Ukraine updates in English

[N0TZU]

Yes Rubio’s statement is disgusting given the circumstances. Normally statements to note some country’s national holiday are issued routinely by the US State Department, but the situation with Russia is not routine. Furthermore the Russians will seize on this as further evidence that the US is on their side, and the Ukrainians will naturally dispair.

Well, Rubio is “learning on the job” about foreign relations, and is probably only dimly aware of how such words are received and the impact they have. But in fairness he is handicapped by his Dunning-Kruger eagerness to rush in where he has no experience and where wise men fear to tread, mostly by accepting the job in the first place.

Anyway, he can’t seem to help blurting out stupid and condescending comments, such as this sterling example in early March when he was quoted by Polico, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/10/marco-rubio-ukraine-concessions-end-russia-war-00223082

 “They’ve [Ukrainians] suffered greatly and their people have suffered greatly, and it’s hard in the aftermath of something like that to even talk about concessions,” he told reporters. “But that’s the only way this is going to end to prevent more suffering.”

Then this in nearly the same breath,

Adding that he was “not going to pre-negotiate anything,” Rubio said the U.S. side would seek to understand what Kyiv is “willing to do in order to achieve peace” and bring an end to the war.

In fact he just did pre-negotiate giving up Ukrainian territory and gave Russia a pass but didn't realize it.

Sadly, Rubio is not the only “babe in the woods” involved. Similar statements can be found from Trump’s Special Envoys and from the President himself going back to before he was sworn in.

Is it any wonder that Putin is in no hurry to negotiate anything when the US administration is virtually doing it for him?

[US7IGN]

The old world order is becoming history, and looking at what is happening in the Middle East, it seems to me that we will see certain geographical changes not only in Eastern Europe.

So no matter what one hopes for, reality is often not what one imagines it to be.

During another evening chat in our UK-Ukraine group on Zoom, Roger MI0WBB shared a link to a podcast that simulates a possible armed attack by russia on the UK. https://news.sky.com/story/the-wargame-podcast-what-if-russia-attacked-the-uk-13381047

Interestingly, this game involves Ben Wallace, the former UK Secretary of State for Defence, who did the same thing when he was in office. Despite all the conventionality of the simulation of the situation, I immediately drew attention to the constant fear of doing something that would provoke russia. This is about the interests of the UK and actions at its own borders! This gives answers to why and how Europe has acted since 2022.

I came across an interesting interview with Viktoria Kovach, the head of the medical service of the Third Army Corps. Speaking about the problems in organizing the medical service in the army and the fact that many sick people are being called up, she also points out the problems with the shortage of doctors at the front, suggesting mobilizing more civilian doctors. https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2025/06/14/7517062/

While transporting mobilized citizens to the assembly point of the Kyiv City Mobilization Center, two of them attempted to escape. They broke the car window and tried to escape.

“During this attempt, one of the mobilized fell onto the road, receiving life-threatening injuries, which led to his death at the scene,” the Kyiv Mobilization Center said in a statement. https://kyiv.tsn.ua/kyiv/u-kyyevi-mobilizovanyy-na-khodu-vystrybnuv-z-avto-ttsk-i-zahynuv-detali-trahediyi-2849183.html

Maryna and Kate arrived yesterday for a week to sort out paperwork and visit doctors. In addition to new glasses, Kate needs to undergo tests and determine the cause of her loss of consciousness, which has happened three times this year. We hope this is solely due to stress and strain, and not due to any serious illness. Successful study at an elite lyceum and also in Polish requires extraordinary efforts. I would like her to recover over the summer. Unfortunately, I have a lot of work even on weekends and I don't manage to devote much time to them.

Thank God, the last three days have been quiet in Kyiv and it would be good if there were no attacks with missiles and drones while they are here.

[KD8ZM-Brady]

Prayers for Kate, and for a peaceful visit. It is quite difficult to get news on Ukraine over here, as the focus is of course now on Iran and Israel. So I value these updates.

[N0TZU]

Best wishes to Kate, and for a quick and accurate diagnosis and treatment of her condition.

