Don's Weekly, 9 June 2025: Part 1

by Donald Hill (intro by Tom Cooper)

Hello everybody!

By now there’s no doubt that the first days of June this year saw a major escalation of this war. Amid massive Russian strikes by attack UAVs, ballistic- and cruise missiles all over Ukraine - many of these targeting apartment buildings, and thus civilians - on 1 June, Ukraine hit back on the Russia’s bomber fleet. One can discuss the effects and count the number of bombers involved up and down, but the fact is that in the only attack involving them ever since (flown on 6 June), the Russians were able to scratch together only five operational Tu-95MS’, and had to ‘reinforce’ these with two Tu-160s (both were releasing Kh-101 cruise missiles).

In turn, the Ukrainians continued their campaign of strikes by attack UAVs and long-range land-attack missiles on factories of the Russian defence sector. From memory, over the last two weeks, they’ve devastated a factory making chips, a factory making attack UAVs, a factory manufacturing rocket motors for ballistic missiles, the Kirstall fuel depot at Engels-2 Air Base (Saratov), then the largest UAV factory in Russia (Kronshtat JSC), a Swiss-owned EuroChem fertiliser- and the NAK Azot factories in Novomoskovsk… the last night the Ukrainians also hit the Kazan Gunpowder Factory (manufacturing explosives for Iskander ballistic missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles, and artillery shells), and the Ukrainians launched one or two attacks by UAVs hidden in train wagons to destroy two trains carrying dozens of armoured vehicles for the Russian army.

Additionally, in the Klintsi area (outside Bryansk) the Ukrainians have managed to hit at least one transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) for Iskander ballistic missiles (killing Lieutenant-Colonel Oleg Nystrov, battalion commander of the 26th Missile Brigade and eight others in the process), and that ‘in the field’; plus, possibly another Iskander TEL at Bryansk Air Base (the Russians are reporting a ‘helicopter’ as hit, but that thingy blew up ‘like an ammunition depot’). Finally, Ukrainians hit the Morozovsk Air Base outside Rostov, and Savasleyka Air Base (home base of the Russia’s MiG-31K-fleet: these are jets releasing Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile), and claims to have destroyed one MiG and one Su-30 or Su-34.

Such attacks are possible primarily because the Ukrainian armed forces are starting them by ‘drilling SAM-corridors’ through the Russian air defences - and that in several areas along the international border, and along the frontline. As far as can be assessed on basis of publicly available materials, the Russian units operating Buk SAM-systems have suffered quite some attrition over the last two-three weeks.

´In retaliation’, the Russians continued striking civilian objects all over Ukraine: Kyiv was heavily hit, Kherson too, but the heaviest hit was Kharkiv, which on 5 June found itself exposed to a massive barrage including almost everything the Russians have in their arsenal: ballistic- and cruise missiles, artillery rockets and S-300-missiles (fired in ballistic mode), and UMPK glide bombs (including new models with range of 95km), plus dozens of attack UAVs…

A still from a video clearly showing a Russian strike on a tall apartment building in Kharkiv, early on 5 June.

Wreckage of a Shahed-136 that crashed in Khakiv, on 4 June 2025.

There are only three known exceptions from the Russian practice of targeting civilians. One was a strike that set a warehouse in Odesa afire, on 2 June. Another was the Penoboard factory for insulation materials, in Ternopil, hit on 5 June. On 6 June, a well-coordinated multi-missile Russian strike (apparently including Iskanders or Kinzhals, and Kh-101s, all of which came in within less than a minute) heavily hit the Motor Repair Plant in Lutsk, an enterprise specialised in overhauls and repairs of jet engines.

For its part, the PSU has, finally, managed a special feat: on 7 June, as its figther-bombers were running air strikes on Russian ground forces in the Tjotkino area (south-western Kharkiv), deploying ASM-250 Hammer guided bombs, an ‘enterprising’ Russian Su-35-pilot attempted to intercept them (read: too much testosterone) - only to fly into a well-set-up ambush. His jet was shot down by a single AIM-120B medium range air-to-air missile, fired by an Ukrainian F-16AM, and crashed south of Korenevo: as far as is known, the plot ejected safely.

Wreckage of the Russian Su-35 still smouldering after its crash in a field south of Korenevo, on 5 June 2025.

….and that’s all ‘just a superficial summary’: obviously, most of these operations can - and must - be discussed separately, with more attention to detail. But, there’s so much going on, just collecting all the details is taking time. Thus, please have some (more) patience with us: we do intend to get back to some of them, over the following days. For this morning, lets have a closer look at developments on the frontlines and elsewhere.

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Sumy/Kursk

As reported several times already, the Russia’s ‘spring/summer’ offensive of this year is meanwhile in full swing. It’s ‘just’ not characterised by ‘major mechanised attacks’ in the form one is usually associating with ‘the Russian way of war’: one of multiple motor-rifle- and tank-divisions breaching the frontline and then driving ‘deep’ into the rear. The Russians simply do not have the capability to conduct such operations - neither in terms of ‘armoured vehicles’, nor in terms of military skills. They do have plentiful of ‘troops’ to waste, though. Correspondingly, their ‘small’ infantry assaults are continued relentlessly.

One prong of this offensive can meanwhile be clearly identified in the Sumy Oblast of Ukraine, where the Russians are pushing with everything available - and supported by intensive air strikes. One of these dropped eight bombs on Kostiantynivka. Notably: two of these actually hit the village. Soon after a Russian assault occupied the completely demolished place. Ukrainians withdrew: it’s pointless to suffer casualties while trying to hold a pile of ruble. The main street is only 1300 meters long but the Russians managed to find three flags to show they took control of it. The Russians then conducted an airstrike on Kindrativka, the next village 3 km away. This time, all three bombs hit in the middle of that village, destroying private homes.

Ukrainian drones attack Russians when they move into Oleksiivka. Russia attacks Ukrainian positions south of Oleksiivka and Andriivka. Sumy is 18 km away.

Surprisingly enough, Sysrky didn’t manage to demlish the 156th Brigade by sending it to the Sumy Oblast in peacemeal condition: instead, it’s fighitng there as a complete formation. Indeed, the156th Brigade posted a video showing its guns shelling Russians 600 meters east of Yablunivka. Hopefully, they weren’t actually firing with three guns from one location

As mentioned above, an Su-35 was shot down 6 km southwest of Koronevo and 16 km from the Ukrainian border. We’ll get back to this clash with more details in a separate update.

A Russian position at the cultural center in northern Tyotkino is hit by an airstrike. Russian positions 4 km east of the cultural center are cleared. It’s unclear if any Russians were in those positions.

Russians from the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade were captured.

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Chasiv Yar

While the Russians meanwhile captured all of Chasiv Yar, north of the ruined town the had been static for three months, before the Russians managed an advance of 1,800 metres.

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Toretsk

A nighttime Russian rocket attack west of Yablunivka and a Russian airstrike north of Toretsk. Russian drones supported their advance towards Dyliivka. There were no reports of excessive losses during Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Zoria-Romanivka cauldron.

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Pokrovsk

Russia’s Rubicon drone team hits a Ukrainian tank in Mykolaivka. Russia uses thermobaric rockets near Shevchenko. The western end of Malynivka is bombed by Russia. Despite the bombardments, Russia was unable to advance in this sector this week.

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Andriivka

Russian positions in Bahatyr were bombarded. Ukraine is still in the northern half of Bahatyr but they lost the village of Odradne.

Oleskiivka is shelled and then assaulted by the Russians. The 46th Brigade attacked Russian forces that reached the village and eliminated their assault.

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(…to be continued…)