Key developments on June 23:
- 'It was inconceivable to take a look at' — Russian mass missile, drone assault on Kyiv kills a minimum of 9, injures 33
- Ukraine strikes Atlas oil depot in Russia's Rostov Oblast, Common Employees says
- Ukraine returns our bodies of three Russian troopers repatriated as stays of Ukrainians, Inside Ministry says
- Norway’s Kongsberg opens workplace in Ukraine to co-produce air protection, drones
- After 40 months of waging full-scale struggle on Ukraine, Putin condemns 'unprovoked aggression in opposition to Iran'
Russia launched a mass missile and drone assault on Kyiv in a single day on June 23, killing a minimum of 9 individuals and injuring 33 others, together with 4 kids, native officers reported.
Kyiv Unbiased journalists heard explosions and kamikaze drones flying overhead from round 1 a.m. Louder explosions from ballistic missiles had been heard an hour later, with the assault lasting round 3.5 hours in whole.
The heaviest injury occurred within the Shevchenkivskyi district of town, when a five-story constructing partially collapsed after being hit by a ballistic missile, Ukraine's navy reported. No less than 9 individuals died consequently.
An 11-year-old lady was confirmed because the ninth sufferer of the strike, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Metropolis Navy Administration, mentioned. Her mom's physique was recovered earlier from the rubble.
Casualties had been additionally reported in different areas across the capital in Kyiv Oblast, together with Bucha, a city simply northwest of Kyiv.
In keeping with the Ukrainian Air Pressure, Russia deployed 368 aerial weapons, together with 352 assault drones, 11 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, and 5 Iskander-Ok cruise missiles, putting primarily Kyiv. Ukraine's air defenses destroyed 354 of them.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the assault, noting that whereas Moscow had beforehand criticized strikes on Iran's nuclear program, it remained silent following its personal "cynical" bombardment of Kyiv with Shahed drones and missiles.
The assault on the capital comes simply days after Russia launched one in every of its largest assaults on Kyiv, killing 28 individuals and injuring 134 others.
Russia's newest spherical of large-scale assaults comes as Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi warned on June 21 that Russian forces are trying to advance alongside nearly all the entrance in jap Ukraine whereas attempting to determine a buffer zone in northeastern Sumy Oblast.
The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko
Ukraine strikes Atlas oil depot in Russia's Rostov Oblast, Common Employees says
Ukraine's Armed Forces struck the Atlas oil depot in Russia's Rostov Oblast in a single day on June 23, the Common Employees reported.
The assault ignited a hearth on the website, with Ukrainian forces saying the strike had reached its meant goal. The ability provides gasoline and lubricants to Russian navy models.
Yuri Slyusar, the performing governor of Rostov Oblast, confirmed {that a} hearth occurred at an industrial facility after the assault. He added that nobody was injured.
The total extent of the injury remains to be being assessed, in response to the navy.
Situated close to the Azov Sea and bordering Ukraine, Rostov Oblast performs an important logistical position for Russia's struggle effort as a result of its proximity to front-line operations. The identical depot was beforehand focused in November 2024.
"The protection forces proceed to take all measures to undermine the navy and financial potential of the Russian occupiers and pressure the Russian Federation to cease its armed aggression in opposition to Ukraine," the Common Employees mentioned.
The strike is a part of Ukraine's broader marketing campaign geared toward disrupting Russian provide chains and degrading its capability to maintain the full-scale invasion.
Gasoline depots, rail infrastructure, and ammunition stockpiles inside Russia and occupied territories have more and more turn out to be targets for long-range drone and missile strikes.
The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell
Ukraine returns our bodies of three Russian troopers repatriated as stays of Ukrainians, Inside Ministry says
Ukraine has returned the stays of three Russians who had been handed over to Kyiv as a part of an trade of fallen troopers' our bodies, Inside Minister Ihor Klymenko instructed Interfax Ukraine on June 23.
Ukraine has mentioned the observe of passing off the our bodies of Russian troopers as Ukrainian is a part of an try and obscure the dimensions of its navy losses from the Russian public, and a minimum of 20 such incidents have been recorded throughout latest repatriations performed underneath the Istanbul agreements.
Russia didn’t touch upon the invention made by the Ukrainian facet, whereas Klymenko mentioned throughout a press convention on June 23 that it may very well be achieved to "sow chaos" in the course of the identification of the troopers' our bodies.
Private badges, chevrons, paperwork, navy uniforms components, and footwear typical of the Russian Armed Forces had been discovered in the course of the our bodies' examination, transferred by Russia to Ukraine, Ukraine's Inside Ministry mentioned.
In keeping with Klymenko, the our bodies had been transferred to Russia after affirmation that they belonged to Russians. The opposite 17 our bodies haven’t but been handed over to Moscow, as examinations proceed.
"We’re ready for the DNA of relations. Due to this fact, we wish the relations (of Russians) to submit their DNA in order that we are able to affirm," Klymenko instructed Interfax Ukraine. "I gave an order to ban the discharge of those our bodies to the Russians till there’s a 100% affirmation."
The Inside Ministry's specialists conduct as much as 10,000 examinations monthly to determine people, and one fragment of stays will be examined as much as 5 instances, Klymenko mentioned.
"The our bodies of our heroes come again extraordinarily mutilated. There are goal causes for this, resembling an ongoing struggle and widespread use of weapons. On the similar time, now we have recorded circumstances when the stays of 1 individual had been returned throughout totally different levels of repatriation, which complicates our work," Klymenko mentioned.