Somewhat similarly our younger son is prone to seizures as a result of cerebral palsy.  Any situation such as being on a ladder where loss of or diminished consciousness and muscle control would be dangerous must be avoided or managed tightly. Fortunately medication keeps his seizures under control and infrequent.
 
///

“I immediately drew attention to the constant fear of doing something that would provoke russia. This is about the interests of the UK and actions at its own borders! This gives answers to why and how Europe has acted since 2022.”

Has there ever been a time when Russia or the Soviet Union did not present itself as an ill-tempered bear that might suddenly strike anyone around it? I don’t think so. It’s a reflection of weakness and insecurity not strength, like any common bully. A pity that even well armed nuclear powers such as the UK still think as though it’s the 19th century and masses of foot soldiers are decisive to them.

[US7IGN]

Prayers for Kate, and for a peaceful visit. It is quite difficult to get news on Ukraine over here, as the focus is of course now on Iran and Israel. So I value these updates.

Last night may bring back attention and be worthy competition to news from the Middle East. But for now, you can only see information about the latest airstrike on Ukraine on local websites.

On the night of June 17, russia massively attacked Kyiv with all types of weapons - a raid by shaheds began from the north on the city, then aeroballistic "Daggers" struck, and then cruise missiles from Tu-95MS strategic bombers were added. In the second half of the night, russia launched a massive strike on the center of Odesa and Zaporizhia.

At least 14 people have already died in Kyiv and 55 have been injured. However, the number of victims and injured could be much higher, said the mayor of the capital, Vitaliy Klitschko, because many people could be under the rubble. The Ministry of Internal Affairs says that 5 people were under the rubble.

The attack on Kyiv ended only at 6 am, the alarm in the capital lasted 9 hours.

There were numerous fires in apartment buildings in different areas of the capital, there are photos of very damaged high-rise buildings, under the rubble of which there may be people. In one high-rise building, an entire entrance collapsed from a ballistic missile strike.
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c0j4pz06g3eo

The day before yesterday there was a major attack on the Poltava region. https://rubryka.com/2025/06/15/ryatuvalnyky-pokazaly-naslidky-odniyeyi-z-najbilshyh-atak-rf-po-kremenchuku/

For better or worse, I have so much work that I had to work on weekends, and yesterday I had to stay at work extra late. So I talked to my wife and daughter at night, when we watched the attack from the balcony. It is ridiculous and dangerous, but the chances of survival are still minimal if the hit is direct. At least Kate was able to see with her own eyes what the drone looks like.

Given the height of observation, we were able to see how the drones, despite attempts to shoot them down, slowly, and sometimes even making a circle before approaching the target, hit the same place nearby. I don’t know what exactly is there, but the fire is still going on during the day.

There is a lot of smoke everywhere, but there is no wind and I closed the windows. Many roads will be closed today and I decided to stay and work from home. So far I have both electricity and water.

Last night during Zoom I again heard from English and American friends the opinion that the russian economy will soon collapse, and the destruction of the Shaheed factory in Iran will reduce their number in Ukraine. Well, I'm surprised again how distorted their perception of reality is. russia is already doing quite well, and with rising oil prices due to the situation in the Middle East, and Europe's increased consumption of its gas, its affairs will only improve.

As for drones, russia has long been producing them independently in quantities that Iran can only dream of. In addition, they are significantly improved - the electronics are more advanced, the amount of explosives is twice as much, and the Chinese "disposable" engines, whether from lawnmowers or chainsaws, make them very cheap.

Europe's frontier countries ready their hospitals for war. From stockpiling trauma kits for mass casualties to kitting out medics with body armor, wartime health planning is no longer hypothetical on NATO’s eastern flank.

The goal was to steel the military, police, firefighters, hospitals and paramedics to operate under exceptional circumstances — as Lithuania braces for the worst-case scenario: an attack on NATO’s eastern flank. Since russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the threat of military conflict has loomed large.

