Ukrainian UAV strike on Yelabuga: Common Employees confirms hit
On June 15, explosions rang out in Yelabuga. Ukrainian UAVs attacked the Russian drone manufacturing website. There are stories of wounded and one useless.
Ukrainian actor Yuriy Felipenko, who labored with Kyiv Impartial reporters, was killed on the frontline, his spouse Kateryna Motrych wrote on social media on June 15. Felipenko was well-known for his position within the 2024 tv collection “A Promise to God” earlier than becoming a member of the Achilles Strike Drone Battalion, then a part of Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade, in April 2024.
Having since been upgraded to a separate regiment and one of many founding models of the Line of Drones initiative, Achilles is likely one of the handiest drone models within the nation. “Yura was killed. Yura was, with out exaggeration, my world, my soul, my gentle. It’s inconceivable to convey this loss. I really feel like I’ve been destroyed,” Motrych wrote on her Instagram web page, accompanied by a photograph of Felipenko.
Troopers of the Achilles Strike Drone Battalion together with Ukrainian actor Yurii Felipenko (R) in a dugout close to Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, on Dec. 8, 2025. (Aria Shahrokhshahi/The Kyiv Impartial)
Felipenko's drone crew was featured in a report by the Kyiv Impartial on Ukraine's use of first-person view (FPV) drones towards Russian infantry assaults in December 2024 as they defended the realm round Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast. Particulars of Felipenko’s funeral might be introduced later, Motrych stated. Russia has killed quite a few actors, artists, and writers because the begin of the full-scale invasion. Many have fallen on the battlefield whereas others had been killed throughout assaults on civilian areas.
Ukraine has accomplished the repatriation section of fallen defenders by rail
The repatriation section of the our bodies of fallen defenders by rail has been accomplished, which accelerated supply to the areas for identification. The next phases can be carried out by street in response to the agreements.
The U.S. has not introduced any army help packages for Ukraine in virtually 5 months, pushing Kyiv to hunt new options. However time is working out rapidly as Russian troops slowly advance on the japanese entrance line and kit up for a brand new summer time offensive.
"Whereas Ukraine's dependence on the U.S. has lessened, U.S. help stays pivotal for sustaining battlefield effectiveness," Emil Kastehelmi, a Finnish army analyst and member of the Black Fowl Group open-source intelligence collective, advised the Kyiv Unbiased.
Since returning to the White Home, Donald Trump has chosen an uncanny technique to finish Russia's conflict towards Ukraine, largely anticipating that Moscow would simply cease.
Within the meantime, stockpiles of American weapons, which cowl almost 30% of all Western provides, are dwindling in Ukrainian warehouses, and the latest assertion by Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth, who introduced that army help to Ukraine could be reduce in 2026, introduced Ukraine into even better turmoil.
"The president and the administration are fascinated with 'peace,' which doesn't essentially imply justice, nevertheless," Federico Borsari, a fellow on the Middle for European Coverage Evaluation (CEPA), advised the Kyiv Unbiased.
"This place clearly undermines Ukraine's negotiating capital whereas emboldening the Kremlin to proceed with its army aggression with out actual penalties, for now," Borsari added.
How essential is US help for Ukraine?
All through the all-out conflict, the U.S. has supplied Ukraine with pivotal weapons and gear, which account for 30% of all weapons utilized by Ukrainian forces on the entrance, based on President Volodymyr Zelensky.
These weapons included a number of launch rocket methods, comparable to HIMARS and GMLRS guided missiles, which gave Ukraine a bonus on the entrance line in the summertime of 2022. Washington additionally gave Kyiv probably the most superior air protection system out there, the Patriot, in addition to long-range ATACMS missiles, which Ukrainian forces have used to strike deep into Russia.
"Ukraine's Armed Forces can face up to the absence of American weapons. However Ukrainian cities can't."
Over greater than three years of the full-scale conflict, Washington has supplied Ukraine with almost $74 billion in army help, based on the Ukraine Assist Tracker challenge performed by the Kiel Institute for the World Economic system (IfW Kiel).
There may be additionally $3.8 billion left over from the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) program that continues to be unused.
Nevertheless, contemplating Trump's earlier strikes, it’s questionable whether or not Ukraine will obtain the remaining help promised beneath the Joe Biden administration in full and on time.
