfires. The DSNS later confirmed drone attacks on a postal terminal on the outskirts of Kharkiv, resulting in a fire that consumed two warehouse buildings and containers over a 3,000 m² area.

Postal company Nova Poshta, which operated the terminal, confirmed that part of its sorting facility was destroyed. The company stated:

We are contacting clients whose parcels were destroyed in the Russian attack regarding compensation.”

Chernihiv: four civilians injured, private and public buildings hit

Around 02:27, Russian drones hit Chernihiv. Chernihiv City Military Administration head Dmytro Bryzhynskyi reported that a Shahed drone struck a detached house, injuring two people — one critically. Later, the Chernihiv Oblast Military Administration confirmed four total casualties: two women and two men, all hospitalized with serious injuries.

A one-family home burned down, and a five-story residential building was damaged along with several other homes. Bryzhynskyi and regional head Viacheslav Chaus also reported damage to a school, multiple shops, a bus stop, and an industrial facility.

Sumy Oblast: guided bombs hit center of Khotin village

On 2 June, Russia launched three KAB guided bombs on the center of Khotin town in Sumy district. According to the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, there were no casualties, but significant damage was reported.

A medical facility, school, church, and about 20 detached houses were damaged in the attack.

Nationwide air assault

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 112 Shahed-type and decoy drones overnight from Kursk, Orel, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, and Chauda in occupied Crimea. The main axes of attack were Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Odesa, and Donetsk oblasts. Ukrainian air defenses — including aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, EW systems, UAV units, and mobile fire groups — were activated. Of the 75 drones neutralized, 60 were shot down and 15 suppressed or lost via EW.

The Air Force’s data suggests that at least 37 Russian drones may have reached their intended targets.

On 3 June mining, Russia continued deadly attacks on Ukrainian territory, striking central Sumy city with a long-range rocket system, equipped with cluster warheads, and launching a Kinzhal aeroballistic missile that landed outside Mykolaiv, according to local authorities and airspace monitoring sources. The Sumy attack killed at least two civilians.

Sumy: Russian cluster rocket attack kills civilians, injures children

At approximately 09:18, multiple explosions were reported in central Sumy. According to the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, Russian forces struck one of the city’s main streets, damaging vehicles.

Two civilian men were confirmed dead, and seven others injured, including children. Rescue services responded at the scene. The Sumy Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported to public broadcaster Suspilne:

“As of 10:00, two civilians are confirmed dead and seven injured, including four children.”

Sumy City Military Administration head Serhii Kryvosheenko added that many of the wounded were being transported to medical facilities.

Ukrainian airspace monitoring Telegram channel YeRadar reported at 10:30 that Russian forces used the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system with a cluster warhead in the attack. According to the monitoring post, “There were four impacts within the city,” at the time.

The Tornado-S is a modernized version of the Smerch (9K58), with improved accuracy and a range of up to 200 km when equipped with newer rockets. The combination with cluster munitions increases its lethality against exposed personnel, vehicles, and infrastructure.

Update

The Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported that nearly 20 people were injured in the Russian attack on Sumy, with a 17-year-old among the wounded and some victims in critical condition.

“Unfortunately, two people were killed. Our condolences go out to their families,” the administration stated.

According to preliminary data, five impacts from long-range MLRS were recorded in the city center around 09:00. The strikes damaged a medical facility, vehicles, and residential buildings, with one of the hits occurring on Remisnycha Street.

A resident told Suspilne that he had gone out to the store when his apartment was struck:

“If I had been home, I would have died.”

A day of mourning has been declared for 4 June in the Sumy community, acting city head Artem Kobzar confirmed.

Deputy director Mykola Savchenko of the regional hospital told Suspilne that 20 wounded had been admitted, five of whom were in extremely serious condition. One 40-year-old woman died in surgery. He also shared a photo of the MLRS fragments recovered from the Remisnycha Street apartment.

In another part of the city, a woman was wounded by shrapnel at the entrance to a pharmacy on Shevchenko Avenue.

Pharmacist Ruslan told Suspilne:

“The woman was in critical condition. We pulled her into the pharmacy and did everything we could. It was a severe abdominal injury. Later, we helped paramedics carry her to the ambulance. Fortunately, all our staff are safe.”