“It’s not a question of if [russia] will attack,” said Ragnar Vaiknemets, deputy director general of the Estonian Health Board, which oversees preparedness for crises from pandemics to war. “It’s a question about when.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/eastern-europe-baltics-hospitals-wartime-preparation-health-care-russia-ukraine/

A huge difference in the attitude to the threat from an adequate leader of his country. Compare with Zelensky's calls in 2022 not to panic and to prepare for a barbecue, instead of preparing for war, which led to the rapid seizure of large territory by russia and large civilian casualties.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that russia had proposed exchanging its prisoners of war for kidnapped Ukrainian children. He said this at a press conference with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n67co9NhLxU

"You talked about exchanges. We cannot exchange children. These are not prisoners of war. And therefore it is impossible, we do not exchange them for anything. This is absolutely unfair. And to be honest, sorry, this is madness, which, by the way, the russians proposed: we give them military personnel, and they give us children. It is simply beyond understanding and international law. Well, in principle, it is in their spirit of life," Zelensky said.

Well, that also explains why these "kidnapped" children, and we are talking about orphans, were simply abandoned by Ukraine in the occupied territories. A couple more years and they will grow up "russian" - this happened to most children in the territories occupied since 2014...

I don't know if this person is real or how much you can trust his words, but if it's true, it's very bad. https://censor.net/en/news/3558282/chosen-company-commander-o-leary-on-problems-with-quality-of-ukrainian-armed-forces-officer-corps

[N0TZU]

I hope that you, Maryna and Kate remain safe, and that she is receiving the medical care she needs.

I don’t know how Zelensky can live with himself without doing everything possible to bring the children home. Isn’t this causing a great uproar among citizens to demand that he reverse himself?

Ryan O’Leary’s comments (and disbanding of his unit) are indeed disturbing. They have the ring of truth, given everything else you’ve described over the years.

[US7IGN]

The week flew by in the blink of an eye. The workload at work is such that yesterday I came home, ate and immediately fell asleep. Today I woke up with a headache from another call from work. Tomorrow I will also have to work almost the whole day.
I have only learned about air raids in recent nights from the messages that I see on my phone in the morning. I don’t hear anything at night, perhaps because there were no explosions in Kyiv itself. The new russian tactic of massively attacking individual cities with a large number of drones and missiles is paying off. Each attack causes great damage.

[US7IGN]

I hope that you, Maryna and Kate remain safe, and that she is receiving the medical care she needs.

They are already on the train and I hope they will reach Poland safely. For me, it is always a mixed feeling when they are here. On the one hand, I am glad to see them, but on the other hand, I stop worrying only when they cross the border from Ukraine. This time they found one of the biggest attacks on Kyiv. The death toll was more than 20 people. https://gordonua.com/ukr/news/war/kilkist-zahiblikh-vnaslidok-rosijskoho-udaru-po-kijevu-zbilshilasja-do-28-1746181.html

That same morning, we watched as drones hit the same place several times nearby. It turned out to be a freeze-dried food factory, which probably supplied its products to the army, among other things. https://www.komersant.info/zbytky-ponad-milyon-dolariv-rosiia-znyshchyla-vyrobnytstvo-sublimovanykh-kharchiv-dlia-viyskovykh/

It burned for a long time, black smoke was half way up in the sky, and there must have been large supplies in the warehouses. If the russians don’t mind a few drones even on such a relatively small target, and it was successfully hit, then this indicates that in the event of an attempt to launch a more or less important production in Ukraine, it will be quickly destroyed.

The Zaporizhzhia Non-Ferrous Metals Plant of Electro Cable Group was also damaged in the missile strike on Zaporizhzhia. This plant is one of the largest manufacturers of cable and wire products in Ukraine and the leader in Ukraine in the production of copper and power flexible cable up to 1 kV, as well as the largest exporter of cable to EU countries. https://biz.liga.net/ua/all/all/novosti/rosiia-vdaryla-kalibramy-po-naybilshomu-v-ukraini-zavodu-z-vyrobnytstva-kabeliu-foto

On the night of June 21, Kremenchuk and the region were attacked by suicide bombers and rockets. The energy infrastructure was under attack. According to local channels, a lot of explosions were heard in Kremenchuk, there were many fires in the city. For several hours, the city was hit from the air, first by suicide bombers, and then by rockets. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/334168-rf-nanesla-massirovannyy-udar-po-kremenchugu-est-popadaniya-po-energetike

Undoubtedly, the situation will only get worse.

