UNITED24 Telegram Highlights
🪖🇺🇦 Ukrainian forces have established round-the-clock fire control over Russian logistics routes in the Mariupol area, according to Mykyta Puz, an officer of the 12th Azov Brigade.
By combining Western technologies with their own developments, Ukrainian defenders have achieved continuous control over enemy supply routes up to 160 kilometers from the line of contact.
“Hitting military trucks on an open road is as easy as hunting partridges in an open field. Within a month, we will take full control of the R-280 Novorossiya highway. In the near future, we will isolate Crimea,” Commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces Robert “Magyar” Brovdi said.
For the first time in 23 years, Moscow’s traditional Russia Day concert will not take place on Red Square. According to media reports, the event has been moved to the “Mossovet” Cultural Center. Peportedly, to hide from possible Ukrainian strikes. The program was significantly reduced, with performances by several well-known Russian propagandists reportedly canceled. Authorities have not publicly explained the changes. The decision comes as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine and faces growing security concerns at home.
🫡🇺🇦 Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces have eliminated 12,500 more Russian troops than Russia has recruited into its army over the same period, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
According to Syrskyi, Ukrainian Defense Forces maintain a 1.5-to-1 advantage over the enemy in the use of FPV drones, and this advantage has continued to grow in recent months.
He added that in May, Ukraine’s unmanned systems units struck nearly 180,000 verified enemy targets, an increase of 12.7% compared to April.
Ukrainian forces also destroyed about 4,000 Shahed drones — 27% more than the previous month — and eliminated 10,000 enemy UAV operator positions.
At the same time, Syrskyi said Russia is facing serious difficulties in staffing its unmanned systems units.
Since the beginning of the year, only 14,500 people have signed contracts to serve in such units, representing about 21% of the annual recruitment target. An attempt to attract large numbers of university students to these roles also failed to meet expectations, he said.
🇪🇺🇺🇸 European leaders plan to use their meetings with Donald Trump at the G7 summit to engage him in efforts to facilitate new peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Bloomberg reports.
According to the publication’s sources, Britain, France, and Germany believe the momentum of the war has shifted in Ukraine’s favor, creating an opportunity for negotiations that could move beyond the framework established after Trump’s summit with Putin in Alaska last year.
🇪🇺 France and Germany are discussing options for a major overhaul of the European Union’s diplomatic service to improve the bloc’s ability to respond to geopolitical crises, the Financial Times reports.
According to the newspaper, some proposals would strip EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the European External Action Service (EEAS) of some of their powers, returning responsibilities to the European Commission and member states. The report cites five senior EU officials familiar with the discussions.
“It is clear that the EEAS is not working as it should in today’s world. It is dysfunctional. The problem is structural, so the structure needs to be rebuilt,” one official said.
Many EU officials reportedly question whether the EEAS is capable of coordinating an effective response to current challenges, including the wars in Ukraine and Iran, as well as statements and policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. [...]
“Capitals are frustrated and want us to have an effective way of acting together. There is a real risk that the service will fall apart,” another official said.
🤔🇮🇹 “No format has legitimacy at the moment.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called for a single EU representative to conduct negotiations with Russia.
“Our determination toward Russia must not turn into diplomatic blindness or self-isolation. Europe must jointly and pragmatically consider how it engages with Moscow,” Meloni said.
🇺🇦 Ukrainian company Wild Hornets, which produces the Sting interceptor drone, is testing a new version designed to destroy jet-powered Shahed drones, Business Insider reports.
According to the publication’s sources, the Sting 2 has already been used in combat and is expected to be ready for mass production soon.
🇬🇧 British Defence Secretary John Healey has resigned over disagreements with the government’s defense spending plans, arguing that current funding levels do not match the threats facing the country.
In his resignation letter, Healey said the government’s long-awaited Defence Investment Plan “falls well short” of what is needed and criticized the lack of funding for military readiness in the coming years.
According to Healey, the proposed spending increases are too limited and delayed, despite growing security challenges and warnings about the need to strengthen Britain’s defenses.
⚡️The ambassadors of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin at the Russian Foreign Ministry, the European Commission confirmed.
According to the diplomats, the meeting took place at the invitation of the Russian side.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov linked the talks to a war settlement plan agreed upon in London by the leaders of the three countries and Ukraine, which he described as a “demand for surrender.”
At the same time, the embassies indicated that the meeting may have been related to their longstanding request for clarification regarding Russia’s accusations that Ukraine was developing a “dirty bomb.”
🇺🇸 The United States has become the world’s largest oil exporter for the first time, surpassing both Russia and Saudi Arabia, Reuters reports.
The U.S. has held the top position in oil exports for the third consecutive month. In May, exports reached 10.5 million barrels per day.
By comparison, Russia exported about 7 million barrels per day, while Saudi Arabia exported 5.9 million barrels per day.
According to Reuters, several factors contributed to the shift: the United States continues to increase production, sanctions and Ukrainian drone strikes have complicated Russian exports, and supplies from the Middle East declined following the escalation of the conflict between the United States and Iran.
The Council of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has suspended the membership of the Russian Chess Federation.
According to a statement published on FIDE’s website, the decision was made because the federation failed to comply with a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within the prescribed timeframe.
At the same time, the suspension does not affect the ability of individual Russian chess players to participate in tournaments. FIDE said it remains committed to protecting the rights and interests of individual players.
🇺🇦🇺🇸 Young inventors from Donetsk region represented Ukraine at the Connecticut Invention Convention in the United States.
🇪🇪 Modular shelters have begun appearing in central Tallinn as part of efforts to improve the city’s preparedness for crisis situations, the city government said.
The reinforced-concrete shelter design is based on a standardized Ukrainian model and is intended to provide short-term protection from explosions, blast waves, and debris.