The June 2 negotiations in Istanbul resulted in essentially the most expansive prisoner and physique trade settlement of the full-scale struggle, though no ceasefire was reached.
Ukraine acquired a complete of 6,057 our bodies of its fallen troopers as a part of the phased trade. Russia, in response to Kremlin aide and negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, took again 78.
Explaining the distinction between the 2 numbers, President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 20 mentioned that the our bodies of the overwhelming majority of Russian troopers presently killed on the battlefield stay in Russian arms.
"They had been advancing, and their useless remained within the territory the place they had been," he mentioned.
Russia accused Kyiv on June 7 of rejecting a proposed physique return, publishing footage allegedly displaying Ukrainian corpses saved in refrigeration models. Ukraine dismissed the claims, saying the footage was filmed on Russian territory, not at a chosen handover website.
Kyiv has persistently referred to as for an "all-for-all" trade of prisoners of struggle, however Moscow has thus far refused to comply with a complete swap.
The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek
Norway to take a position $400 million in Ukraine's drone, air protection missile manufacturing
Norway will make investments $400 million in Ukraine's protection trade to assist drone and air protection missile manufacturing, President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned in his nightly tackle on June 22.
The announcement adopted a go to to Ukraine by Norwegian Protection Minister Tore Onshuus Sandvik.
"At present, Norway’s protection minister visited Ukraine. A call has been reached to take a position $400 million in our manufacturing – new funding, primarily for drones," Zelensky mentioned.
Zelensky added that the 2 nations are additionally working collectively to determine joint air protection manufacturing inside Ukraine.
"We’re working collectively to create all the mandatory situations to supply air protection programs in Ukraine — collectively with companions, collectively with Norway," Zelensky mentioned.
He added that Norway's largest protection firm – Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace – has already opened an workplace in Ukraine as a part of the cooperation.
"We’re expediting all processes to the utmost extent," Zelensky mentioned.
On X, Norway's protection ministry confirmed that Kongsberg has signed settlement with a serious Ukrainian firm to collectively develop and produce missiles for air protection programs in Ukraine.
The collaboration will deal with producing missiles for the Nationwide Superior Floor-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS.
"The Norwegian NASAMS system saves lives in Ukraine on daily basis, and is essential in defending crucial infrastructure. That’s the reason it’s important for the Norwegian Authorities to finance this growth of cheaper missiles for the NASAMS system in Ukraine," mentioned Minister Sandvik.
The announcement marks deepening ties between Kyiv and Oslo as Ukraine seeks to increase its home protection trade amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion and diminished navy assist from the USA.
The Kyiv IndependentNatalia Yermak
After 40 months of waging full-scale struggle on Ukraine, Putin condemns 'unprovoked aggression in opposition to Iran'
Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned U.S. strikes on Iran as "fully unprovoked aggression," greater than three years into his fully unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Putin made the feedback on the Kremlin throughout a gathering with Iran's International Minister Abbas Araghchi on June 23, after U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of profitable air strikes on three nuclear amenities in Iran, Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, performed in coordination with Israel over the weekend.
"The fully unprovoked aggression in opposition to Iran has no foundation and no justification," Putin mentioned, including that Russia "is making efforts to offer help to the Iranian individuals."
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has killed tens of 1000’s of Ukrainian civilians, and the true extent of the dying toll is solely not identified.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was a transparent and direct violation of each worldwide regulation and the UN Constitution.
Earlier on June 23, President Volodymyr Zelensky on highlighted Russia's hypocrisy for describing U.S. strikes on Iran as "grossly violating worldwide regulation" simply hours earlier than launching one more lethal mass missile and drone strike on Ukraine.
"After the strikes on Iran's nuclear amenities, there was an uproar from Moscow," Zelensky said.
"The Russian management demonstratively condemned the 'missile and bomb' actions. At present, Moscow is silent — after its personal military launched a cynical assault utilizing Russian-Iranian 'Shaheds' and missiles on civilian infrastructure in Kyiv and different cities."
Moscow on June 22 condemned the latest U.S. strikes in opposition to Iranian nuclear amenities.
"The irresponsible choice to topic the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb strikes, it doesn’t matter what arguments are used, is grossly violating worldwide regulation, the U.N. Constitution, and the resolutions of the U.N. Safety Council," the Russian International Ministry mentioned in an announcement.
In a single day on June 23, a devastating Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv killed a minimum of 7 individuals and injured dozens extra, together with kids.
The assault was one of many largest air assaults on the capital this 12 months, with 368 aerial weapons launched, together with 159 Iranian-made Shahed drones and 16 missiles, in response to Ukraine's Air Pressure.
Russia has deepened navy and political ties with Tehran since, and Iran has provided Moscow with 1000’s of Shahed-type assault drones utilized in routine strikes on Ukrainian cities, in addition to short-range ballistic missiles.
Russia and Iran have cooperated to develop their very own nuclear packages as each nations face Western sanctions. Russia provided Iran with the Center East's first nuclear energy plant regardless of objections from the West.
Word from the writer:
Ukraine Struggle Newest is put collectively by the Kyiv Unbiased information desk staff, who preserve you knowledgeable 24 hours a day, seven days per week. In the event you worth our work and need to guarantee now we have the assets to proceed, join the Kyiv Independent community.