NHK has learned that North Korea is considering sending workers to a drone manufacturer in russia to boost production in exchange for training in how to operate the unmanned aircraft. The factory in question is said to be in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in the central russian republic of Tatarstan. A total of 25,000 workers from North Korea are to be dispatched there. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250619_05/

Open-source intelligence suggests that russia is increasing its T-90M tank production capabilities. Georgia-based open-source intelligence organization Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) reported on June 20 that an unnamed "reliable analytical source" stated that russia's annual production rate of T-90M tanks was roughly 280 T-90M tanks as of 2024. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-20-2025

[ke6sls]

Greetings Wlad et al,

I'm happy to hear of your visit with Maryna & Kate.  I hope you all learn what has happened with Kate!

The cats & myself are doing okay.  Yesterday was summer solstice and it's hard to fathom that half of 2025 is now in the past!

My friend has had many troubles.  The largest problem is rapid onset of dementia.  In something like 6 weeks she went for a normal mental state to being unable to figure out what day it is.  She can't figure out a TV remote, and has difficulty trying to use a land line telephone.

I am now taking over her finances and making sure bills/rent are paid.

There are three of us sharing her care duties, the other two, a married couple both work full time, so it has been difficult for all of us.

There's an organization called "Visiting Angels" who provide people to care for elderly/disabled.  It is expensive, but has been a huge help to her, and to us.  They now show up three times per week for several hours and do basic house chores, help her bath, shopping etc.

Next week, I will take her to her primary doctor for a cognitive test.  I hope this well lead to a referral to a medical psychiatrist.  From what I can find (and almost understand) this is very abnormal and it could be treatable.  I am keeping my fingers crossed we find the correct path to help for her.

There is very little to read about Ukraine here.  You're reports, though sad, are very informative.

My country is in deep trouble.  I hope history won't be repeated.

Stay strong om, 73

Jaye

[US7IGN]

Greetings Wlad et al,

I'm happy to hear of your visit with Maryna & Kate.  I hope you all learn what has happened with Kate!

Jaye

Hi Jaye!

It`s always very nice to hear from you too!

They are already in Krakow. This time Kate got new glasses and decided to try lenses, because it is not comfortable to wear glasses while doing sports. She also visited several doctors and passed tests. Fortunately, the doctors did not find anything serious, but considering heredity, a cardiologist's consultation was not superfluous. At the same time, we found out that Maryna had similar problems in childhood, but then they passed. Perhaps the real reason for her poor condition was the extraordinary workload in studies and we hope that Kate will rest and recover over the summer. If at the beginning of the school year she was not sure that she would be able to stay at the lyceum even for six months, now her grades are no worse than others and she is not going to stop. One of the main topics of our conversations was what they would do if something happened to me. No one has a clear answer to this, but Kate has a clear understanding that the more she manages now, the easier it will be for her later.

The cats & myself are doing okay.  Yesterday was summer solstice and it's hard to fathom that half of 2025 is now in the past!

My friend has had many troubles.  The largest problem is rapid onset of dementia.  In something like 6 weeks she went for a normal mental state to being unable to figure out what day it is.  She can't figure out a TV remote, and has difficulty trying to use a land line telephone.

It's good that you and the cats are doing well! Kate wondered if I should get another pet, but I don't want to. I have enough worries and uncertainty as it is.

You reminded me of how many lonely people with illnesses and other problems live in Ukraine, relying only on themselves...

My country is in deep trouble.  I hope history won't be repeated.

I may sound cynical, but after the IAEA reports that no traces of nuclear contamination were observed at the sites of strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-on-developments-in-iran-3 , it all seems to me to be another deception and a fabricated pretext for an attack to change the regime, as was the case with "chemical weapons" in Iraq or "Nazis" in Ukraine. But as in previous cases, this only led to even worse consequences and simply the destruction of another country and millions of deaths.

