June 15: 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.
This is the city of Toresk, which the Russian forces has reduced to rubble. This is their strategy: continuous strikes against Ukrainian civilians and their cities, a terror campaign through the use of indiscriminate drone strikes to demoralise the local population, cause trauma to such an extent that they will leave. Depopulation. It’s a crime against International Humanitarian Law.
Stories we’re following…
Ukraine is no longer interested in talks with Russia unless they include a ceasefire agreement, says Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiiha. “We are open to meaningful negotiations that bring us closer to peace — not just exchanges.”
Russia launched at least 5 strikes on Zaporizhzhia using 14 Shahed drones. Civilian infrastructure, vehicles, residential buildings, and a humanitarian facility were damaged. Two police officers were injured, reports regional head Ivan Fedorov.
Yulia Svyrydenko: Russia’s attempts to lure Ukrainian children into becoming unwitting suicide bombers remain one of the darkest expressions of their depravity.
In western Ukraine, a 15-year-old girl was contacted over social media by Russia’s FSB. She was promised money to plant a bomb in a park in Ivano-Frankivsk. But she didn’t fall for it—she reported it. From there, our security services stepped in, continuing the conversation so the FSB believed their plan was on track.
The goal was clear: kill civilians, then kill the girl to silence her.
Thanks to her bravery and the work of the SBU and National Police, the attack was prevented. But this wasn’t an isolated case. Other children have tragically been manipulated and even blackmailed into these acts.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian teenagers—through chats, games, social media—treating them as disposable tools in its campaign of terror.
This is what we’re fighting: a regime that sees children not as lives to protect, but as weapons to manipulate and discard.
Zelensky plans to meet Trump at G7 summit — key takeaways from closed-door briefing. "Both teams are working to ensure we meet," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
A Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia has destroyed a warehouse holding over 100 tons of humanitarian aid. The supplies were meant for displaced people and frontline communities. All 100 tons were lost in the fire. Damages are estimated at $3 million.
'At a critical time' — Zelensky appoints new head of Ukraine's mission to NATO. The appointment came "at a critical time for the future of Ukraine, for the future of NATO itself, and, of course, for Ukraine's future in NATO. I realize the responsibility," Aliona Hetmanchuk said on her Facebook page on June 13.
Ukrainian Railways launches a unique art train with Howard Buffett’s photo exhibition called ‘Courage of a Nation’ ! It's a traveling gallery, created with the support of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which is embarking on a 4-month journey through 63 railway stations.
Combat Situation
ISW: Ukrainian forces advanced near Toretsk. Russian forces advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and near Chasiv Yar, Pokrovsk, and Velyka Novosilka.
Overnight June 14, the Novokuybyshevsk Catalysts Plant (LLC) in Russia’s Samara region has been hit in an attack by presumably Ukrainian drones. Ukrainian drones also carried out an attack on the "Nevinnomysskiy Azot" chemical plant (manufactures nitrogen) in Russia’s Stavropol Krai.
Ukrainian "ATESH" resistance group report that last night there were several explosions recorded in Simferopol, Crimea. A Russian base was said to have been hit and equipment was damaged and a large number of Russian soldiers were killed and wounded.
Russian Su-25 jet reportedly crashes in Donetsk Oblast. A Russian SU-25 fighter jet reportedly crashed over Donetsk Oblast on June 13, Russian social media channels reported.
Behind the Lines
US opposes lowering G7 cap on Russian oil, Bloomberg reports. The United States is opposing a push by other G7 members to lower the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel, ahead of the group’s summit in Canada.
U.S. military aid possible: Ukraine has prepared a powerful arms procurement package, but final approval must come at the presidential level, President Zelensky said.
He couldn’t answer the questions: At Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s hearing for the Appropriations Committee, he was asked a few basic questions that any reader of E-Stories would be able to answer immediately. He couldn’t. Secretary of Defense. I shudder to think what would happen should China or any other rogue nation decide to attack the US or a NATO ally.
British jets intercept Russian spy plane over Baltic Sea, Poland calls it NATO readiness test. "This is another case of provocative testing of the readiness of NATO countries' systems," Poland's military command said.
Latvia bans Russian and Belarusian citizens from working in or owning critical infrastructure, citing national security concerns.
