Ukraine hit by massive UAV attack; Russia warns about Crimea

On June 20, the Ukrainian military said Russia launched a major air strike targeting Kyiv using Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the second such attack this month, according to Reuters.

The office of President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack on Kyiv was carried out in several waves and that the sirens lasted for more than four hours. Several commercial and administrative buildings and some residential homes were damaged. A total of 35 Shahed UAVs were launched from Russia’s Bryansk region and the Sea of Azov. Ukraine claimed to have shot down 32, most of them in the Kyiv region.

A UAV was intercepted in the sky over Kyiv on June 20.

In Ukraine's western Lviv province, a fire broke out after a key infrastructure facility was attacked earlier in the day.

Debris from the falling UAV damaged power lines in the Kyiv region and also in the southern Mykolaiv region, cutting off power to hundreds of residents, Ukraine's Energy Ministry said.

The southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia was also hit by Iskander and S-300 missiles. Yuriy Malashko, head of the Zaporizhzhia military administration, said Russia had targeted telecommunications and agricultural infrastructure.

Russia has not commented on the reports. In its daily update, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had destroyed eight ammunition depots across Ukraine in the past 24 hours and repelled attacks from Kyiv from three directions. TASS quoted Russian-appointed officials in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region as accusing Kyiv of using drones to attack the Moscow-controlled town of Nova Kakhovka, injuring three civilians.

In contrast, Ukrainian President’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak accused Russia of shelling, killing one person and injuring seven others, as rescue workers were clearing mud after a dam burst in Kherson province. Moscow did not immediately comment.

Ukraine accuses Russia of mined nuclear power plant, Moscow warns about Crimea

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, said on television on June 20 that Russia had planted mines in the cooling pool at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The plant is currently controlled by Russia and is the largest facility in Europe, according to Reuters.

Russia has not commented on the accusations. Both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the plant and the surrounding area, while international efforts have failed to establish a demilitarized zone around the plant to prevent a nuclear disaster.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on June 20 that Ukraine was preparing to attack Crimea - a region Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - with Western weapons such as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and long-range guns and Storm Shadow missiles.

He warned that the use of weapons outside the area of a specific military operation would trigger an immediate Russian response, targeting Ukraine’s decision-making centre. Such attacks would also mean the US and Britain were fully involved in the conflict, Mr Shoigu said.

A T-80 tank, captured by Ukraine from Russia, fires near Bakhmut on June 19.

In addition, Mr. Shoigu noted that Kyiv is continuing its efforts to conduct offensives in Donetsk, southern Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, with the participation of elite units trained by NATO as well as a large amount of weapons supplied by the West.

"Since June 4, the Ukrainian army has carried out 263 attacks on Russian military positions," he said.

Also on June 20, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced that European Union (EU) member states plan to train about 30,000 members of the Ukrainian armed forces this year, according to AFP. The announcement comes as the EU is proposing a 50 billion euro aid package for Ukraine over the next four years.

Ukraine deploys 1,000 km UAV

Ukrainian arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom announced on June 20 that it had successfully produced a domestically produced UAV with a range of 1,000 km, according to Reuters. Company spokeswoman Natalia Sad posted a photo on Facebook with Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk and company leader Yurii Husev. Ms. Sad said the photo was taken after the UAV was successfully used.

Ukraine's military, government and private companies are working to create cheap and easy-to-produce UAVs that they hope could be a game-changer in the fight against Russia.

Last year, Ukroboronprom said it was completing work on a new UAV with a range of 1,000 km and carrying a 75 kg warhead.

On June 20, Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that President Zelensky signed a law exempting domestic UAV manufacturers from customs duties and value added tax.

In a related development, Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhnyi recently posted a video of his first visit to soldiers at the front line, thereby refuting rumors that he was seriously injured and abroad.

$12,000/German tank in Ukraine

A Russian soldier who destroyed a German-made Leopard tank used in the campaign in Ukraine has been awarded 1 million rubles (about $11,840) by a private foundation.

TASS quoted the announcement of the Russian Ministry of Defense on June 20 saying that the award was presented by the Siberian Care Enterprise Fund through Senator Alexander Karelin to soldier Andrey Kravtsov.

Soldier Andrey Kravtsov, who was awarded for destroying a Leopard tank

In addition, the servicemen received awards from the Russian Ministry of Defense. Last week, the agency announced that it had awarded more than 10,000 servicemen since the beginning of the war for destroying or capturing weapons supplied by Ukraine or the West. Each tank was awarded 100,000 rubles, while each plane was awarded 300,000 rubles. Mr. Karelin, a three-time Olympic wrestling champion, told Mr. Kravtsov that this was a great reward for causing damage to the enemy, in addition to state rewards.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not say where Mr. Kravtsov destroyed the tank. In the video released, the soldier is seen missing his right hand. Russia claims to have destroyed several Leopard tanks and US-made Bradley fighting vehicles since Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in June.

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