June 28: 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 going…
Stories we’re following…
Russian forces attacked Zaporizhzhia using drones, according to regional head Ivan Fedorov. Industrial facilities and a garage cooperative were hit, causing fires.
Ukraine, Russia conduct new POW swap under Istanbul deal on June 27. "Today, soldiers of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service are returning home," President Volodymyr Zelensky said without revealing their numbers.
Ukraine to receive $46 million for repairs to Chornobyl sarcophagus after Russian strike. Ukraine will receive €42.5 million ($45.7 million) from international partners to repair the protective arch over Chornobyl's destroyed reactor, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk announced.
Dr Kaled Alfaiomi: “660 days she waited to hold her son again. He left a boy, returned broken. She didn’t ask what they did to him just whispered: “You’re alive. That’s all that matters.” Thousands are still in captivity.”
Combat Situation
On the Luhansk front, Lyman direction, Ukrainian forces have broken through the occupiers’ fortified positions and have begun the assault on Ridkodub.
Russian forces are expected to intensify their offensive in the Zaporizhzhia direction in the coming days, according to advisor Petro Andriushchenko. Around 7 train platforms with armor, including tanks, and over 40 trucks with troops and ammo have been redeployed. Additional convoys were also spotted.
Ukrainian forces advanced near Novopavlivka. Russian forces advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and near Toretsk.
Ukrainian military sources confirm: "In the Sumy region, enemy advances have indeed been halted, and we currently have a stable line of combat engagement. These gains were secured thanks to the coordinated efforts of capable Ukrainian units—it took a lot of effort, to say the least."
On the Pokrovsk front, Russia has amassed around 111,000 troops — the largest enemy grouping to date, according to Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi.
"They’re doing this not just for any operational gain, but mainly for propaganda — to create a psychological effect: to plant the infamous ‘Russian soldier’s boot,’ raise a flag, and trumpet another fake ‘victory.’"
Ukrainian drones strike Russian S-400 air defense system in occupied Crimea, HUR says. The attack damaged "critical and expensive components" of Russia's S-400 Triumph air defense system, including two 92N2E multifunctional control radars, two 91N6E detection radars, and an S-400 launcher, according to HUR.
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces report that all four Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers were destroyed in the drone strike on the Marinovka airbase in Volgograd region — not just two, as initially reported.
Pro-Russian aviation channel Fighterbomber reacts to reported loss of 4 Su-34s at Marinovka airbase.. “Another multibillion-ruble loss that could and should have been prevented. It’s not just the Ukrainians who should be held accountable — there are plenty of others to deal with here. Otherwise, this will just keep happening.”
Re-Upping this: North Korea likely to send more troops to Russia by August, South Korea says. Pyongyang has already begun recruiting soldiers for deployment to Russia, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.
A rare North Korean M1991 MLRS loaded with ammo was wiped out. A Ukrainian drone struck a shell, piercing the crew cabin and sparking a full ammo blast.
Behind the Lines
There are still European companies shipping critical missile parts to Russia, Zelensky tells EU. "Some European companies are still sending critical components to Russia. These end up in missiles and other weapons used to kill us, kill Ukrainians." The export of dual-use goods and tech parts requires monitoring and tracking strategies that the Ukrainians have already devised.
Ukraine to receive 20 new Rheinmetall Ermine vehicles — here's what they can do. Rheinmetall said the deliveries are expected to begin in 2026.
Kyrgyz citizen pleads guilty to illegally exporting US firearms to Russia. "The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia," U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York said.
Reuters: For Trump, Vladimir Putin is a man looking for an off-ramp to his bloody three-year assault on Ukraine. But according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the Russian leader may be just getting started. Rutte warned Russia could attack an alliance country within three years.
Meanwhile in Russia & China…
Russia reportedly helping North Korea build warships, but questions over seaworthiness remain after failed launch. Satellite imagery and launch footage suggest a clear Russian design influence.
Kyiv Independent: An investigation into how Russia is preparing its strategic missile plant for "eternal war." Alisa Yurchenko's investigation reveals how Russia's state-owned Votkinsk Plant, which serves its nuclear forces, has been quietly expanding, bypassing international sanctions, and significantly increased its missile production. The plant is not just replacing the missiles used in the current war, it's also stockpiling for a prolonged conflict — and doing so with the help of China.
The Yelabuga Plant: Russia has set up domestic production of Shahed drones in Tatarstan, enabling sustained UAV attacks on Ukraine, Le Monde reports. Assembly is reportedly carried out by hundreds of women recruited from African countries such as Uganda, Mali, Cameroon, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
The Prosecutor General's Office, together with the Federal Tax Service, has uncovered schemes of large-scale theft during the implementation of key national projects initiated by Vladimir Putin. We are talking about such programs as "Demography", "Safe and High-Quality Roads", "Healthcare" and "Education", for which more than 2 trillion rubles are allocated annually. As a result of the audits, in particular, it was possible to identify artificial debt of 1.3 billion rubles, return property worth 670 million to the bankruptcy estate, and ensure the receipt of more than 4 billion rubles in taxes to the budget.