Mykolaiv: Kinzhal missile tracked from Russian MiG-31K

Ukrainian airspace monitoring channel Nikolaevsky Vanyok, linked to the military, reported at 09:51 that MiG-31K jets took off from Akhtubinsk. At 10:02, the channel stated:

“For the first time during the war, a Kinzhal has struck near us (outside the city).” 

At 10:41, the same source reported: “All is OK.”

YeRadar detailed the event further, confirming the launch from the Kamyshin area in Russia’s Volgograd Oblast and noting a projected trajectory of approximately 1,200 km westward toward central or right-bank Ukraine. The missile, an Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, is capable of maneuvering mid-flight, deviating from typical ballistic paths. It can adjust altitude and direction at hypersonic speeds due to its aerodynamic surfaces, complicating interception efforts.

The channel observed the missile traveling at approximately 7,200 km/h over the northwestern outskirts of Kyiv, heading south. It later received information about a probable impact on the outskirts of Mykolaiv. Due to the Kinzhal’s ability to adjust its path in real time, YeRadar noted it would not attempt to chart the exact route. 

Update

Monitoring channel Raketa UA noted that the Russian MiG-31K fighter jet carried out its first-ever combat sortie from the Akhtubinsk airbase on the day of the strike. Previously, such launches had only been conducted from Savasleyka airbase.

“Russia is again changing its tactics,” the channel stated, adding that this new development would make it even harder to predict potential Kinzhal launches.

This is no accident. This is a war crime. Russia is waging a deliberate war on Ukrainian rescuers, striking six fire stations in one week, says Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. 

The Ukrainian minister has accused Russia of deliberately targeting emergency services, calling recent attacks on fire and rescue units a campaign of “deliberate terror.” Over just one week, six fire stations across Ukraine were hit, injuring 12 emergency workers who risk their lives daily under fire.

“Even after the strikes, our rescuers put their uniforms back on and headed to where someone may still be breathing beneath the rubble,” Klymenko says.

From 26 May to 2 June, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service came under fire nearly ten times. Fire-rescue units were hit in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Kharkiv oblasts. The attacks damaged six fire stations and destroyed six emergency vehicles.

One of the most brazen strikes, according to Klymenko, occurred on the morning of 2 June in Stepnohirsk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. After drones struck a fire station, Russian forces launched a second strike targeting rescuers evacuating the wounded.

Twelve emergency personnel were injured, and two vehicles were destroyed in the attack. The wounded are now receiving medical and psychological care.

Ukrainian drones struck Russian airfields, prompting international airlines to reconsider continuing operations in Russia.

The world’s largest long-haul carrier, Emirates, says it plans to review its flights to Russia. This decision comes amid Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian soil, which have caused flight cancellations and route changes, according to company president Tim Clark, Bloomberg reports. 

He adds that the airline does not currently plan to reduce the number of flights but will monitor the situation closely.

“This latest event was a little more worrying. As things get a little bit more acute, if I can use that word, we’ll be reviewing all of this,” Clark notes. 

Clark also reveals that Emirates has developed “ironclad” contingency plans, including carrying enough fuel for pilots to exit Russian airspace or avoid landing near Moscow if necessary.

Emirates and Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus remain among the few foreign airlines still flying to Russia, while others abandoned this market after 24 February 2022.

Earlier, Oleh Katkov, editor-in-chief of Defense Express, said that Russia has no way to replace the aircraft it lost in the Operation Web. Among the lost jets, the Tu-160 supersonic missile carriers, developed during the Soviet era, are especially valuable.

Russia cannot produce new Tu-160s or Tu-95s — only repair Soviet-era ones, says expert after Ukraine’s historic Spiderweb operation

He noted that Russia has only about 18 of them left, and not a single one was built from scratch after the Soviet Union collapsed.

Russian drone attacks against a State Emergency Service building in Zaporizhzhia Oblast's front-line areas on June 2 injured 12 emergency workers, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.

Russian first-person-view (FPV) drones struck the building and service vehicles in the Stepnohirsk community, according to the governor.

Russian forces attacked again during an evacuation of the injured, the State Emergency Service reported. Russia has repeatedly employed double-tap attacks against civilian targets, often resulting in casualties among first responders.

