Victory Chronicles-DAY 1197

Ukrainian intelligence operatives have reportedly breached the internal systems of Russia’s Tupolev Design Bureau, the Kremlin’s primary developer of strategic bombers – accessing a cache of sensitive data that could compromise Russia’s long-range strike capabilities, according to a source within Ukraine’s security services.

The cyber operation yielded internal communications, personnel files, and classified procurement documents. Among the  trove of recovered aerospace engineer resumes, employee addresses, procurement records, and transcripts of closed-door meetings, all of which collectively provide an unprecedented glimpse into the infrastructure that supports Russia’s strategic aviation fleet 

Crucially, this cache is expected to help Ukraine forces identify and target individuals and facilities involved in maintaining and deploying aircraft used in missile strikes against Ukraine. 

“There’s now virtually nothing secret left about Tupolev’s operations,” the intelligence source told Ukrainska Pravda. “We have full insight into the people, the systems, and the planning behind Russia’s strategic air force. The results will soon be visible—both on the ground and in the air.”

In a symbolic flourish, Ukrainian cyber specialists left a digital calling card: the Tupolev website was defaced with an image of an owl clutching a Russian bomber in its talons—symbolizing, the source said, “who now holds the upper hand in the sky.”

Six-hundred thirty-one children killed in Ukraine since Russia’s all-out war erupted. At least 631 children have been killed and over 1,975 injured in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office as of June 4. The highest figures were recorded in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions. Authorities say 2,244 children are still missing, and more than 19,500 have been deported or forcibly relocated to Russia. An estimated 1.6 million children remain in occupied territories, where they face forced indoctrination polices such as Russification, militarization, and exposure to propaganda. The war continues to inflict a devastating human cost on Ukraine’s youngest generation in what has been described by the United Nations as a genocidal war.

Russian projectile  strikes village in Donetsk region, injuring four civilians. Russian forces dropped a FAB-250 aerial bomb on the village of Rodynske in Ukraine’s easternmost Donetsk region, injuring four civilians and damaging multiple residential buildings, according to regional prosecutors.

The blast injured three women—aged 56, 67, and 84 —and a 66-year-old man. All four sustained multiple shrapnel injuries, fractures, and other blast-related trauma. Medical emergency teams subsequently treated by them on site and they were transported to medical facilities for further care.

The use of high-explosive, unguided bombs like the Soviet-designed FAB-250 in populated areas underscores the indiscriminate nature of many Russian airstrikes on civilians and non-military targets, which continue to batter towns and villages throughout Donetsk Oblast. 

SBU releases footage of a truck used in covert drone ‘Spiderweb’ operation against Russian strategic aviation. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has released rare footage linked to its recent “Spiderweb” operation, which reportedly targeted Russian strategic aviation and damaged or destroyed 41 aircraft. The video shows a truck loaded with modular drone-launch structures—offering a glimpse into the preparation behind one of Ukraine’s boldest covert strikes deep inside Russia to date.

The footage, obtained by Ukrainska Pravda from SBU sources, shows a long hauler truck carrying what appear to be mobile containerized units, which officials say were used to launch drones. The video does not disclose the location or exact timing of the recording, adding to the air of operational secrecy surrounding the mission.

Key Takeaways:

• Kremlin officials publicly acknowledged that Russia seeks the “complete destruction” of Ukraine, indicating Moscow’s disinterest in good faith peace negotiations and a near-term resolution to the war.
• Ukraine struck the Kerch Strait Bridge on June 3 for the third time since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• Western officials and open-source analysts continue to clarify the battlefield damage following the Ukrainian long-range drone strike series (Operation Spider Web) on June 1.
• Russia continues to produce and stockpile missiles and drones to strike Ukraine, demonstrating Russia’s continued commitment to winning the war through military means.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced a series of Ukrainian military command changes on June 3.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Kursk Oblast. Russian forces recently advanced near Kurakhove in the Donetsk region.

In memoriam: Ukrainian officer Vitalii Bakhur, killed in 2014 Il-76 downing near Luhansk

First Lt. Vitalii Bakhur, 24, was killed on June 14, 2014, when a Ukrainian military transport plane, the Il-76MD, was shot down by militants as it attempted to land at the Luhansk airport. All 49 people and crew on board were killed.

Bakhur was born in the village of Zozuli, Lviv region, and lived in the town of Zarychne, Dnipropetrovsk region. In 2010, he graduated from the faculty of missile forces and artillery at the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy in Lviv.

He served in the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade, where he was the deputy battery commander and instructor in airborne training.

For his service, Bakhur was posthumously awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, 3rd class.

“Vitalii was a good husband and a loving father. He loved his work deeply and was completely devoted to his duty. God gave him everything: kindness, tenderness, love, courage, honesty, wisdom, the ability to fix anything and help everyone, a deep sense of fairness. My daughter and I always felt safe with him — he was our unbreakable wall,” said his wife, Oksana. “I could talk about him endlessly, but no words can fully capture who he was. He was the soul of our family, the pride of his parents, and our Hero forever.”

Bakhur was buried in his native village of Zozuli in western Ukraine.

He is survived by his parents, two brothers, his wife, and daughter.

*Bakhur’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

• UK to invest millions to ramp up drone deliveries to Ukraine
• Pentagon chief to skip not only Ramstein meeting, but also Ukraine-NATO Council
• US ambassador to NATO on Ukraine’s destruction of Russian strategic aviation: The war must end
• NATO Secretary General comments on Ukraine’s attacks on Russian strategic aircraft
• Czechoslovak Group nears completion of 155-millimeter shell production line in Ukraine
• Trump’s special envoy concerned over Ukrainian Spider’s Web operation, saying “risk level goes up”
• Switzerland joins several measures of EU’s 17th sanctions package against Russia
• NATO seeks to boost air defense forces in Europe to prepare for Russian aggression