Russia-Ukraine conflict update day 1204

On Thursday, June 12, the war between Russia and Ukraine continued with significant developments:

Combat and Casualties

A focused Russian drone strike lasting nine minutes hit Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, resulting in six deaths and 64 injuries, including nine children. Ukrainian forces reported hitting a major Russian gunpowder factory in the Tambov region, causing a fire. Russian mechanized infantry, supported by tanks, reached the western border of Donetsk and pressed their attack into the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. Russian air defenses shot down 32 Ukrainian drones overnight, primarily over the Voronezh region and other areas including Crimea. Ukraine has repatriated the remains of 1,212 soldiers lost in the conflict, while Russia confirmed receiving 27 of its soldiers’ bodies.

Regional Security

Russia deployed long-range Tu-22M3 bombers on a Baltic Sea mission, signaling continuity after Ukraine’s recent airbase attacks in Siberia. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov minimized the impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s nuclear forces, stating damage was overstated. President Vladimir Putin affirmed that 95% of Russia’s strategic nuclear weapons are modernized.

International Relations

US NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker described Ukraine’s recent drone attack on Russian bombers as bold but risky. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at a southeastern European summit in Odesa, warned that Russia aims to destroy southern Ukraine and threatens neighboring Moldova and Romania, urging stronger international pressure on Moscow. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended the summit, marking his first visit to Ukraine in 12 years. Finland summoned a Russian diplomat over suspected airspace violations, and Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed reservations about supporting new EU sanctions against Russia without addressing Slovakia’s energy concerns. Germany and the EU have drastically reduced trade with Russia, with imports and exports plummeting, resulting in a significant trade deficit.

Russian Domestic Affairs

A court in western Russia placed opposition politician Lev Shlosberg under house arrest for allegedly discrediting the military by referring to the war as “bloody chess,” with possible imprisonment up to five years. Russian dissident Leonid Volkov, an ally of Alexey Navalny, was sentenced in absentia to 18 years for spreading misinformation and supporting terrorism related to the Ukraine war.