Ukraine confirmed on 14 September that its drone forces shot down a rare heavy Russian Orion UAV near the border in Kursk Oblast. The Orion is a cruise missile-capable heavy combat drone, rarely used by Moscow due to its limited availability and vulnerability to Ukrainian air defense, Militarnyi reports.

Ukrainian drone units intercept rare Orion UAV

According to the Commander of Ukraine’s Drone Systems Forces, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, the 414th Separate Drone Systems Brigade successfully destroyed the Russian Orion drone using an interceptor UAV. This marked the first time the brigade brought down an Orion model, despite having previously intercepted nearly 1,500 enemy drones. These included various types such as Orlan, ZALA, SuperCam, Shahed, and Lancet, with larger targets like Merlin and Forpost among the most significant until now.

OSINT experts geolocated the interception site to the area around Tyotkino, in Kursk Oblast, Russia, just next to the Ukrainian border. The coordinates were confirmed as 51.2862, 34.3813. This location lies just across the border from Ukrainian territory.

A coordinated strike by multiple Ukrainian units

Before the final blow, the Orion UAV had already sustained damage from interceptor drones operated by Ukraine’s 95th Air Assault Brigade. The final strike was delivered by the Ptakhy Madyara team of the 414th brigade. 

The Russian military has rarely deployed Orion drones in combat due to both their limited numbers and high susceptibility to Ukraine’s layered air defense network, Militarnyi noted. 

Background on the Orion drone program

The Orion UAV was developed by the Kronstadt Group beginning in 2011. The first prototype was completed in 2015, with operational testing drones handed over in April 2020. Serial production began in August 2020.

According to Militarnyi, Orion can be armed with guided munitions including Kh-50 missiles, KAB-20 bombs, and other types such as UPAB-50, KAB-50, FAB-50, and the Kh-BPLA missile. It is also capable of launching the compact S8000 Banderol cruise missile.

Russian reinforcements are surging into Donetsk Oblast, staging for what many observes anticipate will be a major mechanized assault on the fortress city of Pokrovsk.

But Ukrainian forces aren’t just sitting around waiting for the attack. They’re positioning their own reinforcements around Pokrovsk. And they’re hitting the newly arriving Russian regiments at their assembly points in Donetsk City—potentially with a previously unknown cruise missile type.

That Ukraine can still surprise observers with a new missile type isn’t actually all that surprising. Forty-three months into Russia’s wider war, Ukraine has become a world-leader in deep-strike technology. By necessity.

On Monday, the Ukrainians targeted the defunct Topaz metallurgy plant on the eastern edge of Donetsk City, 50 km southeast of Pokrovsk. The plant is well-known as a staging base for Russian forces moving toward the Donetsk front line.

A barrage of aerial munitions pummeled Topaz. Photos and videos from the plant confirmed no fewer than three different types of munitions. Possibly more.

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To make a Flamingo missile, pack in old bombs & add a tiny engine

Among other weapons, it seems the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces or special services struck Topaz with propeller-driven An-196 and, potentially, Morok attack drones. Meanwhile, the air force launched locally made Bars or Peklo cruise missiles as well as British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

The missiles and drones zoomed in one after another, in quick succession. Imagery from the aftermath of the attack pointed to heavy damage. Other imagery may have revealed fragments of a new Ukrainian missile.

The potentially 3-m missile seems to have a simple fiberglass fuselage and wing and a dorsal pylon for what appears to be a K-450 miniature jet engine made by Taiwanese company KingTech.

The wreckage doesn’t match the Peklo’s sleeker profile. Nor does it match the admittedly few things we might know about the Bars. That first imagery of what may be a crashed Bars seems to point to a different engine type—a SW400 from Chinese firm Swiwin.

Is there a third Ukrainian cruise missile type in the class of the Peklo and Bars? Or did the designers of the Bars switch to a Taiwanese engine? We don’t know.

But we shouldn’t be shocked if the Topaz attack involved a new missile type.