All of the victims have been hospitalized. One of them is in a critical state, while others have suffered injuries of moderate severity.

Stepnohirsk lies only some 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of the front line in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The emergency workers were injured despite being in the shelter during the attack, the State Emergency Service said.

Fire trucks also suffered damage as a result of a direct hit.

"This is another example of deliberate and targeted Russian attacks on first responders — people who save the lives of others every day, risking their own," the service said on Telegram.

Ahead of Istanbul peace talks, Russia kills 9, injures 49 civilians across Ukraine

Russia attacked Ukraine with 80 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, as well as three Iskander-M or KN-23 ballistic missiles and one Iskander-K cruise missile, the Air Force reported.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

Ukraine strikes Russian strategic bomber airbases in Murmansk and Irkutsk Oblasts with kamikaze drones, targeting aircraft about 2,000 and over 4,000 km from the frontline. Footage from the sites shows massive fires and burning aircraft. The operation has been conducted by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), according to unofficial reports.

Drone attacks in Olenya and Belaya airbases

Ukrainian FPV kamikaze drones attacked strategic bomber airbases deep within Russian territory, according to reports by Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels. The strikes targeted the Olenya airbase in Murmansk Oblast—approximately 2,000 km north of Ukraine—and the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk Oblast, located 4,300 km to the east. 

Residents near Belaya reportedly captured footage of FPV drones hitting the airfield, followed by multiple explosions. The Olenya airbase was also struck, and open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts from Cyberboroshno identified the location in videos showing destroyed strategic bombers.

One of the videos, published by multiple Telegram channels, shows drone footage of fires at Belaya airbase, with voice-over commentary by SBU head Vasyl Maliuk, confirming the strike.

FPV drones were delivered to both bases by motor vehicles

In Irkutsk, Supernova+ reported that a long-haul truck stopped near the Belaya airbase and began launching FPV drones from its trailer, which then targeted parked aircraft and facilities on-site.

Similar accounts emerged from Murmansk Oblast. In one video, the narrator states:

“A long-haul truck arrived in Olenegorsk, the driver is running around frantically, FPV drones are flying out of his truck. The traffic police have just arrested him. He says, ‘I was told to come here, that someone would meet me. The drones are flying out one after another.’“

Visual evidence, allegedly from this attack indicated it was not a truck but a van towing a trailer in Murmansk Oblast. Later, it turned out that the images of the van were old.

Damage to aircraft and confirmed targets

According to analysis of the available video materials, at least four Tu-95 strategic bombers—used by Russia to conduct missile strikes on Ukrainian territory—were reportedly destroyed at Olenya airbase, Militarnyi says.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Supernova+ published multiple videos from both Murmansk and Irkutsk Oblasts, claiming there were at least 10 explosions at Olenya.

Another channel, Exilenova+, posted footage of Tu-95MS bombers engulfed in flames at Olenegorsk, Murmansk Oblast.

Russian Migalovo airbase hit by kamikaze drones, reports confirm (video)

First drone strike in Irkutsk Oblast

This marks the first time Irkutsk Oblast has been attacked by drones since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

Russian site Meduza says the drones were reportedly spotted in the Usolsky district, with settlements such as Sredniy and Novomaltinsk coming under attack. The Belaya military airfield in this area houses Tu-22M3 bombers.

SBU operation “Web” targets Russian bombers

Ukrainian publication Babel, citing sources within the SBU, reported that the strikes were part of a planned special operation dubbed “Pautyna” (“Web”), carried out on 1 June.

Babel’s report added that the FPV drones were deployed to target aircraft involved in bombing Ukrainian cities and towns. The damages from this operation are estimated to exceed $2 billion, according to the source. 

Read the follow-up:

“Trojan truck attack”: Ukraine used AI-trained FPV drones launched from trucks to destroy “34%” of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet in a day

Overnight on 29 May 2025, Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine, killing six and injuring 33 civilians and damaging homes, while Ukrainian defenses intercepted just 56 out of 90 incoming drones, according to Ukraine’s Air Force and regional authorities.