One can only think about who benefited from disrupting the negotiations and the possible conclusion of a nuclear agreement between the US and Iran. However, on a large chessboard you can't see people and their lives, even countries look like symbols. I once heard about an interesting practice of re-educating drunk drivers, who were punished by helping the police remove corpses from mangled cars or collecting their parts from the road. It would be interesting to see the US presidential administration or the Israeli Cabinet in full force, which would dismantle the rubble in Gaza, removing dead children from them.

The main danger for the United States now is that the war does not spread to its territory. As practice and the recent attack by Ukrainian drones on strategic bombers in russia at its remote bases show, to destroy them, the drones were assembled and launched directly on russian territory.

[N0TZU]

Good to hear that nothing serious was indicated for Kate’s condition and that she and Maryna are safe back in Poland. Hopefully less stress or perhaps relaxation techniques will help. Medical diagnoses and treatments that must rely on a process of elimination are very frustrating. It’s interesting that her mother had a similar condition that resolved spontaneously. There’s so much more for medical science to understand.

I don’t (yet) share your cynicism about the lack of radiation at the bombed Iranian nuclear sites. There are a number of other possibilities such as that the sites are for processing, not storage of fissile material, and uranium hexafloride processed in centrifuges is not very radioactive. Any enriched uranium was likely moved to other locations for storage, especially after Trump made public threats, or even earlier after Israeli attacks began. We don’t know much because in 2018 IAEA access was restricted by Iran as a result of the US unilaterally withdrawing from the JCPOA and reimposing sanctions.

I entirely share your concern about attacks on the US by Iran or proxies. Probably this will begin at US manned locations around the world but soon within our borders. Or perhaps sleeper agents already here will strike as soon as possible.

All of which will reduce attention on the war in Ukraine, making it even easier for the US administration to ignore it and emboldening Putin further in Ukraine and elsewhere. As usual, his propaganda machinery will add to the chaos and uncertainty in order to make the world more pliable for long term Russian objectives.

[US7IGN]

This night was again very noisy and fortunately there were no hits in my area. But at least nine people have been killed and several injured in an overnight russian missile and drone attack in the Kyiv region, the interior minister has said. At least six of those killed were in a high-rise building in the capital, Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko said. The city's military administration said a further 33 people had been injured. In the latest barrage, 352 russian drones and 16 missiles targeted Ukrainian territory, mostly in the Kyiv area, the Ukrainian air force said.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0k7vll16l3o

I worked almost all Sunday, slept very little at night, and barely understood what was being discussed at the morning online meeting at 8 a.m. But I still turned out to be one of the most active participants, considering that almost half of the invitees didn't connect at all.

Although most Ukrainians also follow what is happening in Iran, only a small part of them paid attention to the fact that in addition to enemy attacks, several interesting things happened in Ukraine last week.

On June 18, the Parliament adopted a bill on multiple citizenship. The issue of recognizing multiple citizenships will depend on whether it is the citizenship of a country included in the list of the Cabinet of Ministers - and it will form the list at its own discretion. At the same time, the bill does not specify how often the Cabinet of Ministers can change the list of such countries.
https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/333902-verkhovnaya-rada-prinyala-zakon-o-mnozhestvennom-grazhdanstve

The purpose and consequences of the adoption of this law are not entirely clear, and for those Ukrainians for whom citizenship automatically became slavery, nothing has changed - the termination of Ukrainian citizenship is possible only after the issuance of a corresponding presidential decree, which has not been done for many years.

On June 19, the Parliament adopted a resolution on the All-Ukrainian Children's and Youth Military-Patriotic Game "Jura". The game "Jura" is held with the aim of forming patriotic and defense consciousness in children and youth.

The game is aimed, in particular, at acquiring primary general military and special competencies by young people, including additional specializations, in particular "Jura-Defender", "Jura-Paratrooper", "Jura-Border Guard", "Jura-Guard", "Jura-Policeman", necessary for upholding the state independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, protecting the state border, ensuring security and law and order in the country. https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/334050-dzhura-pogranichnik-i-dzhura-politseyskiy-verkhovnaya-rada-prinyala-postanovlenie-o-vseukrainskoy-detsko-yunosheskoy-voenno-patrioticheskoy-igre-dzhura

What a beautiful demonstration of double standards! Not so long ago, our propagandists were condemning russia for doing the same thing.