Mass production

Ukrainian firms build long-range attack drones at a rate of at thousands per month—and the Ukrainian military and special services launch them at Russian air bases, factories and oil refineries as far as 1,000 km from the front line, on a roughly weekly basis.

Back in December, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine would acquire 30,000 one-way attack drones in 2025. It’s evident actual deliveries will exceed that goal. Fire Point, the firm that builds the Flamingo, claimed it’s already churning out 100 FP-1 attack drones every day.

To add range and firepower to its escalating deep-strike campaign, Ukraine is also developing cruise missiles including the Peklo, the Bars, and the Flamingo. Hundreds of millions of dollars in financing from the United Kingdom and Germany are helping Ukraine ramp up production of these new missiles.

The Peklo and Bars may both range around 800 km, likely with small-ish warheads—possibly lighter than 100 kg. The Flamingo is in a whole different class. It reportedly ranges 3,000 km with a 1,100-kg warhead. All three types are jet-propelled—and thus fast—and probably navigate using a combination of satellites and internal inertial systems.

The Flamingo is a ground-launched weapon; the Peklo and Bars may be compatible with the Ukrainian air force’s upgraded Sukhoi Su-24 bombers, which also launch the Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles Ukraine has received from the United Kingdom, France, and Italy.

It’s unclear whether that fourth Ukrainian cruise missile type—if indeed that’s what we witness in the Topaz raid—launches from the ground or from the air.

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Ukraine could get a lot more French Mirage 2000 fighters

On 8 September, Ukrainian forces launched a powerful combined missile and drone strike, targeting Russian military command structures in Donetsk — a regional capital in eastern Ukraine, occupied by Russia since 2014. OSINT analysts and local sources confirmed the destruction of key command centers belonging to the Russian 41st Army and 20th Motor Rifle Division.

Ukrainian missiles strike Russian command HQs in occupied Donetsk

Ukrainian defense news site Militarnyi reported that Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck multiple command posts of the Russian occupying army in Donetsk Oblast in a coordinated night assault. OSINT analysts CyberBoroshno and Dnipro Osint confirmed that Ukrainian cruise missiles hit headquarters at both army and divisional level.

One of the identified targets was the command post of Russia’s 41st Army, which had been hidden inside the Institute of Integrated Automation in Donetsk. The analysts did not specify the exact location of the 20th Motor Rifle Division’s headquarters, but confirmed it was also struck during the same attack.

In addition to those two major targets, Ukrainian drones reportedly attacked a third Russian-controlled military site — the Topaz plant. This facility, previously used by Russian forces to house command elements, suffered heavy structural damage.

According to analysts, an army-level headquarters was located inside the Topaz site as well, though its exact affiliation remains unknown.

Local footage shows scale of destruction at Russian-occupied Topaz plant

Footage and photos from local Telegram channels captured large columns of smoke rising over Donetsk and visible Russian air defense activity during the attack. The images, showing shattered buildings at the Topaz factory, confirmed that the site sustained serious damage.

CyberBoroshno reported that Russia has used the Topaz plant to station its equipment and military infrastructure since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Due to this, the factory has repeatedly been a target for Ukrainian precision strikes.

Domestic cruise missiles suspected in attack, Peklo and Bars possibly used

Militarnyi notes that although it remains unclear which exact weapons were used in the strikes, footage released by local residents supports the theory that Ukraine used domestically produced Peklo and Bars cruise missiles. Visual evidence from the scene, including the configuration of the jet engine and wing mount, appears to match the characteristics of the Peklo missile.

Ukrainian missile and missile‑drone production

Constrained with scant supplies of foreign-made missiles, Ukraine is rapidly scaling its domestic long‑range strike capabilities, especially with the Flamingo cruise missile—now in mass production by end of 2025 or early 2026, boasting a claimed 3,000 km range, 1,150 kg warhead, and 6‑ton takeoff weight. Ukraine also produces Bars “cruise missile drones,” and additional systems like Peklo and Palianytsia. The latter two were widely praised by the officials earlier, but have basically been missing from reports on deep strikes for months.