90 drones launched from Russia, 56 intercepted

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 90 long-range explosive drones — including Shahed UAVs and decoys — from Millerovo, Oryol, and Kursk starting at 23:20 on 28 May. Air defense units, electronic warfare teams, and mobile fire groups reportedly neutralized 56 drones, of which 10 were shot down and 46 suppressed electronically.

“A distinctive feature of the airstrike was the targeting of sites in frontline territories,” the Air Force noted, highlighting a shift from Russia’s typical focus on rear cities and infrastructure.

Impacts were confirmed in nine locations across Sumy, Kharkiv, and Donetsk oblasts.

Local authorities also reported bomb and artillery strikes, as well as short-range drone attacks.

Sumy Oblast: Civilian casualties and widespread strikes 

Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported that a man was killed and a woman seriously injured in Bilopillia from a drone strike last night.

The authorities reported more civilian casualties over the past 24 hours. In Esman community, a 74-year-old woman died following a Russian guided bomb attack. Earlier injuries were also reported in Khotin (woman born in 1950) and Berezivka (man born in 1991).

Authorities confirmed 140 Russian strikes across 39 settlements in 14 communities, with the heaviest shelling in Sumy and Shostka districts.

Donetsk Oblast: Kostiantynivka hit twice, one killed; another death and 13 injuries yesterday 

At 04:20 on 29 May, a Russian FPV drone strike on Kostiantynivka killed one person and damaged a detached house, the city mayor reported. Another FPV drone hit the same city an hour later, damaging another residence.

On 28 May, Russian attacks killed one civilian in Donetsk’s Rivne and injured 13 others across Donetsk Oblast, according to the regional authorities.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast: Homes destroyed in aerial bombings, civilians searched under the rubble 

Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov reported that five Russian guided aerial bombs hit Verkhnia Tersa early on 29 May, destroying several homes. Authorities stated that civilians were trapped under debris, though further details were pending.

Over the preceding day, Russian forces conducted 397 strikes on 10 settlements. A 49-year-old man was wounded in a separate attack in Polohy District yesterday

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast: Three civilians injured in attacks 

According to Governor Serhii Lysak, artillery and drone strikes on Nikopol district injured a 61-year-old man and damaged several homes and solar panels. In Novopavlivka, two civilians were injured by guided bombs; one house was destroyed and two more damaged.

Kherson Oblast: Two killed, multiple injured in drone attacks 

Kherson Oblast Military Administration confirmed two civilian men were killed in Berislav when a Russian drone dropped explosives on them.

A Russian morning strike injured a 1931-born man in Kherson’s Dnipro Raion with blast trauma. A 57-year-old man in Bilozerka and a 38-year-old man in Kherson city were also hospitalized from earlier drone attacks.

Additionally, authorities reported a total of 10 injuries across the oblast in the last 24 hours.

Exclusive

Apocalypse comes to Kostiantynivka as tens of thousands of Russians march on the strategic town. Tens of thousands of Russian troops are surging toward Kostyantynivka. Next stop: Kramatorsk,Ukraine’s last line of defense in Donetsk Oblast. A major fight is coming.

The UN confirmed what I saw in Kherson: Russia is hunting civilians for sport. What I witnessed wasn’t random violence—it was systematic hunting.

Military

Ukraine hits Russian cruise missile factory near Moscow with long-range drones. Ukrainian drones successfully bypassed Russian air defenses to strike Raduga plant which produces the same Kh-101/555 cruise missiles that Russia uses to attack Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

Frontline report: Romania and the US just drew a red line as the Black Sea boils over. As the Black Sea war between Russia and Ukraine intensifies, NATO allies are tightening defenses.

Ukrainian strikes hit drone manufacturer near Moscow as Russia claims 296 Ukrainian drones shot down. A drone factory in the Moscow Oblast was hit by Ukrainian aircraft as the Russian capital’s mayor reportedly issued 17 attack warnings in one day.

Frontline report: Russian thermobaric artillery spotted in Kharkiv gets obliterated by Ukrainian drones within hours. Ukrainian intel confirms Russian assessments show four months of operational weather before seasonal mud returns, as Russian forces mass 50,000 troops to expand from limited buffer zones to full conquest of Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts.

