The Kyiv Independent

Kyiv Pride held a parade with over 1,500 participants in the Ukrainian capital on June 14, which was met with counterprotests.

"Other Ukrainian Prides also participated — including Kharkiv Pride and Ukraine Pride. Kyiv’s student community was represented, among others, by the Student Parliament of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and Ukraine Global Scholars," Kyiv Pride said in a post to Facebook.

On June 7, a drone charity event for Kyiv Pride took place outside the Foreign Ministry building and was met with a nearby counterprotest.

The march was joined by representatives from the EU, Canada, the U.K., and various other countries, including France, Germany, and Spain.

The march was joined by the LGBT+ Military non-governmental organization (NGO) as Russia's war against Ukraine continues.

"Among the marchers was veteran Viktor Pylypenko, head of the NGO LGBT+ Military for Equal Rights. He drew public attention to the growing loss of military personnel and veterans who are dying at war — while their families remain unrecognized by law," Kyiv Pride said in its statement.

The march raised 20,000 hryvnia for the Serhiy Sternenko Foundation to purchase drones for the military.

Representatives, including Canada's ambassador to Ukraine, Natalka Cmoc, joined the event.

"Ambassadors, the Canadian embassy team, along with many diplomats, joined (the) Kyiv Pride march this morning," Cmoc said.

The Kyiv Pride event was met with a nearby counterprotest.

"With regret, we must note that those who incite violence still have broader access to public space and freely walk through the central streets, while participants of Kyiv Pride March are surrounded by police and restricted in their route. We continue to witness the spread of hate speech," Kyiv Pride said.

Kyiv Pride held a march in June 2024 for the first time since Russia began its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.

Read also: ‘Europe hasn’t decided what to do if US steps back’ — key takeaways from Zelensky’s closed-door briefing

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Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) destroyed three Russian air defense systems using drones in the occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast on June 14, HUR says.

"Strike drone masters of the Department of Active Operations of the HUR of the Ukrainian defense ministry discovered and destroyed expensive air defense systems of the Russian invaders in the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia region," HUR reported in a post to Telegram.

Ukraine's military regularly strikes military targets in Russian-occupied territories and deep within Russia in an attempt to diminish Moscow's fighting power as it continues its war against Ukraine.

A Russian Buk-M3, a Pantsyr S1, and a 9S19 Imbir radar from the S-300V air defense system were destroyed in the Ukrainian drone attack.

"The video shows a stunning maneuver of a Ukrainian drone dodging a Muscovite anti-aircraft missile, as well as episodes of successful fire strikes," HUR's statement said.

On June 1, Ukraine launched a game-changing drone attack on four key Russian military airfields, damaging 41 planes, including heavy bombers and rare A-50 spy planes.

Kyiv claimed it disabled 34% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet in what is seen as one of the most daring operations during Russia's full-scale war.

Ukraine's military intelligence agency was behind explosions near Desantnaya Bay in Russia's far eastern Vladivostok on May 30, which reportedly damaged military personnel and equipment, a source in HUR told the Kyiv Independent.

Read also: From buffer zone to new front: Russia pushes deeper into Sumy Oblast

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

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call, Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov said on June 14.

"Another telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir... Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump," Russian state media reported, citing Ushakov.

The phone call took place on Trump's birthday, as the U.S. president marks the occasion with a military parade in Washington.

Russia has intensified drone and missile attacks on Ukraine following two rounds of largely inconclusive peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Turkey on May 16 and June 2.

Israel and Iran continued to exchange attacks on June 14, more than 24 hours after Israel launched its first strikes on Iran's nuclear sites and military leadership.

Trump has said that the U.S. military is on high alert and watching for any kind of retaliation, adding that the U.S. will respond to defend itself or Israel if Iran strikes back.

Read also: Trump gave Putin a ‘two-week’ deadline to consider peace in Ukraine. Instead, Russia just launched more drones.

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The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested two individuals in Kyiv accused of attempting to extort $200,000 from a European defense company, potentially jeopardizing the delivery of electronic warfare (EW) systems to Ukraine's military, the SBU reported on June 14.

The suspects allegedly demanded the payment in exchange for facilitating the successful testing and adoption of five radio electronic warfare systems provided to Ukraine at no cost, according to statements released by the SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office.

The devices, supplied by a private foreign manufacturer, were financed by Ukraine's international partners. The producer had already delivered five systems to Ukraine, with additional contracts possible if the equipment performed well in combat conditions, the SBU said.

According to investigators, the suspects falsely claimed to have influence within Ukraine's Defense Ministry and promised to use their connections to ensure positive evaluations of the equipment.

"Under the guise of having contacts within the ministry, the men demanded $200,000 from the company in exchange for ensuring no obstacles during official trials of the equipment," the Prosecutor General's Office said in a statement.

Both men have been formally charged under Ukraine's Criminal Code for alleged obstruction of the Armed Forces and receiving unlawful benefits through influence peddling. The charges carry a possible sentence of up to eight years in prison and asset confiscation.

The arrests were made as part of a broader investigation led by the SBU and conducted under the procedural oversight of the Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing to identify all individuals involved.

Ukraine continues to rely heavily on international military assistance as it defends against Russia's full-scale invasion, now in its fourth year. Ukraine uses EW systems during Russian attacks on its cities and on the front line.

Kyiv and its Western partners launched an electronic warfare coalition in April, which consists of 11 countries and comes on top of other eight Western coalitions to support Ukraine. Other similar initiatives include an artillery coalition, a fighter jet coalition, and a demining coalition, organized within the framework of the Ramsteinformat.

Read also: From buffer zone to new front: Russia pushes deeper into Sumy Oblast

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

In March 2025, as Ukrainian forces made their final retreat from Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, new grey spots began to appear on open-source maps on the other side of the state border, in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast.

For the first time since 2022, when Moscow’s forces retreated frantically from northern Ukraine, Russian troops have once again set their sights on Sumy Oblast.

But for months, as Kyiv continued to claim hold of a thin sliver of Kursk Oblast and Russia’s spring offensive escalated in eastern Ukraine, the fighting around the border in Sumy Oblast was often overlooked.

Over June, Russian gains in Sumy Oblast have sped up significantly, taking several villages and coming within 20 kilometers of the regional capital of Sumy, according to territorial changes reported by open-source mapping project DeepState.

As of June 12, fighting has been reported to have begun for the village of Yunakivka, a key stop on the cross-border highway between Sudzha and Sumy and a staging point for Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast.

Over spring and summer, this part of the front line has been subject to strict restrictions on media access, with journalists barred from working with the military north of Sumy.

On June 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian forces had managed to “push the enemy back” in some parts of Sumy Oblast, but these territorial changes are so far impossible to verify.

Speaking to journalists on June 13, Zelensky said that the Russian advance on Sumy Oblast “had been stopped” no deeper than seven kilometers inside the Ukrainian border, adding that some ground had been regained around the village of Andriivka.

