June 18: 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.
Let’s get started…
Stories we’re following…
The death toll in Kyiv rises to 22, with 134 injured after a yesterday's Russian strike, according to Ukraine’s emergency service. Rescuers are still clearing the rubble. Russia also attacked Zaporizhzhia overnight with 13 drones — fires, destruction, and burnt vehicles reported.
A dormitory was struck by debris, and parts of the city face power outages. A fire erupted near Zhuliany Airport, and an apartment block in Solomianskyi district was destroyed—search efforts are ongoing. over 40 hospitalized, Mayor Klitschko reports. Information on fatalities is still being clarified.
20 people injured in Kherson as Russia shifts drone attack tactics, governor says. The attacks left several people hospitalized with blast trauma and shrapnel wounds.
Russian drone strike on Odesa kills 2, injures 17, including 1 child. Russian drone strikes on Odesa early June 17 killed 1, injured 17 people, including a pregnant woman and a child, regional authorities said.
On June 17 during the night, Russian forces targeted railway infrastructure and grain railcars in Kyiv and the surrounding region, according to Ukrzaliznytsia. The Russian Ministry of Defense meanwhile said 'all targets were hit last night'.
Zelensky leaves G7 early without meeting Trump as Canada drops Ukraine statement amid US pushback. President Volodymyr Zelensky is cutting his visit to Canada short and will return to Kyiv on June 17, while G7 talks are still ongoing, a source told a Kyiv Independent journalist on the ground.
'We are determined to increase pressure on Russia' — Macron says as EU ready to toughen sanctions. The European Union and its allies are ready to toughen sanctions on Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron said on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit on June 17.
Ukraine moves forward on lithium mining under US minerals deal, NYT reports. On June 16, the Ukrainian government reportedly agreed to begin drafting recommendations for a bidding process to develop the Dobra lithium field in central Ukraine.
Combat Situation
ISW: Russian forces recently advanced near Siversk, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk.
Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast
Russian forces continued offensive operations in Kursk Oblast on June 17 but did not advance.
Neither Ukrainian nor Russian sources reported ground activity in northwesternmost Belgorod Oblast on June 17.
Russian forces continued offensive operations in Sumy Oblast on June 17 but did not make confirmed advances.
Neither Ukrainian nor Russian sources reported ground activity in northern Kharkiv Oblast on June 17.
Ukrainian forces destroyed a large Russian column near Yablonivka on the Kostyantynivka front — 23 units of heavy equipment (MT-LBs, tanks, BMPs), along with quads and motorcycles were eliminated.
A major fire broke out on a Russian shadow fleet tanker near the UAE coast after a collision with another oil vessel, Bloomberg reports. The sanctioned tanker Adalynn, carrying Russian oil under the Antigua and Barbuda flag, collided with the Front Eagle (Liberian-flagged) 44 km off Khor Fakkan port.
Russian military-industrial chemical plant halts operations after Ukrainian drone strike. The Nevinnomyssk Azot chemical plant — a key supplier to the Kremlin's military-industrial complex — has suspended production following Ukrainian drone strikes, Russian independent media reported on June 16.
Behind the Lines
On June 8, a strike on the "Azot" plant in Novomoskovsk likely hit the ammonia synthesis and primary cooling unit. Ammonia is a key component in explosives production. The plant produces over 1M tons of ammonia and 1.4M tons of ammonium nitrate annually. This image was released by CyberBoroshno.
Zelensky welcomes G7 support as summit delivers no strong breakthrough for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 17 that the G7 summit had produced concrete results for Ukraine, including increased military support, new tranches of aid using frozen Russian assets, and additional sanctions targeting the sources of Russia’s war effort.
US group designed to pressure Russia into peace in Ukraine disbanded by Trump administration, Reuters reports. "It lost steam toward the end because the president wasn't there," an official told Reuters.
Trump says he spoke to Putin yesterday “Russia-Ukraine is so stupid. Would have never happened if I was president. ...Putin would have never done it. And I spoke to him yesterday, and I said, you know, he actually offered to help mediate."
"I said, do me a favor, mediate your own. Let's mediate Russia first. Okay, I said, Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later, but I think that's going to work out too. But it's so many people have been killed. The big thing with that one is far more people are dead than have been reported in the Ukraine.”
Meanwhile in Russia & China…
Argentina's National Intelligence Service (SIDE) has identified a group of Russians who were creating a network of influence in Moscow's interests, according to Manuel Adorni, a spokesman for the Argentine presidential administration.