According to Delfi on June 13, under the new law, critical infrastructure is defined as facilities, systems, or components located in Latvia that are essential to public health, safety, national security, or the economic and social well-being of the population. The amendments explicitly ban Russian and Belarusian nationals from employment or service provision in such sectors if their work grants access to sensitive data or technological systems vital to infrastructure operations. Exceptions will be allowed only with special authorization from Latvia’s national security authorities.
Meanwhile in Russia & China…
The Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Agency has designated Rosatom as the leader of the international consortium for the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP), Kazinform cites a statement from the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Energy.
According to the department, following the work of the interdepartmental commission on the development of the nuclear industry, the project of the Russian state corporation to create a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan was named the most optimal and profitable. The competition was held with the participation of the French engineering company Assystem among international companies from the short list. Experts assessed the presented reactor technologies and other developments of potential vendors, including in such areas as nuclear power plant safety, technological and financial aspects, international experience, personnel training, localization level, etc., the ministry noted.
Trump spoke with Putin and discussed something for nearly an hour This is reported by pro-government media, citing Putin's assistant Ushakov. Trump has not yet commented on the conversation. According to Ushakov:
Putin congratulated the U.S. president on his birthday — Trump turns 79 today.
They discussed the situation in the Middle East.
The Kremlin dictator condemned Israel's operation.
And confirmed Russia's readiness to continue negotiations with Ukraine — attention! — after June 22.
The EU plans to disconnect another 22 Russian banks from the international payment system SWIFT as part of the 18th package of sanctions. This was reported by The Guardian with reference to the draft document on sanctions, which was presented by the European Commission on Tuesday, June 10.
In addition to banking sanctions, the EU plans to lower the price ceiling for Russian oil - from $60 to $45 per barrel. Deliveries at a price higher than that will lose European insurance and the services of European tanker carriers. In addition, 77 tankers of the Russian "shadow fleet" will be included in the "black lists of the European Union", which already includes more than 300 vessels. Finally, blocking sanctions are envisaged for another 33 companies and individuals. The latter will lose the opportunity to receive European visas, and their assets in the EU will be frozen.
Currently, 95% of the Russian banking system is under Western sanctions, the head of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation Elvira Nabiullina complained in December. According to her, 129 credit institutions that control almost all assets of the country's financial system have been blacklisted.
Freedom Postcards: New sentences for political prisoners have become routine in Belarus. Even after serving 2–5 years, many aren't released. Instead, they're tried again for “disobedience” – some even multiple times. In this video, we explain what this so-called “disobedience” really is.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu believes Russia may trigger an even deeper crisis in Transnistria, the Russian-backed breakaway region on the left bank of the Dnister, in an effort to destabilise Moldova ahead of this autumn’s parliamentary elections and influence voting there, as per Sandu’s interview with Newsmaker. Sandu expects the crisis to deepen in the coming months.
"All these years, Russia has been using the residents of Transnistria and can provoke an even greater crisis at any moment if it suits its plans in Moldova. We can expect this crisis to deepen in the coming months, before the elections," Sandu said.
In Europe…
The European Commission (EC) will ban European LNG terminals from serving customers from Russia, the restriction could come into force on January 1, 2026, according to a draft regulation of the EU executive body banning member countries from importing Russian energy resources, Reuters reports .
The document, which is scheduled to be published on June 17, says that the EC is ready to grant a one-year deferment on existing contracts, until June 17, 2026. The deadline for stopping the provision of services by EU LNG terminals to Russian clients under long-term contracts with the Russian Federation is December 31, 2027, the draft says. An EC representative declined to comment on the situation until the document is officially published, Reuters writes.
Ukraine receives 5th tranche of EU aid from frozen Russian assets, PM confirms. Ukraine has received another 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in macro-financial assistance from the European Union as part of a G7 loan, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on June 13.
The Polish Sejm has officially banned MEP Grzegorz Braun from entering its buildings, due to his repeated anti-European and anti-Ukrainian behavior. Speaker Szymon Hołownia issued the order, now in effect for the duration of the current parliamentary session.
Kosovo accepted a request to shelter third-country migrants a year from the U.S.
BBC: Police have said 15 officers were injured in disorder in Ballymena which they described as "racist thuggery, pure and simple" and targeted at ethnic minorities and law enforcement. Violence broke out following an earlier peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the County Antrim town. A 29-year-old man who was arrested has been charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police.
Nigel Farage—former UKIP/Brexit Party and now Reform leader—has a show on GB News network, which emulates RT and US Maga channels. He sets the editorial line.
Ever so elegantly, he focused his editorial pieces on the violence in Ballymena. “The riots are what happens when political elites ignore working-class fears over immigration and community safety,” which is a common narrative Farage has sold for years. He makes no realistic proposals in solving any domestic issue, and prefers to ride the populist wave that serve to justify violence. There is no reason the ‘demonstrations’ had to turn violent.
Mo: the poster below reads: “Hands off Iran. Israel is a danger to the world. The US, EU and NATO are complicit in the genocide of the war.”
The ‘organiser’, Potere al Popolo (Power to the People) came into being during the Lega-M5S government in Italy and has consistently aligned with Russia’s foreign policy objectives and positions. They have organised rallies and conferences that support ‘peace’ or rather, the unilateral disarmament of Ukraine and blame NATO for Russia’s war of aggression, support for the Gaza activists after October 7, and now have organised a rally in line with the anti-Israel narratives that have been circulating for years. They recruit adepti via universities, where they organise student unions or support them.
In other news…
Minnesota Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and Democratic Rep. Melissa Hortman, along with their spouses, were shot by a suspect posing as a police officer. A manhunt underway in Brooklyn Park. Gov. Tim Walz posted on X: “I’ve activated the State Emergency Operations Center. Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them. We are monitoring the situation closely and will share more information soon.”
Sources told the Associated Press that 57-year old Vance Boelter is currently being sought as a suspect. The man had a list of other lawmakers and officials in the vehicle police searched, and alerts were sent out to take action and provide security to others, Bruley said.
“There was a list of individuals, and the individuals that were targeted in this situation were on that list,” said Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota bureau of criminal apprehension. He added that it was “far too early in the investigation” to provide a motive or assess whether the victims had been targeted for their political affiliation, but that he believes the state will be able to provide more information on the motivation behind the attacks as the investigation unfolds.
Reuters Video: US Marines in Los Angeles detain a civilian near federal property — the first known incident since their deployment. Military officials have stressed they cannot make arrests because president Trump has not invoked the Insurrection Act. The man was later released.
Millions of people are expected to turn out for US-wide protests as part of a “No Kings” event on Saturday – the same day Donald Trump will attend a military parade to honor the 250th anniversary of the US army that coincides with his 79th birthday.
The rallies follow a week of protests against anti-immigration raids in Los Angeles, with largely peaceful demonstrations spreading to cities including New York, Chicago, San Antonio and Atlanta. Anger at Trump’s deployment of the national guard and marines against the wishes of California officials is likely to swell numbers at today’s protests.
The US army’s 250th birthday parade kicked off on the National Mall in Washington DC. roughly at 6:30pm. Donald Trump arrived on a bandstand overlooking the parade route to cheers and chants of “USA! USA!” from a crowd where MAGA hats are plenty. There was cannon fire, too, and the singing of the national anthem.
WSJ on how Op Rising Lion unfolded: "Israel could wait no longer, Netanyahu said, according to officials familiar with the call... Trump responded that the U.S. wouldn’t stand in the way, according to administration officials, but emphasized that the U.S. military wouldn’t assist with any offensive operations."
Times of Israel: “French President Emmanuel Macron says that the information France had on the Iranian nuclear program was most concerning, adding that the program was close to a critical stage.” Macron, speaking at a news conference, says France did not recommend attacking Iran’s nuclear sites, saying there was still a “diplomatic route” to resolve the issue.
Germany said on Saturday that the danger of further escalation in the Middle East is real and that Iran’s nuclear programme poses a threat not just to Israel but also to Saudi Arabia and the stability of the entire region. The foreign ministry issued its statement on X after a visit by German foreign minister Johann Wadephul to Saudi Arabia where he met with his counterpart.
After Israel's strikes, Ukraine says Iran 'source of problems' but warns against destabilization. Ukraine on June 13 expressed concern over the security situation in the Middle East after Israeli air strikes against Iran, but stressed that Tehran remains a "source of problems" in the region "and beyond."
Israeli strikes reportedly hit multiple sites in Iran: the Zagros Auto Company in Borujerd, the Imam Hassan military base in Kermanshah, and the Nojeh Air Base in Hamadan, which was struck by two missiles. The Israeli forces are focusing on strategic facilities, such as nuclear research centres and oil refineries.
Early this morning, Israel struck Iran’s Parchin military-industrial complex, located 30 km from Tehran. The site houses munitions and explosives testing facilities, with at least one building possibly linked to Iran’s nuclear program.
Mohammed Al-Amari, Chief of Staff and second-in-command of the Houthis, was reportedly killed less than an hour ago in Yemen in an Israeli strike.]
Channel 14 reports one of the targets tonight Israel struck in Tehran was Iran's regime's Defense Ministry. The Defense Ministry focuses on military R&D, production, acquisition, and personnel support and is not in the chain of command. But Israel it seems is now targeting the Ministry of Defense, the nuclear headquarters, nuclear laboratories, and oil facilities. (11:58pm CET).
Iran regime media reporting that Phase 14 of South Pars Gas Field, which it shares with Qatar, has been hit by Israel.
Elon Musk has announced that Starlink is now active in Iran—to help Iranians communicate, organize, and rise up against the regime.
Reports indicate that the Israeli Air Force has begun striking gas and industrial infrastructure in the Bushehr region. This shift in targeting follows prior warnings from Israeli officials, who stated last night that such action would be considered if Iran targeted urban civilian areas.
NYT: Following the Israeli attack, Iranian commanders were livid, asking one another how Israel was able to come and attack anything it wants. Friday’s complex attack suggested Israel may have infiltrated Iran far deeper than previously thought.
In Iran, fresh explosions were reported at an airport in Tehran that houses an air force base, and across the Hakimiyeh and Tehranpars neighbourhoods in the east of the capital. Iran’s envoy to the UN security council, Amir Saeid Iravani, said 78 people including senior officials had been killed in the Israeli attacks on Friday, and that more than 320 were injured, most of them civilians. He said the US was complicit in the attacks and accused Israel of seeking “to kill diplomacy, to sabotage negotiations and to drag the region into wider conflict”. More information on the Israeli strikes:
The Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee has reportedly claimed that all monitoring operations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Iran will be suspended.
Ruslan Trad: An Iranian attack has been recorded in Haifa, which is still ongoing (23:59 Bulgarian time). The city's refinery has been hit, and there are reports of damage to other sites as well. An Israeli attack has been recorded in Iran, also on the country's energy infrastructure.
The Iranian Parliament says Iran is seriously looking at a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to Israel's attacks.
If this happens, this would be absolutely devastating for the United States and most of the world, as 24% of the world's oil passes through it. Disrupting oil shipping would likely trigger an immediate surge in oil prices, potentially over $100–150/barrel. This would increase U.S. gas prices, drive inflation, and hurt American consumers and businesses.
Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran & founder and leader of the National Council of Iran, called on the people and soldiers of Iran to overthrow the terrorist Mullah Regime. He directly asked the security services to leave the regime & join the popular movement for change.
Olga Lautman: Just listened to a CNN segment that Iran could activate its cells in the U.S. to carry out attacks. And my thoughts immediately went to Trump not only shifting counterterrorism units to immigration but putting a 22 year, whose experience includes assistant in a grocery stores, in charge of terrorism prevention.
Good luck to all of us. Sadly I have been sounding the alarm in my tracker that Trump/ Musk’s dismantling of agencies, task force, purging of career officials leaves us ripe to terrorist attacks, cyberattacks, domestic terrorist attacks, etc. trump has intentionally left America defenseless
USAGM today urgently called back to work the staff of the Voice of America's Farsi language service. All had been on paid admin leave for the past three months with the rest of VOA's silenced journalists.
The Kurdish-Iranian rebel group PAK (Kurdistan Freedom Party) has voiced it's support for the Israeli strikes and calls to take advantage of the weakening of the Iranian regime by launching a popular uprising.
As always xxx THANK YOU! xxx Sharing your kindness, clarity and persistent perspective is an act of humanitarian aid xxx imho xxx thxxx
Thanks for you very kind thoughts, Elisabeth!