Ukraine war latest: Russian attack on Dnipro kills at least 17, injures almost 280
Key developments on June 24:
- 'Dead and wounded everywhere' — Russian attack on Dnipro kills at least 17, injures almost 280
- Council of Europe, Ukraine to sign accord on June 25 to set up Russian aggression tribunal
- Ukraine can produce 8 million drones annually but needs funding, Zelensky says at NATO summit
- Trump to meet Zelensky during NATO summit, White House confirms
- UK to fund joint drone production with Ukraine
Russia launched a deadly missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on June 24, striking civilian infrastructure and a passenger train, killing at least 17 people and injuring scores of others, local officials reported.
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak said the morning strike ignited a large fire and also damaged a dormitory, a gymnasium, and an administrative building in the city.
The Russian military also struck the nearby town of Samarske, Lysak said. Casualties were reported in both locations.
"Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded everywhere," he said.
In Samarske, two people were killed, and 14 injured. Eight were hospitalized, with half of them in critical condition.
"As of now, more than 160 people are known to have been injured. Unfortunately, 11 people have died," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media, adding: "The rubble is still being cleared, so the death toll may, unfortunately, increase."
Around 8:30 p.m. local time, the death toll rose to 17, while the number of wounded increased to 279, including 27 children, Lysak reported.
Almost a hundred of the victims remain in hospital, according to Lysak.
Ukraine's national railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, said that a train traveling from Odesa to Zaporizhzhia was damaged in the attack.
"Ukrzaliznytsia is preparing a replacement train in Dnipro to evacuate passengers to Zaporizhzhia," the company said in a statement.
In an update, Ukrzaliznytsia said no passengers or railway workers were killed in the attack, though several people sustained injuries and are receiving medical care.
The attack came as NATO leaders convened for a high-level summit in The Hague. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on June 23 that Russia remains the alliance's most immediate and long-term threat.
Council of Europe, Ukraine to sign accord on June 25 to set up Russian aggression tribunal
The Council of Europe and Ukraine will sign an agreement on June 25 to set up a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression, Yevheniya Kravchuk, a member of Ukraine's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said on June 24.
The move marks a milestone in international efforts to hold President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials accountable for launching the full-scale war against Ukraine.
"What seemed like a dream of justice will soon become a reality. Ukraine, together with the Council of Europe, will sign an agreement that will bring Russia to justice," Kravchuk wrote on Facebook.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna stressed that the special tribunal will have jurisdiction over the Russian president, prime minister, foreign minister, and other top officials.
"It is not a matter of debate anymore, only a matter of time. Some will get into the hands of justice sooner, some later, but they will all be held accountable. There are no exceptions," Stefanishyna told the Kyiv Independent. "It's critical to restore the international rule of law and prevent future acts of aggression."
The tribunal's jurisdiction covers all aspects of the crime of aggression, including the planning, preparation, initiation, or execution of acts of aggression, according to Stefanishyna.
"The tribunal's design makes it clear that the official status of the accused at the time of the crime does not exempt them from responsibility," she said. "Functional immunity does not apply here; high-ranking officials can be prosecuted even while holding office. The statute provides rules for conducting proceedings if the accused is absent."
The tribunal will be authorized to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to ensure jurisdictional effectiveness and share information, Stefanishyna added.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has long advocated for the tribunal to ensure that Putin and other senior Russian officials face justice for launching the invasion three years ago.
Ukrainian prosecutors have documented thousands of war crimes committed by Russian forces, including attacks on civilians, cultural and medical sites, and acts of torture and deportation.
While war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide can be prosecuted against individuals at any level, the crime of aggression applies exclusively to state leaders responsible for planning and waging a war.
The ICC has already issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Ukraine can produce 8 million drones annually but needs funding, Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky said during NATO summit on June 24 that Ukraine has the capacity to produce over 8 million drones of various types each year, but lacks the financial backing to reach that potential, a shortfall he said must be urgently addressed to defeat Russia's growing military network.
"Our defense production potential has surpassed $35 billion," Zelensky said during a speech at the NATO Defense Industry Forum in The Hague. "This includes nearly 1,000 types of products... but around 40% of this potential lacks proper funding. For example, we can produce over 8 million drones of different types each year, but the financing allows for far fewer."
Zelensky urged allies to scale up investments in joint weapons production, including drone technologies, artillery, and interceptors. He argued that Ukraine's defense capabilities are not only key to defending its own territory, but essential to strengthening NATO's long-term security.
"We must lead in the drone race, both in strike drones and interceptors," he said. "Please increase your investments in Ukraine and joint weapons production. All the weapons we produce become part of a new, stronger European defense and security system."