Night attack injures at least 12 people as Russia launches 88 drones and six missiles at Ukraine. Explosions were heard in Kharkiv, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Kirovohrad oblasts

As of 28 MAY 2025, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

• • • Personnel: 983890 (+1050)
    • Tanks: 10864 (+4)
    • APV: 22644 (+2)
    • Artillery systems: 28355 (+18)
    • MLRS: 1397
    • Anti-aircraft systems: 1171
    • Aircraft: 372
    • Helicopters: 336
    • UAV: 37918 (+65)
    • Cruise missiles : 3265
    • Warships/boats: 28
    • Submarines: 1
    • Vehicles and fuel tanks: 49959 (+52)

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine and Germany sign agreement on long-range weapons. Germany will directly finance long-range weapons production on Ukrainian soil under a new agreement signed by both countries’ defense ministers.

Zelenskyy: 50,000 Russian troops mass near Sumy bordering Russia’s Kursk for new offensive. The Ukrainian president stated that Moscow aims to establish a 10-km (6 miles) “buffer zone” inside Ukrainian territory, though he expressed doubt about Russian capabilities to achieve this strategic objective.

Germany allocates $5.7 billion for Ukraine for weapons, ammunition and satellite communications. Germany will fund long-range weapon systems manufactured in Ukraine under agreements reached during President Zelensky’s visit to Berlin.

Forbes: Ukraine deploys AI turrets against record Russian drone attacks. The Sky Sentinel system costs one-hundredth the price of comparable US systems while defending against 120 mph drone attacks. A prototype Ukrainian robot gun has already shot down four Shahed drones

Russia aims to produce 500 drones daily as Ukraine strikes back with 400-drone attack. Russia has received orders to produce 500 drones daily but currently maintains capacity for only 300-350, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

International

Russia delays promised ceasefire memorandum ahead of new peace talks. Ukraine gives Russia four-day deadline. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov claimed that the exchange of documents with conditions to end the war was supposed to be mutual following the 16 May Istanbul meeting, but only Ukraine has delivered its proposals to Russian delegation head.

Trump uncertain if Putin wants to end war, open to joining Zelensky-Putin meeting if needed. Trump also noted that he was very “disappointed” by the recent deadly attacks on civilians in Ukraine during the negotiation process.

Senior Russian official responds to Trump comment with World War III threat. US envoy calls this “reckless”. Keith Kellogg called for a ceasefire and reminded that the US is still awaiting the Russian memorandum for ending the war.

Putin-Zelenskyy meeting possible but needs delegation agreements, Kremlin says. Russia’s top spokesman confirmed Moscow remains open to a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting but only after their negotiating teams reach preliminary agreements.

Record 81% of Europeans support common defense policy amid Ukraine war. Trust in the European Union has reached its highest point in 18 years. A poll shows that 59% of EU citizens support the purchase and supply of weapons for Ukraine.

Reuters: Russia demands written pledge to halt “NATO eastward expansion” and sanctions relief. Putin wants Ukraine’s neutrality, protection for Russian speakers, and guarantees against NATO membership for former Soviet republics, while Ukraine rejects all these demands.

Zelenskyy visits Germany as Taurus missile debate intensifies over Ukraine aid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Berlin on 28 May as Germany’s new chancellor considers reversing his predecessor’s ban on Taurus missile deliveries.

Lithuania aid meant for Ukrainians went to citizens of other countries, including Russia and Belarusia. The European Social Fund Agency dismissed its director after an audit revealed that over $1,1 mn in Ukrainian refugee aid went to ineligible recipients.

Humanitarian and social impact

“Russia destroys future of Ukraine”: Russian missile strike killed three siblings aged 8, 12, 17. Hundreds of Ukrainians attended funeral services for the Martyniuk children, including 17-year-old Roman, 8-year-old Stanislav, and 12-year-old Tamara, whose parents survived the attack.

Political and legal developments

Russia builds power lines to restart and connect seized Ukrainian nuclear plant to its grid. The occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, captured by Russian forces in March 2022, would become the first nuclear facility seized by one nation during war and operated for another country’s energy needs if Moscow’s plans succeed.

Read our earlier daily review here.

