June 10: E-Stories
InUkraine CombatSitRep BehindLines Russia-China InEurope InOtherNews
Catching up…
For specific news about Trump, his regime and its dealings with Russia, I direct you to Olga’s substack. She and Julie Roginsky publish a weekly podcast, “Pax Americana”, which is highly informative.
For a general view of news from various geopolitical threatres, Scott’s EA Worldview is always superb.
Eliot Higgins, CEO Bellingcat
Stories we’re following…
Russian missiles target western Ukraine in latest mass attack. Multiple rounds of explosions have been reported in Rivne, a city far from the front lines in northwestern Ukraine, amid an ongoing drone and missile attack.
Ukrainian opera tenor and volunteer killed in Sumy Oblast. Vladyslav Horai, a renowned tenor and soloist of the Odesa National Opera, was killed in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast while on a volunteer mission, the opera house reported on June 8. FPV drone operator, Kateryna "Meow" Troyan, of the 82nd Separate Airborne Assault Brigade also died a few days ago during a mission in the Pokrovsk area (Donetsk region). She was 32 years old.
Rebecca Harms: “The Russian strikes were so powerful that echoes reached Poland. The operational command of the Polish Armed Forces confirmed that Russian airstrikes in northwest Ukraine forced Polish aircraft to quickly take off to defend the airspace.”
Maria Avdeeva: “While Ukrainians are warned of another hard night, people come to see Black Cloud — this year’s Burning Man installation from Ukraine, now on display at Sofiivska Square in Kyiv. Its message: Get ready. The storm is coming. Pretending it’s not, won’t stop it.”
President Zelensky: The U.S. has transferred 20,000 missiles to the Middle East that were originally intended for Ukraine, in line with prior agreements with the Biden administration, President Zelensky stated. These missiles were meant for countering Shahed drones.
Lithuanian FM Kęstutis Budrys, in Kyiv on Monday for an official visit, has shared that he had travelled to the Ukrainian capital through a "shower of missiles and drones" launched by Russia.
"This morning, our train had to pass through the shower of missiles and drones striking the cities of Rivne and Dubno. Just days ago, a strike on Kharkiv killed and injured dozens, including children." He emphasised that these are "deliberate acts of terror aimed at breaking Ukraine’s will".
"But Ukraine stands firm, defending not just its territory, but the principles of freedom and democracy in Europe. In fact, Ukraine is defending Europe. Peace will not come through appeasement. The world must stay united in supporting Ukraine – militarily, economically and politically."
United24: Season 4 of Welcome to Wrexham features a Ukrainian family who opened a café in Wales after fleeing Russia’s invasion. The series follows Wrexham AFC’s journey under new ownership by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
The Russians have begun building a floating modular pumping station to restart the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), as reported by Liga.Net, citing Neftegaz.
Neftegaz reported the launch of this project, citing Alexei Likhachev, head of Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom. Likhachev said the station would enable Russia to fully resolve the plant’s water supply issues during the process of bringing the reactors back to operational capacity.
A lack of water required to cool the reactors, resulting from the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant by the Russians, remains one of the key reasons why restarting the ZNPP has not been possible.
"The plant is not ready to operate. There are serious risks involved in bringing the reactors online. A full inspection of equipment and systems must be carried out, as no repairs are being done at the ZNPP. There is no qualified personnel familiar with the equipment, especially that of Ukrainian origin installed after the plant was modernised."
Footage of the aftermath of a Russian guided aerial bomb (KAB) strike on a residential area in Zaporizhzhia. The footage was released by the Zaporizhzhia Regional Administration.
Combat Situation
'No grounds for evacuation' from Sumy, official says amid Russian offensive into region. There are currently no plans for mass civilian evacuations from the city of Sumy, regional Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on June 8, as Russian advances into Sumy Oblast have continued to gain momentum.
According to Russian sources, Ukraine launched a HIMARS strike on a cultural and recreation center in Rylsk, Kursk region. Rylsk has seen a rise in Ukrainian strikes in recent weeks, as it serves as a key staging area for Russian forces attacking Sumy Oblast.
