In the heart of Kharkiv, Kharkiv Theater for Children and Youth performs in bomb shelters under constant threats of Russian attacks. The Kyiv Independent visited one of the theater's performances in late June to meet the dedicated actors and their no less dedicated audience.
Olena Makarenko is a Kyiv-based journalist and documentary filmmaker. Since November 2015, Olena has been covering the events in Ukraine for foreign audiences. She has authored two short documentaries: “The Court” (2018) about establishing the Anti-Corruption Court in Ukraine and “Life-Long City” about an activist in Kryvyi Rih.Read more
The suspects allegedly demanded $200,000 in exchange for facilitating the successful testing and adoption of five radio electronic warfare systems provided to Ukraine at no cost.
The group, made up of students and teachers from Chernivtsi Oblast, was returning from an academic exchange when their bus veered off the road in the Sarthe department of France on June 13.
The Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War said the bodies, which Russian authorities claim belong to Ukrainian nationals, were returned as part of an ongoing phased exchange process.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said he held a meeting focused on strengthening defenses against Russian strike drones, particularly Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russian forces to target Ukrainian cities.
"As part of efforts to reduce (Russia's) ability to produce explosives and ammunition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' drone systems, in coordination with other Defense Forces units, struck critical facilities of Russia's military-industrial complex overnight," Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement.
Iran and Israel continued to exchange attacks on June 14, more than 24 hours after Israel launched its first strikes on Iran's nuclear sites and military leadership. Civilian casualties have been reported in both countries.
The United States is opposing a push by other G7 members to lower the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel, ahead of the group’s summit in Canada.
Three Ukrainian nationals were killed in a bus accident in France on June 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in a statement on Telegram. The accident occurred in northwestern France as a group of Ukrainian adults and children was returning from an educational exchange.
Ukraine’s domestically developed short-range Sapsan ballistic missile has successfully completed combat testing and is in the process of serial production, Ukrainian media reported on June 13.
"All these years, Russia has been using the residents of Transnistria and can provoke an even greater crisis at any moment," Moldovan President Maia Sandu said.
"According to our intelligence, Russia has started to prepare strategic reserves, which indicates plans for combat operations not only in Ukraine," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said