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Morning Headlines
The Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian drones struck power infrastructure in occupied Crimea and a gas processing plant in Russia's Orenburg Oblast overnight on June 24, monitoring channels reported as Ukraine ramps up pressure on Russian energy infrastructure.
Reuters: The city of Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea and Moscow-held parts of the Ukrainian region of Kherson were facing power outages on Wednesday, the Kremlin-installed authorities said, adding to fuel shortages as Kyiv intensifies attacks.
The Kyiv Independent: At least 15 Russian regions introduced restrictions on fuel sales on June 23, according to reports from various Russian officials and media outlets.
Reuters: Russian oil companies should retain at least 30% of the oil they produce for processing at domestic refineries, the Kommersant newspaper said on Wednesday, citing a letter by Igor Sechin, head of the country's top oil producer Rosneft.
ISW: The Kremlin may attempt to invoke the Union State collective security treaty in an attempt to draw Belarus into the war so that Russia can leverage Belarusian manpower and training resources.
Reuters: The International Olympic Committee will consider changes to the Olympic Charter on Wednesday which aim to reinforce the political neutrality of sport, moves which observers say could influence future decisions on Russian athletes taking part.
More News
The Kyiv Independent: Online foreign influence operations are targeting Ukraine and EU countries in a bid to erode support for Kyiv's accession to the bloc, according to a new report published by Ukraine and the EU on June 23.
Reuters: The owner of the Gazprom-controlled Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is suing the European Union in the bloc's second-highest court, seeking to annul the EU's binding phase-out of gas imports from Russia, a public document showed.
Ukrainska Pravda: Border authorities in Moldova have detained a Russian citizen suspected of being a Federal Security Service officer and of collecting intelligence.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian forces repelled an attempted Russian attack by sea, destroying several unmanned strike boats, Defense Ministry Advisor Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov reported on June 23. The eliminated vessels were powered by Starlink satellite internet systems, Beskrestnov said.
Novaya-Europe: Putin is becoming increasingly deluded about both the Russian military’s progress on the ground in Ukraine and the scale of its technological advances, according to two former senior Kremlin officials cited in a report by the Financial Times.
The Insider: Clothing and gear from the tactical brand 5.11, procured for Russian military personnel taking part in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is being imported into Russia through Latvian, Hong Kong, and Polish firms.
Politico: Hungary has delayed a key procedural step needed to push forward the EU membership bids of Ukraine and Moldova.
The Kyiv Independent: A railway bridge across the North Crimean Canal, fuel facilities, and military infrastructure across occupied Crimea were struck in a large-scale overnight Ukrainian operation, Ukrainian military officials said on June 23.
Reuters: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development plans to sign new investments worth more than €500 million in Ukraine's critical sectors at a conference for the country's recovery this week, EBRD Banking Vice President Matteo Patrone said.
United24 Media: A Russian missile strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region killed three people and injured more than twenty others, according to the head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, Oleksandr Vilkul.
Reuters: Ukraine has downgraded its representation at a key recovery forum in Poland by sending Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko instead of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in an effort to insulate the conference from a simmering diplomatic row.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine now believes it has secured White House backing for a campaign aimed at forcing Russia into meaningful negotiations, the Kyiv Independent has learned.
Reuters: Russia is considering a diesel export ban, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday, while a newspaper reported on possible fuel imports to tackle shortages, especially in Crimea, which tightened restrictions on public services and activities.
United24 Media: Ukrainian military intelligence units have destroyed Russian trucks transporting cargo through the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region toward Crimea, according to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.
Reuters: Fuelled by state-backed mortgages, a record volume of housing was built across Russia in 2023, but a rollback of subsidies and high borrowing costs have since hit builders in a broader economic slowdown as war with Ukraine drags on.
Fox News: Latvian intelligence is warning that Russia is preparing possible provocations against the Baltic states or Poland, including drones or any other hybrid attacks, in an effort to pressure NATO countries to stop supporting Ukraine.
worth mentioning
Russia alongside ISIS and Al-Qaeda in UN report over actions against Ukrainian children
EU needs to integrate Ukraine in defence union, Kubilius says
Russia has illegally shipped nearly 90,000 tons of wheat through occupied Mariupol port in 2026
Leader of Russia-backed Georgian region resigns to become Putin adviser
Domestic violence law would scare men away from marriage, says chair of Russia’s State Duma family committee
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