Ukraine’s “working horses” for its deep strikes inside Russia and occupied territories are long-range drones such as Liutyi.

In February, Ukraine’s state weapons development grant program reportedly funded 19 domestic missile manufacturers, backing projects to develop a broad range of systems, including cruise, ballistic, and anti-aircraft missiles tailored to the country’s defense needs.

Starting 1 December, Denmark will begin producing solid rocket fuel for Ukraine’s new cruise missiles, Danmarks Radio reports. 

Plant near F-35 airbase

The Ukrainian company FPRT, a part of Fire Point, will establish a new plant near Skrydstrup Airbase, home to the Royal Danish Air Force’s F-35 fighters. This location will provide quick access to advanced military technologies and integration into national defense.

Solid Fuel Technology

Ukraine’s Flamingo cruise missile uses solid rocket fuel, which ignites instantly, provides stable combustion, and does not require fueling before launch, unlike liquid fuel.

Large-scale project for national defense

The company has already received a Danish CVR number and launched a website with information about the project. FPRT plans to build modern production facilities in Vojens, while qualification and operational testing will take place at specialized sites outside the plant.

“Our activities are aimed at supporting programs that are vital for Denmark’s national defense,” the FPRT website states.

Ukraine is carrying out a multibillion-dollar arms buildup program, funded by Europe. The plan is seen as the best chance to defend against Russia amid reduced American aid and uncertainty over Western security guarantees, reports The New York Times.

Best security guarantee for Ukraine? 

Under this plan, the focus will be on developing Ukraine’s domestic defense industry. In particular, at the end of August, Ukraine began production of its long-range cruise missile, the Flamingo.

This domestically produced missile has a flight range exceeding 3,000 km and carries a 1,150 kg warhead. The company that designed them, FirePoint, also manufactures the FP-series drones. It is now actively scaling the Flamingo project alongside its drone production. FP-1 drones have been used against targets in Russia since at least 2024.

According to Maksym Skrypchenko, president of the Transatlantic Dialogue Center, Ukraine’s own missile program could be the country’s best security guarantee.

“The whole model is that we get contracts, written agreements, that state we will have this number of weapons provided to Ukraine by this year, from the United States, from the Europeans,” Skrypchenko said.

He is confident that Moscow can be deterred from a new attack if Ukraine possesses several hundred long-range ballistic missiles.

Technological advantage

The Ukrainian army is unlikely to match Russia in troop numbers, which is why increasing weapons production makes sense. However, it is still unclear how far this military buildup can go. European countries are already facing budgetary difficulties, which could limit the level of support Ukraine expects.

Building security shield from Russia 

Discussions over security guarantees have not yet produced significant results. Meanwhile, Russia is attempting to disrupt them, demanding a voice in certain matters, the report emphasizes.

This is why Ukraine is focusing on developing its own security guarantees. Producing Ukrainian weapons and purchasing Western arms are areas over which Russia can have almost no influence.

“This is not something the Russians can really discuss. That’s our advantage,” Aliona Hetmanchuk, Head of Ukraine’s Mission to NATO, told journalists.

Planning the production scales

Recent pledges from Germany and Norway to provide up to $10 billion in military and civilian aid to Ukraine next year indicate that Europe is ready to meet this challenge. These large sums mark a turning point, as previously Western partners provided smaller, short-term financial allocations.

Analysts told journalists that larger financial packages could help Ukraine better plan the long-term task of arming its army.

Meanwhile, Russia is showing no sign of intention to end the war in Ukraine. In recent months, Putin has only:

• intensified its attacks on Ukraine, killing more civilians than in 2024
• deployed nearly 100,000 troops to Donetsk Oblast
• refused to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• continued strengthening ties with its main economic partner, China. 

Ukraine is escalating its attacks on Russia’s oil refineries, hitting 10 of them in recent days and throttling the Russian oil industry’s refining by more than a million barrels per day. That’s 14% of output.