Murky intentions

With Russia now holding over 200 square kilometers in Sumy Oblast, similar to that seized in the cross-border offensive on Kharkiv Oblast in May 2024, evaluations of the operation are torn between it being a limited escalation of fighting in the border zone or a major new Russian push.

Not long after launching the Kursk incursion last summer, Kyiv claimed that part of the offensive’s aim was to create a “buffer zone” to protect Sumy Oblast, although in reality, the spike in Ukrainian military activity saw increased Russian strikes on border settlements where Ukrainian troops and equipment were based.

After returning from a visit to Kursk Oblast in May, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the creation of a “security buffer zone” of his own along Ukraine’s northern state border.

Map shows Russia's advance into northern Ukrainian Sumy Oblast as part of its ongoing spring-summer 2025 offensive.

The sentiment was repeated on June 11 by Alexei Zhuravlev, first deputy head of the Russian State Duma’s defense committee, adding that Russia was not looking to take all of Sumy Oblast (which is not one of the five regions illegally claimed by Moscow).

“A buffer zone of one hundred kilometers along the Russian border will be enough,” Zhuravlev said. “Let them evacuate, retreat in fear, waiting everywhere for the attack of the Russian army.”

Even if Moscow wanted to, mounting a direct assault on a large city like Sumy – with a pre-war population of 255,000 – would almost certainly be out of the reach of Russia’s capabilities for the moment, said analyst Emil Kastehelmi, a member of the Finland-based open-source intelligence collective Black Bird Group.

“The Russians haven't been able to actually capture any larger cities in Ukraine since 2022 (with the surrounding and capture of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast),” he said.

“What they can do is put heavy pressure on the Sumy direction and try to gain as much land as possible, in order to bring Sumy into range of artillery and drones, tying Ukrainian troops into defensive battles and giving Russia some leverage in upcoming negotiations.”

Unrelenting pressure

Russia’s push in Sumy Oblast comes amid a broader spring-summer offensive that has also seen significant gains in Donetsk Oblast, especially on either flank of the embattled city of Pokrovsk.

With the Ukrainian army significantly overstretched along hundreds of kilometers of front line and suffering from chronic manpower shortages, especially in the infantry, Russia’s pressure on Sumy Oblast creates more dilemmas.

“The Russians are most likely trying to create as many issues for the Ukrainians as possible in several directions simultaneously,” Kastehelmi said.

“They aim to create a cascading situation where the Ukrainians need to answer to a crisis in a certain sector by throwing in units from another place, resulting in units not being able to do proper rotations.”

Still, with Russian forces relying on the same formula of creeping, infantry-based assaults employed all across a drone-saturated front line, maintaining pressure also comes with sacrifices made in offensive potential elsewhere.

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Speaking to the Kyiv Independent, Volodymyr Martyniak, a company commander in the 22nd Special Purpose Battalion of Ukraine’s 1st Presidential Brigade, said that Russia’s main advantage in Sumy Oblast remained their ability to send wave after wave of lightly-mounted infantry at the Ukrainian defense.

“They are being organized into ultra-minimal teams, of just a couple of people, using the bare minimum of equipment,” he said,” things like quad bikes, other motorized vehicles, motorcycles to move quickly through rough terrain.”

According to Martyniak, Russian forces in the area use a mix of expendable, cannon-fodder style infantry troops in the first waves of an attack, which are then followed by more experienced soldiers, demonstrating tactics refined since the Battle of Bakhmut over two years ago.

“At first, soldiers go in simply to move forward and dig in,” he described. “Then, once enough of them have gathered in a certain area, enough to justify bringing in something more serious, a more advanced, better-trained, and correspondingly more professional unit follows.”

Read also: ‘Find and destroy’ – how Ukraine’s own Peaky Blinders mastered the art of bomber drones

Faltering fortifications

Just as when Russian troops broke across the border toward Kharkiv last May, the current advance in Sumy has raised concerns among the military and society about the preparedness of Ukrainian fortifications along the state border.

As per the Defense Ministry’s fortification-building initiative laid out in late 2023 and executed over 2024, while Ukrainian brigades and combat engineers would build the two lines of defense closest to the enemy, the third and strongest line of defense would be built by civilian contractors coordinated and paid for by regional administrations.

Rather than coherent lines of defense, these fortifications were built around platoon strongpoints — individual fortresses consisting of several reinforced concrete bunkers connected by trenches.

But as in Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts, these fortifications have been criticized as poorly designed and built. Trenches and platoon strongpoints planned in 2024 were often constructed in open fields, with little regard for concealment or protection from drones.

One Ukrainian combat medic, who requested to remain anonymous for security reasons, said that compared to areas in Donetsk Oblast where fortifications had been built in advance even if not ideally, nothing of the like could be seen in Sumy Oblast.Although defending Ukrainian territory was easier than holding positions across the border because of better logistics routes, he said, there were still little to no prepared lines of defense waiting for them after the withdrawal.

Ukrainian defense lines between the village of Pysarivka in Ukraine and Sudzha in Russia s Kursk Oblast on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Philippe de Poulpiquet / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)The Ukrainian army has installed a 10km-long protective net on a road to protect civilian and military vehicles from kamikaze drones sent by the Russian army between the village of Pysarivka in Ukraine and Sudzha in Russia s Kursk Oblast on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Philippe de Poulpiquet / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas/ AFP via Getty Images)

Ultimately, the strength of any line of defense is dependent not only on the fortifications themselves, but on the ability of the defending side to man them with enough combat effective infantry.

Excess losses among Ukrainian units holding Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian commanders had reported politically-motivated orders to hold Russian territory despite logistics routes being controlled by Russian drones, have made it easier for Russian forces to continue their advance across the border.

In these conditions, Martyniak — whose battalion fought inside Kursk Oblast before crossing the border — says the defense of territory inside Ukraine started straight after the withdrawal from Sudzha in March.

According to the commander, Ukraine’s main problem in defense consistently remains the lack of manpower in the infantry.

Efforts have been made to improve training and focus more on replenishing existing brigades rather than creating new ones, but by 2025, almost all new Ukrainian infantrymen are mobilized rather than volunteer soldiers.Meanwhile, as the skies above the front line become more saturated with enemy drones with each passing month, the experience of the foot soldier only gets deadlier and more difficult.

“Replenishments come in, but they must be trained, they must be professional, and, let’s say, they must have some kind of motivation,” Martyniak said.

Read also: As Russia inches closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, new Ukrainian region might soon be at war

New threats

Further Russian gains toward Sumy could gradually bring the city into range of enemy first-person view (FPV) drones, which Russian forces often use not only to cut off enemy logistics, but to make entire cities unlivable by targeting civilian vehicles, as has been done with Kherson in the south.

With Russian forces constantly improving the range of their FPV drones, including those running on unjammable fiber optic connections, the first such drones could fly into Sumy sooner rather than later.Recent strikes increasingly deep behind Ukrainian lines in Donetsk Oblast including on the cities of Sloviansk and Druzhkivka have shown how FPV drones can fly further and further into the Ukrainian rear even if the front line itself doesn’t move much.

