Exclusives
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The 160th Mechanized Brigade's M-1 tanks might not shoot very well. Does it matter?. The 160th Mechanized Brigade is an odd choice to operate some of Ukraine's approximately 50 surviving M-1 tanks. |
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Russia won't start a nuclear war. It might cause a nuclear disaster.. For the first time in history, a major war is being fought around 15 nuclear reactors. The West fears a Russian strike; the real danger is the disaster it has chosen not to see. |
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Russia may soon have more tanks than pre-war. It just can't use them.. To do it, Russia revived "previously unrecoverable" Soviet engines. The drones that destroyed the originals haven't gone anywhere. |
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Russia poured 46% of its budget into the military in early 2026 even as revenue fell — ISW. Moscow promised to cut war spending in 2026. It raised it 30% instead, according to an expert's assessment. |
Intelligence and technology
At Paris top defense exhibition, Ukraine unveiled 10-ton Sea Trident that can hunt underwater drones. Sea Trident has a 10,000-kg displacement and a 2,000 nautical mile range.
Netherlands transfers sixth mine countermeasures vessel to Ukraine—named Henichesk after ship sunk in 2022. Ukrainian Navy commander Oleksii Neizhpapa raised the fleet flag at the handover ceremony attended by five allied naval commanders on 15 June.
Latvia's defense minister brings 14 British-made combat vehicles to Ukraine's frontline "from box". Anti-FPV drone protection systems will be additionally installed on the vehicles. Latvia previously transferred 42 Patria armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.
Military
Ukraine hits two northeastern bridges to occupied Crimea overnight again to cut a main supply road. A Russia-installed official claimed the Dzhankoi crossing was shut, later announced its reopening, while a Ukrainian source said cars were routed over a temporary pontoon.
International
"Not a coincidence": Russia waited to launch its mass strike on Ukraine until Putin congratulated Trump on his birthday, says Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy promised that Ukraine will give its response to the assault.
Macron wants Washington to tell Ukraine "we are with you" as the G7 summit in Évian. Europeans now shoulder nearly the entire burden of Kyiv's war effort, while America still provides weapons and intelligence, France's president said on 15 June.
Kallas calls the Lavra attack a war crime and announces new EU sanctions. The Foreign Affairs Council listed 34 individuals and 47 entities, including Lukoil-Western Siberia, two Chinese drone-component suppliers, the Kremlin's Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, and 15 people tied to Alexei Navalny's persecution and death.
France compares Lavra strike to bombing Notre-Dame, calls for tougher sanctions. France's foreign minister compared the monastery strike to bombing Notre-Dame, as EU officials convened in Luxembourg on 15 June.
Humanitarian and social impact
Russia hit Kyiv's 1,000-year-old monastery, then launched disinformation campaign with five different scenarios. Ukraine has seen this playbook in Mariupol. Russian sources are blaming Ukraine for the fire at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (a UNESCO World Heritage site), calling it "Ukrainian provocation" or "self-arson."
Russia has damaged or destroyed nearly 2,000 Ukrainian cultural heritage sites since 2022 — prosecutor general calls Lavra strike "deliberate erasure". Moscow's forces have looted over 7.8 million artifacts from museums in occupied territory since 2014, Ukraine's chief legal authority reported on 15 June 2026.
Russia set fire to the Kyiv monastery where Moscow's founder is buried. A Russian strike ignited the Dormition Cathedral; officials say it likely scored a direct hit.
Nearly 42,000 Kyiv residents sheltered in metro during overnight Russian attack, including 3,400 children. All 46 underground stations stayed open through the night as Russia launched 681 aerial weapons at Ukraine.
Russia kills 5 in Kyiv, injuries 35 in overnight strike with 681 weapons—including six Zircons. Emergency services worked across roughly 50 sites in the capital after fires broke out in nearly every district.
Russia kills four firefighters in Kharkiv hitting the same spot twice in one night. All four served in the city's 6th State Fire and Rescue Unit, and their service mourned men it called heroes who carried no weapons.
Russian drone strike on Dnipro damages organ music house, college, and injures one. A 64-year-old man was hospitalized in moderate condition after the overnight attack, which also sparked a fire at a local enterprise.
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