In early June, Washington redirected 20,000 anti-drone missiles meant for Ukraine to the Center East, and in March, it briefly suspended all army shipments to Ukraine and the sharing of its intelligence after a heated argument within the Oval Workplace between Trump, Zelensky, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky within the Oval Workplace on the White Home on Feb. 28, 2025. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Put up by way of Getty Pictures)
Ukraine has no choice however to arrange for the worst if the U.S. refuses to offer additional help.
"If U.S. army help stops, it will have an effect on the Ukrainian capabilities considerably, however the affect could be gradual, not instantaneous, as there are stockpiles and there could be makes an attempt to resolve points by other ways," army analyst Kastehelmi mentioned.
"The impact could be a continuously degrading set of capabilities, however the consequence would depend upon European response and efforts to repair probably the most vital points," he added.
Following the momentary suspension of U.S. army help and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, Kyiv's European companions mentioned they have been able to do extra to satisfy its conflict wants.
Amid the looming Russian risk, the European Fee additionally offered on March 4 the ReArm Europe plan, which goals to strengthen the continent's protection capabilities. The plan is designed for 10 years and is value 800 billion euros ($842 billion) in protection expenditures, together with 150 billion euros ($158 billion) in loans to EU member states to put money into their protection sectors.
"We might quickly see contracts being signed for the direct buy of weapons, possible utilizing the funds from frozen Russian property and even funds from European companions."
In line with European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, the initiative will even enable EU nations to extend their assist for Ukraine "considerably."
But, this spring, Europe was removed from prepared to completely change U.S. help, based on a research by the Kiel Institute.
The Kiel Institute estimated that to succeed in the goal stage of assist for Ukraine, Germany wanted to extend its annual spending from $ 6.7 billion to $ 10.2 billion, France from $ 1.7 billion to $ 6.7 billion, Italy from $ 905 million to $ 5.1 billion, Spain from $565 million to $ 3.4 billion per yr, and the U.Ok. from $ 5.6 billion to $ 7.3 billion.
"Our information present that Europe would be capable to compensate for a lot of the U.S. help — however provided that policymakers act decisively. Up to now, Europe has been transferring too slowly on this space," mentioned Christoph Trebesch, analysis director on the Kiel Institute for the World Economic system.
Ukraine can be attempting to prepare direct purchases of U.S. weapons. In April, Zelensky mentioned that Kyiv was able to spend $50 billion on the arms buy, however as of early June, no contract had been publicly introduced.
"We might quickly see contracts being signed for the direct buy of weapons, possible utilizing the funds from frozen Russian property and even funds from European companions. This extra transactional and business-oriented strategy may be very aligned with Trump's imaginative and prescient, so it might emerge quickly," army knowledgeable Borsari mentioned
A Ukrainian soldier flies an FPV drone in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, on March 19, 2025. (Alfons Cabrera/NurPhoto by way of Getty Pictures)
"However this facet finally is dependent upon a political resolution from the brand new administration, which has been notoriously sluggish in unlocking new assist for Ukraine," he added.
Dependence on American and European companions can be steadily being overcome by rising home army manufacturing and overseas companions' investments within the Ukrainian protection business.
In February, Zelensky mentioned that in 2025, Ukraine plans to extend the quantity of its personal weapons equipped to the military from 40% to 50%. In March, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal additionally introduced that Ukraine would be capable to present itself with 100% of its personal artillery this yr.
Ukraine has additionally considerably improved its drone manufacturing, as demonstrated by Operation Spiderweb, which used FPV (first-person-view) drones hidden in vehicles in Russia to destroy 41 Russian army plane.
Mykhailo Samus, army knowledgeable and director of the New Geopolitics Analysis Community, advised the Kyiv Unbiased that Ukrainian specialists have additionally realized tips on how to restore American weapons with out involving overseas specialists, which permits them to return to service sooner with out involving third events' help.
In line with the knowledgeable, the termination of U.S. army help won’t considerably have an effect on the occasions on the entrance line. But, there may be nonetheless one kind of weapon that Ukraine can’t change both by itself or with the assistance of its European allies.
"The one factor that makes us critically depending on the U.S. is the Patriot air protection system," Samus mentioned.
Trailers with launchers for guided missiles of the Bundeswehr’s Patriot air protection system stand in a discipline in southeastern Poland on April 3, 2023. (Sebastian Kahnert / dpa / image alliance by way of Getty Pictures)
"Ukraine's Armed Forces can face up to the absence of American weapons. However Ukrainian cities can't, as Europe is simply launching a mass manufacturing of SAMP/T methods comparable in traits to the Patriot."
