
Ukrainian Resistance Blows Up Railway in Occupied Territory
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Pro-Ukrainian partisans said on Sunday they had "destroyed" equipment along a railway running through the eastern Ukrainian Luhansk region, in the latest of claimed attacks by Kyiv-aligned operatives against Russia.
Why It Matters
Russia annexed Luhansk, along with the neighboring Donetsk region and southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts, in fall 2022. Luhansk and Donetsk collectively make up the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the country's traditional industrial heartland.
Moscow had seized Crimea, to the south of mainland Ukraine, from Kyiv in 2014 as it backed pro-Kremlin separatists in the Donbas.
Russia's grip on these five regions is not internationally recognized.
People wait for evacuation to Russia at Debaltsevo railway station in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine on February 19, 2022.
People wait for evacuation to Russia at Debaltsevo railway station in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine on February 19, 2022.
Sergey Averin / Sputnik via AP
What To Know
Atesh, a pro-Ukrainian partisan group active in Crimea and other parts of Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory, said on Sunday its members had "destroyed" transformer equipment along the railway used by Russian troops to transport troops and supplies close to the town of Stanytsia Luhanska.
The town sits northeast of the regional capital, Luhansk City, roughly 11 miles west of internationally recognized Russian territory.
Russia controls the vast majority of Luhansk.
The "successful sabotage" disrupted Russian logistics and caused delays in Moscow's deliveries of equipment and spare parts, the partisans said.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
The Atesh movement said it was "systematically" targeting transport infrastructure used by Moscow in Russian-held areas.
The group said earlier in April it destroyed another transformer unit along a railway close to the Russian city of Kemerovo, in southwestern Siberia.
The railway linked up Russian military production facilities, including a plant making ammunition, according to Atesh. "The number of disruptions on railways throughout the Russian Federation will only increase," the group said.
Overnight Attacks
Kyiv said Russia had launched 149 strike drones at Ukraine overnight, with its air defenses intercepting 57 of the uncrewed aerial vehicles.
Moscow targeted Donetsk, as well as the central Dnipropetrovsk and Cherkasy regions and parts of northern, southern and western Ukraine, the air force said.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday it had intercepted three Ukrainian drones over Crimea earlier in the day. In earlier statements, the Kremlin said air defenses had shot down eight drones over the border Bryansk region since 10:30 p.m. Moscow time (3:30 p.m. ET) Saturday.
What People Are Saying
The Atesh group said Russian forces used the railway "to transport resources for supplying troops, as well as military equipment."
What Happens Next
"In the near future, there will be more and more such strikes," the Atesh group said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
34 minutes ago
- Newsweek
How Trump-Friendly Home Depot Got Caught in America's Immigration Wars
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown is targeting illegal migrants—not only at airports and border crossings but also in Home Depot parking lots nationwide, putting the retail giant with a history of support for the president in a difficult position. Scenes of protest and riots that erupted in Los Angeles last week were partly sparked by an unexpected immigration raid on Friday at a Home Depot in the Westlake neighborhood. Dozens were arrested in a coordinated sweep that also hit garment factories downtown and additional Home Depot locations in suburban cities like Paramount and Huntington Park. The big-box retailer, founded in 1978 and now boasting over 2,300 stores, has long been more than just a place to buy lumber and paint—it's also been an informal hiring hub for day laborers, many of them undocumented. The parking lots of Home Depot stores around the country have functioned, for decades, as sites where homeowners and contractors can connect with available laborers for their immediate needs, no resume required. That unofficial relationship has now collided with federal immigration policy. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller talks to reporters outside of the White House West Wing on May 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller talks to reporters outside of the White House West Wing on May 09, 2025 in Washington, White House adviser Stephen Miller, the architect of President Trump's immigration strategy, has explicitly ordered ICE to target informal labor gathering points such as Home Depot and 7-Eleven. "Why aren't you at Home Depot?" Miller reportedly asked ICE leadership in a Washington meeting last month, frustrated that arrests weren't meeting daily targets. Over the weekend, the consequences of those orders were visible across Los Angeles. In Paramount, anti-ICE protesters clashed with sheriff's deputies as raids unfolded. In Huntington Park, a predominantly Latino suburb, raids resumed Monday morning. And in Westlake, witnesses described a chaotic scene as agents detained workers while others fled. The raids are also having an economic impact, as frequent enforcement at Home Depot locations may be driving away customers. On Tuesday in northern New Jersey, the Wall Street Journal reported far fewer workers showed up for contractors than a few months ago. At two Home Depot stores in Los Angeles, store security kept the few men who did come confined to the public sidewalks. And at three stores around Houston, no laborers were seen at all. "Even workers who I know have legal status were running," said Jorge Nicolás, a senior organizer at the Central American Resource Center, or CARECEN, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "We felt powerless." 'We are not involved' Day laborers wait near a Home Depot home improvement store in hope of finding work for the day on August 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Day laborers wait near a Home Depot home improvement store in hope of finding work for the day on August 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images The sudden visibility of the immigration raids, combined with Miller's comments, has placed Home Depot at the center of a public controversy—one in which the company has denied any involvement. "We're not notified when raids are going to happen, and we are not involved in the operations," said Margaret Smith, a spokesperson for Home Depot, in a statement to Newsweek. Smith said Home Depot instructs its employees not to engage with ICE activity and to report any incidents to management. She added that workers who feel uncomfortable after witnessing immigration actions near the stores are given the option to go home for the day and still receive pay. "When ICE arrives at a parking lot or outside one of our stores, we ask our associates to report it immediately, not engage with the activity, and if associates feel uncomfortable after witnessing ICE activity, we offer associates the option to go home for the day with pay." However, critics of the company have long argued that this falls short, given the company's history and its often-contentious relationship with workers—drawing criticism from both pro- and anti-immigrant groups. It also raises questions about its ties with the administration. Home Depot CEO Bernie Marcus poses for a portrait in a Home Depot store October 15, 1998. Home Depot CEO Bernie Marcus poses for a portrait in a Home Depot store October 15, 1998. Erik Lesser/Liaison via Getty Bernie Marcus, the company's co-founder and former chairman, was one of Donald Trump's earliest and most vocal financial backers, donating more than $14 million to support his 2016 campaign and related political efforts. Though Marcus retired from the company in 2002 and died last November — one day before the election — at the age of 95, his longtime status as a GOP megadonor sparked previous boycott calls and continue to shape perceptions of the company's political alignment. Ken Langone, another Home Depot co-founder, has had a more complex relationship with Trump. Initially critical, Langone expressed renewed support for Trump in 2024, praising his resilience following the assassination attempt in Butler, Penn. and suggesting it could solidify the president's place in history. Home Depot has long worked to distance itself from the personal politics of its founders. "His views do not represent the company," a spokesperson said of Marcus during the 2019 backlash. The company also stresses that it does not endorse presidential candidates. But its political action committee has made substantial donations to Republican causes. In the 2024 election cycle, Home Depot contributed $1 million to the School Freedom Fund and $220,151 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. Another $143,569 was directed to Trump's campaign, according to OpenSecrets. In the current political climate, those past connections and donations have resurfaced amid a public reckoning over what some progressives say is a theme in corporate America of complicity and silence surrounding the most controversial policies of the Trump administration. Despite Home Depot's claims of noninvolvement, the recurring presence of ICE near its stores continues to draw national attention. The raids come at a time when the company is already under financial pressure, largely related to Trump's on-again, off-again tariff policies. First-quarter earnings dipped slightly from a year earlier, and shares fell after news of the raids broke. Analysts have warned that if public protests and customer anxiety persist, the company could face both reputational and operational fallout.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russia reportedly redeploys bombers to Far East bases after Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb
Russia has redeployed dozens of long-range bombers to more remote bases within the country, Russian independent media outlet Agentstvo reported on June 11, citing OSINT analyst AviVector. The relocation comes in the wake of Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, the unprecedented mass drone strike on June 1 that targeted four Russian air bases deep inside the country. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said 117 drones were launched from hidden positions across Russia, damaging 41 aircraft, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160 bombers. According to Agentstvo, all Tu-160 bombers have been evacuated from Belaya airfield in Irkutsk Oblast and Olenya airfield in Murmansk Oblast. Some were relocated to Anadyr in Chukotka, Yelizovo in Kamchatka, and Borisoglebskoye in Tatarstan. Tu-22M3 and Tu-95MS bombers were also redeployed. Eleven Tu-22M3s and all Tu-95MS aircraft near Murmansk reportedly relocated to the Ukrainka airfield in Amur Oblast, Engels-2 in Saratov Oblast, Borisoglebskoye in Tatarstan, and Mozdok in North Ossetia. The reported relocation of bombers is the latest sign that Ukraine's drone warfare is forcing the Kremlin to rethink its strategic posture, even far from the front lines. Western analysts and military officials praised Ukraine's ingenuity in the Spiderweb operation. NATO Admiral Pierre Vandier called the mission a modern reinvention of the "Trojan Horse," demonstrating Ukraine's growing technical sophistication and deep-strike capability. President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that roughly half of the targeted aircraft are damaged beyond repair. Russia has acknowledged losses but insisted all damaged aircraft will be restored. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.


Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Supreme Court Unanimously Greenlights Lawsuit Over FBI's Botched Raid
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday that an Atlanta family whose home was mistakenly raided by the FBI in 2017 can move forward with their lawsuit, granting them a new day in court. The decision stems from a pre-dawn incident in which an FBI SWAT team broke down the family's front door, deployed a flashbang grenade, and pointed weapons at Trina Martin, her then-boyfriend Toi Cliatt, and her 7-year-old son—only to realize moments later they had entered the wrong house. Although the agents quickly apologized and relocated to the correct address—blaming a GPS error for the mistake—Martin and Cliatt were left with emotional trauma and a damaged home. Their lawsuit against the federal government, alleging assault, false arrest, and other claims, was initially dismissed by lower courts. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled that the agents were protected under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, which prioritizes federal law over state law. But Martin's legal team, backed by advocacy groups across the political spectrum, appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that such protections should not shield federal agents from accountability in clear cases of harm. The Court's decision reverses the lower rulings and revives a debate on law enforcement oversight and federal immunity. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.