Live:Ukraine
πΉ Russia launched 537 aerial attack assets, of which 249 were shot down and another 226 are classified as location-lost.
πΈ Russia launched a massive overnight attack on Ukraine on June 29. Here are the consequences:
πPoltava region β Russian forces targeted industrial enterprises and critical infrastructure.
πLviv region β Critical infrastructure was hit by drones and cruise missiles. Emergency services are working on-site.
πSumy region β Civil infrastructure was damaged and destroyed.
πSmila, Cherkasy region β Three nine-story buildings and a college were damaged. Six people were injured.
πKharkiv β A drone strike hit the roof of a residential building.
πMykolaiv β The city was hit with ballistic missiles and Shahed drone swarms. Infrastructure facilities were targeted.
πIvano-Frankivsk region β Private properties, a church, and a residential building were damaged. One woman was hospitalized.
πΈ Over the past week, Russia launched more than 114 missiles, over 1,270 drones, and nearly 1,100 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine, President Zelensky reported.
He also stated that he had instructed authorities to investigate all the circumstances surrounding the death of F-16 pilot Maksym Ustymenko, who was killed while repelling an attack on the night of June 29.
πΉ Trump will support new sanctions against Russia, according to Senator Lindsey Graham.
In an interview with ABC News, Graham said he had spoken with the U.S. president and emphasized the need to pass sanctions against the Russian Federation.
When asked whether Donald Trump is ready to sign a sanctions bill, Graham replied, βThings are looking good.β
He clarified that his proposal includes a 500% tariff on countries that purchase goods from Russia and do not support Ukraine. According to Graham, the bill is expected to pass after the July recess.
πΊπ¦πͺπΊ Ukraine has fully aligned its sanctions against Russia with the EUβs 13th and 14th sanctions packages, President Zelensky announced.
βWe are also synchronizing 100% with the European sanctions package targeting the regime in Iran β including numerous individuals and companies. And this concerns not only military production and external terror schemes against neighbors in the region, but also internal repression within Iran,β he noted.
πΈ President Zelensky has awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine to F-16 pilot Maksym Ustymenko.
The official decree was published on the presidentβs website.
The pilot was killed on June 29 while defending against a Russian air attack.
πΉ Ukrainian forces capture two Cameroonian citizens fighting for Russia
Ukrainian soldiers have taken two Cameroonian nationals prisoner on the Siversk front β Metugena Una-na Jean Pafe and Anatole Frank β both of whom were fighting on the side of Russia.
Jean Pafe claims he traveled to Russia seeking work at a shampoo factory, but was coerced into joining the military. Anatole Frank says he came to Moscow in 2024 for 18 days to get dental treatment, but was detained by Russian migration services, fingerprinted, and had his jaw scanned before being forcibly conscripted.
Both men signed military contracts, reportedly lured by a payment of 1.1 million rubles β significantly less than what is offered to Russian citizens, but a considerable amount by Cameroonian standards, according to Ukraineβs 20th Separate UAV Regiment.
The regiment notes this is not the first case of foreign fighters captured on the Siversk front. Previously, a Yemeni national was detained, and according to the Cameroonians, there are also fighters from China, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh on that section of the front.
πΈ Slovak FM suggests Russia could be βforgivenβ β Ukraine sharply rebukes the idea
Slovakiaβs Foreign Minister, Juraj BlanΓ‘r, has suggested that the war between Russia and Ukraine should be resolved diplomatically, stating that the West must find ways to cooperate with Russia β and perhaps even βforgive everything that happened.β
βLet us return to adherence to international law and seek ways to communicate with the Russian Federation. The West must find a way to cooperate with Russia. And perhaps even forgive everything that happened,β BlanΓ‘r said.
The remark drew a swift response from Ukrainian Foreign Minister:
βIt is naΓ―ve to expect a criminal to stop if his crimes are forgiven rather than punished. Russia will strike your other cheek. And those who have lost no one in this war have no right to make such statements,β he wrote.
This exchange underscores the widening diplomatic rift between parts of Eastern Europe and Ukraine over the future handling of Russiaβs aggression.
βοΈOver 700 individuals recruited by Russia have been detained in Ukraine since spring 2024, according to the Financial Times, citing SBU spokesperson Artem Dekhtiarenko.
He stated that all of them were involved in espionage, arson, or bombings orchestrated remotely by Russian intelligence agents. Among the detainees, about 175 were minors. Dekhtiarenko emphasized that young people are particularly vulnerable, as they often fail to grasp the consequences of their actions, making them an easy target for Russian recruiters.
The recruitment process follows a similar pattern: an anonymous user contacts teenagers via Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, or Viber, offering fast and easy money. Once contact is made, Russian handlers provide coordinates and instructions. Promised payments range from $100 to $1,000.
Ukraine is running a nationwide information campaign to counter these recruitment efforts. According to the juvenile police, as of late May, around 50 minors had reported attempted recruitment via messaging apps.