Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1209: EU faces massive $278 billion bill to break free from Russian nuclear dependency by 2030s

Exclusive

Ukraine's new bike unit mirrors Russia's dumbest suicidal tactic — and that's a strategic problem. Ukraine's new bike unit adopts a Russian-style tactic: fast, deadly, and often doomed. It's a gamble Kyiv may not be able to afford.

Military

60 Sumy border settlements completely abandoned amid intensified Russian attacks and offensive threat. More than 400 people evacuated from Ukrainian border communities in a single week, with 26 children among those forced to leave their homes. UK intel: North Korea sent 11,000 troops to help Russia in Kursk—over half never came back. Kim Jong-un sent troops to back Putin in Kursk. UK intel says over 6,000 didn't return. Ukrainian actor-turned-soldier killed in combat. He traded stage for battlefield to defend Ukraine. Yurii Felipenko was known for theater work at Kyiv Academic Drama Theater and television appearances spanning a decade before he became a drone operator when Russia's full-scale invasion started.

Intelligence and Technology

Ukrainian drone veterans train Estonia's Defense League in battlefield tactics. Estonia's Defense League volunteers are learning drone warfare from Ukrainian operators who spend up to 29 days at a time on the front lines, where drones serve as the "eyes of God" in modern combat. German Vector and Twister drones already help Ukraine track targets. Soon, they'll come armed with power to hear artillery before it hits. They will be linked to neural networks are being developed to automatically identify weapons — and guide counterstrikes. Diplomacy can wait, but weapons can't. Kyiv is ready to spend cash on American equipment. The Ukrainian president reveals plans to negotiate a new defense deal with Trump

International

Russia still cashing in: EU's $ 231 bn fuel bill exposes nuclear blind spot. Brussels faces a $278 bn investment bill to wean the EU off Russian nuclear technology by the 2030s, as the bloc's 101 nuclear reactors depend on Moscow for up to 25% of their uranium supply chain. Ukraine's people have bridged historic divides—up to 90% now stand united behind NATO and EU membership. Once split by language and geopolitics, Ukrainian society has been fundamentally reshaped. Politico: Baltic hospitals go underground as NATO's eastern flank braces for Russian threat. Three years into Russia's war in Ukraine, hospitals across NATO's eastern flank are moving operations underground, stockpiling tourniquets by the thousands, and asking medical staff to sign pledges promising they won't flee if war arrives at their borders. Canada's uranium could replace Russia's resources, choking off Kremlin money, say expert. Beyond oil and gas, Canada's uranium production offers the West a rare chance to break nuclear dependency on Russia and Kazakhstan, says expert John Kirton. Axios: Trump and Zelenskyy to meet at G7 summit in Canada first time since April. The last time the two leaders met in April before Pope Francis' funeral.

Humanitarian and Social Impact

Umerov: Ukraine managed to return over 6,000 bodies of the dead, the fight for prisoners is ahead. Over 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers returned home following the completion of Istanbul agreement implementation, marking the end of this repatriation stage and the beginning of prisoner exchange efforts, according to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. What three years of Russian captivity did to Ukrainian soldier. Mariupol defender Oleksandr was captured in 2022 and returned home in a recent prisoner exchange. Doctors began removing "Glory to Russia" words carved on Ukrainian POW body. The propaganda inscription was discovered when the wounded serviceman regained consciousness after surgery in Russian custody.

Political and Legal Developments

Moscow quietly rushes to reinforce its nuclear sites just 300 km from Sweden. Meanwhile, Russia's revised policy allows nukes in response attacks supported by NATO members. Latvian MP faces 20 years in prison after shouting in Russian at parliament. Latvia's State Security Service detained former parliamentarian Aleksejs Rosļikovs after he shouted "There are more of us, our language is Russian!" during a 5 June parliamentary session. Russia planned to destroy Mariupol before 2022 — first public evidence emerges. From official plans to ash and silence — Mariupol's fate was sealed in Kremlin documents. Russia expands nuclear facilities near European borders, satellite images reveal. Russia knows that these threats cause panic in the Western world and exploits this fear strategically, according to a former NATO nuclear policy expert. Read our earlier daily review here.