20:07: Odessa under attack by Russian missiles

Russians launch missile strikes against Odessa at 20:07.

Presently, Odessa, a southern Ukrainian port city on the Black Sea, has also been targeted by missile attacks from the Russian army. The attack left one person dead and injured eight others.

19:28 Expert: Russia's target is not Kharkiv

In a dismal situation for Ukraine, the country is experiencing a severe lack of ammunition along with their limited personnel. Military expert Ralph Thiele points out that Russia is strategically thinning out the Ukrainian front lines - a "clever operational move" by the Russians. However, the focus of the attack is not Kharkiv but a different location.

18:53 Scholz reaffirms German support for Moldova

As the Russian aggression continues, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz assures his support for the Republic of Moldova. In a joint press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Berlin, Scholz stated, "Germany will always stand by your side." Sandu expressed gratitude for the German government's support and emphasized Germany's crucial role in Moldova's journey toward stability, democracy, and prosperity.

18:17 CNN camera team witnesses drone horrors in Vovchansk

The Kharkiv region has been constantly attacked since the beginning of the war, and the small town of Vovchansk is currently under consistent Russian fire. Many weapons, including shells and drones, are being used, narrowly missing a Ukrainian police unit. A CNN camera team accompanied the rapid escape.

17:49 Insider: Russian refinery shut down after attack

According to two insiders, the Russian oil refinery Tuapse, located on the Black Sea, has been shut down following a Ukrainian drone attack. The refinery's sudden halt resulted from a fire, informed the two individuals. One of the sources reported that the drones targeted the LPG production plant, while the crude oil distillation unit remained undamaged. "Only the gas was burning," one of the insiders said. As the LPG unit can be bypassed, the refinery is expected to be back in action soon. The state news agency Tass confirmed the fire's extinction, but no statement from the refinery operator Rosneft was available.

17:19 Selenskyj: No ceasefire during the Olympics

President Volodymyr Zelenskyj opposes the idea of a ceasefire during the Summer Olympics in Paris. In an interview with "Ukrajinska Pravda," he expressed uncertainties about the ceasefire's details, doubted the reliability of Russia, and questioned who would ensure no advancement of forces toward Ukraine during the ceasefire. The president cautioned that Russia could leverage the opportunity to move technology and launch an attack. Putin mentioned the peace summit in Switzerland as a pressure tactic, questioning why Russia was not invited to the meeting despite being the subject of it.

16:54 "China is crucial to Russia's war effort"

During his visit to China, Putin emphasized how much he depends on Xi to continue their alliance. China's supplies of weapons have provided Russia with crucial support in the war against Ukraine, but Xi also emphasizes the need for a political solution.

16:07 Missile attack on Kharkiv - fatalities and casualties

Kharkiv, a Ukrainian city, is once again under Russian attack, resulting in the death of at least two civilians and injuring 13 others due to precision bombs. Governor Oleh Sinehubov posted the information on Telegram.

15:27 Putin slams planned peace summit in Switzerland

Putin objected to the peace summit in Switzerland, calling it an attempt to pressure Russia into ending the conflict. During his visit to China, he expressed his disapproval of the conference on June 15 and 16 near Lucerne, which aims to set conditions for Russia to end the conflict. Ukraine and the West hope that China will attend the summit, adding weight to the meeting, but Putin criticized the exclusivity of the gathering.

2:25 PM Eastern Union Imposes Sanctions on Pro-Russian Media Outlet Voice of Europe, Three Others
The European Union countries have voted to sanction the pro-Russian Voice of Europe media platform and three other Russian news agencies. The EU announced that these media outlets will be blocked across their territory.

1:53 PM Putin Frustrated by Western Economic Sanctions
During his visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Western economic sanctions as detrimental to the global economy. Both the USA and the EU have imposed these penalties in response to the war in Ukraine. Putin told representatives of Russian state media in China that these measures are not market-based or strategic, but "absolutely stupid decisions" which will ultimately harm their own economies. He accused the US of weakening their own currency by imposing these sanctions. Putin denied that the sanctions were related to the war in Ukraine, asserting that the West instead wanted to gain an advantage in the competition.

1:31 PM Putin Eyeing Possible Expansion of Russian-Chinese Energy Alliance
In China, President Putin announced plans for Russia to supply even more energy to its neighboring country. This fuel would come in the forms of electricity, heat, and clean energy. The comments came during the Russian-Chinese trade fair in Harbin. Though some aspects of the project were still being negotiated, he was confident the two countries' strategic alliance in energy would be further strengthened.