But refineries can be repaired. And Russia’s sprawling oil sector has excess capacity that could help it compensate for damage from Ukrainian raids. “Russia has a lot of these inactive refineries, and Russia is able to switch to some of them if needed,” Finnish analyst Joni Askola noted.

To make lasting dent in Russia’s most important industry, Ukraine needs to strike more often with more damaging weapons. At present, most oil raids and other deep strikes are carried out by slow, propeller-driven drones ranging fewer than 1,000 km with warheads weighing just 50 kg or so.

The drones that Ukraine has been using are just not enough because they’re quite easy to shoot down and also their warheads are quite small, as well,” Askola pointed out. It’s crucial for Ukraine to get more and better munitions “with enough range, but with a bit bigger warheads.”

The harder-hitting munitions are coming. Ukrainian companies have developed at least two new cruise missiles—the 6,000-kg Flamingo and the approximately 1,000-kg Long Neptune—that could extend the reach and effect of the oil raids. The Americans are helping, too, with a mysterious new cruise missile called the Extended Range Attack Munition.

The enormous Flamingo, traveling as far as 3,000 km with a 1,000-kg warhead, would hit the hardest and farthest targets. Right now, Ukrainian firm Fire Point is building one Flamingo a day. It aims to ramp up production to seven missiles a day by October.

The Long Neptune, ranging 1,000 km with a 150-kg warhead, is for closer and less durable targets. It’s unclear how many of the missile the Luch Design Bureau can build.

Smallest missile

The American ERAM is the smallest of the bunch. It weighs just 1,100 kg and ranges at least 400 km. But in the short term, it may also be the most numerous. The administration of the former US President. Joe Biden launched the ERAM program in 2024, and the administration of the current US President. Donald Trump recently gave final approval for Ukraine to receive 3,350 of the small missiles. Deliveries should start in the coming weeks.

We don’t know much about the ERAM except that, in contrast to the ground-launched Flamingo and Long Neptune, the American munition is air-launched. The Ukrainian air force’s ex-Soviet Sukhoi and MiG jets, ex-European Lockheed Martin F-16s, and ex-French Dassault Mirage 2000s are all compatible with an array of precision munitions.

It’s possible the ERAM is broadly similar to the Powered Joint Direct Attack Munition developed by US defense giant Boeing. The PJDAM takes a standard satellite-guided bomb and adds pop-out wings and a tiny Kratos-TDI-J85 turbojet engine. At the low cost of just $30,000, a 220-kg PJDAM ranges as far as 500 km. Most of the PJDAM’s weight is explosive fill, making it much more damaging than Ukraine’s current deep-strike drones.

It would make sense for the US to provide Ukraine with an ERAM based on the PJDAM, as Ukraine already possesses freefalling JDAM bombs and gliding JDAMs with pop-out wings. Adding a small engine to the same basic munition shouldn’t significantly change its compatibility. Any Ukrainian jets that can carry JDAMs should also be able to carry ERAMs.

To strike Russian refineries with the same intensity that Russia strikes Ukrainian cities, Ukrainian forces need to launch hundreds of munitions several times a week. They can’t all be Flamingos and Long Neptunes, which might cost hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece. Nor should they all be the cheaper, but lighter, attack drones that are most common today.

Cheap but powerful, the ERAM is the middleweight missile Ukraine needs to intensify attacks now. The wrinkle is that the US Defense Department under Trump has reportedly barred Ukraine from striking Russia with certain American-made long-range munitions, extending similar bans put in place by Biden.

It’s unclear whether that policy would also ban deep strikes with ERAMs.

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This American-made missile is Ukraine’s cheap refinery smasher

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) conducted a strike against a Russian Project 21631 “Buyan-M” small missile ship in the Sea of Azov on 28 July, according to HUR reports.

The operation involved joint action between HUR’s Active Operations Department and the special forces unit “Ghosts” near temporarily occupied Crimea, HUR reported. The targeted vessel serves as a carrier for Kalibr cruise missiles.

“Ghosts” special forces fighters damaged the ship’s radar station using an aerial drone strike, while Active Operations Department specialists attacked the Kalibr carrier’s hull, according to the intelligence directorate.