According to him, this involved targeted work to form a "group of citizens loyal to Russia's interests." The cell's main objective was to conduct disinformation and influence campaigns against the Argentine state. Among other things, the group's members were engaged in creating and distributing content on social networks, and also tried to influence the activities of local civil society organizations, foundations, and non-governmental structures.
According to Argentine intelligence, Russian citizen Lev Konstantinovich Andryashvili, who lives in Argentina, participated in this scheme. He was responsible for financing the network and establishing connections with local activists. His ally was his wife, Irina Yakovenko, also a Russian citizen and resident of Argentina. Among other figures in this case is Yevgeny Brygozin, who died in August 2023. According to the authorities, the exposed Russians could have been connected to structures belonging to Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Russia's Shoigu visits North Korea on 'special assignment' from Putin. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu is expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the visit. Kim has decided to send 1,000 sappers and 5,000 military construction personnel to assist in the reconstruction of Russia’s Kursk region, according to secretary of the Security Council Sergey Shoigu during his visit to North Korea.
The North Korean express has entered Russia — the dictatorship tour has begun! Yesterday, the first train from Pyongyang to Moscow departed — a journey that might be one-way. The train has now crossed into Russian territory.
Kellogg to meet Lukashenko in highest-ranking US visit to Belarus in years, Reuters reports. U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg will meet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the coming days, Reuters reported on June 17, citing four sources familiar with the matter.
BBC: Hungary is set to become the biggest electric vehicles (EV) battery producer in Europe. In the country’s east, a Chinese company is building a mega lithium-ion battery plant - part of a growing trend of Chinese automakers ploughing money into building factories in the EU country. This mammoth factory is to be the new European home of Chinese battery manufacturer CATL. It’s the global market leader in battery production and its investment is a boon for the Hungarian government.
Slovak PM Robert Fico questioned NATO's defense spending hike, calling neutrality more beneficial for Slovakia despite its 2004 NATO membership. While he didn't lay out a plan for exiting NATO, Fico took the opportunity at a roundtable event to bash the so-called military-industrial complex.
The unrecognized pro-Russian enclave of Transnistria in eastern Moldova is facing economic collapse. With Russian gas supplies cut and reserves exhausted, the region is in crisis—unable to pay even security forces. Industrial output is down 43%, trade fell 31.5%, and power exports have stopped.
The Ivanishvili regime is going after human rights defenders and civil society organizations in Georgia. This morning, the Anti-Corruption Bureau demanded that five organizations disclose the personal data of their beneficiaries.
The organizations explained that the request covers highly sensitive information, including data belonging to victims of torture, survivors of gender-based violence, schoolchildren, students, teachers, pensioners, persons with disabilities, entrepreneurs, whistleblowers, journalists, election observers, unlawfully dismissed public servants, and their family members.
Specifically, the Bureau is seeking personal identification numbers, full names, photographs, financial and banking records, and medical information. In response, civil society organizations have stated that they will not betray the trust of those they serve—even if doing so leads to persecution or arrest.
In Europe…
The UK has announced new sanctions against Russia. The measures target 4 individuals, 6 entities, and 20 vessels—including oil tankers, maritime transport companies, and suppliers of goods to Russia, particularly electronics.
On Day 2 of the G7 Summit, the key event was Zelensky’s participation in a special G7 leaders’ session titled “A Strong and Sovereign Ukraine.” He will also hold multilateral talks with the leaders of France, the UK, Italy, and Germany, as well as bilateral meetings with Japan’s PM, NATO's Jens Stoltenberg, Brazil’s president, India’s PM, and EU leaders António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.
Canada scrapped plans for a strong G7 statement on the war in Ukraine after U.S. resistance, per Reuters. Ottawa said Washington pushed to soften the language — a move Canada felt was unfair to Ukraine as President Zelensky arrived at the summit.
President Zelensky met with NATO Secretary General Rutte ahead of the Alliance summit in The Hague, highlighting Ukraine’s key expectations and urgent needs amid intensified Russian attacks. He emphasized the importance of continued support to strengthen Ukraine’s position.
In other news…
CNN: Iconic US Steel now 100% owned by Japan’s Nippon Steel, despite past Trump opposition. Nippon Steel has finalized its deal to buy 100% of US Steel. The companies announced Wednesday that the two had completed the partnership. Under the terms of the deal first announced in December 2023, Nippon will buy US steel for $55 per share, or $14.1 billion. The company will also retain its name and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania headquarters.