Zelensky finally banned the appointment of military personnel with higher education in psychology, medicine, pharmacy, and rehabilitation to military positions not related to the medical service. https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/333546-voennosluzhaschikh-s-vysshim-psikhologicheskim-ili-meditsinskim-obrazovaniem-zapretyat-naznachat-na-dolzhnosti-ne-svyazannye-s-medsluzhboy-zelenskiy-podpisal-ukaz
Perhaps one day the turn will come for engineers and other highly qualified specialists who choose to flee Ukraine, not wanting to die as privates storming another landing?

But this problem is not new. Walter Schellenberg wrote in his memoirs that the front was making ever greater demands, and too often the people it needed were doing the wrong work. He gave several examples: an economics specialist who had worked for a long time in Argentina served as a clerk at the headquarters of one of the divisions on the Eastern Front; a great expert on Portugal was a gunner in an anti-aircraft battery; an excellent photochemist, who was absolutely necessary for work in the technical department, was an assistant cook in a front-line hospital. (Only in 1943, with the help of Himmler, was it possible to obtain such personnel through exchange).

According to the Kharkiv Oblast Bar Council, one of the men who was excluded from military registration was forcibly mobilized in violation of current legislation. A lawyer arrived at the premises to protect the rights of this citizen.

However, while performing his professional duties, the lawyer was physically attacked by the mobilization center employees, as a result of which he suffered a broken leg, numerous bruises, and was hospitalized. After that, the mobilization center employees continued to detain the man, applying physical and psychological pressure to him for over 16 hours. As a result of these actions, the man jumped out of the building window.

“This is not an isolated case. Impunity and arbitrariness in the system lead to tragedies. Suicide attempts within the walls of the mobilization center are becoming the new norm. This is not just a violation, it is a system of torture and humiliation that destroys people and trust in the Law,” the Kharkiv Oblast Bar Council commented on the event. https://unba.org.ua/news/10452-chergovij-konflikt-z-tck-advokatu-zlamali-nogu-a-jogo-klient-vikinuvsya-z-vikna.html

In Ukraine, more than 900 criminal proceedings have been opened against employees of mobilization centers for abuse, excess of authority and violence. Dozens of cases have been filed with the courts, but there have been no verdicts yet. This was stated by Andriy Zhohan, Deputy Director of the Special Prosecutor's Office of the Prosecutor General's Office, during a meeting of the temporary investigative commission on violations of the law during mobilization. https://unn.ua/news/maizhe-1000-sprav-vidkryto-stosovno-viiskovosluzhbovtsiv-ttsk

It must be remembered that not all cases of violations of the law reach an investigation.

I caught myself thinking that lately you've been paying even less attention to corruption scandals than to yet another drone flying overhead. But one of the latter demonstrated that Zelensky has begun to lose control of his surroundings.

Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine reported suspicions of Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov in abusing his official position and receiving illegal benefits on a particularly large scale. The day before, he returned to Ukraine amid rumors that he was hiding from the investigation.
In recent days, a scandal has shaken Ukrainian politics and social networks about him. A number of people's deputies and the media drew attention to the fact that the minister did not return from a business trip to Ukraine even to participate in a forum organized by his ministry.
It got to the point that the head of government Denys Shmyhal, as well as President Volodymyr Zelensky in parliament, had to comment on the minister's European tour.
But those few days abroad were enough for the Internet to be filled with jokes about the fact that even the minister responsible for the return of Ukrainians from abroad had fled Ukraine.
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c2le9k1gvq8o

Also very interesting is the Politico article about Andriy Yermak. Amid the pitched political battles that have engulfed Washington over Ukraine, there is one rare point of bipartisan consensus: Everyone has had it with Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The second most powerful man in Ukraine, Yermak has been a particularly frustrating interlocutor for the Trump administration, according to 10 people familiar with his interactions.

