- Russia-Ukraine Daily News
- Posts
- Daily Briefing
Dear Reader, if you find this email interesting, helpful or of value, please do consider forwarding it to your friends or colleagues and encouraging them to subscribe. Thank you.
Morning Headlines
Reuters: One person was killed and at least 14 were injured when Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa overnight, damaging high-rise buildings and railway infrastructure, local authorities and prosecutors said on Friday.
The Kyiv Independent: Latvia's parliament adopted a bill on June 19 that prohibits citizens of Russia and Belarus from purchasing real estate in the country, Latvian media reported.
ISW: Russian officials appear to be struggling to posture Russia's economic strength amid increasing signs of a slowing Russian economy.
AP News: As Hungary heads toward national elections next spring and the populist government’s popularity slumps, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has zeroed in on a central theme he hopes will sway voters: an alleged threat posed by neighboring Ukraine.
More News
Euractiv: The EU and Britain outspend Russia on defence – but clunky procurement, high prices and limited production mean Europe is still years away from countering the threat, two prominent think tanks find.
AFP: Fourteen countries from Northern Europe on Thursday agreed to strengthen collaboration to combat Russia's "shadow fleet", which Moscow is accused of using to circumvent sanctions and sell its oil, the Danish foreign ministry said.
Politico: Amid the pitched political battles that have engulfed Washington over Ukraine, there is one rare point of bipartisan consensus: Everyone has had it with Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
NHK has learned that North Korea is considering sending workers to a drone manufacturer in Russia to boost production in exchange for training in how to operate the unmanned aircraft.
The Moscow Times: A board member of Russia's leading business lobby on Thursday called on the country to open vocational training centers in allied countries like India to address its worsening labor shortage.
The Guardian: Denmark is deploying floating drones on the Baltic Sea to protect undersea infrastructure and bolster maritime surveillance amid the growing threat of hybrid attacks from Russia.
France 24: With the rise of a paramilitary force that analysts say is controlled by the Kremlin, Russia is openly expanding its state military footprint in Africa, after years of distancing itself from mercenaries deployed on the continent to support pro-Russian rulers.
Bloomberg: Slumping Russian steel demand, due to a construction slowdown amid broader economic weakness, may force some of the country’s producers to halt output, according to Severstal PJSC’s chief (archive).
The Kyiv Independent: Putin has received an official invitation to attend the G20 summit in South Africa, Russian Ambassador-at-Large Marat Berdyev said on June 19. South Africa is a member of the International Criminal Court and a signatory to the Rome Statute, meaning it is obliged to arrest Putin if he enters the country.
NYT: Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, groups linked to the Chinese government have repeatedly hacked Russian companies and government agencies in an apparent search for military secrets (archive).
Reuters: Russian gas and oil deliveries to Hungary will continue, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday during a visit to Russia where he held talks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and top Rosatom and Gazprom officials.
AFP: Fighting between Iran and Israel could deflect global attention from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and even bolster Kremlin's war effort, Ukrainian officials say.
AP News: Spain has rejected a NATO proposal to spend 5% of GDP on defense needs that’s due to be announced next week, calling it “unreasonable.”
The Moscow Times: Russia’s Finance Ministry is aggressively increasing its borrowing in a bid to cover growing fiscal gaps and hedge against an increasingly uncertain economic future as military spending surges and oil and gas revenues slump.
Politico: The European Union is looking to extract billions of extra euros from frozen Russian assets by moving them into riskier investments — via a plan that would increase aid to Ukraine while avoiding accusations of stealing Moscow's money.
Yle: Finnish MPs voted to approve the country's withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty on Thursday, as Finland plans to resume using anti-personnel landmines.
The Kyiv Independent: Argentina has uncovered a Russian intelligence operation working to spread pro-Kremlin disinformation and influence public opinion, Argentine presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni announced on June 18, citing the country's intelligence.
Bloomberg: Putin’s top economic officials openly argued over the state of Russia’s economy during a session at a flagship forum, with one government minister issuing his starkest warning yet that the country may be teetering on the edge of a recession (archive).
worth mentioning
Russian Occupation Update, June 19, 2025 - ISW
Russia to launch Starlink rival later this year, Roscosmos chief says
The 16‑kilobyte curtain. How Russia’s new data‑capping censorship is throttling Cloudflare
Investigative report alleges links between billionaire Deripaska and prostitution ring involving minors
Russa-Ukraine Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Do you think your friend or colleague should know about this newsletter? Forward it to them, please.They can also sign up here
Please consider supporting my work