The Atesh partisan group set fire to a signal cabinet that helps control traffic on a railway line near the Russian-occupied city of Yasynuvata in Donetsk Oblast, a route used for Russia's military logistics, the group claimed on Telegram on June 28.Yasynuvata lies some 22 kilometers (12.5 miles) from the occupied city of Donetsk and is considered to be a major railway junction in the region.According to the group, the sabotaged section is located near Russian military units, warehouses, and ind
The Atesh partisan group set fire to a signal cabinet that helps control traffic on a railway line near the Russian-occupied city of Yasynuvata in Donetsk Oblast, a route used for Russia's military logistics, the group claimed on Telegram on June 28.
Yasynuvata lies some 22 kilometers (12.5 miles) from the occupied city of Donetsk and is considered to be a major railway junction in the region.
According to the group, the sabotaged section is located near Russian military units, warehouses, and industrial facilities.
Atesh said the attack disrupted the delivery of a train carrying fuel for Russian forces.
"On Ukraine's Constitution Day, we remind the occupiers that this is an independent and free country. And Donetsk will always be Ukrainian," the statement read.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
The Atesh partisan group regularly conducts sabotage attacks in Russia and Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories.
In early June, Atesh claimed to have destroyed a signal cabinet on the new Volnovakha-Mariupol railway, which had been recently built by occupying Russian forces.
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed 10 people and injured at least 50 others over the past day, regional authorities said on June 28.Ukrainian forces downed 21 out of the 23 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.One drone was intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars, according to the statement. Russia usually launches decoys alongside real drones to overwhelm Ukraine's air defense.A Russian drone attack
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed 10 people and injured at least 50 others over the past day, regional authorities said on June 28.
Ukrainian forces downed 21 out of the 23 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
One drone was intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars, according to the statement. Russia usually launches decoys alongside real drones to overwhelm Ukraine's air defense.
A Russian drone attack on the city of Odesahit a high-rise building,killing a married couple and injuring at least 14 other people, including three children,Governor Oleh Kiper said.
A Russian missile strike on the city of Samar in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast killed five people and injured at least 25 others, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
Three men aged 30, 36 and 53 were injured in a Russian attack on Chuhuiv in Kharkiv Oblast, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Russian attacks near Polohy and Vasylivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblastinjured a man and a woman, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
Russian troops injured a man by dropping an explosive device on the Bilopillia community in Sumy Oblast, local authorities reported.
Two people were killed in Kostiantynivka and Ivanopillia in Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Two others suffered injuries in the region over the past day.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces targeted 42 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. One person was killed, and three others injured, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
Pokrovsk remains the "hottest spot" along Ukraine's front lines, with Russia concentrating its largest group of personnel in that direction — a force numbering 111,000 troops, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on June 27. Russia has for months focused its offensive efforts on the embattled town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast and has recently been escalating attempts to break through to neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a region that has not yet seen combat. Ukraine denied reports tha
Pokrovsk remains the "hottest spot" along Ukraine's front lines, with Russia concentrating its largest group of personnel in that direction — a force numbering 111,000 troops, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on June 27.
Russia has for months focused its offensive efforts on the embattled town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast and has recently been escalating attempts to break through to neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a region that has not yet seen combat. Ukraine denied reports that Russian forces breached the regional border in May and June.
In May, Syrskyi reported that Ukraine had stabilized the situation in Pokrovsk.
After a working visit to the Pokrovsk sector, Syrskyi on June 27 said that the city is still "the hottest spot along the entire 1,200-kilometer front line" with nearly 50 combat clashes recorded per day. It's also where Russia has concentrated the bulk of its forces in Ukraine.
Russia has amassed "about 111,000 personnel" in the Pokrovsk sector, Syrskyi said, but Ukrainian forces are holding the line.
"The enemy continues to try to break through to the administrative border of Donetsk Oblast ... Russian sabotage and assault groups were particularly active here two weeks ago," Syrskyi said.
"But they were all destroyed or neutralized, and the remnants were pushed back from the administrative border. The situation is under control."
Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)
Russia is attempting to break into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast not only for operational reasons, but also for performative ones, Syrskyi said.
"To achieve a psychological effect: to put the infamous 'foot of the Russian soldier' there, plant a flag, and trumpet another pseudo-'victory.'"
Syrskyi's comments echo recent remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who claimed in a propaganda-heavy speech on June 20 that "wherever the foot of a Russian soldier steps is Russian land." President Volodymyr Zelensky fired back the next day, promising "Ukrainian drones for the foot of every Russian soldier."
While Putin claimed on June 27 that Moscow is "ready" for a third round of peace talks with Kyiv, the Kremlin has sent no signal that it's ready to abandon its maximalist ambitions in Ukraine.
Russia's so-called "peace memorandum" demands that Ukraine recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea, as well as Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk oblasts — none of which are fully under Moscow's control.
Zelensky's Deputy Chief of Staff Pavlo Palisa said on June 6 that Russia aims to occupy all Ukrainian territory east of the Dnipro River and advance toward Odesa and Mykolaiv in a broader plan to sever Ukraine's access to the Black Sea amid a renewed summer offensive.
The front-line city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast is facing a looming "humanitarian catastrophe" as ongoing Russian strikes destroy critical infrastructure and leave thousands without basic services, Governor Vadym Filashkin said on June 25.Kostiantynivka, in eastern Donetsk Oblast, lies just 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) from several areas currently occupied by Russian forces, according to battlefield mapping site DeepState. The city has come under intensified attack in rec
The front-line city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast is facing a looming "humanitarian catastrophe" as ongoing Russian strikes destroy critical infrastructure and leave thousands without basic services, Governor Vadym Filashkin said on June 25.
Kostiantynivka, in eastern Donetsk Oblast, lies just 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) from several areas currently occupied by Russian forces, according to battlefield mapping site DeepState. The city has come under intensified attack in recent months as Moscow pushes westward beyond its gains around other nearby towns.
According to Filashkin, nearly half the city is without electricity due to shelling, and 1,900 households in the Santurynivka district have no access to gas, with restoration currently impossible. Water is supplied just once a day from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., meeting only 20–25% of the city's needs.
Drone strikes have halted all city bus operations, while the suburban route to Druzhkivka, a nearby town, is operating on a limited basis, Filashkin said.
Yevhen Alkhimov, press officer of Ukraine's 28th Mechanized Brigade, which is fighting near Kostiantynivka, told the Kyiv Independent that "the greatest danger at the moment comes from first person view (FPV) drones, including fiber optic models."
"The enemy is trying to control all logistics and communication routes," he said, adding: "The Russians’ goal right now is not so much to destroy the city as it is to make it unsuitable for defense by controlling all the roads."
Alkhimov said Russian forces were deliberately targeting vehicles including civilian buses.
"They are trying to fully control all movement in the city using their drones," he said.
Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)
Authorities have installed seven large water tanks and 11 smaller containers throughout the city, in addition to 12 wells, six of which are equipped with filtration systems. Five "Points of Invincibility," Ukraine's emergency support hubs, are operational, with two more on standby.
Despite the risks, emergency crews, doctors, utility workers, and local officials continue to work in the city.
"Civilians still remain in the city, and life is becoming more and more difficult for them," Alkhimov said.
"There are fewer people left, the curfew is now longer, but nonetheless, people are still there, and it is truly very dangerous for them to stay in the city."
Filashkin urged those still in the city to evacuate.
Russia has intensified its offensive in eastern Ukraine while insisting that any peace negotiations must recognize its claimed annexation of four Ukrainian oblasts and Crimea. Russian forces do not fully control any of the four regions it seeks to claim.
Ukraine has ruled out ceding its territory as part of any peace agreement.
Editor's note: The article was updated after three bodies were found in Kramatorsk following a Russian attack.Russian strikes across Ukrainian regions killed at least seven civilians and injured at least 23 over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 22.Russia launched two Iskander-M or North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles, an S-300 anti-aircraft missile, and 47 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones against Ukraine overnight, primarily targeting Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine's Air
Editor's note: The article was updated after three bodies were found in Kramatorsk following a Russian attack.
