RFE/RL: Hungary threatens to block EU sanctions renewal if 3 Russian oligarchs not exempted.

3:21 AM  (Updated:  June 22, 2025 5:19 am)

US conducts air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says.

The United States conducted air strikes on nuclear sites in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post to Truth Social on June 21.

1:54 AM

Ukrainians forcibly deported by Russia held in basement without food, water, media reports.

Over 45 Ukrainians forcibly deported by Russia from Ukraine's occupied territories are being held in a basement at Russia's border with Georgia without food, water, and basic healthcare, independent media outlet Astra reported on June 21.

11:08 PM

NATO summit to sideline Ukraine, focus on flattering Trump, Politico reports.

"(Trump) has to get credit for the 5% — that's why we're having the summit," one unnamed European defense official told Politico. "Everything else is being streamlined to minimize risk."

10:18 PM

Russia has over 1,950 strategic missiles, Ukraine's military intelligence tells media.

Russia produces up to 195 missiles per month, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) told the news outlet RBC-Ukraine.

5:15 PM  (Updated:  June 21, 2025 9:02 pm)

'My husband is free' — Belarus opposition leader Siarhei Tsikhanouski freed after US envoy visits Minsk.

Sergei Tikhanovsky was sentenced to 18 years in prison on politically motivated charges in 2021.

8:39 PM

'Ukrainian drones for the foot of every Russian soldier' — Zelensky responds to Putin's threat to conquer all Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government has made several decisions in light of Russia's overt threats, including a diplomatic overhaul, intensified sanctions efforts, and increased funding for drone development.

8:06 PM

Ukraine planning diplomatic overhaul to win stronger global support against Russia.

"The president has already made certain personnel decisions regarding the heads of some foreign institutions, because the criterion is very simple: results," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on June 21.

7:03 PM

Ukraine asks allies to earmark 0.25% of GDP for joint defense production, Zelensky says.

Ukraine is currently in talks with Denmark, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania on weapons development partnerships, according to the president.

6:18 PM

Culture

Love, sex, survival — Ukrainian author on how war shapes intimacy in Ukraine

5:56 PM

Ukraine approves Termit ground drone for battlefield deployment.

The tracked robot is a next-generation version of Ukraine's existing ground-based unmanned systems already deployed across the front.

4:04 PM

NATO

Pro-Russian 'peace protestors' set to descend on NATO summit.

3:21 PM

Video

Inside the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine

Forged from the remnants of the Soviet Spetsnaz, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces have become a vital pillar of the country’s current defense, playing their role in some of the war’s most decisive engagements – from Kyiv to Donbas, and to Kursk Oblast in Russia.

3:08 PM

'In any case, the aggressor loses' — Zelensky urges Trump to 'make the right choice for history'.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is attempting to influence U.S. President Donald Trump amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

2:42 PM

Russia 'afraid to admit' scale of losses, trying to hide by dumping soldiers' bodies on Ukraine, Zelensky says.

Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that at least 20 of the bodies Russia returned as Ukrainian were actually Russian soldiers, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

2:18 PM

Russia's Oreshnik missile production can be halted by 'urgent' sanctions, Zelensky says.

Russia first launched the experimental Oreshnik missile in an attack against Dnipro on Nov. 21.

1:15 PM

Environment

How 3 years of war have ravaged Ukraine’s forests, and the people who depend on them.

1:11 PM

Russia recruits Central Asia migrants as 'cannon fodder' in Ukraine war, HUR says.

Citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other countries in the region are increasingly being drawn into Russia's war effort, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) says.

11:43 AM

At least 13 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day.

Russia launched 272 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, along with two aeroballistic missiles and six cruise missiles, Ukraine's Air Force said.

10:31 AM  (Updated:  June 21, 2025 11:00 am)

Russian economy recession warnings 'greatly exaggerated,' Putin claims, denies war in Ukraine 'killing' growth.

The statement comes after warnings from his own officials about stagnation and looming recession.

10:59 AM

Trump administration sends layoff notices to 600 Voice of America staff, NYT reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump's crackdown against Voice of America has been celebrated by Russian propagandists, who welcomed the cuts to the network.

9:21 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,010,390 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,060 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

8:02 AM

Russian attacks injure 7 people in Kherson Oblast.

Seven people were injured in Russian drone and artillery attacks on Kherson Oblast on June 20-21. Strikes hit multiple settlements, including the city of Kherson.

5:40 AM

Ukraine developing interceptor drones to counter Russian attacks, Zelensky says.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his June 20 nightly address that Ukraine is developing interceptor drones to counter Russian drone strikes, adding that domestic production is "already delivering results."

2:57 AM

Zelensky to attend NATO summit despite media reports that he won't.

President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to attend a NATO summit in The Hague next week, the European Council confirmed on June 20.

12:53 AM

'This is the best offer Ukraine can get today' — Russia won't back down as renewed peace talks loom.

Russia's memorandum on a peace proposal is the "best offer Ukraine can get today," Russia's envoy to the United Nations (UN), Vasily Nebenzya, said at a UN Security Council meeting.