US President Donald Trump revealed during a recent press conference that he cannot determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin genuinely seeks to conclude the war in Ukraine.

Trump also indicated his willingness to participate in potential discussions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin if required. 

“Within two weeks we are going to find out very soon if he [Putin] is tapping us along or not. If he is, we will respond a little bit differently,” Trump stated. 

The American president cited recent Russia’s violence as grounds for his skepticism, stating he feels “very disappointed by what has been happening these past few nights, when people are being killed in the middle of what you would call negotiations.”

The American leader criticized ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, stating that missile strikes against urban areas are unacceptable. Trump questioned Putin’s motivations, saying he doesn’t understand what has changed about the Russian leader, given that “he’s killing a lot of people.”

Following a deadly Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine that killed at least 12 civilians on 25 May, Trump publicly condemned Putin, calling him “crazy” and expressing consideration of new sanctions against Russia.

However, Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of causing problems with his rhetoric, and blamed both Zelenskyy and President Joe Biden for the continuation of the war, which he claimed would not have started under his leadership.

The Trump’s team also issued an ultimatum that the US will withdraw from negotiations if Russia and Ukraine do not enter direct peace negotiations soon.

Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine overnight on 28 May. Russia attacked Ukraine with six ballistic and guided missiles and 88 strike drones, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.

Ukrainian air defenses destroyed 71 drones. Another 37 were lost locationally. Strikes hit eight locations, the Air Force reported.

At least 16 explosions were heard in Kharkiv overnight. These were sounds of explosions occurring in the oblast, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

Three men aged 51, 43 and 59 were injured in Vasyshcheve. A four-year-old girl suffered an acute stress reaction, reported regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.

In Eskhari, two men aged 63 and 80 and two women aged 63 and 71 were injured, according to Syniehubov.

Russian forces attacked Svitlovodsk in Kirovohrad Oblast overnight on 28 May. An industrial enterprise and residential buildings were damaged, Kirovohrad Oblast Governor Andriy Raykovych said.

A fire broke out at the enterprise. According to Raykovych, there are three injured people. Two were hospitalized. The attack also damaged 76 private houses and one 9-story building.

More than 1,400 consumers lost electricity. A commission is inspecting damaged buildings in Svitlovodsk, the Svitlovodsk community reported on Facebook.

Russian forces attacked communities in Mykolaiv Oblast with drones and missiles overnight on 28 May. A child was wounded and 200 consumers lost power, the Mykolaiv regional military administration reported.

Drones attacked Halytsyny community. A 7-year-old girl received minor injuries, the regional administration reported. Two houses and three cars were also damaged.

Around 02:00 am on 28 May, Russian forces attacked the city of Ochakiv with a missile. A recreational facility was damaged there.

Shaheds also attacked Snihuriv community overnight. A non-residential building, two residential houses and power lines were damaged in the village of Vasylivka. 200 subscribers lost power. Electricity supply was almost restored by morning, the regional administration reported.

Two people were wounded in overnight Russian shelling in Kherson, the city military administration reported. A 74-year-old resident of Antonivka came under Russian drone attack the previous evening. An 83-year-old man came under fire in Dniprovskyi district. 

According to Air Force data, none of the five Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles were shot down. A guided Kh-59/69 aviation missile was not shot down either. Some 71 drones were neutralized: 34 were shot down and 37 were locationally lost or suppressed by electronic warfare.

Strikes hit eight locations, the Air Force confirmed.

Russia is expanding its missile reserves, increasing drone production, and modifying drone technologies as part of a long-term military strategy to achieve its war objectives in Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on 26 May. These developments signal Russia’s full commitment to securing victory through military means in a protracted conflict, according to the think tank.

ISW stated that Russia’s growing stockpile of ballistic missiles, rising drone output, and ongoing drone adaptations demonstrate a sustained effort to strengthen its strike capabilities. The Economist, citing Ukrainian government sources on 25 May, reported that Russia has accumulated around 500 ballistic missiles. At the same time, Moscow is reportedly producing about 100 Shahed explosive drones per day — roughly four to five times the daily output estimated in late 2024.