Russian strikes across Ukrainian regions killed at least seven civilians and injured at least 23 over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 22.
Russia launched two Iskander-M or North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles, an S-300 anti-aircraft missile, and 47 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones against Ukraine overnight, primarily targeting Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine's Air Force said.
Ukrainian air defenses reportedly shot down 18 drones, while 10 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare. Seven hits by Russian aerial weapons were recorded overnight in Chernihiv, Sumy, and Odesa oblasts.
In Chernihiv Oblast, a civilian was killed in a Russian drone attack against the Nizhyn district, Governor Viacheslav Chaus reported.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian drone and artillery attacks against the Nikopol district injured seven people and damaged multiple houses and civilian infrastructure, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. A 63-year-old man has been hospitalized and is in moderate condition.
Russian attacks across Donetsk Oblast killed three people and injured 13, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin and the media. This included a civilian killed and three injured in Sloviansk, and another killed and two injured in Kostiantynivka.
Later on June 22, emergency workers found four bodies of people killed when a Russian missile hit a four-story residential building in Kramatorsk. Four people were injured, and one other resident may be trapped under the rubble, the State Emergency Service said.
In Kharkiv Oblast, a Russian attack killed a 77-year-old man in the village of Staryi Saltiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast wounded three civilians, said the regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin. Five multi-story apartment buildings and 11 houses were damaged.
At least 13 civilians were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on June 21. Russia launched 272 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, along with two ballistic missiles and six cruise missiles, Ukraine's Air Force said.Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 140 drones, three Iskander-K cruise missiles, one Kinzhal air-to-air missile, and one Kalibr cruise missile. Another 112 drones reportedly dropped off ra
At least 13 civilians were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on June 21.
Russia launched 272 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, along with two ballistic missiles and six cruise missiles, Ukraine's Air Force said.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 140 drones, three Iskander-K cruise missiles, one Kinzhal air-to-air missile, and one Kalibr cruise missile. Another 112 drones reportedly dropped off radars — likely used as decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian systems.
The Air Force said the combined attack was repelled using aviation, mobile fire groups, electronic warfare units, and anti-aircraft missile systems.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian strikes on residential areas and social infrastructure injured seven civilians, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Kherson and surrounding settlements west of the Dnipro River face near-daily Russian attacks.
In Donetsk Oblast, three people were wounded in Russian strikes, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. The region remains one of the most heavily targeted areas amid ongoing Russian offensive operations.
In Poltava Oblast, one person was moderately injured after Russian attacks damaged energy infrastructure and open areas, according to local officials.
A 75-year-old woman was injured in Sumy Oblast after a drone strike, regional authorities said. A woman was also wounded in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported, without specifying the nature of the attack.
The strikes come amid Russia's ongoing refusal to accept ceasefire proposals as it intensifies coordinated aerial assaults across Ukraine.
Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions killed two civilians and injured at least 39, including minors, over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 20.Russian forces launched 86 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses reportedly shot down 34 drones, while 36 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare.Russia launched "massive" drone attacks against Odesa overnight, authorities reported, resulti
Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions killed two civilians and injured at least 39, including minors, over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 20.
Russian forces launched 86 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses reportedly shot down 34 drones, while 36 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare.
Russia launched "massive" drone attacks against Odesa overnight, authorities reported, resulting in one civilian killed and at least 14 injured, including three emergency workers.
The attack drones struck over 10 targets, including seven residential buildings, and led to multiple large-scale fires. At the site of one of the attacks, a 23-story residential building caught fire between the 18th and 20th floors, and led to the evacuation of over 600 people.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, two men aged 39 and 64 were injured in Russian attacks, Governor Serhii Lysak said. Two industrial facilities, two schools, and four houses were damaged during strikes against the Nikopol district overnight.
In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and another injured in Kostiantynivka, while five others were injured elsewhere in the region, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
Russian attacks against Kharkiv and eight other settlements in Kharkiv Oblast injured six people, two of them minors, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Multiple residential buildings, houses, a school, warehouses, and other property were damaged.
