A roundup of the top news stories by Vladimir Orlov for UA.NEWS as of June 17
Russia carried out two massive combined attacks on Ukraine on June 15–16, using missiles and attack drones. Kyiv and civilian infrastructure were the main targets.
On June 15, according to open-source reports, more than 70 missiles and over 600 drones were launched. Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed most of the aerial targets, including the latest Russian missiles. Five people were killed in the attack.
The attacks continued overnight into June 16. Russia deployed two Iskander ballistic missiles and more than 130 attack drones. More than 110 drones were shot down by Ukrainian defense forces. Damage and casualties were reported in several regions. Injuries have been reported in the Kharkiv region, and children are among the victims.
In Kyiv and other cities, a number of civilian infrastructure facilities were damaged, including transportation and cultural sites. There are also reports of damage to production facilities at the Dovzhenko Film Studio and damage to several buildings in the capital.
Separately, there are reports of damage to religious and historical sites in Kyiv. Following the attacks, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) released data indicating that Russian “Shahed”-type strike drones were used during the attacks.
In response to the Russian strikes, drone attacks on Russian territory have been recorded. Air raid alerts have been reported in several regions, particularly around Moscow. According to Russian sources, a fire broke out at an oil refinery in the Kapotnya area. There have also been reports of a strike on a logistics complex in the suburbs of the capital.
Against this backdrop, reports from Russia indicate that restrictions on fuel sales have been tightened in certain regions, which may signal increasing strain on the fuel infrastructure.
On the front lines, the most intense fighting continues in the Pokrovsk and Kupiansk sectors. Russian troops are continuing their assaults from various directions, attempting to put pressure on Ukrainian defenses. The fiercest battles are taking place in the areas surrounding several settlements in the Donetsk region.
According to monitoring sources, individual positions are changing hands, but the enemy’s advances are accompanied by significant losses for the Russian army. In the Kupiansk sector, the enemy is attempting to expand its bridgehead and consolidate its positions on strategic lines.
At the same time, Ukraine’s European integration process continues. The legislative screening phase has begun as part of the EU accession negotiations. This involves assessing the compliance of Ukrainian regulations with EU standards, which determines the country’s readiness for further integration. The process involves several stages and requires the unanimous support of EU member states.
There is also increasingly active discussion in Europe about the economic implications of Ukraine’s potential accession, particularly for the agricultural market.
On the international stage, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy participated in the G7 summit, where he held a series of meetings with leaders of partner countries. The main focus was on security issues and continued support for Ukraine.
The possibility of separate international contacts regarding further negotiations and the security situation was also discussed. Ukraine remains one of the key issues on the global agenda, and support from allies continues to play an important role in the war and in diplomacy.
Over the past day, Russian troops launched massive strikes on the Kherson region, attacking 44 settlements in the region with artillery and drones. Two people were killed and 11 others were wounded as a result of the enemy shelling.
As a reminder, on the afternoon of June 16, Russian troops launched a drone strike on a private residence in the Odesa district. The enemy attack caused significant damage to a single-story residential building and sparked a fire, which was quickly extinguished by rescuers from the State Emergency Service.
Russian troops attacked civilians in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, with an FPV drone. Three people were killed in the strike, according to Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration.
Prior to this, Russian KAB bombs struck the Zaporizhzhia region, resulting in injuries.
Five rescuers from the State Emergency Service were killed as a result of a Russian attack on Kharkiv.