The Russian missile ship sustained damage and was forced to leave its combat duty area in the Temryuk Bay, where it had been positioned for potential Kalibr launches, HUR reported.

The intelligence directorate said that Defense Forces also struck the Afipsky and Kuibyshevsky oil refineries and attacked several Russian logistics facilities during the night of 28 August.

Editor’s note: This article is being updated as new information comes in.

Russia launched a massive aerial strike on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities far from the front lines on the morning of 28 August, 2025. 

At least 21 people have been killed in Kyiv, with another 63 injured – reported as of 20:45pm. 

Four children are among the dead, including three aged 2, 14, and 17. Eleven children are also injured.

35 people are hospitalized, including six children. 

The barrage struck 33 locations throughout the city, with a direct missile hit destroying a five-story apartment building in Darnytskyi district where rescue operations continue to extract people from rubble.

“We have a record – damage in all districts of the city,” reports Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration Timur Tkachenko.

“These Russian missiles and strike drones today are a clear response to everyone in the world who has been calling for a ceasefire and real diplomacy for weeks and months,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Telegram.

He called on world leaders to react to the attack, specifically calling out China and Hungary. “We are waiting for the reaction of everyone in the world who called for peace, but now remains silent more often than taking principled positions.”

“All deadlines have been missed, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy have been ruined. Russia must feel responsibility for every strike, for every day of this war,” he added. 

Russia launched 598 drones overnight, including both Shahed attack drones and decoy drones designed to overwhelm air defense, Ukraine’s Air Force reports.

They also launched 31 missiles, including 2 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, 9 Iskander-M or North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles, and 20 Kh-101 cruise missiles. 

Ukraine’s air defense intercepted 563 drones, 1 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile, 7 Iskander-M/KN-23 missiles, and 18 Kh-101 missiles, according to the statement. 

Impact of the attack across Kyiv

In Darnytskyi district, Russians destroyed part of a five-story apartment building with a direct hit. Nine- and 16-story residential buildings, a private house, parking area, and kindergarten were also damaged.

In Dniprovskyi district, a 25-story residential building was damaged and a drone hit the yard next to a nine-story building, setting cars on fire. Dozens of vehicles were damaged across several locations in the district.

In Solomianskyi district, a private residential house caught fire, but the blaze has been contained.

Shevchenkivskyi district also suffered heavy damage, with several non-residential buildings, offices, and civilian vehicles hit.

In Holosiivskyi district, fires broke out at several locations in the morning, leaving more than 10 buildings with shattered windows and damaging vehicles.

Non-residential areas in Desnyanskyyi district were also affected, while damage was reported in Obolonskyi district.

Escalating drone and missile strikes on Russia’s oil refineries have disrupted 17% of Russian refining. And it’s about to get worse for Russia’s battered oil industry as new, harder-hitting Ukrainian cruise missiles come on-line in greater numbers.

Ukrainian forces have struck 10 Russian refineries in recent days, reducing output by 1.1 million barrels per day, according to Reuters. Some Russian oblasts are also experiencing gasoline shortages and rising prices.

The oil industry accounts for 20% of Russia’s gross domestic product. If Ukraine can inflict lasting damage on the energy sector in Russia, everyday Russians are sure to notice. A souring national mood could “have an impact—and will maybe bring us a bit closer to an end of the war,” Finnish analyst Joni Askola said.

What’s most ominous for the Russians is that most if not all of the recent strikes have involved Ukrainian drone types, such as the Ukroboronprom An-196, that have small warheads weighing just 50 or 60 kg.

A 50-kg warhead delivered by a propeller-drive attack drone motoring along at just 400 km/hr isn’t likely to inflict lasting damage to a target as expansive as an oil refinery, Askola explained. Moreover, current Ukrainian attack drones rarely fly farther than 1,000 km—meaning many Russian refineries are beyond reach.

