One of many deadliest assaults since July 2024: UN reacts to Russian strike on Kyiv
The UN Monitoring Mission acknowledged that the Russian assault on Kyiv on June 17 was the deadliest in a yr, claiming the lives of 14 civilians. A complete of 15 lifeless and 139 wounded throughout Ukraine.
A U.S. authorities working group that formulated methods for pressuring Russia into peace talks and ending the conflict in Ukraine has been disbanded by the White Home, Reuters reported on June 17.
Officers cited by the information outlet stated it was established this spring however grew to become more and more irrelevant because it grew to become clear U.S. President Donald Trump wasn't prepared to use any concrete stress on Moscow throughout peace talks.
"It misplaced steam towards the top as a result of the president wasn't there. As an alternative of doing extra, perhaps he needed to do much less," an nameless official stated.
As Ukraine and the U.S. proceed to push for an unconditional ceasefire, Russia has maintained maximalist calls for and rejected all such proposals.
On the identical time it has escalated assaults on Ukrainian civilians, killing at the least 15 folks and injuring scores of others within the newest assault on Kyiv in a single day on June 17.
Trump has expressed frustration with Moscow's intransigence and rising violence however has but to impose any new sanctions on Russia.
On June 16 whereas talking in Canada forward of a G7 summit, Trump stated barring Russia from the G8 for its invasion of Ukraine in 2017 had been a "mistake."
In line with Reuters, the working group, staffed by officers from the Nationwide Safety Council, State Division, Treasury Division, the Pentagon and intelligence group, was decimated in a purge of personnel round three weeks in the past.
Trump pledged to "cease the wars" when he was elected U.S. president for the second time however after simply 5 months in workplace, the world is a much more violent place.
In addition to Russia escalating assaults on Ukraine, Israel and Iran are actually locked in a battle that additional threatens stability within the Center East.
The ECHR will announce its choice within the case in opposition to Russia for the downing of MH17 and human rights violations in Donbas on July 9
The long-awaited choice of the worldwide court docket concerning the downing of passenger flight MH17 and numerous Russia's crimes in opposition to humanity in Donbas will probably be introduced by the ECHR on July 9. The case known as "Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russian Federation".
Emergency providers in Kyiv have recovered fragments of cluster munitions following the in a single day Russian missile and drone assault on June 17, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported, calling it additional proof of Russia's "genocide" in opposition to Ukrainians.
"Within the capital's Nyvky neighborhood, emergency staff at the moment are discovering these sorts of cluster munition components," Klitschko mentioned in an announcement shared on social media. "One other clear signal of the genocide Russia is committing in opposition to Ukrainians."
Cluster munitions are banned below worldwide legislation by greater than 100 international locations resulting from their indiscriminate nature and the long-term risk they pose to civilians, particularly when unexploded submunitions stay hidden in residential areas.
Whereas Russia and Ukraine should not signatories to the Conference on Cluster Munitions, worldwide humanitarian organizations have repeatedly condemned using such weapons in populated areas. Ukraine makes use of cluster munitions on the battlefield in opposition to Russian forces.
The mayor's feedback got here hours after one of many largest and deadliest assaults on the Ukrainian capital in months, wherein at the least 15 individuals had been killed and almost 100 injured. The Russian strike, which lasted almost 9 hours, included waves of kamikaze drones, ballistic missiles, and what authorities now affirm had been banned explosive components.
President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to as the assault "one of the horrifying assaults on Kyiv," saying greater than 440 drones and 32 missiles had been launched throughout Ukraine in a single day.
"Such assaults are pure terrorism," he mentioned in an announcement on social media. "And the entire world, the U.S., and Europe should lastly reply as civilized societies reply to terrorists."
Zelensky confirmed that harm had been reported in eight districts of Kyiv, with emergency staff nonetheless looking for survivors beneath the rubble of a destroyed condo block.
He added that strikes additionally hit Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv areas. "Fifteen individuals are confirmed lifeless. My condolences to their households and family members," Zelensky mentioned.
International Minister Andrii Sybiha additionally condemned the assault, calling it a "large and brutal strike" timed intentionally to coincide with the G7 summit, which is going down in Canada on June 16-17.
Russian Safety Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Pyongyang on June 17 on a "particular project" from President Vladimir Putin, Russian state-controlled information company TASS reported on June 17.
Shoigu is anticipated to satisfy with North Korean chief Kim Jong Un through the go to, TASS mentioned, citing a correspondent on the bottom. The aim of the go to has not been formally disclosed, but it surely comes amid intensifying army cooperation between the 2 nations.