Over 2025, amid Sumy’s increasing proximity to the front line and continued intense fighting along the border has seen the city subject to strikes from other weapons, including a missile strike in April that killed 35 people and wounded 129.

On June 4, Russia struck Sumy with multiple-launch rocket systems, killing four and wounding 28, in the first attack with this kind of weapon recorded on the city since it was almost surrounded by Russian forces at the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

As the summer campaign in Ukraine heats up, Sumy Oblast threatens to become a new regular hotspot along the front line, whether or not Russian forces can keep up their pace of attack.

“Their real advantage here is that they have a massive military resource, first and foremost — a very large one,” said Martyniak, “the enemy, as always, is building up its forces; they don’t stand still, things are always in motion on their side, and they’re constantly coming up with something new.”

“We, for our part, also try to respond with the same skills, the same experience, the same capability; we are carrying out our missions and holding the line with dignity.”

Note from the author:

Hi, this is Francis Farrell, and thank you for reading this article. When thinking about a major new front opening in Sumy Oblast, I can only hope that Zelensky is right when he says that Russia's advance has been stopped, and that just like with Kharkiv Oblast last year, the lines will stabilize and no more red will appear on the map in the area. Hope is nice, but whatever happens Russia only stops if they are stopped, and that comes at a price. For that reason, we will not stop what we are doing for a minute. Please consider supporting our reporting.

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

A "two week" deadline imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to see if Russia is serious about peace in Ukraine has come and gone, with Moscow's escalation of attacks on civilians during this period failing to draw the slightest condemnation from the White House.

"We're going to find out very soon. It'll take about two weeks, or a week and a half,” Trump told reporters on May 28, responding to a question on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the war.

His comments came two days after Russia carried out the biggest drone attack of the full-scale war, which reportedly involved 355 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys.

Since the deadline was imposed, this record has been broken twice — Russia attacked Ukraine overnight on June 1 with 472 Shahed-type attack drones, and on June 9, 479 drones and 20 missiles were launched against Ukrainian cities.

The figures are stark. In March 2025, Russia launched 4,198 drones at Ukraine, which is so far the largest monthly number of drones launched during the full-scale invasion.

But if the intensity of attacks so far in June continues, that figure could reach nearly 7,000.

Russian missiles and drones launched against Ukraine May 2024-June 2025. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)

"This is terrorism against the civilian population aimed to create a sense of doom, war-weariness, and to put pressure on the (Ukrainian) authorities," Rodion Rozhkovskiy, co-founder of Liveuamap, told the Kyiv Independent.

Despite previously hinting at the imposition of new sanctions against Russia if the Kremlin doesn't show a desire to end the war, Trump has so far taken no action against the ongoing escalation of violence by Moscow's forces.

"Lately, every attack instills a huge fear that does not disappear until the air alarm is over."

Instead, Trump on June 6 excused Russia's escalating attacks, saying Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, an attack on Russian bomber aircraft, "gave Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them."

Operation Spiderweb was a clinical strike against legitimate military targets. Russia's drone strikes indiscriminately target civilians, illegal under international law.

On June 12, for the first time since the launch of the full-scale invasion, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement to mark Russia Day.

"On behalf of the American people, I want to congratulate the Russian people on Russia Day," Rubio said.

"The United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future."

Meanwhile in Ukraine, a brighter future for those living in cities under near-nightly bombardment by the Russian people seems far out of reach.

"Lately, every attack instills a huge fear that does not disappear until the air alarm is over," Kyiv resident Oleksandra Pshenychna, 20, told the Kyiv Independent.

"The worst feeling that comes is despair accompanied by a sense of emptiness, inevitability, and hatred for those people who are behind the launch of Russian drones and missiles into residential buildings, cultural monuments, and crowds of people," she added.

Ukrainian civilians injured in Russian attacks May 2024-May 2025. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)Ukrainian civilians killed in Russian attacks May 2024-May 2025. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)

Russia's disregard for Trump's statements and threats long predates his two week deadline — data on Russian drone strikes clearly indicate that despite the U.S.-led peace process initiated after Trump took office, Moscow has launched larger drone attacks on civilians than it did during the presidency of Joe Biden.

This is despite Trump's multiple promises to end the war in 24 hours, which then turned into 100 days. Trump has now been in office for 144 days.

His search for a peace deal has seen a flurry of diplomatic meetings around the globe, severe and sustained pressure on Ukraine, and a reluctance to force any concessions from Russia.

During this time, Russia has continued to attack Ukraine on a daily basis. Ahead of the second round of direct peace talks held in Istanbul on June 2, Russia killed 9 civilians and injured 49 others.

"They [russians] are using all they can use — if they could use more, they would use more."

Kharkiv resident Mykola Zhydkov told the Kyiv Independent that he has noticed that particularly heavy bombardments often actually coincide with peace process-related events that the White House portrays as positive steps towards a potential ceasefire.

"On June 10, POWs were swapped. On the same night, Kharkiv suffered a major attack," Zhydkov said.

An elderly woman walks with the help of a rescuer amid rubble from a damaged residential building after a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on June 12, 2025. (Viacheslav Mavrychev / Suspilne Ukraine / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

With Trump so far failing to respond to Russia's escalating drone strikes, the Kremlin has little incentive to stop. All signs point to Moscow's defense industry only increasing its ability to launch ever-larger mass attacks.

According to Rozhkovskiy, the only limiting factor in how many drones Russian can launch in any given attack is how many its factories can produce.

"They are using all they can use —  if they could use more, they would use more," he said.

The Russian production surge is being facilitated by imports of components from China and the recruitment of low-skilled labor from foreign countries, including from those in Africa.

Russia is also building new launch sites and will soon be able to deploy more than 500 long-range drones a night to attack Ukraine, a source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent last week.

Read also: Israel-Iran war could provide economic boost Russia needs to continue fight against Ukraine

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Nine Ukrainian students remain hospitalized following a deadly bus accident in France that killed three Ukrainian nationals and injured dozens more, Ukrainian officials confirmed on June 14.

The group, made up of students and teachers from Chernivtsi Oblast, was returning from an academic exchange when their bus veered off the road in the Sarthe department of France on June 13.

While en route to Paris, the bus veered off the road for reasons still under investigation and flipped into a ditch. In addition to the four fatalities, French media reported nine people were seriously injured and 18 sustained minor injuries.

According to Ruslan Zaparaniuk, governor of Chernivtsi Oblast, nine Ukrainian students remain hospitalized, though their conditions are stable. "All other people have received the necessary support, food, and temporary shelter and are now in safe locations," he wrote on Facebook.

Zaparaniuk noted that Ukraine's Embassy in France is organizing the logistics to help the children return home and is assisting parents wishing to travel to France to visit their hospitalized children.

Ukraine's Embassy in France said that a diplomatic team, led by Ambassador Vadym Omelchenko, traveled to the crash site and remains in Sarthe to support victims and coordinate with French authorities.

According to the embassy, two people injured in the crash remain in critical condition. All other victims are receiving medical treatment and support from Ukrainian and French teams.

President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences in a June 13 statement, calling the accident "terrible news" and thanking French authorities for their solidarity and rapid response.

Read also: Three Ukrainians killed in bus accident in France, Zelensky confirms

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Kyiv is continuing efforts to bring home its citizens held captive by Russia, marking the fourth prisoner exchange in a week, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 14.

"Today, among those returning to Ukraine, many have been in captivity since 2022," Zelensky said. "These include soldiers from the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service."

The exchanges are part of the agreement reached during talks held in Istanbul earlier this month, where both sides agreed to phased prisoner swaps and repatriation of fallen soldiers.

The latest group freed on June 14 mainly consists of severely wounded and seriously ill soldiers, many of whom were captured during the defense of Mariupol.

Most of the released defenders are officers, with some younger than 25 years old. These Ukrainian defenders served on multiple fronts including Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kursk directions, the Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War stated.

Ukraine has brought home another group of service members from Russian captivity on June 12. The prisoners of war (POWs) were also released as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia agreed upon during recent peace talks in Istanbul.

Photos show Ukrainian soldiers freed in a prisoner swap with Russia on June 14, 2025. (Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram)Photos show Ukrainian soldiers freed in a prisoner swap with Russia on June 14, 2025. (Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram)Photos show Ukrainian soldiers freed in a prisoner swap with Russia on June 14, 2025. (Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram)Photos show Ukrainian soldiers freed in a prisoner swap with Russia on June 14, 2025. (Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram)

The June 12 release follows a similar exchange on June 10, which also prioritized severely injured and ill captives. As during the previous swap, the number of personnel released was not immediately disclosed.

The Istanbul deal was reached during a second round of direct talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations on June 2. While no political breakthrough was achieved, both sides agreed to a phased exchange of prisoners and the repatriation of fallen soldiers' bodies. As part of that agreement, Russia pledged to return the bodies of up to 6,000 Ukrainian service members.

Ukraine brought back the bodies of 2,412 Ukrainian nationals, including fallen service members, on June 13 and June 11, as well as 1,200 on June 14.

Despite ongoing exchanges, Ukraine continues to push for an "all-for-all" formula to bring every captured Ukrainian soldier home, a proposal Moscow has so far rejected. The Coordination Headquarters said preparations are underway for the next phase of prisoner releases in the coming weeks as Kyiv maintains its commitment to recovering all those held captive.

The freed defenders will undergo medical examinations, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation, and be granted all entitled compensation for their time in captivity, according to the Coordination Headquarters.

In a conversation with journalists, Zelensky expressed hope that the prisoner exchanges would be completed by June 20 or 21.

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

Ukraine has recovered the bodies of 1,200 fallen citizens, including military personnel, in the latest round of repatriation efforts coordinated with Russia under agreements reached during talks in Istanbul, Ukrainian officials said on June 14.

The Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War said the bodies, which Russian authorities claim belong to Ukrainian nationals, were returned as part of an ongoing phased exchange process.

"The remains will now undergo forensic examination and identification procedures conducted by law enforcement investigators in cooperation with expert institutions under the Interior Ministry," the Coordination Headquarters said in a statement.

Read also: Zelensky plans to meet Trump at G7 summit — key takeaways from closed-door briefing

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President Volodymyr Zelensky's office has confirmed plans for a high-stakes meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the upcoming G7 summit on June 17, according to the Kyiv Independent journalist who attended a closed-door briefing with Zelensky on June 13.

"Both teams are working to ensure we meet," Zelensky said.

The meeting would mark the third in-person encounter between the two leaders during Trump's second term in the White House. Their most recent meeting took place on April 26 at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where they spoke privately on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral. Both sides described the meeting as productive and constructive, though details remained sparse.

Earlier in February, Zelensky met Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the White House when the infamous tense Oval Office exchange erupted, with Trump criticizing Kyiv's perceived lack of gratitude for U.S. support

Zelensky said his priority is to discuss with Trump sanctions against Russia, peace talks, weapons purchase, and U.S.-Ukraine economic cooperation.

"The United States communicates with the EU on sanctions at the level of senators and congressmen. But I want to raise this issue personally with President Trump," Zelensky said.

"There are steps forward we can take — but we need the political will of the U.S. president, if he wants."

He added that Ukraine has long prepared a "strong" weapons package to purchase from Washington.  "Only at the presidential level can we finalize it," Zelensky said ahead of the G7 summit.

Russian offensives in Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk oblasts

Zelensky said that heavy fighting is ongoing along Ukraine's northeastern border. Russian forces have concentrated around 53,000 troops in the Sumy sector, pushing into multiple settlements such as Andriivka, Kindrativka, and Oleksiivka.

According to the open-source monitoring group DeepState, Russian troops have been advancing along the border in Sumy Oblast, with the current front line lying just about 20 kilometers away from the regional capital of Sumy.

According to media reports, Russia exploited a thinning of Ukraine's front-line forces, which were later replaced by newer, under-equipped formations.

Zelensky said that Russia only pushed seven kilometers deep into Sumy, adding that the Russian army "has been stopped there."

Zelensky added that Ukrainian forces had successfully struck Russian positions in the neighboring Russian Kursk Oblast, near Tyotkino, to stall Russian momentum and split their offensive groups.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Zelensky confirmed that small Russian reconnaissance groups had briefly crossed into Ukrainian territory — likely for propaganda purposes. One six-man unit was reportedly eliminated one kilometer from the administrative border.

"For them (Russia), it's an important story, to take a photo, video," Zelensky said. "That's why they are launching small working groups to do just that."

Earlier, the Kremlin has claimed the operations in Dnipropetrovsk are part of an effort to create a so-called "buffer zone." Ukrainian officials have rejected these claims as disinformation.

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

Israel-Iran war hits Ukraine's defenses

When speaking about the recent escalation between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, Zelensky said that the subsequent regional tension had driven up oil prices, enhancing Russia's war financing through energy exports.

"This factor clearly doesn't help us," he said, adding that Ukraine will urge Washington to implement stricter price caps on Russian oil at the G7.

He further revealed that U.S. weapons previously allocated to Ukraine, including 20,000 air-defense interceptors used to counter Iranian-designed Shahed drones, were redirected to support Israel ahead of its recent strikes on Iran.

"That was a serious blow... We were counting on these missiles," Zelensky said.

Zelensky warned that Ukraine must not become "a bargaining chip" in larger geopolitical negotiations involving the U.S., Russia, and the Middle East. Russia and Iran have deepened their cooperation since 2022, with Iran supplying weapons and technology to boost Moscow's war machine.

"I was constantly afraid that we could become a bargaining chip, just one factor in the negotiations between the United States and the Russians. So, along with the situation with Iran, the situation with Ukraine was also a factor. They are really dependent on each other," he said.

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Europe's indecisiveness

Zelensky voiced concerns about a slowdown in Western diplomatic momentum, particularly around the "coalition of the willing" initiative led by France and the UK.

Earlier, media reported that the "coalition of the willing," aimed at offering post-ceasefire security guarantees to Ukraine, has faced delays due to the absence of U.S. commitment.

"Europe hasn't yet decided what to do if America steps back," he said. "Their energy depended on U.S. resolve. Without it, things slow down."

Still, Zelensky made clear that Ukraine would not accept any ultimatums from Moscow amid the uncertainty of Western support. He described the latest Russian ceasefire proposals as capitulation.

"They pretend to be ready for talks, but all they offer is an ultimatum," Zelensky said. "We won't go along with that. Not now, not ever."

Zelesnky also expressed optimism that the European Union's 18th sanctions package would pass later this month and said he would personally push for closer U.S.-EU coordination at the G7.

Read also: Israel-Iran war could provide economic boost Russia needs to continue fight against Ukraine

Prisoner exchanges and prospects for talks

Zelensky confirmed that prisoner exchanges with Russia are continuing and that another round of direct peace talks with Moscow may take place soon after.

"We expect that they (prisoner swaps) can be completed on the 20th or 21st (of June)," he said.

Over the week, Ukraine and Russia held a series of exchanges under an agreement reached during peace talks in Istanbul. Most recently, on June 12, Ukraine brought home another group of severely wounded and seriously ill service members.

The June 12 operation followed a similar swap two days earlier, both conducted without immediate disclosure of the number of released prisoners.

The June exchanges are part of a phased prisoner swap arrangement agreed during the second round of direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul on June 2. While no political breakthroughs emerged from the discussions, both sides agreed to continue exchanging POWs and repatriating the remains of fallen soldiers.

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Russia has lost 1,002,690 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on June 14.

The number includes 1,130 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 10,937 tanks, 22,798 armored fighting vehicles, 51,928 vehicles and fuel tanks, 29,157 artillery systems, 1,417 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,185 air defense systems, 416 airplanes, 337 helicopters, 40,586 drones, 3,337 cruise missiles, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.

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

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

The United States is opposing a proposal by other Group of Seven nations to lower the price cap on Russian oil, Bloomberg reported on June 13.

Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg said the U.S. remains opposed to reducing the cap from $60 to $45 per barrel – a position it first took earlier this year when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declined to support a similar effort.

The price cap, introduced in December 2022 as a measure to limit the Kremlin's ability to finance its war against Ukraine, prohibits Western companies from shipping, insuring, or otherwise servicing Russian oil sold above $60 per barrel.

Despite U.S. resistance, the European Union and United Kingdom – backed by other European G7 countries and Canada – have said they are prepared to move forward with the proposal, even without Washington's endorsement.

One source told Bloomberg that the EU and U.K. could explore lowering the cap without the U.S., as most of Russia's oil is transported in European waters. However, a unified G7 agreement would carry greater impact if it could be enforced by the U.S.

The price cap debate has become more urgent as oil prices, which had fallen below the $60 cap in recent months, surged following Israel's strikes against Iran in the past 24 hours.

G7 leaders will revisit the price cap discussion during the upcoming summit, hosted by Canada from June 15-17 in Kananaskis County, Alberta.

The summit agenda will also include topics such as support for Ukraine in the Russian war, global economic stability, digital transformation, and climate change.

The G7 currently includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union is also represented in the group.

Read also: Israel-Iran war could provide economic boost Russia needs to continue fight against Ukraine

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Efforts are underway to rapidly expand Ukraine's ability to counter Russian drone attacks, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on June 14.

In a statement shared on Telegram, Syrskyi said he held a meeting focused on strengthening defenses against Russian strike drones, particularly Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russian forces to target Ukrainian cities.

"Task number one is scaling up the systems that already work effectively," Syrskyi said. "First and foremost, that means increasing the number of drone interceptors."

Russia has been escalating drone attacks against Ukraine over the past weeks, launching record 400-500 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) per night.

Syrskyi emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach that incorporates all available capabilities. "(Russia) is constantly modifying the characteristics of its Shaheds and changing their tactics," he said.

Ukrainian officials discussed ways to improve early detection of incoming drones and ensure their timely destruction. Syrskyi said he had set clear priorities and tasked military leaders accordingly.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian cities with waves of attack drones, often striking energy infrastructure and residential buildings overnight. Ukraine's defense forces use a mix of electronic warfare, air defense systems, and drone-on-drone interception to repel the assaults.

Drones have become one of the defining tools of the full-scale war, used extensively by both Ukraine and Russia for surveillance, long-range strikes, and tactical battlefield advantage. In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Earlier on June 9, Ukraine's Air Force said it intercepted 479 drones and missiles during one of the largest attacks since the start of the war. Russia launched 499 weapons overnight, including 479 Shahed-type drones and multiple ballistic and cruise missiles.

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Three Ukrainian nationals were killed in a bus accident in France on June 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in a statement on Telegram.

"Terrible news about the tragic bus accident in France," Zelensky wrote.

The accident occurred in the morning of June 13, near the Sarthe department of France. The bus was reportedly carrying Ukrainian nationals, including adults and children, who were returning from an educational exchange.

While en route to Paris, the bus lost control and flipped into a ditch.

Four adults were killed in total – three of whom were Ukrainian nationals. French media reported that nine people sustained serious injuries, while an additional 18 suffered minor injuries.

Zelensky added that Ukraine's Foreign Ministry promptly sent a team of diplomats and consuls, led by the ambassador to France, to assist survivors and support the victims’ families. The team is coordinating with French authorities and emergency services at the scene.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko are providing regular updates on the victims' conditions and emerging details regarding the accident.

Zelensky thanked the French authorities, noting that "more than 50 emergency teams were deployed" in what he called "a true expression of French solidarity."He also expressed his "condolences to all the families of the victims" and wished for a "speedy recovery of the injured children."

Read also: Russian military equipment reportedly hit in Ukrainian drone attack against Crimea

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

*Editor's Note: This story was updated to include confirmation from Ukraine's General Staff.*Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on June 14 that overnight drone strikes targeted two major military-industrial facilities in Russia, according to a statement of the military.

"As part of efforts to reduce (Russia's) ability to produce explosives and ammunition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' drone systems, in coordination with other Defense Forces units, struck critical facilities of Russia's military-industrial complex overnight," Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement.

The strikes reportedly hit the Nevinnomyssk Azot chemical plant in Stavropol Krai and the Novokuybyshevsk Catalyst Plant in Samara Oblast. Both sites are described by Ukrainian officials as key suppliers of raw materials and components for Russia's weapons and fuel production.

Stavropol Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said drone debris fell in the city's industrial zone, confirming the strike was aimed at the Nevinnomyssk Azot plant. He initially reported one person injured, but later clarified there were no casualties. Footage circulating online showed explosions and drones flying over the city.

Nevinnomyssk Azot is among Russia's top producers of ammonia and nitrogen fertilizers, and hosts the country's only production lines for methyl acetate and high-purity acetic acid. It also operates Russia’s first melamine production facility, according to open-source data.

The plant, which produces up to one million tons of ammonia and over one million tons of ammonium nitrate annually, is "a critical element of Russia's military-industrial complex," Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, said.

Kovalenko noted that ammonium nitrate is a key component for explosives and artillery shells. He added that the plant also synthesizes dual-use chemicals such as melamine, acetic acid, methanol, and potassium nitrate, frequently used in the production of grenade launchers, mines, and rocket charges.

Since 2024, the plant has been producing water-soluble fertilizers, which he said have been adapted to serve military chemical needs.

Ukraine's General Staff said the strike caused explosions and a fire at the site.

In Russia's Samara Oblast, a separate drone strike reportedly damaged the NovokuybyshevskCatalyst Plant, the country's largest specialized facility for producing catalysts used in petroleum refining and petrochemicals. The region's governor, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, confirmed an attempted drone attack overnight on an industrial site in Novokuybyshevsk.

Kovalenko said the plant has a strategic role, stating that without its output, Russia's oil refineries, and by extension, its supply of aviation fuel, diesel for armored vehicles, and rocket propellant, would be severely affected.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it intercepted a total of 66 drones overnight across several regions, including 30 over Voronezh Oblast, 10 over Belgorod Oblast, 8 over Stavropol Krai, 6 over occupied Crimea, 1 over Samara Oblast, and 11 over the Azov Sea.

Read also: Russian military equipment reportedly hit in Ukrainian drone attack against Crimea

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

At least three people were killed and 10 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day, Ukrainian officials said on June 14.

According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia launched 58 attack drones, primarily Shahed-type UAVs, and decoys from multiple directions. Air defenses destroyed 43 of the drones.

In Donetsk Oblast, one civilian was killed and two others were injured in Russian shelling of Yablunivka, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Russian forces attacked settlements in the region 27 times over the past day.

In Kherson Oblast, five people were injured as Russia struck 23 settlements with drones, artillery, and airstrikes, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. Residential buildings in Kherson city, Antonivka, and other towns were damaged, including a multi-story apartment block, six houses, a gas station, and some vehicles.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, at least one person was killed and three others injured in attacks targeting Zaporizhzhia and Polohy districts, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Russian forces launched 438 strikes on 16 settlements, including 11 airstrikes and 266 drone attacks, mainly using FPV (first-person view) drones.

In a morning strike on Zaporizhzhia, more than 10 cars were burned at a parking lot, and at least 15 buildings were damaged. One person was injured.

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Russian attack also destroyed a humanitarian aid warehouse in Zaporizhzhia. Over 100 metric tons of humanitarian supplies reportedly burned in the fire. The aid had recently arrived in five trucks and was intended for displaced people and residents of front-line areas. The damage is estimated at around $3 million.

Read also: Putin announces creation of separate drone branch in Russian military

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

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

Iran and Israel continued to exchange attacks on June 14, more than 24 hours after Israel launched its first strikes on Iran's nuclear sites and military leadership.

According to recent reports, there are civilian casualties in both countries. In Israel, two people have been killed and more than 40 injured since Iran launched its initial wave of retaliatory strikes.

In Iran, more than 70 people have been killed and 329 injured, according to the country's United Nations ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani.

Responding to Israel's preemptive strikes on Iran overnight on June 13, Tehran responded with multiple waves of ballistic missiles, as well as an earlier barrage of drones.

The drone attack followed heavy air strikes launched by Israel against Iran, targeting the country's nuclear program and reportedly killing Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and other top officials.

Amid the escalation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond to the most recent attack.

"More is on the way. The (Iranian) regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker," Netanyahu said in an address.

Clear, dramatic footage captures active missile intercepts over Tel Aviv, including impacts that struck locations downtown. pic.twitter.com/ISxbIQ6CU0

— GMI (@Global_Mil_Info) June 13, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier in the day that the U.S. military is on high alert and watching for any kind of retaliation, adding that the U.S. will respond to defend itself or Israel if Iran strikes back.

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

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

Beyond the Middle East, Iran has emerged as a key ally of Russia in its war against Ukraine, supplying Moscow with drones used in attacks on Ukrainian cities. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed on June 13 that its aerospace commander, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who led Iran's Shahed drone supply to Russia, was killed in the strike on June 13.

Just hours after Russia launched its own missile and drone assault on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin decried the "numerous civilian casualties" in Iran and condemned Israel's actions as violations of the UN Charter and international law.

Following the initial strikes by Israel, Kyiv expressed concern over the security situation in the Middle East after Israeli air strikes against Iran, but stressed that Tehran remains a "source of problems" in the region "and beyond."

Read also: Israel-Iran war could provide economic boost Russia needs to continue fight against Ukraine

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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.

Russian monthly missile production (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)

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.

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

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

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

A Russian SU-25 fighter jet reportedly crashed over Donetsk Oblast on June 13, Russian social media channels reported.

Videos posted on social media of the purported crash by bloggers with close ties to the Russian Air Force appear to show the plane crashing into a field after closely being followed by another fighter jet. The circumstances of the crash remain unclear as rumours swirl of Russian 'friendly fire' as a potential cause of the crash.

The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the crash or the details surrounding it. Neither the Ukrainian nor Russian military have commented on the reported crash.

The Su-25, a Soviet-designed close-air support aircraft developed by Sukhoi in the late 1970s, is built for battlefield survivability. It features heavy armor and can withstand enemy fire.

The aircraft has been widely used in various conflicts, including in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and, more recently, in Ukraine, where both Russian and Ukrainian forces operate the platform.

Ukraine has downed multiple Russian Su-25s throughout the war. On Feb. 8, Ukraine's military reported shooting down a Russian Su-25 near the town of Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast.

In another instance, Russia's Defense Ministry said on on March 24 that Russian Su-25 attack aircraft crashed during a routine training flight in Primorye Krai in Russia's Far East.

The incident comes less than two week following Ukraine's 'Operation Spiderweb' in which Ukrainian drones smuggled deep inside Russia and hidden inside trucks struck as many as 41 Russian heavy bombers at four airfields across the country.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian MiG-29 strikes Russian drone hub, ammo depot in Zaporizhzhia direction, releases video

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British fighter jets intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft that violated airspace over the Baltic Sea on the morning of June 13, Poland's military command reported.

"This is another case of provocative testing of the readiness of NATO countries' systems," the statement said, adding that NATO command structures are now analyzing the incident.

The Russian Il-20, based on the Il-18 transport aircraft, is used for electronic surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It is equipped with radar and signal intelligence gear designed to collect information on military infrastructure and communication networks.

According to the military command, the aircraft entered Baltic Sea airspace at approximately 10:50 a.m. and was promptly intercepted by two British fighter jets operating out of Poland.

No further details were disclosed about the exact location of the encounter or how long the Russian aircraft remained in restricted airspace.

The incident adds to a series of aerial provocations reported by NATO allies since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Poland has repeatedly scrambled jets in response to Russian missile and drone attacks near its border.

On Feb. 11, a Russian Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft flew into Polish airspace over the Bay of Gdansk for more than a minute. Moscow attributed the incursion to a navigational error, but Polish officials dismissed the claim as implausible.

Poland shares a long border with Ukraine and a northern coastline along the Baltic Sea, where Russia's militarized Kaliningrad exclave is located.

Warsaw has repeatedly warned that Russia's ongoing aerial provocations could lead to a dangerous escalation if not firmly countered.

Read also: How an Israel-Iran war could help Russia’s economy — and deprive Ukraine of weapons

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke separately with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 13, amid a sweeping Israeli air assault on Iran that killed top military officials and targeted the country's nuclear infrastructure.

The Israeli strike, described by Tel Aviv as "preemptive," involved 200 aircraft and the release of 330 munitions on over 100 sites. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that several senior commanders were killed, including aerospace chief Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

During his call with Pezeshkian, Putin expressed condolences for what the Kremlin described as "numerous civilian casualties" and condemned Israel's actions as violations of the UN Charter and international law.

The conversations took place just hours after Russia launched its own missile and drone assault on Ukraine. At least four civilians were killed and 24 injured in Russian attacks across multiple regions on June 13, according to Ukrainian officials.

Russia has killed tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and the true extent of the death toll is simply not known.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was a clear and direct violation of both international law and the UN Charter.

During the conversation with Netanyahu, Putin emphasized "the importance of returning to the negotiation process," and offered to mediate in the conflict.

The Russian leader, who has himself been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Ukraine, also pledged Moscow's support in "de-escalating the conflict."

Russia has deepened military and political ties with Tehran since the start of its full-scale war against Ukraine. Iran has supplied Moscow with thousands of Shahed-type attack drones and short-range ballistic missiles used in routine strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry responded to the Middle East escalation by expressing concern about broader regional instability but reiterated that "the Iranian regime supports Russia in its illegal war of aggression" and provides it with "weapons to kill Ukrainians."

Kyiv warned that the fallout could destabilize international security and trigger economic shocks. Global oil prices soared over 10% after the Israeli operation — a development that could enhance revenues for Russia, whose war budget is largely financed by energy exports.

Read also: Israel-Iran war could provide economic boost Russia needs to continue fight against Ukraine

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Israel's "preemptive" strikes against Iran targeting the country's nuclear program and killing top military officials could have far-reaching implications for Ukraine and could boost Russia's ability to continue its full-scale invasion, experts have told the Kyiv Independent.

Iran has been one of Russia's staunchest allies throughout the war, providing thousands of Shahed strike drones and short-range ballistic missiles.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has long been Israel's strongest backer and any escalation of the conflict will likely cause further shifts in the White House's geopolitical priorities.

"It will be more difficult for Ukraine to acquire weapons from the U.S. because Washington is expected to boost military aid to Israel," Serhii Danylov, an expert at Ukraine’s Association of Middle East Studies, told the Kyiv Independent.

And this is just one of multiple factors that Israel's attacks on Iran have already had, and which a wider war in the region would only likely exacerbate.

Oil prices and Russia's economy

Israel’s attack on Iran could be a godsend for Russia’s ailing oil sector, which fell last month to its lowest price in over two years.

In anticipation of Iran’s retaliation, Brent crude prices, the global benchmark, jumped from $69.36 to $74.5 to $75 per barrel — levels not seen since February — with some oil forecasters warning prices could skyrocket to $80 per barrel. It’s a jolt that’s shocked the oil sector, which has seen declining prices, particularly after Saudi Arabia spearheaded a production hike and U.S. President Donald Trump’s "Liberation Day" tariffs sparked fears of an economic slowdown. For Russia, this could be the adrenaline shot needed to recover its anemic Ural crude prices, which have dropped 14% year-on-year from January to May, David Fyfe, chief economist at Argus Media, a market analyst group, told the Kyiv Independent. Russia’s energy sector made up 35-40% of its budget revenues pre-full-scale invasion and is powering its war machine. Western sanctions on Russian energy and the G7’s Russian oil price cap of $60 per barrel have hampered its profits, with Russia losing more than $150 billion over the last three years, but have yet to deal a crippling blow.Until the Israeli attacks, the future wasn’t looking so bright for Russian crude. Europe is planning its 18th sanctions package hitting Russia's energy sector, and the G7 is pushing for a $45 price cap.

The oil and chemical tanker Birthe Theresi sails along the Sea Canal of the Big Port in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Feb. 12, 2025. (Artem Priakhin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

If Brent prices continue to rise, it will likely drag up Ural prices too, potentially funneling more money into Moscow's coffers, said Fyfe.

Ural crude, which is of a similar quality to the potentially at-risk Middle East crude, is an attractive replacement over Brent Crude.

"It’s also possible that the threat posed (however hypothetically) to Middle East oil supplies forces G7 nations to pause their current attempts to lower the price cap for Russian crude exports from $60 to $45," said Fyfe. "Shelving that proposal would also be welcomed by the regime in Moscow."This is not the first time oil prices have risen due to tensions in the region. Iran’s missile attacks on Israel on Oct. 1 caused oil prices to spike by nearly $10 a barrel as forecasters braced for Israel’s retaliation. Experts predicted that a wider conflict in the region would be a gold rush for Moscow.

"It is an open question if Russia is capable of a greater military effort than the one it is already making against Ukraine."

The situation now is closer to the edge than in October. Back then, Israel said it wouldn’t target Iran’s nuclear and oil facilities. But this time, Israel said it hit the “heart” of Iran’s nuclear program. According to Fyfe, the main concern that would affect oil prices even more significantly would be Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which could block one-fifth of global oil demand.

This would also mean Iran blocks its own oil exports too, so it would only be a last resort from Tehran, said Fyfe. Even so, just the fear of this hypothetical has been enough to drive up energy prices.

Diplomatic shifts

An Israeli-Iranian war is likely to shift attention from Ukraine to the Middle East — similarly to the Gaza war, which started after Hamas militants attacked Israel in October 2023.

"I suspect the main impact on Russia and Ukraine will be the removal of the international media's spotlight and its refocusing on the Middle East, and the same with the attention of the Trump administration," Jenny Mathers, a lecturer in international politics at the U.K.'s Aberystwyth University, told the Kyiv Independent.

"Any pressure on Russia for a ceasefire or a peace agreement will drop away."

A damaged building in Tehran, Iran, after an Israeli strike on June 13, 2025. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Russia may see this as an opportunity to redouble its offensive, according to James Shea, a defense and security expert at Chatham House.

"But it is an open question if Russia is capable of a greater military effort than the one it is already making against Ukraine," he said.

Support for Iran

Russia has historically supported Iran and its regional allies, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah Islamist group and Syrian ex-President Bashar al-Assad's regime, which was toppled in 2024. In exchange, Iran has supplied its Shahed kamikaze drones to Russia.

Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli attacks on June 13, saying that they "threatened stability and security" in the Middle East.

The Kremlin will likely back Iran in its war with Israel politically and diplomatically and through intelligence sharing, according to Danylov.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin meets with Syria’s then-President Bashar al-Assad at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 24, 2024. (Valery Sharifulib/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

But Russia has previously opposed Iran's nuclear program, and it might also be afraid of backing Tehran because it would lead to a confrontation with the U.S., Michael Sahlin, a Middle East specialist at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told the Kyiv Independent.