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Ukraine’s Fire Point builds 100 attack drones every day, all day—aimed at Russia

That’s changing. The new Flamingo cruise missile, from Ukrainian manufacturer Fire Point, ranges 3,000 km at a top speed faster than 900 km/hr with a massive 1,000-kg warhead. The new Long Neptune cruise missile from Ukraine’s Luch Design Bureau is probably just as fast but somewhat smaller, delivering a 150-kg warhead out to a distance of 1,000 km. Both jet-propelled missiles probably navigate with a combination of satellite and inertial guidance

The Flamingo and Long Neptune are in front-line service in limited numbers. Production is scaling up fast, however. Fire Point hopes to build as many as seven Flamingos a day starting in October, potentially signalling a vast expansion of Ukraine’s deep-strike campaign—and a lot more damage to Russian refineries.

“Flamingo has so much range and such a big warhead that that’s one of the important ones that could really make a difference,” Askola said. “But there is also the ground-to-ground version of the Neptune missile that is kind of ready now.” Ukrainian firms are also developing at least two new types of ballistic missile that could add to the destruction.

“If Ukraine can combine drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles on the same place when they’re striking, then it will be hard for Russia to shoot them down or to protect the places,” Askola said. “Hopefully Ukraine can develop as many systems as possible and then scale up on the best ones and hopefully get some results.”

Squeezing the oil economy

Kyiv’s goal should be to permanently throttle Russian refining, with knock-on effects on state revenues—and on gasoline prices. The Kremlin sustains high levels of military recruitment—up to 30,000 fresh troops a month—with generous enlistment bonuses as high as 400,000 rubles ($4,500). That’s as much as many Russians earn in four months.

“Until now, a big part of the population has benefited from the war because if someone from your family goes to fight for the war, you earn way more money,” Askola noted. But the bonuses are a drain on government finances, which are also under strain from Ukraine’s refinery raids. Some oblasts are already cutting back.

The combined effect of shrinking bonuses and rising gas prices could turn more Russians against the war. “Again, it’s something that’s not going to change anything in the short run,” Askola said. Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin “is not going to collapse tomorrow because people suddenly don’t like the war. But in the long run, it will still have an impact.”

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Ukraine’s Flamingo missile is for blasting Russian factories

Ukraine has publicly displayed what appears to be the long-range version of its R-360 Neptune cruise missile for the first time, according to an analysis by Defense Express.

The extended-range variant, unofficially known as “Long Neptune,” was featured in a video released on the state weapons portal “Zbroya” on Ukraine’s Independence Day, 24 August.

The “Zbroya” portal, which published the video, serves as a unified platform for state services and programs for weapons manufacturers and acts as a brand for Ukrainian defense products. The portal was originally created by the Ministry of Strategic Industries, which transferred its responsibilities to the Ministry of Defense on 21 July 2025.

The missile stands out immediately. X-shaped folding wings. No other Ukrainian weapon matches that profile, Defense Express points out. The video doesn’t name the weapon, but the visual signature tells the story.

This “Long Neptune” has reportedly been hitting targets 1000 km (621 miles) away since March 2025—double the range of the original anti-ship version. Development started in November 2023, yet no official images surfaced until Ukraine’s Independence Day.

Defense Express analyzed the missile’s dimensions by comparing it to the original anti-ship R-360 Neptune. Using the tail section as a reference point, the publication estimates the “Long Neptune” measures over six meters in length without its booster, making it approximately 1.5 meters longer than the standard version.

The analysis suggests the missile’s central fuselage has been enlarged from 38 centimeters to approximately 50 centimeters in diameter to accommodate additional fuel capacity. The wing and tail surfaces have also been expanded to compensate for increased takeoff weight.

Here’s the catch: the launch footage in the video dates back to 2018-2020 coastal tests, not recent operations. Ukraine revealed the missile’s existence without showing current capabilities. No official specifications exist for the long-range variant. Even the warhead weight remains classified, though the original Neptune carried 150 kilograms of explosives.

If Defense Express correctly identified the weapon, and if it’s been operational since March as reported, Russian forces already know what it looks like. The visual reveal changes nothing operationally.