Mo: We’ve seen this scam before. The Kremlin needs to scrape up as much cash as it can for the war effort since the pools of cash it had in the past are quickly drying up, according to Nabuillina. There is no way to actually understand whether this was real theft or not since the Kremlin practices creative accounting for almost any sector. The Kremlin is simply seeking funds wherever it can.
Russians suffering from bleeding disorders have complained about interruptions in the distribution of hemophilia medications. The problem arose in early 2025 in at least nine regions: Moscow, Oryol, Saratov, Smolensk, Tver regions, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Perm and Krasnoyarsk territories, the All-Russian Hemophilia Society (VOG) told Izvestia. They clarified that the medications needed to immediately stop bleeding had run out. All of them are purchased under the state program "14 high-cost nosologies" at the expense of the federal budget and are provided to patients free of charge.
Steve Rosenberg for the BBC: “More on Russia’s economic problems – from today’s Russian papers. One paper reports “The problem of payment arrears is growing…surge in wage arrears.” Another: “Shortage of skilled labour remains key problem.”
“The activity of Russian oil tankers has significantly decreased—by nearly half. Due to imposed sanctions, 343 tankers that had been transporting Russian oil while bypassing restrictions are now facing serious difficulties. All of this is the result of coordinated sanctions by the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom,” – said Andriy Yermak. It is also noteworthy that the price of Russia’s Urals crude oil has fallen below the EU-imposed price cap.
Newsweek: Czech Intelligence Reveals China Plan to Crash Into Taiwan Vice President-Elect. hinese agents operating out of Beijing's embassy in Prague planned to stage a car collision targeting Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim during her visit to the Czech capital last year, according to an explosive report.
The Czech Republic's military intelligence chief condemned the plot to intimidate Hsiao, which was ultimately not carried out, describing it as "unprecedented" by China in Europe.
Chinese agents plotted a "demonstrative kinetic action" targeting Hsiao during her March 2024 visit to Prague, her first trip abroad since she and President Lai Ching-te's election victory, according to Czech military intelligence cited by public broadcaster Czech Radio.
Agency director Petr Bartovský told Czech Radio that the plan involved staging a collision with the car carrying Hsiao, though he confirmed the attempt "did not go beyond the planning stage." However, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light in central Prague while trying to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese delegation.
In Europe…
Meloni tells Trump US must show 'same determination' on Ukraine as with Iran. "I said the same determination is needed to achieve two other important ceasefires," Meloni said.
Norway has joined the EU’s 17th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting nearly 200 "shadow fleet" vessels and entities aiding the Russian military. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide called it a vital contribution to Europe's pressure on Moscow over its war of aggression.
Reuters: Germany has taken steps towards blocking Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from the Apple and Google app stores due to concerns about data protection, according to a data protection authority commissioner.
UK Defence Journal: On 12 June 2025, dozens of anonymous X (formerly Twitter) accounts advocating Scottish independence abruptly went silent. Many had posted hundreds of times per week, often using pro-independence slogans, anti-UK messaging, and identity cues like “NHS nurse” or “Glaswegian socialist.”
Their sudden disappearance coincided with a major Israeli airstrike campaign against Iranian military and cyber infrastructure. Within days, Iran had suffered severe power outages, fuel shortages, and an internet blackout affecting 95 percent of national connectivity.
SCMP: A month out from a crunch summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the European Union, senior EU officials have landed on an unsavoury term to describe their trade ties with China: “the stinking fish”.
The analogy, used when briefing member state diplomats on progress in trade talks with China, refers to the European Commission’s frustration that each of its top demands from Beijing is around the removal of measures that were introduced to punish Europe or the US.
Brussels wants China to permanently remove requirements for licences to export rare earth elements and magnets put in place to punish the United States, but which caught European firms in the crossfire.
It is also asking for the removal of Chinese tariffs on EU brandy imports, slapped on as punishment for Brussels’ own duties on electric vehicles, and to end retaliatory investigations into dairy and pork products.
“You put a stinking fish on the table, and then you want me to pay you to take it away,” was how one of multiple diplomatic sources explained it this week when describing how the EC has framed testy ties with Beijing.
In other news…
CNN: Supreme Court limits courts’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions. The Supreme Court on Friday backed President Donald Trump’s effort to curtail lower court orders that have hampered his agenda for months. However, it signaled that the president’s controversial plan to effectively end birthright citizenship may never be enforced.
Axios: America's older population is growing while its younger cohort is shrinking, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes from new census data. This demographic trend presents big policy and economic challenges. More older Americans means we'll need more care workers, for instance.
The U.S. population aged 65 and up grew by 13% between 2020 and 2024, the Census Bureau says. The number under 18 fell by 1.7%.
There are now 11 states with more adults 65 and up than children. In 2020, there were only three: Maine, Vermont, Florida, Delaware, Hawai'i, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia.
The US has reached an agreement with China on how to expedite rare earth shipments to the US, a White House official said, amid efforts to end a trade war between the world's biggest economies.
Reuters: Short of commanders, deprived of much of its tunnel network and unsure of support from its ally Iran, Hamas is battling to survive in Gaza in the face of rebellious local clans and relentless Israeli military pressure.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium to shield it from US strikes, amid continuing questions about the state of Iran's nuclear program.
Signing off for the day…
Putin's Russia is inhumane, horrifying. It is Trump's role model for America.