ISW assesses that current Russian tactical activity in the vicinity of southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast is a continuation of ongoing Russian offensive efforts in southwestern Donetsk Oblast — not the beginning of a new major offensive operation to seize operationally significant territory in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. ISW will continue to assess the situation in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and update its assessment.
Overnight, Ukrainian drones also targeted multiple Russian military airfields. Explosions were reported in the regions of Samara, Voronezh, Tambov, and Nizhny Novgorod—particularly near Borisoglebsk and Savasleyka.
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, in coordination with other Defense units, struck two aircraft at the "Savasleyka" airbase in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, the General Staff reports. Preliminary assessment: likely damage to a MiG-31 and a Su-30/34.
Kazan, Tatarstan: A fire has broken out at an industrial gunpowerder factory. This follows earlier reports of a drone threat in the region. The factory produces explosives for Iskander ballistic missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles, and artillery shells.
Overnight: Degrading Russian capabilities in the Black Sea: A Ukrainian naval drone equipped with FPV drones reportedly attacked Russian special forces deployed on a gas platform in the Black Sea. These attacks on gas or oil platforms in the Black Sea normally have radar or listening technology meant to gather intelligence for the Russians.
Reuters: Production was temporarily suspended at an electronics company in Russia's Volga river region of Chuvashia, some 1,300 km (800 miles) from the border with Ukraine, after two drones fell on the plant's territory, the head of the region said on Monday. The strike - among the deepest into Russia by a Ukrainian drone in more than three years of the war - caused no casualties, Chuvashia Governor Oleg Nikolayev said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
Behind the Lines
Reuters: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will use a speech in London on Monday to say the military alliance needs a 400% increase in air and missile defence, one of the priorities for a summit of members in the Hague later this month. Rutte is pushing for members to boost defence spending to 3.5% of GDP and commit a further 1.5% to broader security-related spending to meet U.S. President Donald Trump's demand for a 5% target. Last month, he said he assumed that target would be agreed at the summit on June 24-25.
At Chatham House on Monday, Rutte said that Russia is producing more ammunition—and doing so much faster—than all NATO countries combined.
Its military industry is being rebuilt with help from Iran, China, and North Korea. This year alone, Russia is expected to produce 1,500 tanks, 3,000 armored vehicles, and 200 Iskander missiles.
Rutte warned: “Putin is preparing for confrontation, not peace,” and Russia could be ready to use force against NATO within five years.
Renault will launch drone production in Ukraine, Franceinfo reports. The French auto giant plans to partner with two French defense firms, setting up facilities within dozens or hundreds of kilometers from the front line. No French staff needed — “Ukrainians are better than us at drone design,” said Armed Forces Minister Lecornu.
Montenegro will deploy drone assembly on its territory and transfer the first batch of devices to Kiev as military aid, Kommersant reports. The country's government notes that the creation of drone production will increase the capabilities of the Montenegrin army within NATO, as well as strengthen Ukraine's defense capability and Montenegro's position "as a reliable supplier of the most modern military equipment to world markets." Washington will help establish the production of UAVs, allocating $15 million for these purposes, according to a document adopted by Podgorica on May 29.
Israel has transferred Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, confirms Ambassador Brodsky. Originally received from the U.S. in the 1990s, the systems are now helping defend Ukrainian skies. “We agreed to transfer them. It’s a pity this was barely mentioned,” he said.
Russian forces are bolstering Moscow’s air defenses. Radio Svoboda identified two new positions near the A-135 “Amur” depot and south of Domodedovo Airport with a Pantsir system. This analysis comes after Yandex started blurring additional military-related facilities on its satellite maps.
Scandal erupts in Milan over the screening of a pro-Russian documentary, produced by RT in a private venue in the Baggio neighborhood, Milan. The propaganda film "Donbass yesterday, today and tomorrow" sets the Russian narrative for events in Donetsk and Luhansk since 2014. The screening was organized by the Anti-imperialist Documentation Centre, hosted by the Revdar Association.
