Overnight attack leaves Kyiv choked in smoke, hits Odessa maternity hospital
KYIV — A massive overnight drone and missile attack on Ukraine damaged a maternity hospital in the southern port city of Odessa and left buildings in the nation's capital smoking and smoldering Tuesday morning.
It is the second large-scale drone attack in two days and follows another major aerial attack on Friday, which the Russians at the time said was retaliation for an ambitious Ukrainian drone strike on distant airfields on June 1. The renewed pounding of Ukrainian cities comes as the U.S.-sponsored peace process is faltering.
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Forbes
37 minutes ago
- Forbes
Tuesday, June 10. Russia's War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine
ODESA, UKRAINE - JULY 23: An interior view of the Transfiguration Cathedral heavily damaged by ... More Russian missile on July 23, 2023 in Odesa, Ukraine. The Russian missile broke through the roof the main Orthodox cathedral of the city Photo by Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,204. Russia's Attacks on Ukraine A deadly drone strike in the early overnight hours of June 10th on the southern port city of Odesa killed two men and injured nine other people, damaging a maternity hospital, emergency medical station, railway station, Odesa film studio and other civilian sites. In Kyiv, Russian attack has damaged the Saint Sophia Cathedral – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, systematic shelling by Russian forces in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region killed 10 civilians and injured 31 from June 7 - 10. Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine overnight into June 9, firing a combined total of 499 drones and missiles. The barrage included a record-breaking 479 Iranian-designed Shahed drones and decoys, alongside advanced Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 292 aerial targets, while an additional 187 were neutralized by electronic warfare systems. Ukrainian authorities reported no major civilian damage or casualties from the record-breaking attack, though missile debris and impact sites were recorded at 27 locations across the country. The strike came just days after a large-scale assault on June 6 that killed several civilians and rescue workers in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and other regions. One of the strike's primary targets appeared to be an airfield near the western city of Dubno in Rivne province, which was operational after reportedly being restored in 2020. All four Kinzhal missiles were directed toward Dubno, where they were intercepted by advanced air defenses, such as the U.S.-made Patriot system. The attack on Dubno came amid reports of Ukrainian drones striking deep into Russian territory that same night. Around 50 drones targeted multiple military sites in Russia, including a drone production facility and an airbase in Savasleyka, approximately 218 miles east of Moscow, where two aircraft were destroyed. While Ukraine reported no casualties in the overnight barrage, sustained attacks by Russian forces on Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region later on June 9 resulted in one civilian death. War Developments Russian forces are pushing from Ukraine's besieged eastern region of Donetsk to the outskirts of Ukraine's central and strategically critical Dnipropetrovsk region, sparking conflicting narratives from Moscow and Kyiv. On June 9, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced a Russian advance into Dnipropetrovsk, purportedly aimed at establishing a 'buffer zone,' while Ukrainian officials, including Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's disinformation center, dismissed the claims as false. Earlier reports from the Russian Defense Ministry on June 8 claimed that elements of the 90th Tank Division had reached the western border of the Donetsk region, or oblast, and were conducting offensive operations into Dnipropetrovsk oblast, territory Russia has not officially annexed. However, Ukraine's General Staff denied that Russian troops had crossed the administrative border, asserting that fighting remains confined to border villages. The central Ukrainian oblast of Dnipropetrovsk borders the eastern Donetsk oblast, over two-thirds of which remains under Russian occupation. Ukrainian open-source intelligence group Deep State indicates Russian forces have advanced to within roughly 1.2 miles of the region's administrative boundary. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian tactical activity near the southeastern edge of Dnipropetrovsk is largely a continuation of offensive operations in the Donetsk region rather than a new major push to seize significant territory in Dnipropetrovsk itself. Satellite imagery and heat data confirm ongoing artillery fire near the border but no confirmed Russian foothold inside Dnipropetrovsk oblast as of early June. Russia and Ukraine commenced a major prisoner-of-war exchange on June 9, beginning with those under 25 years of age. This multistage exchange, emerging from direct negotiations held in Istanbul on June 2, is set to involve at least 1,200 POWs from each side, alongside the repatriation of the remains of thousands of fallen soldiers. Neither side disclosed the exact number of prisoners released so far, citing security concerns. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, said that the exchange will continue 'over the coming days.' In an interview with independent Hungarian weekly Valasz Online, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy underscored that the outcome of the war hinges more on weapons and technology than manpower, as Ukraine mobilizes 27,000 soldiers monthly compared to Russia's 40,000-50,000. 'Mobilization is a problem in every war. Ukraine is no exception…people are getting tired,' Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that Russia's higher losses drive its greater conscription numbers. He further noted that Ukraine has avoided drafting 18-24-year-olds, offering them one-year contracts instead. By Danylo Nosov, Karina L. Tahiliani
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Slovak PM threatens to veto 18th sanctions package against Russia over energy concerns
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened on June 10 to veto the EU's upcoming 18th sanctions package against Russia if concerns over Slovakia's reliance on Russian gas and energy exports were not addressed. The comments come as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on June 10 that the 18th package of European Union sanctions against Russia will include additional restrictions on energy, banking, and oil, among other areas. The EU has proposed for the first time a ban on transactions involving the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, as well as a reduction in the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel, as one-third of Russia's government revenue still comes from oil exports, according to von der Leyen. Fico said on Facebook that he would block additional sanctions unless the bloc finds "a real solution to the crisis situation that Slovakia would face following a complete halt in the supply of gas, oil, and nuclear fuel from Russia." Historically, Slovakia has been heavily reliant on Russian gas and energy transfer, serving as a key transit hub for Russian exports to Western Europe. Since taking office in 2023, Fico has also reversed Slovakia's previous pro-Ukraine policy, ending military aid to Kyiv and questioning the value of EU sanctions on Russia. EU foreign policy decisions, including sanctions, require unanimous approval by all member states. A Slovak veto could force concessions or delay enforcement in future rounds. Fico's comments come as Slovakia's parliament passed a resolution on June 5 urging the government to oppose any new international sanctions or trade restrictions against Russia, citing alleged negative economic impacts. The non-binding resolution argued that sanctions imposed in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine have driven up energy prices, disrupted supply chains, and harmed Slovak industry. Fico subsequently vowed on June 8 that he would veto new sanctions if they harm national interests, adding that he would not support any measure that halts Russian fuel imports that are used to power Slovakia's nuclear power plants. Unlike Ukraine-skeptic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban who has repeatedly obstructed and delayed the bloc's sanctions against Russia and military aid for Ukraine, Slovakia has not previously attempted to block EU sanctions. On May 6 the EU presented a detailed roadmap to fully sever the bloc's energy dependence on Russia by 2027. National governments, including Kremlin-friendly Hungary and Slovakia, will be required to submit individual phase-out plans by year's end. Read also: EU unveils 18th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting energy, banking, oil We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
Russia's Top Peace Negotiator Is a Historian Who Justified the War
ISTANBUL—Moscow's chief negotiator in peace talks with Kyiv was a lead architect of the historical revisionism that drove Russia to invade Ukraine. Now, Vladimir Medinsky is drawing on his view of history again as he tries to convince Ukraine that it would be better off unwinding its integration with the West and embracing Moscow's terms for peace.
