June 14: E-Stories
InUkraine CombatSitRep BehindLines Russia-China InEurope InOtherNews
Catching up…
For a general view of news from various geopolitical threatres, Scott’s EA Worldview is always superb.
Stories we’re following…
Overnight, Russia launched 55 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, along with 4 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles. Ukraine’s Air Defense Forces downed 43 drones — 28 via regular air defense, 15 jammed or lost via electronic warfare.
15 injured in Russian drone attack on Kharkiv, day after fatal drone bombardment. A Russian drone attack on Kharkiv overnight on June 12 injured 15 people, including at least four children, authorities reported.
In occupied Makeevka, locals have reported that a military gathering/vehicle(s) was targetted. There are dead and wounded, but the exact number has yet to be determined.
Following repatriation efforts, 1,200 bodies of the deceased have been returned to Ukraine. According to Russian sources, the remains belong to Ukrainian citizens, including servicemen. The repatriation was conducted per the Istanbul agreements.
Bernard-Henri Lévy visited the East of Ukraine this year, documenting the lives of civilians under russian shelling, as well as frontline soldiers resisting the russian army. His and Marc Roussel's latest film, Our War, has been released in theaters across the US.
Combat Situation
“They are not so successful” — Zelensky rejects claims of major Russian advances. President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected claims of Russian advance as "a Russian narrative," insisting that Ukraine's forces have been holding off a renewed offensive for nearly three weeks.
ISW: Russian forces recently advanced across the western Donetsk-Dnipropetrovsk Oblast border northwest of Kurakhove as part of a multi-pronged effort to advance into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Russian forces are likely attempting to level the frontlines in the Novopavlivka and Kurakhove directions to advance into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, but they have not entered the area yet.
The Ukrainian forces continue to demonstrate their ability to conduct successful long-range strikes that target Russia's defense industrial base (DIB).
Ukrainian forces advanced near Toretsk. Russian forces advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and near Siversk and Kurakhove.
Montenegrin lawmakers have approved the deployment of Montenegrin Armed Forces personnel to the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) after a nine month delay, as reported by Radio Liberty. The resolution stated the deployment aims to "strengthen the capacity of Ukraine’s Armed Forces to defend the country’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, as well as to deter and respond to the current military offensives by the Russian Federation and other potential aggressors".
A Ukrainian MiG-29 executed a precise strike on a Russian UAV control center and ammunition depots in the Zaporizhzhia direction. Strikes like this are happening almost daily: the Ukrainian forces are hitting specific targets necessary to the Russian war effort.
Russia turning Kerch airport in Crimea into military base, may launch Shahed drones from there – photos
The Kerch airport, located in the east of occupied Crimea, is being converted from a civilian to a military facility, according to data from the Russian property registry and satellite images from Planet Labs as per Skhemy.
Registry documents indicate that on 4 March 2025, the Russian authorities granted indefinite use of part of the airport's land to Russia’s Ministry of Defence.
Satellite images taken in February and June 2025 show new construction, including protective and camouflage structures around the runway. Planet Labs satellite photos indicate that the redevelopment of the Kerch airport is ongoing.
Russia reportedly redeploys bombers to Far East bases after Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb. The relocation comes in the wake of Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, a June 1 drone strike that targeted four Russian air bases deep inside the country.
Behind the Lines
Germany to supply new Iris-T air defense systems to Ukraine, rules out Taurus missiles. Germany will deliver new IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine under a three-year supply plan, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a joint press conference with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who said Berlin has no plans to provide Taurus long-range missiles.
To avoid conflict with President Trump, the G7 will forgo a joint communique at next week’s summit in Canada, Bloomberg reports. Instead, leaders are expected to issue separate statements on key topics — a move aimed at easing tensions.
NATO is expanding satellite surveillance to monitor vast areas, including military movements in Ukraine and along Russia’s borders with eastern allies, says top commander Adm. Pierre Vandier. The new tools boost battlefield visibility for the alliance.