1:14 PM Putin Rejects Plans to Seize Kharkiv
During his visit, President Putin stated that the city of Kharkiv would not be captured by Russian forces right now. The Kremlin leader claimed this was due to the need to establish a Russian buffer zone near the border with his own country that was being shelled from Kharkiv. There are concerns that Russia is seeking to annex this region.

12:58 PM Political Analyst: China may not be as Supportive of Putin as Appears
Political scientist Thomas Jäger stated that China is likely taking a more critical view of Putin than its public image might suggest. The high level of dependency between the two countries remains a concern for Beijing, given the damage of Western sanctions.

12:28 PM Putin Hoping to Increase Russian-Chinese Energy Alliance
Vladimir Putin indicated hopes to expand energy supply to China when he visited the country. Russian gas could potentially be delivered through the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline. He added that the region's oil pipeline may also be constructed in the same corridor.

12:08 PM Evidence of Damage to Russian Airbase Belbek
Satellite images indicate Russian airbase Belbek in Crimea sustained significant damage from recent Ukrainian attacks. Russia recorded the interception of at least five ATACMS. The remains of fire and shattered fighter jets are evident in photographs.

11:34 AM Ukraine Offensive Now Reaches 70 Kilometers
Ukrainian Army Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reports that Russian forces have extended their active combat area by about 70 kilometers, as part of their ongoing offensive on the Kharkiv region. This move is intended to prompt Ukraine to deploy additional reserve brigades. The predicted increased intensity of the fighting indicates plans to secure the Sumy region.

11:05 AM Video Shows Impact of Russian-Ukraine Conflict
Ukraine has allegedly attacked Russian military locations, including an oil refinery in Tuapse. Russia reports to have intercepted over 100 Ukrainian drones in the last two nights. A video shared by the Russian Defense Ministry shows fires and wrecked fighter planes as a result of these aerial assaults.

10:31 AM Baerbock Seeks Longer-Range Weaponry for Ukraine
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for the provision of longer-range weaponry to Ukraine. Moscow is allegedly attacking Kharkiv from its own soil, bypassing Ukrainian air defenses. As such, she believes medium and long-range weapons are necessary to defend the region.

10:02 PM Putin and Xi Conclude Their Meeting with an Embrace
The two-day state visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to China concluded with a friendly hug, observed on state broadcaster CCTV. The two leaders, both in Beijing, first shook hands, before their more intimate embrace took place. Putin will continue his visit in the northern Chinese city of Harbin.

09:26 Ukraine claims four explosions in KharkivUkraine shares news about four explosions that took place in the city of Kharkiv due to drone attacks led by Russia during the night. The military has managed to shoot down all 20 drones intended for the country. The areas that experienced these explosions include Kharkiv, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Odessa, and Mykolaiv, as per Ukraine's military report. The mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, confirms this information and adds that a fire also broke out during one of the detonations. The regional governor shares that five buildings were affected, one of which was an administrative building.

09:02 ntv report: Russians remain close to Kharkiv city limitsThe situation in Kharkiv is very intense, as Ukraine battles to secure its military position at the city's limits. The Russians, however, have also managed to stabilize their position and are less than 30 kilometers away from Kharkiv, as reported by ntv reporter Jürgen Weichert.

08:34 Casualties reported in Russian regionRussia confirms two deaths due to the intense Ukrainian drone attacks that took place during the night. These casualties were incurred in the border region of Belgorod - a mother and her four-year-old son were killed when their village, Oktyabrsky, was targeted by a combat drone, as per Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

08:06 Attack on Crimea's SevastopolRussia reports that the city of Sevastopol in Crimea was attacked during the night, resulting in damage to a substation. This brought about isolated power outages as a necessary measure, and schools and kindergartens remained closed. Sevastopol is known as the home port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which Russia seized in 2014 in violation of international law.

07:42 Speculation about attacking the Black Sea Fleet portVideos circulated on X alleging a massive Ukrainian drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet port of Novorossiysk. While Russian state news agency RIA reported on missile attacks in the region, they didn't mention the port.

07:18 More than 100 Ukrainian drones targeted and interceptedRussia claims it intercepted over 100 Ukrainian drones across several areas. Specifically, a total of 51 drones were intercepted in Crimea, 44 more in the Krasnodar region, six in Belgorod, and one more in Kursk. The navy has also reported destruction of six naval drones in the Black Sea. Ukraine has increased its attacks on Russian territory in response to ongoing shelling, targeting various energy facilities.