In Kherson Oblast, 11 people were wounded in Russian strikes, said the regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin. Seventeen houses were damaged.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six civilians and injured at least 49, including a teenage boy, over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 18. Russian forces launched 58 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, targeting mainly the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the Air Force said.Ukrainian defenses shot down 12 drones, while 18 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare systems, according to the state
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six civilians and injured at least 49, including a teenage boy, over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 18.
Russian forces launched 58 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, targeting mainly the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the Air Force said.
Ukrainian defenses shot down 12 drones, while 18 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare systems, according to the statement.
In Chernihiv Oblast, a Russian drone attack against a village in the Snovsk community on June 17 injured a 68-year-old woman, Governor Viacheslav Chaus reported.
A Russian attack against Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on June 17 killed a 63-year-old man, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Two more people were injured, and an educational institution and houses were damaged.
Russian attacks across Donetsk Oblast killed a civilian in Myrnohrad and injured eight others in the region, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
In Kharkiv Oblast, three people were injured in Russian attacks, including a 69-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy in Izium and a 52-year-old man in Ripky, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast killed two people and injured 34, according to the regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin.
In Sumy Oblast, one person was killed and another injured in a Russian drone attack against the Bilopillia community, and another man was killed during an air strike against the Yunakivka community, the regional administration reported.
Russia launched missile and drone attacks against Zaporizhzhia, damaging multiple residential and non-residential buildings but inflicting no casualties, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Russian forces have intensified offensive operations across multiple front-line areas, said Victor Tregubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, on June 16.According to Tregubov, Russian troops have ramped up attacks, particularly in the Novopavlivka and Kharkiv sectors, which is an unusual development for these areas.Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Russian forces launched attacks in 12 directions, resulting in 99 recorded clashes. Ukrainian soldiers repelled 17 attack
Russian forces have intensified offensive operations across multiple front-line areas, said Victor Tregubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, on June 16.
According to Tregubov, Russian troops have ramped up attacks, particularly in the Novopavlivka and Kharkiv sectors, which is an unusual development for these areas.
Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Russian forces launched attacks in 12 directions, resulting in 99 recorded clashes. Ukrainian soldiers repelled 17 attacks in the Novopavlivka sector alone, according to the latest update.
"This signals that we have the expected summer increase in activity," Tregubov said.
The estimated Russian advance in Donetsk Oblast as of June 15, 2025. (DeepState/OpenStreet Map)
Speaking on national television, he said that the surge in activity near Novopavlivka suggests Russian forces are attempting to push into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which neighbors the embattled Donetsk Oblast.
"But they (Russia) have failed to succeed," the spokesperson added.
In Donetsk Oblast, Russia is trying to encircle Kostiantynivka, one of the key Ukrainian logistics hub in the region since the start of the full-scale invasion, by attacking the city from three directions, according to Tregubov.
Last week, on June 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that heavy fighting was ongoing along Ukraine's northeastern border.
Russian forces have concentrated around 53,000 troops in the Sumy sector, pushing into multiple settlements. The president confirmed that small Russian reconnaissance groups had briefly crossed into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — likely for propaganda purposes.
At least six civilians were killed and 18 others wounded in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on June 16.Russia launched 138 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, Ukraine's Air Force said. Air defenses intercepted 125 drones, while another 41 dropped off radars — likely used as decoys to overload Ukrainian systems. The assault was repelled using aviation, electronic warfare units, mobile fire groups, and anti-a
At least six civilians were killed and 18 others wounded in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on June 16.
Russia launched 138 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, Ukraine's Air Force said. Air defenses intercepted 125 drones, while another 41 dropped off radars — likely used as decoys to overload Ukrainian systems.
The assault was repelled using aviation, electronic warfare units, mobile fire groups, and anti-aircraft missile systems.
Donetsk Oblast saw the deadliest attacks, with six civilians killed — three in Bagatyr, two in Pokrovsk, and one in Kostyantynivka — and four more injured, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. The region remains one of the most heavily targeted areas amid ongoing Russian offensive operations.