US Ambassador to Russia Tracy leaving post, embassy says. The U.S. Embassy said that Ambassador Lynne Tracy is "concluding her mission at the U.S. Embassy in Russia," without providing further details.
Keith Kellogg, US President’s special envoy for Ukraine, has said that the plan is to halt hostilities along the line of contact and "try to bring the Russians back into what I would call the League of Nations" during a speech at the German Marshall Fund forum in Brussels, as reported by Radio Liberty.
Kellogg stated that after reviewing the positions of both Ukraine and Russia, the US understands what a full ceasefire "could and should" look like.
"A ceasefire in place means – the ground you are physically on... Then we want to get to the return of children, the prisoners that are around there, that made a sustainable ceasefire long-term, sustainable not only for Ukrainians but for Europe as well. And then try to get the Russians back into what I would call the League of Proper Nations. So everybody is kind of working together… Meaning, you can all live with the results of this for the long term."
Trump: "Russia fought with us in WWII and everybody hates them. And Germany and Japan, they're fine — some day somebody will explain that...Everybody hates Russia and they love Germany and Japan...It's a strange world."
Mo: Does someone want to explain it to him?
Alex Raufoglu: Trump Quietly OKs Another $30M Arms Transfer for Ukraine. The move came as Hegseth wrapped up his multi-day testimony binge on Capitol Hill during which he clashed with lawmakers over the administration’s Ukraine policy.
G7 nations ready to cut Russian oil price cap without US support — Reuters According to the agency, the initiative to lower the cap from $60 to $45 per barrel is being pushed by the EU and the UK, with backing from Canada and several other G7 countries.
“There are positive signals from Canada, the UK, and possibly Japan. We're using the G7 format to try to get the US on board,” a source told Reuters. The report notes that US approval isn't strictly necessary: the UK dominates maritime insurance, and the EU influences much of the Western tanker fleet.
However, Washington’s support remains a key factor due to its control over dollar transactions and the global banking system.
Russia exploits medical exemptions to bypass sanctions, Lithuania says. Lithuanian customs authorities blocked 28,854 goods in 2024 that were allegedly destined for Russia and Belarus "under the guise of medical exemption," Lithuania's Deputy Foreign Minister Gabija Grigaite-Daugirde said.
Meanwhile in Russia & China…
Shares in Russia's largest oil companies rose sharply on the Moscow Exchange on Friday after the Israel Defense Forces launched a massive strike on Iran, hitting the nuclear center in Natanz and killing six high-ranking IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) generals.
Against the backdrop of soaring oil prices, which at one point reached $78 per barrel, Rosneft, Lukoil, Gazprom Neft, Surgutneftegaz and Tatneft have collectively risen in price by 550 billion rubles, or $6.9 billion, in three hours of stock exchange trading, according to Moscow Exchange data.
Over 100,000 Russian families seek missing soldiers through Ukrainian project, Kyiv says. In May 2025 alone, the project received a record 12,320 inquiries — the highest monthly figure since the program began in January 2024.
Russians are paying worse and worse on the loans they took out during the boom of 2023 – the first half of 2024. Mortgage, consumer and car loans are now “maturing,” the Central Bank states . The volume and share of problem loans are growing; in the first quarter, they increased by almost 200 billion rubles, or about 2 billion rubles per day.
Expensive loans, higher taxes, a falling harvest, and a lack of imported seeds have led to a sharp decline in the production of three basic food products in Russia.
In January–April 2025, sugar production in the Russian Federation fell by 32.3% year-on-year, sunflower oil by 15.5%, and flour by 7.8%, Rosstat reported in its report “On the socio-economic situation” of the country.
According to Rosstat, in April alone, Russian factories produced 35 thousand tons less sugar than a year earlier (-36.1%), 108 thousand tons less butter (-15.6%), and 72 thousand tons less wheat and wheat-rye flour (-9.1%).
Overall food production has begun to decline for the first time since 2021: by the end of the first quarter, the decline was 0.3%, and by the end of April it had accelerated to 0.7%.
BBC: A Chinese national has been sentenced to three years in prison for damaging an undersea cable connecting Taiwan's main island and the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait. The man was the captain of the Togolese-registered vessel Hong Tai 58.
Journalists from Forbidden Stories, France 24, Le Monde and Important Stories, as part of a joint investigation , discovered a network of illegal prisons in Mali, organized by militants from the Wagner PMC. According to the investigators, these prisons were used to detain civilians and became part of a repressive system operating in parallel with the country's official security forces.
Between November 2023 and April 2025, at least 668 Malians were arrested or kidnapped with the participation of Russian mercenaries, the human rights organization Kal Akal said. The prisoners were usually people suspected of links to jihadists or Tuareg rebels, as well as those detained during mass raids.
There are at least six such prisons operating in different regions of the country, and some of these facilities are located directly on the territory of official Malian army bases. However, experts interviewed by the authors of the investigation emphasize that the real number of such institutions may be significantly higher.
"Wagner has prisons almost everywhere they are. Anyone who is not killed immediately after being detained is put there. Often shepherds, traders, drivers are kidnapped," said an analyst specializing in the situation in Africa's Sahel region, which includes Mali.
FT: Ibrahim Traoré has been transformed from an obscure military officer to an anti-western icon on the continent since taking power in a 2022 coup.
“God protect Ibrahim Traoré,” croons teary-eyed American R&B singer R Kelly, over footage of the 37-year-old military leader of Burkina Faso leading troops into battle and marching through adoring crowds. “He is the voice of the people.”
In office, Traoré has launched anti-corruption drives, sought to wrest greater control of Burkina Faso’s mineral riches from global mining companies and realign away from former colonial ruler France and towards Russia.
David Hundeyin, a Nigerian journalist who has posted positively about Traoré on social media to his more than 1mn followers, said he supported what he described as Traoré’s “ideology” of economic self-reliance and anti-imperialism.
“I don’t believe that Nigeria is a more democratic place or is a better place to live in than Burkina Faso,” he said. “They’re both awful places to live in . . . but I feel the primary economic and political issue is being addressed in Burkina Faso.”
CFR’s Obadare argued that, while many Africans were rightly frustrated by the “lethargy” of the continent’s democratic systems, Traoré’s emerging popularity was “far more sinister”. “There is this knee-jerk and robotic anti-westernism that means once someone shows up to say they hate the west, we automatically believe in that person.”
Traoré, a former special forces officer, came to power alongside military leaders in Mali and Niger in a wave of coups in the Sahel, the semi-arid strip south of the Sahara, promising to restore security in countries racked by Islamist and sectarian violence.
Traoré has found a ready ally in Russia. Moscow reopened its embassy in Burkina Faso in 2023 after a 31-year absence following the fall of the Soviet Union, while Russian paramilitary group Bear Brigade spent months in the country last year guarding junta officials, including Traoré.
“Russia is holding up Traoré as the second coming of Thomas Sankara (the former leader, who was assassinated in 1987),” he said. “Not because they genuinely think there’s anything to him in terms of ideology and good governance, but because they want to undermine democracy, western values, France, the west and the US.”
Tabula Media: Georgian Dream's latest attack on free speech Georgia's ruling party threatens more than a dozen citizens, opposition politicians, and activists with jail time over their social media posts that it deems insulting to government officials.
The formal complaints against targeted individuals were filed by representatives of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream party. Irakli Kirtskhalia, First Deputy Chair of the ruling party, said the complaints filed address what he characterized as "the most offensive statements and insults" posted on social media platforms and in public forums targeting government officials.
Targeted individuals face fines ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 Georgian lari ($550 to $1,500 USD) or up to 45 days of administrative detention for such social media posts or comments.