Ukrainian military intelligence told The Economist that Russia intends to increase this drone production to 500 units per day, although no specific deadline was mentioned. Engineers in Ukraine noted that Russian forces are actively modifying Shahed drones to overcome Ukrainian electronic warfare systems. These upgrades include the use of artificial intelligence and integration with Ukrainian internet and mobile networks for improved navigation.

Following a record 355-drone attack, Russia launches 60 drones—Ukraine intercepts most

New Shahed tactics

A Ukrainian officer interviewed by The Economist stated that Russian drones are flying at altitudes of 2,000 to 2,500 meters, beyond the effective range of small arms and shoulder-fired missiles used by Ukrainian mobile air defense units. On 25 May, Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, Head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, reported that Russian forces had set a new altitude record with a Shahed drone flight reaching 4,900 meters.

Colonel Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force, confirmed on 26 May that Russia is producing both Shahed and decoy drones in higher numbers and deploying them at higher altitudes. Ihnat also noted that Russian forces resumed the use of Kh-22 cruise missiles after a period of reduced deployment. According to ISW, the resurgence of large-scale missile and drone strike packages aligns with Russia’s broader strategy of enhancing its domestic weapons production and long-term war preparations.

ISW: Russia ramps up missile strikes and propaganda in bid to crush Ukrainian morale and Western will

Russia’s goals unchanged, but it economy struggles 

Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service Chief Oleh Ivashchenko said in a 26 May Ukrinform interview that Russia’s goal of full control over Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts remains unchanged. He warned that Russia is also preparing for a future conflict with NATO, in line with ISW’s assessments.

“ISW also continues to assess that the Russian government and military are preparing for a possible future conflict with NATO. Russian authorities recently renewed their years-long narrative rejecting the legality of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, likely to set conditions for Russia to deny the independence and sovereignty of other former Soviet states in the future,” the think tank wrote.

WP: Trump softens on Putin as Russian battlefield edge declines

Ivashchenko noted Russia’s economic struggles, with its sovereign wealth fund reduced to $38 billion from $150 billion pre-invasion, and highlighted reliance on Soviet-era equipment. He stated that foreign aid from North Korea, China, and Belarus is playing a growing role in Russia’s defense industry.

“Russia’s efforts to increase domestic drone and missile production and ongoing adaptations of these strike packages are likely part of a broader Russian effort to prepare for a protracted war in Ukraine and possibly a future war with NATO,” ISW wrote.

Following a record 355-drone attack, Russia launched 60 drones on 27 May, targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure. Air defense intercepted 43 drones, but two civilians were injured in Dnipropetrovsk, and Sumy suffered significant damage.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 60 Shahed-type explosive drones and decoy UAVs targeting various regions of Ukraine overnight on 27 May. The attack began at 23:50 on 26 May, and continued through the morning.

Ukraine’s air defense system, which included aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups, successfully neutralized 43 of the attacking drones. Of these, 35 were downed by firepower, while 8 were lost due to electronic warfare suppression.

The Air Forces data suggest that at least 17 drones may have reached their intended targets.

Despite these efforts, Russian drones and the debris of downed UAVs caused damage in several regions.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast hit with injuries and infrastructure damage

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, two people were injured during the attack. Serhii Lysak, the head of the regional military administration, reported that drone strikes targeted agricultural enterprises, detached homes, and a vehicle in the Synelnykive district, specifically in the Mezhivska and Malomykhailivska communities. The attack injured a 54-year-old man, who was hospitalized in moderate condition. Another civilian man was injured in Samar district, according to the report.

Additionally, the Nikopol district was struck by artillery, FPV drones, and explosive devices dropped by drones. The communities of Nikopol, Marhanets, and Pokrovsk also suffered damage. The attacks resulted in the damage of a medical emergency vehicle and a car.

Five Russian drones were reportedly intercepted over Dnipropetrovsk.

Sumy Oblast faces damage to industry and residential areas

Russia also targeted Sumy City, where early morning drone strikes caused significant damage. According to the Sumy Regional Military Administration, around 1:30 AM, a drone strike set fire to an industrial building, causing damage to transport vehicles.

Later, at around 4:30 AM, another strike targeted residential buildings, damaging at least seven private houses and one two-story home. The strikes also caused damage to several cars. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in Sumy, the authorities said.