CNN: Americans cut back sharply on their spending last month amid tariffs. Americans are feeling a hangover from their tariff-fueled buying frenzy early in the spring. Retail sales fell by 0.9% in May from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, down sharply from April’s downwardly revised 0.1% decline. That was the steepest monthly decline since January. The figures are adjusted for seasonal swings but not inflation.
G7 Bloopers: "We just signed it. It’s all done. Trade agreement with the European Union". (Yes, he confused the United Kingdom with the EU.) Starmer bent down to pick up the papers and joked with a smile: "Very important document."
On Tuesday, G7 leaders, including Donald Trump, issued a joint statement urging a resolution to the Iranian crisis and broader de-escalation in the Middle East, including a Gaza ceasefire. The statement affirms Israel's right to self-defense, stresses civilian protection, and labels Iran the main source of regional instability. Trump signed on after language adjustments.
On Tuesday night, the Israeli Air Force again conducted strikes on Tehran, while also targetting the Khojir Garrison Aerospace Complex. A ballistic missile production facility. It is still unclear if the US will join Israel.
On June 18 morning, the Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes in the area of the Husein University (northern Iran) as well as the IRGC Headquarters in Tehran.
The IDF confirms it conducted precision airstrikes on multiple Iranian military targets, including a centrifuge production site linked to Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Over 50 fighter jets participated in the operation, targeting facilities used for uranium enrichment and missile production.
The Telegraph: “China sends mystery transport planes into Iran Flight plans indicated a final destination of Luxembourg, but the aircraft appeared to have never flown near European skies”
Reports indicate that the satellite signal of Iran’s state-run TV has been hacked, with all channels now broadcasting anti-regime messages and videos calling for freedom and a revolution against the Iranian government.
CivilNet: Hundreds of Iranians have crossed the Armenia-Iran border at the Meghri checkpoint and are moving toward Yerevan. CivilNet correspondent Hasmik Hovhannisyan reports from Meghri that taxi drivers are demanding excessively high prices to transport Iranians to Yerevan - $300 per person. Under normal conditions, a taxi to Yerevan costs around 10,000 drams ($25) per person. CivilNet’s correspondent reports that Iranians say getting from Tehran to Yerevan is very expensive for them, and there are even fuel problems in the country.
Israeli-linked hacker group “Predatory Sparrow” wiped out 95% of assets on Iran’s Nobitex crypto exchange. Nobitex was reportedly used by Tehran to evade sanctions through crypto. Wallet balances plunged from $1.8 billion to just $100 million.
CNN: 'A real end' better than a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Trump says. President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he’s seeking “a real end” to the conflict with Israel and Iran, arguing it’s better than a ceasefire while also suggesting that giving up entirely on negotiating is a possibility. Asked what is better than a ceasefire, as he alluded to in a Truth Social post, Trump said “an end, a real end, not a ceasefire. An end. Or giving entirely. That’s OK, too.” Trump said he expects the next 48 hours will reveal more about whether Israel plans to slow down or accelerate its attacks on Iran.
NYT: Trump Calls for ‘Unconditional Surrender’ From Iran and Threatens Supreme Leader. Trump declared that “we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.” The comments on social media came amid mounting evidence that the U.S. was considering joining Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran.
Mo: Trump’s making contradicting statements about what his strategic goals are regarding Iran. He put out a message at 4:03 pm (EST) saying that, “No one knows what I'm going to do".
All U.S. Navy vessels forward-deployed at NSA Bahrain have departed port amid rising tensions. At least 1 Littoral Combat Ship, 4 Mine Countermeasure ships, and special ops mothership M/V Ocean Trader are now operating in CENTCOM’s AOR.
The U.S. has reportedly withdrawn from two more military bases in northeastern Syria — al-Wazir and Tal Bidar — now guarded by small SDF units. The move has raised concerns among Kurdish forces about a potential resurgence of ISIS activity in the region.
UK jets have begun arriving in the Middle East, with more to follow, Defence Secretary John Healey confirms. He says the deployment aims to “protect our personnel, reassure partners, and reinforce the urgent need for de-escalation.” Healey declined to say if they might support Israel or join possible US strikes on Iran.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemns Israel’s attacks on peaceful nuclear sites in Iran as illegal and warns they push the world toward nuclear disaster. Moscow accuses Israel’s allies of complicity, praises Iran’s IAEA commitment, and insists on a diplomatic Iran-Israel resolution.