The parliament's Protection Committee Secretary Roman Kostenko added that the U.S. has been deeply concerned in cooperation with Ukraine's particular companies and the Armed Forces over time, and "so much is dependent upon them."
Kostenko mentioned that with out the assistance from allies, Ukrainian troops wouldn’t be capable to monitor the deployment and launch of ballistic missiles, which might considerably scale back the period of time Kyiv must reply to potential assaults.
The termination of U.S. intelligence might additionally have an effect on long-range strikes deep into Russia, as Ukrainian forces use U.S. satellite tv for pc information to establish the placement of Russian army gear and troops. Nevertheless, European companions can nonetheless present assist.
"American intelligence could be changed," Samus mentioned. "However it’ll require cash, time, and political will."
Actor Yuriy Felipenko, who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in April, died on the entrance
Theater and movie actor Yuriy Felipenko died on the entrance; he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in April 2024. This was introduced by his spouse, Kateryna Motrych, on Instagram.
Russia has misplaced 1,002,690 troops in Ukraine for the reason that starting of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the Common Workers of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on June 14.
The quantity contains 1,130 casualties that Russian forces suffered simply over the previous day.
In line with the report, Russia has additionally misplaced 10,937 tanks, 22,798 armored preventing autos, 51,928 autos and gasoline tanks, 29,157 artillery programs, 1,417 a number of launch rocket programs, 1,185 air protection programs, 416 airplanes, 337 helicopters, 40,586 drones, 3,337 cruise missiles, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
Russia focused Boeing workplaces in Kyiv throughout large airstrike – Monetary Occasions
Boeing's workplace in Kyiv suffered vital harm because of the Russian airstrike. Regardless of this, the corporate reviews no disruptions in operations and the security of workers.
Ukraine’s navy intelligence (HUR) ignited {an electrical} substation throughout a sabotage operation within the Russian metropolis of Kaliningrad, inflicting $5 million in injury and slicing electrical energy to a navy manufacturing web site, a supply in HUR informed the Kyiv Impartial. Within the early hours of June 14, Ukrainian brokers drained the coolant from the substation’s energy transformer earlier than setting the power on fireplace. The inferno inflicted main injury on the power and precipitated an influence minimize, impacting close by Russian navy websites. "We as soon as once more remind you that Russia not has a rear both within the east, within the west, or anyplace else on the planet. Every thing Russian concerned within the warfare in opposition to Ukraine will burn, sink, and be destroyed no matter its stage of safety or location," the supply stated.
0:00/1×Ukrainian brokers sabotage {an electrical} substation in Kaliningrad, Russia. June 14, 2025. (HUR)
Ukraine continues to hold out quite a few secretive assaults inside Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories, focusing on navy websites, like airfields, in addition to key infrastructure like railways and oil refineries.
The assaults contain HUR, Ukraine’s Safety Service (SBU) in addition to partisan and sabotage teams. HUR was behind explosions close to Desantnaya Bay in Russia's far jap Vladivostok on Might 30, which reportedly broken navy personnel and gear. The operations passed off roughly 6,800 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, making it Ukraine's furthest incursion into Russian territory, if confirmed. On June 1, the SBU launched Operation Spiderweb, a game-changing drone assault on 4 key Russian navy airfields, damaging 41 planes, together with heavy bombers and uncommon A-50 spy planes.
GUR brokers de-energized objects of the Russian military-industrial complicated and the Russian Armed Forces in Königsberg
In Kaliningrad, GUR brokers attacked {an electrical} substation, which led to the cessation of electrical energy provide to things of the military-industrial complicated and the Russian Armed Forces. Losses for Russia are estimated at virtually 5 million {dollars}.
Russia has misplaced 1,003,860 troops in Ukraine because the starting of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the Basic Workers of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on June 15.
The quantity contains 1,170 casualties that Russian forces suffered simply over the previous day.
Based on the report, Russia has additionally misplaced 10,937 tanks, 22,804 armored combating automobiles, 52,017 automobiles and gas tanks, 29,190 artillery programs, 1,418 a number of launch rocket programs, 1,186 air protection programs, 416 airplanes, 337 helicopters, 40,709 drones, 3,337 cruise missiles, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova
