Ukraine updates in English

[US7IGN]

Today is Constitution Day in Ukraine, but the russians probably don't know that it is "on pause", so they expectedly "greeted" Ukraine with 142 drones and eight missiles, 6 of which were ballistic at Kyiv.

The air defense neutralized one anti-ship missile "Zircon", or "Onyx", six ballistic missiles "Iskander-M / S-400" and 125 russian UAVs in the north, south and east of the country. The missile and 14 strike UAVs were hit in 11 places, and downed (fragments) also fell in 13 places. It was very noisy in Kyiv, but only one small fire from debris was recorded. https://babel.ua/news/128096-rosiyani-atakuvali-ukrajinu-vismoma-raketami-ta-142-bpla-skilki-ciley-zbila-ppo

Later it became known that the damage was done to the Pharmaceutical Company "Darnitsa" - the largest manufacturer of medicines in Ukraine. https://zn.ua/ukr/UKRAINE/vnochi-rosijani-atakuvali-zavod-farmatsevtichnoji-kompaniji-darnitsja-u-kijevi.html

One of russia's largest oil refineries is on fire in Slavyansk-on-Kuban as a result of a drone attack, the russian BBC service reported. https://www.bbc.com/russian/live/cg4p75e1k1nt?post=asset%3Ad621b07c-534f-4532-8ced-abf396226ad7#asset:d621b07c-534f-4532-8ced-abf396226ad7

Ukrainian missiles also hit the russian military plant Titan-Barricades in Volgograd, which manufactures artillery systems and Iskander ballistic missile launchers. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/clyx13174gjo

All this is good, but there is a danger of looking only in one direction where the Armed Forces of Ukraine are successfully striking oil production and processing infrastructure and completely ignoring certain successes of the enemy on the ground and the development/expansion of the enemy's strikes on our logistics and roads.

It is also clearly underestimated that Belarus is building military infrastructure near the Ukrainian border with russian money. I do not know what many people believe that Belarus will not enter the war. Even if the Belarusian army does not personally participate in hostilities, they are building military bases and storage/concentration points, roads and bridges through which the russians can transfer their troops. This will also help the russians cut off our logistics and supplies from the West. And the Belarusian President Lukashenko can always help putin and play his victim at the same time.

The US Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in Ukraine, Julie Davis, had completed her diplomatic mission in Kyiv https://informator.ua/uk/timchasova-povirena-u-spravah-ssha-v-ukrajini-zakinchuye-svoyu-misiyu and was therefore unable to attend the Model US Congress youth event, which is regularly held in Kyiv. Seva and Kate decided to take occasion to attend and met old friends there, although they were a little disappointed that the event was held in Ukrainian.

[US7IGN]

Ukraine will have to not only return its citizens from abroad, but also attract foreign specialists for the post-war economic recovery. There will be no other option, said the head of the Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov, explaining this by the rapid deterioration of the demographic situation in the country. https://www.kyivpost.com/uk/post/79048

russia’s close alliance with Belarus is facing a new test as President Alexander Lukashenko has shown reluctance to deepen his role in Vladimir putin’s war against Ukraine. Lukashenko held two days of talks with putin starting Friday at the russian leader’s residence near Lake Valdai after publicly warning russian officials against efforts to pull Belarus into the conflict.

The Belarusian leader has repeatedly said his country doesn’t intend to get involved in the war unless attacked. But he appeared to acknowledge there was pressure to do so on Thursday when he received russian Ambassador Boris Gryzlov, a close putin ally, and Moscow region Governor Andrey Vorobyov for talks in Minsk. “There’s no need for us to get drawn into the war,” Lukashenko told the russian envoys. “We also don’t want to fight Ukrainians, that’s why our position is peaceful.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-29/putin-s-closest-ally-tested-as-minsk-resists-deeper-war-role?srnd=homepage-europe

The russian regime is likely to remain a threat to its neighbors well after President Vladimir putin’s time in office ends, the head of Sweden’s military intelligence agency said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-30/russian-threat-likely-to-endure-after-putin-sweden-says

Poland will not transfer MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine for the time being due to the Ukrainian side’s refusal from previous agreements on cooperation in the field of drones. The Polish government links these two issues as part of a partnership agreement, Polsat News reports. https://www.polsatnews.pl/gosc-wydarzen/2026-06-29/nie-ma-mig-ow-bo-nie-ma-dronow-szef-mon-o-wycofaniu-sie-ukrainy-z-umowy/

We must not elevate those who destroy European cooperation to the pantheon. Ukraine will not join the European Union with Bandera [...]. No one will tell us how to vote for a given country's accession to the European Union," said Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on the "Gość Wydarzeń" program on Polsat News. https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/swiat/z-bandera-do-ue-nie-wejdzie-ukraina-zauwazyla-slowa-szefa-mon/yk4vgqj

Personally, I see this as part of a larger conflict between Poland and Ukraine. It would seem that the Ukrainian authorities should be interested in smoothing out the conflict in these difficult times and not giving Polish provocateurs a reason to inflate the topic of Ukrainian nationalism. But no. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that on Constitution Day he submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law on the Ukrainian National Pantheon, which is designed to honor recognized Ukrainians. "No one will ever dictate to Ukrainians which heroes to honor, which holidays to celebrate, or which history to study. Our ancestors fought for this right to freedom of choice and national independence for hundreds of years, and it is for this that our soldiers are shedding their blood today. The memory of them must live forever," the head of the Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov also noted. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2026/06/28/8041492/

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court overturned the decisions that awarded the family of a soldier 15 million hryvnias (about $333,000). Such payments are provided for soldiers killed at the front, but in this case the soldier died from a service-related illness, although he was not directly killed by the russians. https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/365134-verkhovniy-sud-skasuvav-rishennya-yakimi-rodini-viyskovogo-bulo-prisudzheno-viplatu-u-rozmiri-15-mln-griven

This is all you need to know about the real attitude of the state towards Ukrainian soldiers and another argument for those who avoid military service and do not want to die for Ukraine.

The explosion, which occurred in a residential building along the border with France, injured three members of the same Ukrainian family. One of them is the oligarch Vadim Ermolaev. A man is on the run. A major explosion was heard Monday evening in the principality of Monaco, Le Figaro learned from a police source. https://www.lefigaro.fr/nice/une-forte-explosion-retentit-au-coeur-de-monaco-plusieurs-blesses-20260629

[US7IGN]

russian forces have launched a major drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight, killing 21 people, in what the city's mayor described as the "most massive attack" on the Ukrainian capital. Eighty-five people were injured, including two children, Ukraine's State Emergencies Service said. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said an ambulance station was among the places hit.

Ukraine's air force said russia had launched 74 missiles and 496 drones overnight, mainly targeting the capital. While the country's air defences were able to repel most of these, 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones struck 33 locations. russia also hit military bases in central and eastern Ukraine, according to the defence ministry. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gyv05gk4do

My friends and I could watch the numerous hits directly from our windows and thank God none of us were hurt. Indeed, the air defense is working less and less. Many roads in the city are blocked, but I have both water and electricity. Isn't that a miracle? There are a lot of fires and smoke, which is very difficult in the heat that is in Kyiv now. I feel so bad that I don't even try to do anything. In a couple of days it should start to rain and the temperature will drop.