People familiar with the U.S.-Ukraine relationship and Kyiv’s backers in Washington fear that the friction wrought by Yermak could quickly spread to undermine his country’s standing with its most vital partner. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/19/ukraine-andriy-yermak-frustrates-trump-administration-00414197

And finally, it turned out that the popular Ukrainian investigative journalist Denys Bigus is a freelance employee of the Military Counterintelligence Department of the Security Service of Ukraine. Source: https://censor.net/ua/n3558906

[US7IGN]

I don’t (yet) share your cynicism about the lack of radiation at the bombed Iranian nuclear sites. There are a number of other possibilities such as that the sites are for processing, not storage of fissile material, and uranium hexafloride processed in centrifuges is not very radioactive. Any enriched uranium was likely moved to other locations for storage, especially after Trump made public threats, or even earlier after Israeli attacks began. We don’t know much because in 2018 IAEA access was restricted by Iran as a result of the US unilaterally withdrawing from the JCPOA and reimposing sanctions.

I entirely share your concern about attacks on the US by Iran or proxies. Probably this will begin at US manned locations around the world but soon within our borders. Or perhaps sleeper agents already here will strike as soon as possible.

It seems that there is an agreement between Trump and putin on the division of spheres of influence. And this gives hope that russia will refuse to support Iran and will not provide it with its nuclear weapons. Also, this war is beneficial for both the USA and russia due to the increase in oil prices, which weakens their common enemies - Europe and China. The only risk is that refugees from Iran can go to russia through Armenia, but perhaps for russia this will be another source of people due to the demographic crisis.

Against the background of Iran's attack on Qatar, it also seems that the USA has finally successfully used the fact that their Arab allies in the region do not feel anything in common with the Persians, and the fact that both are Muslims is offset by the differences between Shiites and Sunnis.

And all this undoubtedly worsens the situation in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Brigadier General Gennady Shapovalov as Commander of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. https://mind.ua/news/20290824-novim-komanduvachem-suhoputnih-vijsk-stav-gennadij-shapovalov

I don't know if these rotations will help change anything in the army if there is not enough money and weapons to equip it.

Next year, Ukrainians will face an austerity budget. The Ministry of Finance did not have time (but should have) to approve the Budget Declaration by June 1. In the Verkhovna Rada, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko explained: it is necessary to reduce the deficit to 9.5% of GDP (currently 19.4% of GDP). That is, it is necessary to somehow cut hundreds of billions of hryvnias in expenditures. The IMF demands such a reduction, in particular, guided by its forecast for the end of the war in 2025.

If security risks disappear next year (i.e., the full-scale war will end in 2025), this will allow reducing military spending and also accelerate the process of economic recovery. But for now, it is difficult to claim that the end of the war will take place this year. The Ministry of Finance cannot hope for this option and count on it as the only possible one. https://yvu.com.ua/nastupnogo-roku-ukrayintsiv-chekaye-byudzhet-zhorstkoyi-ekonomiyi/

Also, things are happening that were impossible a year ago. US special envoy Keith Kellogg visited Minsk, Belarus' capital, on Saturday and held a meeting with the country's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko. The Belarusian leader has been isolated by Western politicians for many years.

The purpose of the visit and its consequences are unclear, but it resulted in the release of several political prisoners, including an opposition activist Sergey Tikhanovsky. In the case of Tikhanovsky, it appears Lukashenko calculated that he had more to gain geopolitically by releasing a prominent prisoner than he would risk by letting him go.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9397rrkwedo

[N0TZU]

Wlad, it’s truly remarkable that you stay so informed in detail about a multitude of things in Ukraine and around the world despite your heavy workload, daily difficulties from the war, and staying connected to family and friends.

[US7IGN]

Wlad, it’s truly remarkable that you stay so informed in detail about a multitude of things in Ukraine and around the world despite your heavy workload, daily difficulties from the war, and staying connected to family and friends.

Despite the fact that every day is planned almost to the minute, I don’t have time to do much of what I would like. Lately I have been forced to work late at night and on weekends. I am not the only one like that in the company, although this does not make it easier for us. In order not to undermine my health, I try to sleep at least 7 hours a day under any circumstances.