The Ukrainian president emphasized that Russia is not acting alone, but as part of a broader network of state and non-state actors, including North Korea, Iran, and Chinese companies, which support its war effort against Ukraine and pose a long-term threat to Europe.
"The source of this war and the long-term threat to Europe is Russia," Zelensky said. "But in reality, we are not just facing Russia alone. We are facing a network of state and non-state actors."
Zelensky also called on NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP and to dedicate at least 0.25% of GDP to support Ukraine's military needs directly. He thanked countries such as Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands for their elevated commitments, but urged others to follow suit.
Zelensky warned that Russia is planning "new military operations on NATO territory" and that the war in Ukraine must be stopped now to prevent broader European conflict.
"There are no signs that Putin wants to stop this war," Zelensky said. "So long as he kills, he lives. And our intelligence confirms this."
He also appealed for a crackdown on the supply chains that allow Russia to sustain its weapons manufacturing, referring to Western-origin components found in Russian missiles, drones, and armored vehicles.
"It's not just China, also Taiwan. Some of these parts come from European countries and from the United States," Zelensky said. "Every single tool delivered to Russia's defense sector helps prolong the war and is a crime against peace."
Zelensky's speech comes as NATO leaders gather in The Hague for a high-level summit on June 24-25. NATO leaders are expected to discuss raising the alliance's defensespending target to 5% of the GDP, a proposal the U.S. has championed but from which it considers itself exempt.
Trump to meet Zelensky during NATO summit, White House confirms
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during a NATO summit in The Hague, the White House confirmed on June 24.
The last time Zelensky and Trump met was in April on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral amid concerns that Washington would withdraw from mediating peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
The White House did not provide any further details about the meeting between the two leaders.
The talks between Zelensky and Trump were scheduled for the "early afternoon" on June 25, the source told AFP, adding that "the teams are finalizing the details" of the meeting.
Trump and Zelensky are expected to discuss Ukraine's "purchase of a defense package, a large part of which consists of air defense systems," according to the source.
The discussion will also focus on "sanctions against Russia, and a price cap on oil," the source added.
Earlier, Trump said that he "would probably meet" Zelensky in The Hague after the two presidents did not manage to talk during the G7 summit in Canada earlier in June, AFP reported on June 24.
When asked what he would say to Zelensky, Trump replied: "I'll say: 'How are you?' He's (Zelensky) in a tough spot, he shouldn't have been there at all".
Zelensky also said in an interview with Sky News that he planned to meet Trump in The Hague. Asked whether the meeting would be a formal discussion or an informal encounter, Zelensky said it was a matter of scheduling: "They are talking about timing. It's timing."
Zelensky expressed hope that Trump's approach to Russia is tactical, intended to pressure Putin into peace negotiations. "I would like this approach to be only a way to force Putin to the negotiating table and to end the war. And let us hope so," he said.
Zelensky was scheduled to meet Trump at the Group of Seven (G7) summit, held June 15-17. However, the U.S. president left the multilateral event early due to the renewed conflict between Israel and Iran.
Zelensky also left the summit early, citing Russia's mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv.
UK to fund joint drone production with Ukraine
Ukraine and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement to jointly produce drones, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on June 24.
Britain will finance the procurement of Ukrainian-designed drones manufactured in the UK, he added.
The deal comes as Ukraine has rapidly developed its drone capabilities since 2022, evolving from modifying commercial aircraft to producing military UAVs, attack drones, and reconnaissance systems at scale.
The agreement was reached between President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Umerov said.
Under the three-year program, the UK will finance the procurement of a wide range of Ukrainian drones to be produced by British defense companies.
"This will enable British defense companies to rapidly design and produce state-of-the-art drones on a large scale," Umerov wrote on Facebook.
According to Umerov, all production will be directed to meet the needs of Ukraine's Defense Forces. After the war ends, the UK and Ukraine will share the produced drones between themselves.
The initiative will support the scaling of advanced technologies, increased drone production, and the integration of Ukrainian and British defense industries, Ukraine's defense minister wrote.
Ukraine has ramped up domestic drone production over the recent years of its war with Russia, as well as the development of new missiles.
Various aerial, naval, and ground drones have been developed and often successfully used for reconnaissance, combat, and other tasks throughout the full-scale war with Russia.
In January 2025, Umerov announced that the United Kingdom would finance the production of air defense systems and long-range weapons in Ukraine.
Note from the author:
Ukraine War Latest is put together by the Kyiv Independent news desk team, who keep you informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, join the Kyiv Independent community.