North Korea has emerged as one among Russia's closest army companions throughout its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since late 2023, Pyongyang has provided Moscow with hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, not less than 100 ballistic missiles, and reportedly deployed greater than 11,000 troops to help Russian operations in Ukraine’s border areas.
In response to a June 15 report from the UK's protection intelligence, over 6,000 North Korean troopers have been killed or wounded throughout operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast. The U.Okay. mentioned Pyongyang's losses account for greater than half of the North Korean contingent deployed to the area in fall 2024. British officers attributed the excessive casualties to extremely attritional floor assaults.
Earlier this 12 months, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Employees reported that North Korea despatched a further 3,000 troopers to Russia in January and February to replenish losses.
In June 2024, Russia and North Korea signed a mutual protection pact obligating each international locations to supply army help within the occasion of an exterior assault. Although North Korea solely publicly acknowledged its participation in Russia's battle in opposition to Ukraine in April 2025, open-source stories and intelligence assessments have indicated its involvement since not less than the autumn of 2024.
The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Crew (MSMT), a United Nations-affiliated watchdog, reported in Could that North Korea and Russia had engaged in "illegal army cooperation" in violation of a number of UN Safety Council resolutions. This included arms transfers, deployment of fight troops, petroleum exports to North Korea exceeding UN caps, and mutual army coaching.
In response to MSMT findings, Russian-flagged vessels delivered as much as 9 million rounds of artillery and a number of rocket launcher ammunition from North Korea to southwestern Russia in 2024 alone. These weapons had been subsequently utilized in assaults in opposition to Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets in cities together with Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.
Russia has additionally reportedly supplied superior army know-how to North Korea, together with ballistic missile steering techniques, digital warfare platforms, and short-range air protection techniques. One MSMT taking part state confirmed the switch of not less than one Pantsir-class car to Pyongyang.
Kim Jong Un described his nation's involvement in Russia's battle in opposition to Ukraine as a "sacred mission" throughout a public deal with in Could.
Shoigu's go to to North Korea comes amid intensified Russian aerial assaults throughout Ukraine, together with the usage of North Korean-made ballistic missiles containing elements sourced from third-party suppliers.
Through the night time air assault, railway infrastructure in Kyiv and the area, in addition to grain, have been broken. 440 drones and 32 missiles have been launched.
Editor's word: It is a growing story and is being up to date.
Russian drone strikes on Odesa early June 17 injured 13 individuals, together with one youngster, regional authorities mentioned.
All 13 victims have been hospitalized as of 6:30 a.m. native time, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported.
The assault additionally broken civilian infrastructure throughout town, together with residential buildings.
Emergency providers and volunteers are working on the scene to clear particles.
In a single day, Russia additionally launched a mass assault on Kyiv, injuring a minimum of 18 individuals.
Odesa, a port metropolis on Ukraine’s Black Beach with a inhabitants of round 1 million, has been a frequent goal of Russian assaults all through the full-scale battle.
russia struck Kyiv and its environment with 175 drones and at the very least 16 missiles, there’s destruction from the higher flooring to the basement – KMVA
At evening, Kyiv and its environment had been attacked by 175 drones, greater than 14 cruise missiles and a pair of ballistic missiles. A lot of the destruction is within the Solomyansky and Darnytsky districts.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen signed paperwork on bilateral cooperation between the 2 nations throughout Zelensky’s go to to Vienna on June 16.
Talking at a joint press convention, Zelensky stated that the agreements cowl key areas together with agriculture, reconstruction, and return of kidnapped Ukrainian kids from Russia.
Zelensky's go to to Austria comes a day earlier than his scheduled journey to Canada, the place he’ll attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit on June 17.
Whereas on the summit, he’s anticipated to fulfill with U.S. President Donald Trump to debate, amongst different matters, a possible buy of a U.S. navy assist package deal.
Based on Zelensky, discussions on the G7 summit will embrace the destiny of Moscow’s frozen property and the imposition of additional sanctions on Russian power exports.
Earlier than leaving Vienna, Zelensky is predicted to fulfill with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker to push for stronger sanctions in opposition to Russia.
"We’re relying on Austria’s help, each on the state and societal ranges, on a delicate situation for Ukraine: the presence of former Ukrainian officers and oligarchs who’re evading justice by hiding in Europe, together with Austria, and concealing stolen property," Zelensky added.
In 2014, U.S. prosecutors charged Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash with racketeering and bribery, and he was briefly arrested in Austria earlier than posting bail. The Ukrainian tycoon has to date averted extradition from Austria's capital, the place he resides.
Different wished Ukrainian high officers in Austria embrace ex-chairman of Constitutional Courtroom Oleksandr Tupytskyi. He was charged with unlawfully influencing and bribing a witness to induce false testimony, and giving false testimony himself.