Judge Jvebe Nachkebia upheld the prosecution’s motion and replaced Nika Gvaramia’s bail with pre-trial detention. He is accused of failing to pay bail after skipping the Tsulukiani Commission. Gvaramia, a leader of “Coalition for Change,” is now heading to Rustavi prison.
The verdict is in. Georgian Judge Nino Galustashvili just sentenced a 21-year-old boy Mate Devidze to 4,5 years in jail, for flinging a stick while fleeing the police during crackdowns. The activist was tried on charges of assaulting police officers during a rally dispersal early on November 19. Outraged family members and supporters of Mate were violently dragged out of the courtroom — some were bruised, others hospitalized. Tazo Datunashvili, member of the Lelo Party was just arrested at the Tbilisi City Court after Judge Nino Galustashvili sentenced 21 y/o Mate Devidze 4.5 years in prison. In the photo, Mate’s grandmother.
In Europe…
EU approves new tariffs on Russian, Belarusian agricultural goods. The measures target those goods that have not yet been subject to additional customs duties and will enter into force on July 1. The tariffs on fertilizers will increase gradually over the next three years.
Ukraine has received an additional €1 billion from the EU, drawn from frozen Russian assets, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced. This marks the fifth tranche of macro-financial assistance under the ERA initiative. The funds will be used to cover key state budget expenditures.
The EU is set to create a new post of special envoy for Ukrainian nationals residing in the EU and has already selected a candidate for the role as per Politico. The special envoy will be Ylva Johansson, who served as European Commissioner for Home Affairs from 2019 to 2024.
The role will involve "enhancing coordination, representing the interests of Ukrainians and implementing practical support tools" for them across the EU, the outlet reports. Johansson has visited Ukraine on multiple occasions, including a refugee camp on the Romanian border, and was awarded the Ukrainian Order of Merit, Second Class, in 2022.
A meeting of the European Council on 26–27 June, with participation from the leaders of all 27 EU member states, will address the peace process in Ukraine and the accession path of both Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union.
"Ukraine has been steadfast in its efforts to enable a real peace process. And the EU will remain equally steadfast in its support to Ukraine. Our objective remains unchanged – to end Russia’s war of aggression and build a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, grounded in the principles of the UN Charter and international law."
Poland’s Supreme Court has approved a recount of votes in several precincts from the recent presidential election. The recount will take place in 13 electoral commissions, according to the court’s statement.
In other news…
Israel has launched an attack on Iran, Op RISING LION, aimed at “dozens” of targets, including its nuclear facilities. Israel is attempting to "eliminate" Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.
The idea for an operation simultaneously targeting Iran's missile and nuclear programs took hold after Iran struck Israel in October, during a cycle of tit-for-tat escalation between the countries.
Israel attempted — just in the opening hours — to assassinate nuclear scientists it claims had the know-how to make a nuclear bomb. Around 25 scientists were targeted and at least two are confirmed dead so far. IDF publishes a video claiming to show the "3D illustration of the uranium enrichment site in the Natanz area."
Strikes have reportedly hit multiple sensitive sites, including: Tehran: Qeytarieh, Niavaran, Chitgar, Mehrabad, Narmaq, Saadat Abad, Andarzgoo, Sattarkhan, Shahrak-e Mahallati, Shahrak-e Chamran, Kamraniyeh, Farahzadi, Ozgol, Marzdaran, Shamkhani’s residence, Armed Forces HQ, and more.
Other Key Sites: – Natanz nuclear site (multiple strikes); Arak heavy water reactor; Parchin military complex; Khondab reactor; Kermanshah, Ilam, Qom, Hamedan, Khorramabad, Piranshahr, Tabriz, Qasr-e Shirin.
Oz Katerji: “to be clear, Iran has used 4 separate Middle Eastern states as launching grounds for military attacks against Israel for over four decades, dragging already impoverished countries into its holy forever war and destroying them in the process.”
Israel is expected to keep pounding Iran's underground nuclear facilities in the coming days, along with other targets.
Netanyahu said one target was the Natanz nuclear facility, a key site for uranium enrichment. Video: footage of the strike against Natanz nuclear facility.
Iran’s Press TV reports there have been a number of fatalities from Israel’s attacks. State TV says five people were killed in Tehran with many more across the country wounded. Nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi were also killed.
Iran pulls out of nuclear talks with the U.S. Tehran officially announced the decision on state television. Iranian MP Aladdin Boroujerdi said the sixth round of negotiations, which was scheduled to take place in Oman on June 15, has been canceled.
Following the confirmed death of Iranian Chief of General Staff Mohammad Bagheri, Iran's Supreme Leader has reportedly appointed Habibollah Sayyari as acting Chief of the General Staff.
Iranian state media confirms killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Chief Salami in a Israeli strike. Israeli Defence Minister: Most of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Air Force leadership eliminated while convening at underground headquarters.
Iranian sources say Gen. Ismail Ghaani, the Quds Forces commander, in charge of proxies in the region has been killed. The senior chain of command has collapsed.
Iran declared it would retaliate, and launched roughly 100 drones. U.S., Israeli, and British fighter jets have reportedly started actively intercepting drones targeting Israel as they transit through Syrian and Iraqi airspace.
Iran's foreign minister says the Israeli strikes were a "declaration of war" in a letter to the United Nations, the AFP news agency reports. It also says that Abbas Araghchi also calls on the UN Security Council to "immediately address this issue”.
Oil prices surge after Israeli strike on Iran. The price spike threatens to undermine Western efforts to choke off a vital revenue stream for Russia, which relies heavily on oil profits to sustain its war in Ukraine.
Israel has temporarily closed all of its diplomatic missions worldwide as its military operation in Iran continues, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.
Ruslan Trad: According to sources, Mossad smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of strikes that were used to target its defences from within. A base for launching explosive drones was established inside Iran, and the drones were activated during the attack to target missile launchers at an Iranian base near Tehran.
It seems also that Israel had smuggled precision weapons into central Iran and positioned them near surface-to-air missile systems, and deployed strike systems on vehicles. Both were activated as the strikes began.
Trump confirmed he was informed in advance of Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, telling Fox News there were “no surprises.” He added: “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb,” and expressed hope for renewed negotiations. CENTCOM said it remains on high alert because of Iranian retaliation.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they carried out attacks against dozens of Israeli targets. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that they carried out attacks against dozens of targets in Israel on Friday night. Speaking to Reuters, one Iranian senior official said: “Our revenge has just started, they will pay a high price for killing our commanders, scientists and people.”
Mariano Giustino in Tehran: “The mood of the young people in Iran that I just contacted: Fear and concern, but also great happiness for the blow that the Islamic Republic is suffering; Supermarkets raided for food; The bus station that would allow exit from Teheran is closed; All the streets are patrolled by police and soldiers.”
Tel Aviv was hit by 3 waves Iranian missile strikes that have managed to penetrate Israel's air defense system. The Israeli Defense Ministry headquarters in Kiryat Ata, Tel Aviv, was hit by a ballistic missile. It is reported that Jerusalem was also hit.
Over 100 ballistic missiles were launched at Israel. One Iranian missile reportedly struck the Israeli Defense Ministry headquarters in HaKirya, Tel Aviv, according to Channel 13.
Times of Isreal: “A senior Israeli security official tells Channel 12 that Israel has warned Iran that if it targets Israeli population centers with ballistic missiles, Israel will target…regime leaders and state infrastructure such as oil refineries.”
China is highly concerned about Israel’s attacks on Iran and deeply worried about the potential serious consequences of these actions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday.
Russia condemned Israel's attack on Iran and threatened that "Western countries" which "satisfy their political biases and phobias, will realize the disastrous results of their destructive course and the extent of their guilt for the tragedy."
"We express our extreme concern over the dangerous escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
We strongly condemn the use of force by the State of Israel in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international law on the night of June 13.
Unprovoked military strikes against a sovereign UN member state, its citizens, peaceful cities, and nuclear energy infrastructure are categorically unacceptable. The international community cannot remain indifferent to such atrocities, which destroy peace and undermine regional and international security.
What makes this even more cynical is that the Israeli attacks happened right in the middle of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting and just before the next round of indirect talks between Iran and the US. Thus, the multilateral efforts initiated with considerable difficulty to reduce confrontation and find solutions that would eliminate any suspicions and prejudices regarding Iran's peaceful use of nuclear energy have been undermined and set back.
Defence minister Israel Katz warned that Israel would “eliminate” its foes after it carried out airstrikes on Iran targeting military and nuclear sites, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“The precise targeting of senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian military, and nuclear scientists – all of whom were involved in advancing the plan to destroy Israel – sends a strong and clear message: those who work toward Israel’s destruction will be eliminated,” Katz said in a statement.
Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the Iranian people: "The time has come for you to unite behind your flag and your historical heritage, to stand up for your freedom against the evil and oppressive regime. Israel's war is not against the Iranian people but against the Islamist regime that oppresses you."
At least 20 Commanders have been killed among whom: IRGC chief Gen. Hossein Salami; Chief of Staff Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; IRGC Cmdr. Gholam-Ali Rashid; Ex-nuclear chief Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani; Laser isotopes expert Mohammad Tehranchi. Top advisor Ali Shamkhani was reportedly wounded.
Iranian commander killed in Israeli airstrike oversaw Shahed drone supply to Russia. Amir Ali Hajizadeh was sanctioned by the European Union in 2022 for overseeing Tehran's supply of Shahed-type drones to Russia.
Brady Africk: This time-lapse of air traffic over the Middle East shows how civilian airspace cleared after Israel’s operation against Iran began.
This is the situation in Kermanshah, a city that hosts some of Iran’s most significant and well-protected missile bases. Such as Panj Pelleh: One of the IRGC’s oldest and most important missile centers. Konesht Canyon: Home to numerous missile bunkers, including those for the Qiam-1 ballistic missile.
The home of one of the assassinated Iranian commanders was hit during last night’s Israeli strike. The missile pierced the wall and exploded in the bedroom.
Iran's King in Exile speaks: "My message to the military, law enforcement, and security forces is clear: This regime and its corrupt and incompetent leaders do not value your lives or our Iran. Separate yourself from them and join the people."
Both Saudi Arabia and Indonesia were invited to the G7 meeting in Canada, both refused the invitation. Tellingly, Indonesia's President Prabowo will instead go to Russia to visit Putin at the same time.
On Thursday, US Senator (Democrat, California) thrown to the ground and arrested for speaking out of turn at Kristi Noem's "press conference". Noem calls the leadership of Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass “burdensome”. At this point Democratic senator Alex Padilla is confronted by security and forcibly removed from the room. He appeared to be trying to ask Noem a question.
Senator Padilla responded to his removal: “If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, if this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question you can only imagine what they’re doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers, throughout the LA community and throughout California and throughout the country. We will hold this administration accountable. We’ll have more to say in the coming days.”
Mo: Everyday there are actions taken by the Trump administration that mark a decisive turning away from or rejection of the laws and norms of American constitutional, judicial, and political life. At first, the ICE raids that began against undocumented workers turned quickly into arrests of documented workers, and now two U.S. Senators for wanting to express dissent. Immigrants who have been in the US for years are now not going to public places for fear of getting swept up in ICE arrests.
AP: Opponents of President Donald Trump’s administration are set to rally in hundreds of cities on Saturday during the military parade in Washington to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary, which coincides with Trump’s birthday.
The “No Kings” protests are set to take place to counter what organizers say are Trump’s plans to feed his ego on his 79th birthday and Flag Day. “No Kings” will follow several days of nationwide protests against federal immigration raids including in Los Angeles, where Trump’s deployment of the National Guard further agitated his opponents.