06:58 Destruction of Russian military jets in UkraineSatellite imagery from Maxar shows the complete destruction of three fighter jets - two MiG-31s and one Su-27 - along with a damaged MiG-29, as well as a fuel depot, at the Russian military airfield Belbek in Crimea. Ukraine attacked the airbase for the second consecutive night on Thursday.

06:33 New drone attack on a Russian oil refineryReports on X suggest that an additional alleged Ukrainian drone attack took place, this time on a Russian oil refinery in Tuapse on the Black Sea. Local authorities have confirmed the fire and successfully contained it.

06:14 Putin to focus on trade with China's northeastRussian President Vladimir Putin is set to highlight the significance of trading with northeastern China after signing a strategic partnership with Chinese President Xi Jinping later today during his visit to Harbin, Heilongjiang province. This region has maintained long-standing trade and cultural ties with Russia.

06:00 Russian Foreign Ministry expels British military attachéThe Russian Foreign Ministry declares Adrian Coghill, the British military attaché at the embassy in Moscow, persona non grata and gives him a week to leave the country in retaliation for the UK's expulsion of the Russian military attaché previously believed to be an undeclared intelligence officer.

05:30 Possible dispatch of military trainers to Ukraine by NATO member countriesThe New York Times reveals that some NATO countries are contemplating sending military trainers or contractors to Ukraine to train troops and help with equipment repair. Ukraine requested help from the US and other NATO countries for training 150,000 troops near the front line, but the US is wary of the risk of attacks on trainers that could invoke NATO's collective defense provision. Some NATO countries like the UK, Germany, and France are considering engaging defense contractors in Ukraine, while the White House is reconsidering its sanction on US defense contractors in Ukraine.

4:42 AM JST: Japan Advocates for Obeying the Law in Regarding Russian Property Distribution

Japan's Finance Minister, Shunichi Suzuki, spoke out about the suggestion made by the U.S. to use the interest generated from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine. Suzuki emphasizes the importance of sticking to international regulations, voicing also Japan's intention to partake in discussions about this issue during the upcoming G7 meeting, from a legal standpoint.

03:11 PM KST: Kim Jong Un's Sister Denies Involvement in Weapons Deal with Russia

Kim Yo Jong, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un's sister, dispelled rumors of discussing weapons trades with Russia as reported by the state news agency KCNA. Stating that these weapons were not meant for export, she labelled the alleged arms deal as a "silly theory" originating from preconceived notions and fabrications. The United States and South Korea have accused North Korea of selling arms to Russia to be used against Ukraine. However, both Moscow and Pyongyang deny these claims.

02:04 PM IST: Air Raid Alarm in Kharkiv Ended After Drone Strikes

An air raid alert, in effect since yesterday, was ended in the majority of Kharkiv regions. At least five drones reportedly struck Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, prompting this alert. Mayor Ihor Terekhov announced that a district within the city was hit and a fire broke out. As reported by public broadcaster Suspilne, the air raid siren has been active in Kharkiv for the longest time since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

00:51 PM GMT: U.S. Angry over China's Support for Russia, Hampers Friendships

The US government, after witnessing a friendly meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, characterized China's support for Russia as an impediment to reconciliation with the West. Spokesman Vedant Patel, from the U.S. State Department, opined, "China can't dance at two weddings at the same time." If Beijing wants to improve ties with Europe and other countries, it can't simultaneously "feed the most critical threat to European security in decades," referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

11:34 PM CET: Zelensky Warns About European Consequences from Missile Attacks on Ukraine's Gas Infrastructure

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky drew attention to the negative outcomes for Europe following Russian missile strikes on the nation's gas transportation system. He raised the matter with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as revealed by Zelensky in a video message. In his words, the consequences from Russian attacks on Ukraine's gas infrastructure pose a threat not only to Ukraine but also to its adjacent neighbors. Spectacular actions need to be taken as a collective effort, he added.

22:06 PM EDT: Month-Long Power Disruption in Ukraine after Infrastructure Damage

After severe damage inflicted on power stations and substations in Ukraine, the government expects power disruptions to continue for months. Improvements might not be seen before August or September, notes Yuri Boyko, an adviser to the Prime Minister and a member of Ukrenerho's governing board. As from Wednesday, localized shutdowns are slated to occur on Thursday to conserve electricity. Streets in Kiev, the capital, are included in the affected areas. The consequences of Russia's missile assaults on the power grid were shared by Boyko.

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