The Kremlin might also try to present itself as a mediator between Israel and Iran, analysts say.

"Putin is well placed to play the magnanimous peacemaker role alongside Trump and try to arrange a ceasefire and de-escalation," Shea said.

"He will use this to score points with Trump as a reliable partner and use this to persuade Trump to go easy on him in Ukraine and not to impose new sanctions on Moscow."

Trump's peace efforts

The escalation of the war also highlights the failure of Trump's efforts to negotiate peace deals in both the Middle East and Ukraine.

Trump's team has been unsuccessfully trying to broker peace between Israel and Hamas, an Iranian ally in the Gaza Strip, as well as an agreement on ending Tehran's nuclear arms program.

Despite Trump's promise "to stop all wars," those in both Ukraine and the Middle East are now escalating.

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

The military implications

Iran has been one of Russia's key allies during the course of the full-scale invasion, second only to that of North Korea.

Russia's default weapon for its near-nightly barrages of Ukrainian cities are variations of the Iranian-designed Shahed drone, imported versions of which first appeared in Ukraine's skies in October 2022.

Since then, attacks have only escalated and recent mass strikes have seen nearly 500 Shahed-type drones launched per night.

Shea told the Kyiv Independent that events in Iran are unlikely to have an effect on Russia's ability to launch mass drone strikes.

"Russia has set up factories on its own territory to produce Iranian Shahed drones under license," he said.

Shahed-136s, an Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), in the south of Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 21, 2024. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"It also gets drones from China which it converts to military use and has rapidly developed its domestic drone manufacturing since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine."

Samuel Bendett, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said most if not all Shahed-type drones used by Russia are now domestically produced, "so the Israeli attack on Iran is not going to disrupt whatever flows used to exist."

But Shea does point out that Russia may have difficulty obtaining newer versions of the Shahed that it doesn't yet mass produce domestically, such as the Shahed 238 (Geran 3) which is a turbojet powered model that can fly much faster than previous versions.

A more unknown quantity are the Iranian ballistic missiles reportedly delivered to Russia late last year.

Despite multiple Western governments confirming deliveries, and the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany placing further sanctions on Iran as a result, to date there have been no reports of their use against Ukraine, Danylov said.

But while Russia's offensive capabilities may remain largely unchanged by Israel's attack on Iran, Ukraine's defensive capabilities — much of which has been supplied by the U.S. — could suffer as a result.

"The U.S. may need to provide greater assistance to Israel in the aftermath for one reason or another, which could ultimately hurt Ukraine," Fabian Hoffmann, a defense expert and doctoral research fellow at the University of Oslo, told the Kyiv Independent.

Read also: Why can’t the West match Russia’s ammunition production?

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed on June 13 that its aerospace commander, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, was killed in an Israeli air strike on a command facility, according to the Times of Israel.

Hajizadeh was sanctioned by the European Union in 2022 for overseeing Tehran's supply of Shahed-type drones to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.

He played a key role in advancing Iran's drone and missile capabilities, meeting with then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2023 to showcase Iranian weapons.

The Israeli operation, described as "preemptive," involved 200 aircraft and the dropping of 330 munitions, targeting the country's nuclear program and killing top military officials.

The full scale of the damage remains unclear.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on June 13 expressing concern over the fallout from the Israeli operation but underscored that "the Iranian regime supports Russia in its illegal war of aggression" and supplies Moscow with "weapons to kill Ukrainians."

Along with North Korea, Iran has been a key ally to Russia during its full-scale war against Ukraine, providing thousands of Shahed strike drones and short-range ballistic missiles.

The drones, cheap and packed with explosives, have become a central weapon in Russia's aerial assaults on Ukraine since their introduction in late 2022.

Known for flying long distances before slamming into targets, they are now mass-produced by Russia and launched in near-nightly waves to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.

The Israeli strike took place amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, as well as U.S. negotiations with Tehran regarding its nuclear program. The Trump administration has acknowledged it knew about the operation in advance but denied any involvement.

Kyiv warned of the potential global repercussions of the strike, noting that regional instability could severely impact international security and financial markets, particularly oil.

Crude prices surged more than 10% following the attack, boosting revenues for Moscow, whose economy is heavily reliant on energy exports.

Russia has condemned Israel's attacks as "unprovoked aggression" and a violation of the U.N. Charter.

Read also: After Israel’s strikes, Ukraine says Iran ‘source of problems’ but warns against destabilization

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There is no confirmed information that Russian troops have entered Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, spokesperson Victor Tregubov of the Khortytsia group of forces told Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne on June 13, refuting earlier claims published by the New York Times (NYT).

The NYT cited Ukrainian military sources claiming that Russian troops crossed the administrative boundary into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for the first time since the war began.

The reporting also referenced a map by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicating that Russian forces advancing in the region had allegedly secured a foothold.

Tregubov said the situation remains unchanged as of June 13. He indicated that no information suggests Russian forces have crossed the administrative border, but he noted that updated intelligence may be available later in the day.

Andrii Zadubiny, press officer of the Khortytsia forces, also rejected the claims.

"No enemy incursion into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has been recorded. We refute this information," he told Suspilne. He suggested that ISW might be relying on Russian sources.

On June 8, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had entered Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a claim that has not been substantiated by Ukrainian authorities.

The Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState also reported no evidence of Russian forces entering the oblast. A map depicting Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine indicates that the Russian troops are only a couple of kilometers from the border.

To date, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — a major industrial region in central Ukraine — has not seen confirmed Russian ground incursions, though it has remained under constant threat from missile and drone attacks.

In late April, Ukrainian authorities began mandatory evacuations of families with children from four front-line villages — Kolona Mezhova, Novopidhorodne, Raipole, and Sukhareva Balka — located just kilometers from Russian positions.

The latest developments come amid growing pressure on Ukrainian defenses across multiple fronts and continued failure of U.S.-mediated negotiations to produce a ceasefire agreement.

Read also: After Israel’s strikes, Ukraine says Iran ‘source of problems’ but warns against destabilization

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Ukraine has received another 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in macro-financial assistance from the European Union as part of a G7 loan, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on June 13.

"This is the fifth tranche of macro-financial assistance from the EU under the ERA Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration) initiative," Shmyhal wrote on social media. "The funds will be directed toward key expenditures of the state budget."

Shmyhal thanked Ukraine's partners for their "consistent and reliable support," adding, "Together, we will make (Russia) pay for all the damage caused to Ukraine."

According to Shmyhal, Ukraine has received a total of 7 billion euros ($8 billion) from the European Union under the ERA initiative, which is funded by the windfall profits generated from immobilized Russian sovereign assets.

The ERA mechanism, launched by the G7 and backed by the EU and the United States, is a $50 billion program designed to support Ukraine through loans repaid using future income from frozen Russian assets. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, G7 countries have frozen around $300 billion in Russian sovereign assets.

Ukraine received the previous 1-billion-euro tranche on May 8 as part of the fourth installment of EU aid under ERA.

Read also: EU provides Ukraine with $1 billion tranche under G7 loan covered by Russian assets

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