The ‘film’ was produced by RT Doc, directly linked to the government of the Russian Federation, which broadcasts propaganda content based on the falsification of events regarding the conflict in Ukraine", Laura Botti, Giulio Manfredi and Federica Valcauda of Europa Radicale declared in a note, announcing the screening.
Regulation 2022/350, the Council of the European Union banned the dissemination of content from Russia Today and its affiliates in Europe, with the aim of "strengthening (...) the resilience of the Union and its Member States as well as their capacity to counter hybrid threats, including disinformation". This is because it recognizes the "systematic international campaign of media manipulation and distortion of facts" conducted by Russia.
"We have sent a certified email to the Municipality of Milan and the Prefecture to activate the appropriate institutional tools to protect citizens and European law", concludes Europa Radicale. The city council of Milan, in February 2024, had approved a motion presented by Giulia Pastorella (Azione) and others to counter initiatives of clear Russian inspiration and propaganda regarding the aggression of Ukraine.
"It is not an abstract limitation of freedom of speech," the Azione councilor had stated: "The point is not to mystify reality, and it is not a question of gray areas or 'truth that lies in the middle.' We want to avoid propaganda practices, just as we already avoid events that inspire terrorism or fascism."
Mo: The broadcast of so-called Russian documentaries in Italy is a Russian influence operation which most likely began in the Winter 2022 with the mural painted by Jorit, an Italian street artist, and subsequently picked up speed and breadth in the summer 2023 via the efforts of the Association Vento Del Est (East Winds Association). There are a number of Italian associations working in small municipalities throughout the Italian peninsula to advance Russian influence and goals. They are losely interconnected, and serve as a force multiplier.
Efforts to disseminate Russian propaganda in 2022 were mostly disorganised and limited to national television, where Italian political talk shows or current affairs broadcasting featured analysts and Russian state authorities in prime time programming. In the Spring and Fall 2023, photographic exhibitions of Russian troops in Donetsk and Luhansk appeared in small private venues. These efforts were reinforced by younger Italian pro-Russian proxies, such as Jorit, an Italian street artist, who painted murals in Naples, St Petersburg and Mariupol. Italian so-called ‘journalists’ also attended the Sochi Youth Congress in early 2024, where Jorit also appeared to ‘speak about peace’ with Putin, who was the main attraction.
Another well-known Italian Russian proxy, Andrea Lucidi, has been actively disseminating propaganda as part of a Russian operation in Italy through the DonbassItalia Channel, now relegated to Rumble TV. The self-proclaimed journalist has since fled to Russia and obtained Russian citizenship.
The broadcast of the Russian propaganda film mentioned above has been on-going in private venues since early 2024, and publicised on Italian pro-Russian Telegram channels. An earlier version of the same kind of propaganda film was broadcast for most of 2023.
By asking for the enforcement of Italian law that deals with propaganda, Italian activists were successful in blocking the broadcast of the films and photographic exhibitions (2022-2023), but it’s a whack-a-mole tactic that does little to curtail the continuous dissemination of Russian propaganda in Italy. Strategic action should focus on the networks that are working for state-run Russian propaganda proxies who operate freely in Italy.
In Georgia, opposition leader's husband kidnapped, blindfolded, threatened with his 3 children! United National Movement Chair Tina Bokuchava's husband Kote Ioseliani was kidnapped, blindfolded and threatened with their three young children.
They demanded that Ioseliani publicly apologize to Uta Ivanishvili, son of Bidzina Ivanishvili, for his comments about Uta's sexual life made 8 years ago - and for which he already apologized in 2018. However, according to Tina Bokuchava, the real motive behind the Kadyrov-style intimidation is to frighten her. Tina Bokuchava is an unyielding, principled and resourceful leader.
