The Russian invasion shows no signs of stopping. Their exhausting war of attrition along the nearly 1,000-kilometer front and long-range attacks on civilian areas in Ukraine have killed thousands of soldiers and civilians. Tonight, bombs have fallen again in Ukraine and Russia. Russian defenses have shot down 60 Ukrainian drones in regions of southwestern Russia, as well as in the Crimea peninsula, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov.
Furthermore, a Russian-appointed official stated that Moscow's forces have taken full control of Lugansk, one of the four Ukrainian regions that the Kremlin illegally annexed in 2022 despite not having absolute control over any of them. If confirmed, Lugansk would become the first Ukrainian region under Russia's absolute control after over three years of war, while recent international peace efforts led by the United States have not made progress in ending the fighting.
The airstrikes are calculated by Russia to subdue Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War. "Russia continues to use an increasing number of drones in their nighttime attacks to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses and enable subsequent attacks with cruise and ballistic missiles," said the Washington-based group of experts.
Number of Russian Long-Range Drone Attacks Drastically Increases in June
The number of long-range drones launched by Russia against Ukraine increased by 36.8% in June, according to an AFP analysis on Tuesday. These attacks have overwhelmed anti-aircraft defenses and left the civilian population exhausted.
According to daily figures released by the Ukrainian military, Russia sent 5,438 long-range attack drones to their territory in June, the highest number since the start of the 2022 invasion, compared to 3,974 in May.
Several People Die in Ukrainian Drone Attack on Russian Arms Factory
Russian authorities confirmed today the deaths of several people in the Ukrainian drone attack on a factory in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurtia Republic, reported Governor Alexandr Brechalov, according to Efe.
"Unfortunately, there are dead and seriously injured. They are now being offered all the necessary help in hospitals in the city of Izhevsk," he said on his Telegram channel.
Ukraine Changes Standard Voltage to Harmonize Electrical System with EU
Starting from Tuesday, Ukraine adopts a standard voltage of 230 volts for its electrical system, instead of the previous 220 volts, to continue harmonizing its electrical system with the EU, as indicated by a decree published by the Ukrainian National Commission for Energy Regulation, reported Efe.
In addition to setting this new standard, the commission also establishes a 10% deviation from this voltage as an allowed margin.
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this country connected its electrical system to the European grid, which has allowed it to face with more guarantees and external support in the form of electricity transfers the systematic Russian attacks against Ukrainian power plants and other energy infrastructure. These efforts to connect to the European system aim to end Ukraine's dependence on Russia.
Russia Launches Dozens of Attacks in Donetsk as Its Offensive in Sumy Stalls
Russia launched over forty attacks towards the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in the past day, which before the war had around 60,000 inhabitants and is one of the main Russian targets in the eastern Donetsk region, while the Ukrainian Army claims to have thwarted the enemy offensive in the Sumy region, northeast of the invaded country, reported Efe.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff report on Tuesday, Kiev's troops also repelled twenty attacks on the Novopavlivka front, where Russian forces are trying to advance from the south of the Donetsk region to also establish themselves in the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region.
The daily war monitoring bulletin from the Center for Defense Strategies (CED) in Kiev estimates that Ukrainian troops defending this front will be forced to retreat from "a relatively large area" on both sides of the Vovcha River to form a more easily defensible straight line further west between the towns of Novopavlivka and Piddubne.
Denmark Focuses on Strengthening Security and Defense as Core of Its EU Presidency
Denmark assumes the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union on Tuesday with security and defense at the center of an agenda that also aims to improve competitiveness, curb irregular immigration, and advance Ukraine's accession, reported Efe.
Social Democrat Frederiksen, who has led a coalition government with two liberal forces since late 2022, has been one of the European leaders most in favor of increasing defense spending following the war in Ukraine and has sent more arms and money to Kiev in proportion. This Nordic country will, for example, be the first to start joint production of weapons with Ukraine, an agreement announced last week at the annual NATO summit.
Russia Shoots Down 60 Ukrainian Drones, 17 of Them Over Annexed Crimea
Russian anti-aircraft defenses shot down 60 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones last night, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on its Telegram channel on Tuesday.
According to the military report, 17 of the unmanned Ukrainian aircraft shot down during the past night were destroyed over the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, bordering Ukraine.
Another 14 drones were downed over the waters of the Azov and Black Seas. Defense noted that the remaining 29 Ukrainian aircraft were shot down over the Russian regions of Rostov (16), Kursk (5), Saratov (4), Belgorod (2), Voronezh (1), and Oryol (1).
US Envoy Keith Kellogg States Russia is Buying Time in Ukraine
Keith Kellogg, the top envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump on Ukraine and Russia, declared on Monday that Russia cannot continue buying time "while bombing civilian targets in Ukraine," reported Reuters.
"We urge an immediate ceasefire and progress towards trilateral talks to end the war," Kellogg wrote in X.
North Korean Media Show Leader Honoring Soldiers Killed in Russia
North Korean state media released images of the country's leader visibly moved in a tribute to soldiers who died fighting alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine.
North Korea has become one of Moscow's main allies in its offensive against Ukraine as a supplier of arms but also by sending thousands of soldiers to the front.
Seoul's intelligence agency estimates that about 600 North Korean soldiers died and thousands were injured in this conflict, explained South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun.
Members of North Korea's Main Military Academy Head to Russia
A delegation from Kim Il-sung Military University departed for Russia on Monday to visit the Military Academy of the General Staff amid the strengthening of Pyongyang-Moscow ties, as reported by the state news agency KCNA, according to Efe.
The group is led by Kim Kum-chol, the rector of the country's main military officer training institution, where the current leader, Kim Jong-un, took some courses after his studies in Switzerland. The delegation departed from Pyongyang International Airport.
Although the official purpose of the trip has not been specified, it is anticipated that the visit aims to enhance collaboration between academies, in line with the strategic partnership treaty signed by both countries in June 2024.