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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A salesperson at a store damaged by a Russian missile strike adjusts damaged objects on June 24, 2025, in Dnipro. The Russian army launched missile strikes on the city, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 people and the injury of nearly 300, including 27 children. (Polina Palamarchuk / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Zelensky arrives at NATO summit in The Hague as Netherlands pledges new aid. The Netherlands announced a new military aid package for Ukraine, including 100 drone radar systems, front-line vehicles for evacuating the wounded, and 80 million euros (over $90 million) for the drone initiative. The Netherlands will also start producing drones for Ukraine, according to Ukrainian specifications.
Trump to meet Zelensky during NATO summit, White House confirms. Upon arrival in The Hague on June 24, Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said he held a “substantive” discussion with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the upcoming Zelensky-Trump meeting.
Russia has launched over 28,000 Shahed drones at Ukraine since 2022, with nearly 10% fired in June alone, Zelensky says. Speaking on June 24, Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that Russia would never have been able to carry out such drone attacks without support from Iran, and Ukraine, in turn, could not have intercepted most of the drones without the help of its international partners.
Council of Europe, Ukraine to sign accord on June 25 to set up Russian aggression tribunal. The move marks a milestone in international efforts to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials accountable for launching the full-scale war against Ukraine.
Ukraine can produce 8 million drones annually but needs funding, Zelensky says at NATO summit. President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to scale up investments in joint weapons production, including drone technologies, artillery, and interceptors. He argued that Ukraine’s defense capabilities are not only key to defending its own territory, but essential to strengthening NATO’s long-term security.
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Europeans oppose following Trump if he pushes Ukraine to cede territory, lift Russia sanctions, poll finds. The wide-ranging survey also asked about attitudes to increasing defense spending and compulsory military service.
Kyiv, Copenhagen aim to launch Ukrainian defense production in Denmark. Denmark has already allocated $47 million for the project, and Ukraine’s partners will provide further funding for production.
Trump casts doubt on NATO defense pledge as alliance confronts Russian threat. Although Article 5 is central to NATO’s security framework, U.S. President Donald Trump has previously expressed skepticism about honoring it, often criticizing member states for not contributing enough to shared defense efforts.
UK to fund joint drone production with Ukraine. Britain will finance the procurement of Ukrainian-designed drones manufactured in the UK.
Trump says Putin called him to offer help with Iran. “He (Vladimir Putin) said, can I help you with Iran? I said, ‘no, I don’t need help with Iran. I need help with you,'” U.S. President Donald Trump said.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Russian attack on Dnipro kills at least 17, injures almost 280
Russia launched a deadly missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on June 24, striking civilian infrastructure and a passenger train, killing at least 17 people and injuring scores of others, local officials reported.
Photo: State Emergency Service
Like any technology, it’s a race’ — UK’s largest ammo maker rebooting chemistry to break NATO’s dependence on explosive imports
Russia’s war in Ukraine has drained Western ammunition stocks. Despite years of claimed weapons ramp-ups, NATO’s arms manufacturing is still not refilling those stocks apace, let alone making it to Ukraine in needed mass.
Photo: Oli Scarff / AFP via Getty Images
Amid relentless Russian strikes, Ukraine’s businesses rebuild alone
It took firefighters two days to extinguish the flames at Oleksiy Tarnopolskiy’s warehouse in Kyiv after a Russian attack on June 10. Nothing inside could be saved from his tea and coffee business.
Photo: Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration / Anadolu via Getty Images
More empty threats from Washington, more deadly bombs from Russia
The ongoing and escalating slaughter of Ukrainian civilians depends on two preconditions: Moscow’s determination to erase Ukraine, and the tacit permission it receives from America and Europe.
Photo: Maxym Marusenko / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Foreigners move closer to Ukrainian citizenship with new draft law, but red tape clouds their path
For years, foreigners seeking a Ukrainian passport faced a tough choice: renounce their original citizenship or give up on becoming Ukrainian. Now, that barrier will likely be removed, as Ukraine prepares to allow dual citizenship for the first time.
Photo: Mario Tama / Getty Images
Investigation: How Russia prepares its strategic missile plant for ‘eternal war’
The Votkinsk Plant, also known as the Votkinskiy Plant, — a strategic, state-owned facility serving Russia’s nuclear forces — has hired thousands of new workers, added new buildings, and brought in advanced machinery to significantly increase its missile production.
Photo: Nataliia Shulga/The Kyiv Independent
Human cost of Russia’s war
‘Dead and wounded everywhere’ — Russian attack on Dnipro kills at least 18, injures nearly 300. Russia launched a deadly missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on June 24, striking civilian infrastructure and a passenger train, local officials reported.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,013,700 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The number includes 1,200 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
International response
Russia remains ‘the most significant, direct threat’ to NATO, Rutte says ahead of summit. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said during a press briefing on June 23 that Russia remains the main threat to the alliance, citing Moscow’s cooperation with China, North Korea, Iran, and Belarus.
‘Let’s not be naive’ — Rutte urges NATO to face Russia, China threats, pledges support for Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said NATO’s role is to ensure Ukraine has the military means to stay in the fight until “serious” peace negotiations begin.
Iran strikes show peace can be achieved through strength, US Ambassador to NATO says. U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities demonstrated how precision military action can achieve rapid peace, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said.
Italy commits $1.6 million to boost Ukraine’s battle against landmines. Ukraine has reduced its mined territory by over 20% since late 2022, but around 137,000 square kilometers (52,900 square miles) — much of it farmland — remain hazardous, according to the State Emergency Service.
Lithuania signs memorandum with Northrop Grumman, Nammo amid Russian threat to regional security. Lithuania has signed a memorandum with American defense firm Northrop Grumman and Norwegian Nammo to secure the production of ammunition amid Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry announced.
‘You can count on us’ — EU reiterates support for Ukraine at NATO summit. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the EU’s ongoing support for Ukraine at a NATO summit in The Hague.
In other news
Ceasefire between Iran and Israel now in effect, Trump says. “The ceasefire is now in effect. Please do not violate it!” U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on June 24.
Israel accuses Iran of violating ceasefire hours after Trump announcement. “A short while ago, sirens sounded in northern Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Israel reportedly strikes Iran despite Trump’s call for calm after announced ceasefire. The attack comes less than an hour after Trump told reporters that “Israel needs to calm down” as he criticized both countries for undermining the ceasefire he says he brokered.
Strikes didn’t destroy Iran’s nuclear sites, US intel finds, contradicting Trump, CNN reports. The U.S. intelligence assessment, based on a battle damage report from Central Command, contradicts public statements by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who claimed the operation had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Ukraine evacuates 31 citizens, including 14 children, from Iran. The evacuation was carried out in transit through Azerbaijan and Moldova to Kyiv, the statement read.
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