On Sunday, June 22nd, we would again see the region of Kursk inside of Russia pop back up in headlines as Ukraine’s top Commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirmed that Ukraine is still actively operating in the Kursk region. While this was mostly a headline event a few weeks back, Russia had been claiming all Ukrainian forces were eliminated and pushed from this Russian region. Many had reported on this being false, but Ukrainian officials remained relatively quiet on the topic. According to Commander Syrskyi, Ukraine still holds roughly a 90 square kilometer section of the region and has reportedly been tying down up to 10,000 Russian troops, thus preventing Russian infantry from flowing freely to other fronts inside of Ukraine. Many experts assumed the Kursk region would be entirely under Russian control by this point, but it seems that with the recent attacks on Russian land (such as Operation Spider’s Web), Russia is beginning to feel the effects of the war.
Monday, June 23rd, President Zelenskyy managed to make a surprise visit to the United Kingdom just hours after another Russian strike on the capital city of Kyiv. This again highlights Russia’s new tactic of slamming drones and missiles into residential buildings day after day. This one collapsed a 5-story apartment complex, killing 9 and injuring over 30, and is already the second such attack this week. King Charles III hosted Zelenskyy at Windsor Palace, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s support for Ukraine. It was a moment that, even if brief, reminded those of us watching what it felt like when the entire Western world stood by Ukraine’s side, even if only in part. The growing concern now is the Israel–Iran war, Israel’s war on Hamas, the Houthis, and even, briefly, India and Pakistan, seems to have sapped global attention for conflict. Even just last week, Trump snubbed Zelenskyy at the last minute during the G7 summit, which, albeit for a relatively important reason, still leaves one wondering if Ukraine is just being forgotten.
Tuesday, June 24th, Russia launched one of its most devastating waves of strikes in months, killing over 40 civilians in less than 48 hours across Ukraine. The worst of it hit Dnipro during daylight hours, when a ballistic missile shattered over 50 buildings and injured more than 170 people, including dozens of children and passengers aboard a nearby train. Kyiv was still reeling from a similar strike just the day before, and officials fear this escalation is timed deliberately with the NATO summit to remind Western leaders of Moscow’s reach. President Zelenskyy, speaking from The Hague, directly linked Russia’s capabilities to its growing ties with Iran, stating that nearly 29,000 Shahed drones have been used against Ukraine, 2,700 of them just this month. And while NATO officials offered firm words of solidarity, Zelenskyy made clear that Russia has rejected every peace deal so far, warning, “Maybe [Putin] connects his own political survival with his ability to keep killing, so long as he kills, he lives.”
Residents stand near an apartment building that was damaged during a Russian missile strike in Dnipro on June 24, 2025.Mykola Synelnykov/Reuters
On Wednesday, June 25th, President Zelenskyy finally managed to get the meeting with Donald Trump after the missed opportunity from the week prior. The 50-minute session was described by both leaders as “substantive,” with Trump even signaling, for the first time, that he may be open to supplying additional Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, or at the very least allowing Ukraine the ability to purchase them directly. Trump emphasized publicly that these systems were in short supply, as the United States had been directing them to Israel in recent weeks in response to intensified Iranian missile attacks. Zelenskyy took the opportunity to reiterate Ukraine’s willingness to buy them outright and even floated the idea of joint production for drones and weapon systems. For many, this side of Trump came as a surprise. His brief exchange with a Ukrainian refugee now working as a reporter seemed to reveal a side of him we hadn’t seen, one that showed, if nothing else, a slight favor for Ukraine, which was refreshing, even if small. Still, with the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran dominating headlines, it was clear much of Trump’s focus remained elsewhere.
Thursday, June 26th, President Zelenskyy signed a formal agreement with the Council of Europe to create a special tribunal that will attempt to prosecute Russia’s top leadership for the crime of aggression. While the ICC has already issued arrest warrants for Putin and others, it lacks the authority to go after them for starting the war itself; this new court fills that gap. Zelenskyy made it clear the tribunal’s goal is to show that war crimes and imperial ambitions have consequences, stating, “Every war criminal must know there will be justice.” Whether Putin ever actually faces that justice remains to be seen, but this step feels like one of the few moves left that carries both symbolic and legal weight. And while I doubt we’ll ever see Putin on trial, this could help snag the ones who flee Russia if and when the economy finally collapses.
President Zelenskyy and CoE chief Berset at a press conference after signing an agreement to launch a tribunal for crimes of aggression against Ukraine, Strasbourg, June 25, 2025Pascal Bastien/Copyright 2025 The AP.
Friday, June 27th, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán used the results of a nonbinding referendum, Vote 2025, as justification to continue his hardline stance against Ukraine’s EU accession. The entire process, seen by many, including opposition leader Péter Magyar, as a scam, was marred by doubts over legitimacy, with Magyar challenging the proclaimed turnout of 2.28 million and suggesting the real number may have been closer to 600,000. For months, anti-Ukraine propaganda had flooded Hungary, portraying Ukrainians as criminals, organ traffickers, and a threat to Hungarian livelihoods. And while Orbán has long been one of Putin’s most loyal sympathizers in the West, this “Vote 2025” campaign marked a shift from merely nationalistic isolationism to something far more openly hostile. Even President Zelenskyy, who typically stays composed when dealing with figures like Orbán, broke his silence, calling the campaign a “serious, historic mistake” and warning that such rhetoric not only radicalizes Hungarian society but hands Putin a victory without firing a shot.
Saturday, June 28th, Ukraine’s eastern front once again became the focal point of Russia’s slow-burning offensive. General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that the region around Kostiantynivka was under heavy assault, calling it a renewed effort by Russian forces to push into one of the last major cities in Donetsk still under Ukrainian control. Fighting has intensified along three directions, though Syrskyi claimed Russia had achieved “nothing” except suffering mounting losses. The nearby city of Pokrovsk was also mentioned as part of the Kremlin’s strategic ambition to grind through the east, meter by meter. Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed minor gains farther southwest, in the village of Chervona Zirka near the Dnipropetrovsk border, but Ukrainian officials pushed back on this. Regardless, the Russians seem content with spending thousands of their lives for mere meters of land, a strategy that will eventually be their ruin.