Meanwhile in Russia & China…
Krasnoyarsk Mayor Vladislav Loginov was detained on the morning of June 9 on suspicion of accepting a bribe on an especially large scale, sources in law enforcement agencies told TASS and the Krasnoyarsk publication Ngs24.ru. In 2024, as Ngs24.ru recalls, the Legislative Assembly of Krasnoyarsk Krai called for the creation of a working group to check the city administration for corruption schemes in road repairs. However, at that time, "no grounds were found for this." At the same time, Krasnoyarsk residents complained about the failed tram reform, the garbage collapse, utility accidents, traffic jams and tree felling.
Reuters: Putin has approved a new naval strategy, Kremlin aide Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview published on Monday.
"Russia's position as one of the world's greatest maritime powers is gradually recovering," Patrushev told the Argumenti i Fakti newspaper in an interview.
"It is impossible to carry out such work without a long—term vision of the scenarios for the development of the situation in the oceans, the evolution of challenges and threats, and, of course, without defining the goals and objectives facing the Russian Navy," Patrushev said.
Open source data suggests Russia has 79 submarines, including 14 nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines, as well as 222 warships. It's main fleet is the Northern Fleet headquartered in Severomorsk on the Barents Sea.
Putin signed a law regulating the punishment of employees of companies and organizations for violating labor discipline. According to the document, which was published on the portal of legal acts, employers will have the right to reduce the total salary of Russian citizens by up to 20%. For this, as follows from the law, employees will be able to be deprived of bonuses. (Mo: this is one way to reduce costs!)
Special hello…
This I dedicate to my special friend, Jacopo, who was the first to capture the extent of Russian influence operations in Italy, especially after 2008.
In Europe…
Lithuania's President Nausėda has criticized German Chancellor Merz for failing to follow through on promised sanctions against Russia after it ignored a ceasefire ultimatum. "This undermines trust—not just in sanctions, but in all support for Ukraine," Nausėda told Bild, urging tougher EU action. EU's 18th sanctions package is now in the works.
Finland’s PM Petteri Orpo has announced in an interview with Yle plans to significantly increase the country’s defence budget in response to the persistent threat posed by Russia. Orpo stressed that Finland needs to strengthen its defence due to the constant danger coming from Russia. "I am glad there is near-total agreement among all parties in Finland on this issue."
Poland’s National Electoral Commission will review erroneously completed protocols from the second round of the presidential election at a meeting on Monday at 17:00, PKW member Ryszard Kalisz announced. The Supreme Court will ultimately decide on the election’s validity.
Global summit on the dire state of the oceans kicked off on Monday in France. World leaders face calls to ban bottom trawling and bolster protections for the world's overexploited marine areas.
In July 2024, Federal Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser banned the right-wing extremist companies COMPACT-Magazin GmbH and CONSPECT FILM GmbH. The trial against Compact begins tomorrow.
At the time, German law enforcement officers began searching 14 properties in the federal states of Brandenburg, Hesse, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt in the early morning hours. Officers seized magazines, smartphones, IT equipment, cash, gold, data storage media, documents, merchandising articles and other products for sale in the company’s online shop, sound and stage equipment, vehicles, office furniture, company bank accounts and bank account documents. The websites have been blocked. The social media platforms used by the banned right-wing extremist organisations were informed in order to shut down the organisations’ channels.
With its monthly magazine, online video channel COMPACT-TV and in numerous social media, COMPACT-Magazin GmbH spread revisionist conspiracy theories which are antisemitic, racist and hostile to minorities. By popularising and widely disseminating right-wing extremist ideas of the “New Right”, it promoted a racist and nationalist view of society from which persons of other ethnicities are to be excluded.
The content disseminated by COMPACT-Magazin GmbH also sought to denigrate members of certain ethnic groups, in particular those of Arab origin, as inferior human beings by attributing to the entire ethnic group negative characteristics such as a tendency to violence and crime. Such content is intended to create a social and political climate which excludes these ethnic groups.
