On Sunday, June 8th, Ukraine unveiled more details about its latest battlefield innovation: the Magura V7, a remotely controlled amphibious drone that I had briefly touched on a few weeks ago, after reports emerged of two Russian Su-30 fighter jets being taken down by such a system. At the time, I referenced the older V5 model, but it now appears the newly revealed V7 is being credited with the kills. This upgraded drone is designed to linger at sea for days, hunting Russian aircraft flying over the Black Sea or the Sea of Azov. While Ukraine showcased this new model, Russian forces were simultaneously escalating their offensive toward the Dnipropetrovsk region, continuing to gain territory and pressing their summer campaign. Meanwhile, the ongoing prisoner exchange ran into new hurdles, as Ukraine accused Russia of altering the pre-agreed lists and changing meeting locations without warning.
On Monday, June 9th, Russia launched the largest drone and missile barrage of the war to date, firing 479 drones and 20 missiles overnight, in what analysts believe is part of a deliberate strategy to exhaust Ukraine’s already strained air defense systems. According to Ukrainian officials, the vast majority of incoming threats were intercepted. However, 10 strikes still landed, killing at least one person in the Rivne region and injuring nine more in Sumy. Russia has now broken its bombardment record three times in less than ten days, a rate that is harder and harder for Ukraine to keep up with, as support appears to be waning from the West. In a terrible turn of events, President Zelenskyy revealed that the United States had diverted 20,000 anti-drone missiles originally promised to Ukraine, instead sending them to the Middle East for U.S. force protection. These systems are not necessarily expensive. Zelenskyy warned they could prove essential in the days ahead as these strikes continue to escalate.
In this photo, taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry
Press Service on Monday, June 9, 2025, a Russian T-90 tank fires towards a
Ukrainian position on an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense
Ministry Press Service via AP)
June 10th, with negotiations once again making little, if any, progress in Istanbul, President Zelenskyy shifted focus back to his Western allies, calling for “concrete action” in the face of Russia’s relentless bombardment. His plea came just hours after one of the largest overnight strikes this week, with 315 drones and seven missiles, two reportedly North Korean-made, launched across Ukraine. Strikes were reported in multiple cities, but the most severe damage was in Odesa, where Russia targeted a maternity hospital and several residential buildings. As dozens to hundreds of strikes occur daily, and U.S. aid is once again being diverted, Zelenskyy has been working to convince the West that Russia remains uninterested in any genuine peace.
On Wednesday, June 11th, the Institute for the Study of War released a new report warning that U.S. plans to continue scaling back weapons for Ukraine into 2026 could severely undermine Ukraine’s long-term defense. Analysts stated that Putin’s “theory of victory” rests on simply outlasting Western support and advancing incrementally to ensure an inevitable gain in the long run. We are seeing this happen live, as Germany has begun walking back their promises of Taurus missiles and the U.S. is diverting defense systems, all while Russia’s new offensive campaign is kicking into full effect. Meanwhile, Ukraine is continuing its small but surgical strikes on key Russian assets, as the munitions depot in Kursk and the Tambov Gunpowder Plant were destroyed using smaller precision strikes.
Thursday, June 12th, reports began to surface that Russia has suffered over one million casualties since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. U.S. casualties in our own wars to help them visualize how insane this number truly is. In Vietnam, over 47,000 U.S. troops lost their lives, and just over 300,000 were wounded; that war alone resulted in some of this nation's most monumental protests and political activism. Looking at the war in Iraq, where 4,500 U.S. servicemembers were killed, and nearly 32,000 were wounded, we still saw mass protests and “No blood for oil” slogans plastered everywhere. Even recently in Afghanistan, the withdrawal resulted in 13 deaths, just 13, and that alone sparked protests and political fallout. The impact of this staggering scale of loss in Russia is still unfolding. There will be a number, whatever it is, that finally causes the mindset for war to crack, because no society can sustain that kind of bleeding forever. In 2025 alone, Russia has already endured an estimated 200,000 casualties, with a daily average of 1,250. The physical toll is obvious, but the psychological one is yet to actually be seen in mass. Maybe this is why the West seems so unsure of what to do, because if these numbers belonged to us, by the time 50,000 were wounded, mass protests would already be sweeping their streets, protests would turn to riots, and that war machine would come to a halt.
Picture posted by the official Ukraine Defense twitter account
(https://x.com/DefenceU/status/1933058990310625391)
Friday, June 13th, Russian troops officially entered the Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time in three years since the full-scale invasion began, something that may not seem huge on paper, but has massive symbolic and strategic weight. Ukrainian officers in the area confirmed that small Russian squads crossed over from Donetsk and have now dug into some of the treelines. No settlements have reportedly been taken yet, and Ukraine’s command hasn’t officially acknowledged the breach, but medics have already pulled back their field stations, and reports show stabilization points were hit shortly after. Dnipropetrovsk is home to millions, including many who have already fled from elsewhere in the war, so this push also serves as something of a psychological blow. It signals how far Russia is willing to go to keep the pressure on, especially as ceasefire talks once again stall in Istanbul, in part due to the West's continued stalling. Maybe they do not plan to take the whole region, but even establishing a small buffer zone between Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk would give them a better shot at finishing their grip on Donetsk and potentially launching another assault toward Pokrovsk. Either way, it is another step forward for them, and another layer of stress for Ukraine’s already stretched forces.
Saturday, June 14th, President Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces had retaken the village of Andriivka in Sumy that the current Russian offensive seems focused on in part. According to Zelenskyy, roughly 53,000 Russian troops have amassed in the area as part of Moscow’s new plan to open a northeastern front and create a “buffer zone.” Regardless of Moscow’s plans, Ukraine says they have managed to stop the advance around four miles from the border. While Russia continues to push near Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, Kyiv is pushing back in strategic, smaller-scale victories. Zelenskyy also took the time to call the recent incursions into Dnipropetrovsk staged, stating that small teams managed to push forward, snap propaganda, and retreat back with no real change in the battle lines. As a grim reminder of the war’s toll, 1,200 fallen Ukrainian heroes were returned home. While Russia may be absorbing greater losses in sheer numbers, Ukraine’s sacrifice is no less profound. Every victory, every line held, comes at a cost, and as this war grinds on, it’s clear that it is steadily wearing down both nations, just in different ways.