Now I have less time to read the news, but I have found a way to practice English and learn the latest news at the same time. During my commute to work, I listen to the news on the BBC podcast. In addition to the news itself, you learn a lot of interesting things from the comments of the presenters. This allows you to better understand how people live in England and what to expect in Ukraine.

On June 25, Ukraine signed an agreement with the Council of Europe to establish a Special Tribunal for the crime of russian aggression against Ukraine. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-polytics/4008380-zelenskij-pidpisav-ugodu-z-radou-evropi-pro-stvorenna-spectribunalu.html

The russian Foreign Ministry stated that it will not recognize the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression of the russian Federation against Ukraine, and warned third countries against joining it. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-world/4008681-u-rf-zaavili-so-ne-viznavatimut-spectribunal-sodo-zlocinu-agresii-proti-ukraini.html

The White House on Wednesday recommended terminating U.S. funding for nearly two dozen programs that conduct war crimes and accountability work globally, including in Myanmar, Syria and on alleged russian atrocities in Ukraine, according to two U.S. sources familiar with the matter and internal government documents reviewed by Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/white-house-wants-major-cut-us-war-crimes-accountability-funding-sources-say-2025-06-26/

On Thursday, June 26, the European Council failed to unanimously adopt a statement in support of Ukraine. 26 out of 27 EU member states voted in favor of the document, with only Hungary opposing it. This was stated in a communiqué published on the European Council website. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/06/26/european-council-26-june-2025-ukraine/

The European Union must increase spending on security and defense to implement a plan to become more defensive within five years, the European Council said in its conclusions after the NATO summit. But in addition to allocating money, it must also create the necessary capacity to produce weapons or buy them, for example, from the United States.

By playing to the Trump’s ego, the alliance has strengthened its bonds with its biggest financial backer. When the president spoke of Iran and Israel as if they were squabbling children who had to be separated, the head of Nato Mark Rutte helpfully interjected: “Daddy has to sometimes use strong language.” He was rewarded with a self-satisfied smile from the target of the adulation. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/25/how-nato-conquered-trump/

A wonderful lesson in diplomacy!

President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared at the NATO summit in a black outfit that resembles a classic suit. The media noted that the President wore a suit for the first time, instead of the usual military style. https://sud.ua/uk/news/video/334450-vladimir-zelenskiy-smenil-obraz-dlya-sammita-nato-video

For some reason, I remembered the brilliant Orwell and his Animal Farm.

It was just after the sheep had returned, on a pleasant evening when the animals had finished work and were making their way back to the farm buildings, that the terrified neighing of a horse sounded from the yard. Startled, the animals stopped in their tracks. It was Clover's voice. She neighed again, and all the animals broke into a gallop and rushed into the yard. Then they saw what Clover had seen.

It was a pig walking on his hind legs.

Yes, it was Squealer. A little awkwardly, as though not quite used to supporting his considerable bulk in that position, but with perfect balance, he was strolling across the yard. And a moment later, out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs, all walking on their hind legs. Some did it better than others, one or two were even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick, but every one of them made his way right round the yard successfully. And finally there was a tremendous baying of dogs and a shrill crowing from the black cockerel, and out came Napoleon himself, majestically upright, casting haughty glances from side to side, and with his dogs gambolling round him.

He carried a whip in his trotter.

After that it did not seem strange when next day the pigs who were supervising the work of the farm all carried whips in their trotters. It did not seem strange to learn that the pigs had bought themselves a wireless set, were arranging to install a telephone, and had taken out subscriptions to 'John Bull', 'Tit-Bits', and the 'Daily Mirror'. It did not seem strange when Napoleon was seen strolling in the farmhouse garden with a pipe in his mouth—no, not even when the pigs took Mr. Jones's clothes out of the wardrobes and put them on, Napoleon himself appearing in a black coat, ratcatcher breeches, and leather leggings, while his favourite sow appeared in the watered silk dress which Mrs. Jones had been used to wearing on Sundays.