In other news…
Reuters: Several Japanese Self-Defense Force members were injured on Monday in an explosion at an ammunition storage area inside the U.S. military's Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, southern Japan, defence ministry officials said. None of the injuries were life-threatening, one of the officials said. The facility is used to temporarily store unexploded ammunition.
The first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station is due to blast off as part of an effort by the world’s most populous nation to catch up with the US, Russia and China in human space flight missions.
Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old air force fighter pilot, is one of a four-person mission launching on Tuesday from the US with the private company Axiom Space, which is using a SpaceX capsule.
He will be the first Indian astronaut to reach orbit in more than four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 flight aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.
“I truly believe that even though, as an individual, I am travelling to space, this is the journey of 1.4 billion people,” Shukla was quoted as saying by the Hindu newspaper this year. Shukla said he hoped to “ignite the curiosity of an entire generation in my country”.
OCCRP: Syria’s transitional government says it has dismantled all Captagon amphetamine production facilities in the country — kneecapping a booming illicit industry cultivated by ousted president Bashar Al-Assad.
“Unfortunately, the reality is that Syria has become a drug factory and the top global exporter of Captagon in recent years,” Khattab said. “Our responsibility is to change that reality... there are no longer any labs producing Captagon in Syria.”
Captagon, a powerful amphetamine, has fueled a booming illicit industry in Syria over the past decade. With the war crippling the formal economy, the country became the world’s largest narco-state under the regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
CNN: breaking news Monday night from the Pentagon. CNN can now report that roughly 700 Marines are being mobilized in response to the protests in Los Angeles. Bertrand: The rules of engagement here, we are told, are still being finalized. And defense department lawyers are also looking at the kinds of rules of engagement these Marines will have as they encounter protesters, possibly on the streets of Los Angeles.
On Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, officers used flash-bangs and tear gas while dispersing crowds, with some hitting and pushing protesters while making arrests, CNN witnessed. Protesters set at least two Waymo self-driving cars on fire. All of Downtown Los Angeles has been now declared an unlawful assembly area.
It’s the first time a president has called in the National Guard without a state’s request or consent in decades. Also prepared to deploy are 500 Marines.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will file a lawsuit against the Trump administration over deployment of the National Guard, which he called inflammatory. Newsom and LA mayor Karen Bass have urged the administration to end the federal deployment.
Intelligence analysts believe protesters are motivated by several factors, including immigration raids, deployment of the National Guard, and agitators who fit profiles of “professional rioters.”
Former acting vice chief of National Guard bureau (Ret) Maj Gen Randy Manner criticizes President Trump sending National Guard to LA against the wishes of California Governor in statement to Fox News:
“The President's federal deployment of the National Guard over the official wishes of a governor is bad for all Americans concerned about freedom of speech and states rights. The governor has the authority and ability to respond to the civil disturbances with law enforcement capabilities within his state, augmented as necessary by requesting law enforcement assistance from other governors. There are over a million badged and trained members of law enforcement in this country for the governor to ask for help if he needs it. While this is presently a legal order, it tramples the governor’s rights and obligations to protect his people. This is an inappropriate use of the National Guard and is not warranted.”
"If we continue down this path, ignoring the collapse of shared reality, failing to rebuild the systems that stabilise truth, we will see democratic norms erode from the inside out." - These norms have already eroded: low voter turnout for national elections, 40 %+ national support for a serial liar and white collar criminal, widespread belief that national elections are rigged, and widespread belief that owning guns equates to personal freedom.
I can't attribute the tipping point to technology (having worked with it for more than 50 years). We've conditioned people (in this country) to think (hard) less, spend more, and sit in front of a television (and, now, stare at their phones.) Education, Nutrition, Day Care, and Housing are increasingly for the affluent (or those who inherit their wealth.)
I watch Escape From New York once a year (starting when The Trumps came down that golden escalator) to remind me of where we're headed. Every year (including during President Biden's term), we're getting closer to that form of existence. The movie is an extreme exaggeration, but every year, exaggeration is approaching normalcy.