Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1591: Russia’s rear is “no longer peaceful” as Ukraine’s drones reach ever deeper into its war machine

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Exclusives

Russia lost ground for a second straight month in June. CSIS says it has lost the initiative too. The war in Ukraine is grinding into a new frozen state as Russian advances slow or reverse in recent months.

The energy superpower now rations fuel by QR code lottery. Governors negotiating jerry-can quotas. The assemblies voting not to convene. What the fuel crisis looks like from Samara, Pskov, Irkutsk, and Sevastopol.

Russia banned the scholars documenting Stalin’s starvation of Ukraine. They put their course out anyway—as Moscow repeats the famine.. As its forces besiege the occupied town of Oleshky, Russia bans Western scholars who are documenting Stalin’s famine in Ukraine—the one Moscow continues to deny. The scholars have fired back with a new course.

Ukraine’s ballistic missile may have reached Moscow. The damage wasn’t the point.. Ukrainian developers rush new weapons into combat to gather data, not to inflict damage—the way Fire Point spent a year missing before the Flamingo started landing. The first ballistic shot was doing that job.

Russia’s top bankers break taboo, admit war is hurting the economy. Two of Russia’s most influential economic officials have publicly acknowledged the mounting costs of the war in Ukraine, as Kyiv’s strikes on oil infrastructure and record military spending expose growing cracks in the Kremlin’s wartime economy

Military

Crimea occupation officials pack up as some reportedly flee to Russia on state fuel as Ukrainian strikes intensify, ATESH claims. ATESH claims Russian-installed authorities in occupied Crimea ordered an urgent evacuation of official records and equipment, while some officials reportedly left for Russia amid escalating Ukrainian deep strikes.

“No longer a peaceful rear”: Ukraine reports 1,150% increase in deep strikes as drones continue hitting Russia’s war machine far from the front lines. Ukraine says its long-range drone campaign reached a new tempo in June, targeting oil refineries, naval facilities, defense plants, and logistics hubs deep inside Russia.

Ukraine hits at least seven Russian warplanes in second strike on Crimea’s Saky airbase this week, SBU says. The SBU says its drones struck two key Russian airbases in occupied Crimea, while Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces reported dozens of additional strikes on military targets across the peninsula.

Ukraine’s eastern kill zone is 25 km deep — corps commander expects 30 by year’s end. Drones now do most of the killing, and Russia has abandoned armored assault for two- and three-man infiltration.

Fires hit Crimea power substations again overnight, one for the second time in a week. Blazes at a rebuilt node and a critical hub leave Staryi Krym dark.

Belgorod loses power and water after Ukrainian strike on gas-turbine plant, one killed. The strike came a day after Russia’s deadliest assault on Kyiv this year.

Ukrainian drones disabled 13 Russian power stations across occupied territory in 48 hours, commander says. The reported 48-hour operation targeted Russian-controlled energy infrastructure across occupied Crimea, Melitopol, Donetsk, and Luhansk as Ukraine intensifies strikes behind the front line.

Russia says it downed Ukraine’s first ballistic missile—a weapon Kyiv has never announced. Kyiv stayed silent. Moscow’s ministry did the announcing.

Intelligence and technology

Mini air defense against FPVs and the “Peace Duck” AI interceptor: Ukraine unveils 20-system counter-drone arsenal. Ukrainian defense company Contra Drone showcased an integrated architecture combining radar, electronic warfare, autonomous interceptors, and strike drones to counter Russia’s expanding UAV threat.

Ukraine clears its first-ever export of finished combat drones — and they went to the US. For most of the war Kyiv barred drone exports. The first batch out went to the Pentagon.

Ukrainians think their own security service is calling—it’s Russia recruiting saboteurs. Russian intelligence services are posing as Ukrainian security agencies in a new recruitment scheme that uses fake criminal investigations and forged SBU documents.

International

Poland to scrap the MiG-29 fighter jets it was supposed to hand Ukraine amid growing tensions between the allies. Poland says it will retire its remaining MiG-29 fighters after talks over a proposed transfer to Ukraine broke down amid a worsening political rift between the two countries.

Georgia’s only oil refinery to stop processing Russian crude from August, company says. Black Sea Petroleum says its Kulevi refinery will begin processing only non-Russian crude from August–September, ending its reliance on Russian oil as it expands production.

Italy joins Bulgaria in resisting EU sanctions on Patriarch Kirill. Rome’s objection traces back to the Vatican’s unease at sanctioning a Christian leader.

Ukraine wants the Ankara summit to name it a NATO security contributor—not just an aid recipient. Kyiv now red-teams the Alliance’s war games and runs its only joint center with NATO—and says a record number of members back its membership.

“We do not want materials produced in Ireland to support Russia’s war machine” – Ireland nears decision on alumina exports. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin says an investigation into alleged alumina supplies to Russia is nearing completion, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges swift action.

Ukraine urges partners to urgently release Patriot missiles after one of war’s largest air attacks. President Zelenskyy said delays in delivering promised Patriot missiles prevented Ukraine from intercepting all of Russia’s latest attack, adding that faster support could have saved lives and homes.

NATO’s former No. 2 says the alliance must rebuild without America. Starting now. He reported to an American commander for years. Now NATO’s former deputy chief says Washington is “an inconsistent predator” and Europe must plan to stand without it.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia’s war keeps killing dolphins: Five more dead dolphins wash up in Odesa Oblast park – 63 since late May. Scientists say the true toll could reach into the thousands after 63 dead harbor porpoises were documented along Ukraine’s Black Sea coast since late May.

Sweden adopts Ukrainian place names, abandoning Russian-derived spellings: “We counter Russian attempts to erase Ukrainian culture”. Kiev, Odesa, Donbas: three place names, three layers of imperial history. Sweden just chose a different set.

Russian strikes kill 19 civilians across Ukraine, including toddler in Sumy Oblast. Russia’s latest attacks killed civilians across Ukraine, with deadly strikes in Sumy, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts and dozens more wounded nationwide.

Kyiv death toll climbs to 30 as rescuers dig for three still buried under a nine-story block. Three residents remain unaccounted for as the search continues, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration.

Record 52,500 people sheltered in Kyiv metro during Russia’s overnight attack — including 4,500 children. Russia’s overnight attack on Kyiv was the largest in months — and more people fled underground than any night in recent years.

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