Ukraine's security service (SBU) has charged in absentia a former defense engineer with treason, accusing him of helping Russia target Ukrainian cities by developing navigation systems for cruise and ballistic missiles, the SBU said on June 25.

According to the agency, Oleh Borsuk, a 61-year-old Ukrainian national, fled to Russia in 2009 after resigning from a defense plant in Cherkasy Oblast. He later became deputy general director of Moscow-based design bureau "Navis," a major player in Russia's military-industrial complex.

Borsuk allegedly oversaw the development and modernization of satellite guidance systems (GPS/GLONASS) used in Russian missiles. In 2023 alone, under his leadership, nearly 3,200 satellite navigation units were produced, including those for Iskander tactical missile systems, the SBU said.

These systems are also used in missiles like the Kh-101, Kh-59, and Kalibr — weapons frequently deployed in Russian airstrikes against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

The deadliest attacks include the July 8, 2024, strike on the Okhmatdyt children hospital in Kyiv, which killed two adults, including a doctor, and injured more than 50 people, including children. The hospital was hit by a Kh-101 cruise missile in accordance with a programmed route.

Another devastating strike occurred on June 17, when a massive missile and drone assault on Kyiv killed 30 people and injured 172 others. One of the deadliest impacts was a direct hit on a residential building by a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile, which caused the complete collapse of an entire section of the nine-story residential building.

According to a spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force Yurii Ihnat, the building was struck by a Kh-101 missile.

The SBU has charged Borsuk in absentia under Ukraine's Criminal Code for treason committed under martial law.

"Since the perpetrator is hiding in the territory of the Russian Federation, comprehensive measures are underway to bring him to justice for crimes against our state," the SBU said.

Investigation: How Russia prepares its strategic missile plant for ‘eternal war’

Key findings: * Despite international sanctions, Russia’s strategic missile plant was able to import complex machinery to dramatically increase missile production. * The Kyiv Independent has identified the equipment supplied to the plant, as well as the supply chains, mostly from China. * We located the plant’s new premises, built to house the

The Kyiv IndependentAlisa Yurchenko

Russia's weapons arsenal includes over 1,950 strategic missiles and thousands of drones, the news outlet RBC-Ukraine reported on June 21, citing a statement from Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR).

According to HUR, the figures reflect Russia's stockpiles as of June 15.

Throughout May and June, Russia has launched a series of mass missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities — including a large-scale strike against Kyiv on June 17 that left 30 dead and over 170 injured. Russia has repeatedly shattered its own drone record in attacks on Ukraine in the past month.

Russia's missile stocks include up to 500 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, HUR told RBC-Ukraine, as well as up to 150 hypersonic Kinzhal missiles. Moscow also has up to 60 North Korean-made KN-23 ballistic missiles.

In addition to ballistics, Russia possesses up to 300 Iskander-K cruise missiles, up to 260 Kh-101 cruise missiles, up to 280 Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles, and over 400 Kalibr cruise missiles.

Russia produces up to 195 missiles per month, HUR said.

Moscow also aims to ramp up drone production from 170 to 190 units per day, according to HUR. As of June 15, Russia had over 6,000 Shahed-type attack drones and over 6,000 Gerberas, a cheap decoy version that imitates the Shahed.

Russia's arsenal highlights Ukraine's urgent need for additional air defense systems, something President Volodymyr Zelensky has been continuously lobbying Western partners to provide.

Zelensky announced on June 20 that Ukraine is boosting production of interceptor drones to combat the growing numbers of Shahed UAVs launched by Russia each night. Ukraine is also producing its own missiles and recently announced that its domestically produced Sapsan ballistic missile had entered serial production.

The president hopes to secure additional funding for defense production from allies at the upcoming NATO summit.

Russia has paired its intensifying nightly attacks with escalated rhetoric about its territorial ambitions in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 20 declared that "all of Ukraine" belongs to Russia, suggesting the Kremlin is looking to expand its illegal occupation .