In Kherson Oblast, seven people were injured after Russian forces struck critical infrastructure and residential neighborhoods, damaging eight houses, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
Three women aged 71, 62, and 27 were wounded in Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. The oblast has been under intensifying Russian aerial and artillery attacks in recent weeks.
Air defenses were active over Kyiv and surrounding areas, where three people were injured in the capital and region. Authorities said drone fragments fell in residential zones.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a 46-year-old man was injured as Russian troops carried out 426 strikes on 14 settlements, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
The latest strikes come as Russia continues to escalate its aerial campaign and reject calls for a ceasefire. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly urged Western partners to bolster air defense capabilities as drone and missile attacks persist.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the most recent casualty numbers.Russia attacked Ukraine with nearly 200 missiles and drones and shelled residents in Kherson and Donetsk oblasts, killing one and injuring three, Ukrainian authorities reported on June 15. Russian forces unleashed drones, artillery, and airstrikes on Kherson Oblast and the city over the last day, killing one person and injuring seven, the oblast administration reported. Russian attacks damaged apartments, home
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the most recent casualty numbers.
Russia attacked Ukraine with nearly 200 missiles and drones and shelled residents in Kherson and Donetsk oblasts, killing one and injuring three, Ukrainian authorities reported on June 15.
Russian forces unleashed drones, artillery, and airstrikes on Kherson Oblast and the city over the last day, killing one person and injuring seven, the oblast administration reported. Russian attacks damaged apartments, homes, and gas pipelines, as well as other infrastructure.
In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks injured two people in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, regional governor Vadym Filashkin reported.
Russia’s combined mass missile and drone strikes largely targeted Kremenchuk in Poltava Oblast. No one was injured or killed, but the attacks hit energy and agricultural facilities, said Poltava governor Volodymyr Kohut.
Of 183 drones Russia launched, Ukrainian air defense neutralized 159, the Air Force said in their morning update. Ukraine also shot down 2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles and six out of eight cruise missiles.
Drones were also spotted flying through Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, Chernihiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk oblasts.
Despite talks of peace negotiations, Russia has amped up its drone attacks on Ukraine over the last month. On May 26, Russia launched 355 drones at Ukraine, a record that was broken on June 1 with 472 drones, and on June 9, when Russia fired 479 drones and 20 missiles against Ukrainian cities.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.A Russian SU-25 fighter jet reportedly crashed over Donetsk Oblast on June 13, Russian social media channels reported. Videos posted on social media of the purported crash by bloggers with close ties to the Russian Air Force appear to show the plane crashing into a field after closely being followed by another fighter jet. The circumstances of the crash remain unclear as rumours swirl of Russian 'friendly fire' as a potential cause o
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A Russian SU-25 fighter jet reportedly crashed over Donetsk Oblast on June 13, Russian social media channels reported.
Videos posted on social media of the purported crash by bloggers with close ties to the Russian Air Force appear to show the plane crashing into a field after closely being followed by another fighter jet. The circumstances of the crash remain unclear as rumours swirl of Russian 'friendly fire' as a potential cause of the crash.
The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the crash or the details surrounding it. Neither the Ukrainian nor Russian military have commented on the reported crash.
The Su-25, a Soviet-designed close-air support aircraft developed by Sukhoi in the late 1970s, is built for battlefield survivability. It features heavy armor and can withstand enemy fire.
The aircraft has been widely used in various conflicts, including in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and, more recently, in Ukraine, where both Russian and Ukrainian forces operate the platform.
Ukraine has downed multiple Russian Su-25s throughout the war. On Feb. 8, Ukraine's military reported shooting down a Russian Su-25 near the town of Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast.
In another instance, Russia's Defense Ministry said on on March 24 that Russian Su-25 attack aircraft crashed during a routine training flight in Primorye Krai in Russia's Far East.
The incident comes less than two week following Ukraine's 'Operation Spiderweb' in which Ukrainian drones smuggled deep inside Russia and hidden inside trucks struck as many as 41 Russian heavy bombers at four airfields across the country.
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