Russian forces currently occupy five Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

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The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it used a new method to breach Israel's air defenses during a missile attack early on June 16, that killed at least eight people, Reuters reports.

According to the IRGC, Iranian missiles were guided in a way that caused Israeli interceptor missiles to target each other, confusing Israel's integrated defense system, which includes Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow platforms.

It did not provide any further details.

Ballistic missiles are rocket-powered and are launched high into the atmosphere before arcing back down onto their target.

They're only guided during the initial stages of launch, so they can be less accurate than cruise missiles, but have the advantage of reaching incredibly high speeds – sometimes more than 3,200 kilometers per hour – as they approach their targets.

Israel's Defense Forces (IDF) reported for the first time that its systems had an 80-90% success rate intercepting Iran's ballistic missiles, while roughly 5-10% penetrated the shield and struck populated areas, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The strike came three days after Israel launched a sweeping aerial campaign against Iranian nuclear and military facilities, killing several high-ranking officials, including IRGC aerospace commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

Kyiv has expressed support for Israel, describing Iran as a "source of instability in the region and beyond," citing Tehran's extensive military cooperation with Russia.

Since 2022, Iran has supplied Moscow with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones and short-range ballistic missiles for use against Ukraine. Russia, for its part, has condemned the Israeli air strikes on Iran as "unprovoked aggression" and backed calls for restraint.

Israel is home to one of the largest Russian-speaking populations outside the former Soviet Union, with approximately 1 million people — or 15% of the total population — identifying as Russian-speaking. Israel has historically maintained relatively friendly ties with Russia.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on June 15 that he is considering Russian President Vladimir Putin as a possible mediator between Israel and Iran.

As of June 16, Iran's Health Ministry claims 224 people have been killed since the Israeli air campaign began on June 13 — 90% of them civilians, according to Tehran. Israel has not confirmed the civilian casualty figure, and independent verification remains difficult.

Russia to demand Ukraine destroy Western weapons to end war, senior Kremlin official says

The remarks reflect Moscow’s growing list of maximalist demands presented in its so-called “peace memorandum.”

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Ukraine’s domestically developed short-range Sapsan ballistic missile has successfully completed combat testing and is in the process of serial production, Ukrainian media reported on June 13.

The missile, with a payload of 480 kg, completed testing in May after successfully striking a Russian military target at a range of nearly 300 km, Valentyn Badrak, head of the an independent Ukrainian think Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies told Liga.net.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry reportedly dedicated a department to formulate and test the missile.

There is no reported timeline as to when the missiles can be seen in regular use on the battlefield.

Domestically produced long-range weapons are of key importance to Ukraine's defense strategy, as Western partners have been slow in delivering adequate weaponry amid increasing Russian attacks and offensives.

The news comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a congressional hearing on June 10 that the United States will reduce funding allocated for military assistance to Ukraine in its upcoming defense budget

In November 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has produced its first 100 missiles.

Since then, Ukraine has continued to increase domestic weapon production. Zelensky said on April 16 that over 40% of the weapons used at the front line are now produced in Ukraine, including over 95% of drones used at front line.

Zelensky also previously revealed that Ukraine had developed another domestic-made weapon, a missile-drone Palianytsia.

As Ukraine attempt to increase its defense production, Russia has continued to unleash large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities, regularly launching hundreds of drones to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.

Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) shared with the Kyiv Independent that Russia's production of ballistic missiles has increased by at least 66% over the past year.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in late 2024 that Ukraine also resumed and scaled up serial production of Neptune cruise missiles, modifying them to have a greater range.

Kyiv has received a number of long-range missiles from partners, such as U.S.-made ATACMS, British Storm Shadow, or French SCALP/T. Despite Ukrainian requests, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on June 12 that Berlin has no plans to provide Taurus long-range missiles to Kyiv.

Germany to supply new Iris-T air defense systems to Ukraine, rules out Taurus missiles

Germany will deliver new IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine under a three-year supply plan, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a joint press conference with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who said Berlin has no plans to provide Taurus long-range missiles.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy