Victory Chronicles-DAY 1198

Russia’s Air Force on June 5 dropped 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) guided aerial bombs on civilian targets in the central section of the southern city of Kherson that destroyed the main building of the Kherson Regional State Administration, according to local officials. 

The so-called double tap strike — when the same target is hit twice in short intervals to inflict more damage and incur more damage – leveled the iconic governmental structure, which had already been damaged in previous attacks. Images released by the regional government show a gaping ruin where the administrative headquarters stands with massive structural damage.

“Russia has destroyed the Kherson Regional Administration building,” said Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the region’s military administration. Authorities are still assessing the number of casualties, and emergency crews remain at the scene.

Russian missile strike on Ukrainian training facility in central Poltava region kills two. Two Ukrainian military personnel have died from their wounds during a Russian aerial bombardment of a military training range in Poltava region on June 4, according to the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

The casualties were confirmed by Col. Vitalii Sarantsev, head of communications for the Ground Forces Command, who said both individuals succumbed to their wounds  while receiving medical care. The strike occurred when troops were conducting scheduled exercises.

Despite the attack, military officials said that timely safety protocols—including dispersing troops and using shelters—helped prevent a larger loss of life. Several others were wounded in the blast.

Zelenskyy condemns Russian drone strike that kills first responder’s family: ‘This war is home’. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a searing message on June 4 after a Russian strike overnight in the northeastern Chernihiv region killed killed several civilians — including the wife, daughter, and one-year-old grandson of a Ukrainian emergency responder

The strike happened in Pryluky and In an emotional statement,  Zelenskyy said the man had rushed to the site of the explosion, only to discover that his own home had been hit by a Shahed drone. 

The responder’s entire family was killed in the blast. “This was his home,” Zelenskyy said. “And this is the 632nd child killed in this war [since February 2022].” The overnight barrage included 103 drones and one ballistic missile, targeting regions across Ukraine: Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro, and Kherson. Search and rescue efforts continued into the early hours.

Zelenskyy described the attack as yet another “massive strike by Russian terrorists,” and called on international partners—including the United States and the European Union—to intensify pressure on Moscow.

“Russia keeps trying to buy itself time to continue killing,” Zelenskyy said. “When it doesn’t feel enough global condemnation and pressure, it kills again.” He demanded faster and stronger international action, including tougher sanctions and coordination efforts from the United States, the European, and others. “Power matters,” Zelenskyy said. “Stopping the war can only be achieved through power—by using every available tool to deny Moscow the ability to wage this aggression.”

Ukraine stops potential airborne strike on Kyiv by striking two Russian short-range ballistic missile launchers. Ukrainian forces say they temporarily prevented a possible projectile strike on the capital, Kyiv, by hitting a group of Russian missile launch vehicles inside the neighboring Russian region of Bryansk, near the town of Klintsy. 

These systems, or vehicles, known as Iskanders, are powerful Russian weapons that are capable of hitting targets hundreds of miles away. Ukrainian officials said the launchers were near a tree line and preparing to fire when they were struck. 

The joint operation involved the Armed Forces, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and other defense elements, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. One launcher exploded on the spot, and at least two more were seriously damaged. 

Officials believe the strike came just in time, potentially saving civilian lives by preventing the attack. This incident accentuates how Ukraine is increasingly using intelligence and quick action to protect its cities from deliberate and indiscriminate Russian missile threats on civilian targets. 

Key Takeaways:

• The Kremlin is fixating on recent train derailments in Russia in order to further long-standing Kremlin narratives claiming that Ukraine is an illegitimate negotiating partner that is uninterested in peace, likely to distract the broader information space from recent Kremlin officials’ statements about Russia’s own disinterest in a negotiated settlement.
• Putin also used his June 4 phone call with Trump to further falsely portray Ukraine as an illegitimate negotiating partner that is uninterested in peace.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to express Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate with Russia to establish a just and lasting peace.
• Ukrainian and Western officials and open-source analysts continue to clarify the battlefield damage resulting from Ukraine’s “Operation Spider’s Web” long-range drone strike series against Russian air bases on June 1.
• Ukrainian special services reportedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to direct drones during Operation Spider’web.
• Ukraine’s Western allies continue to provide military aid to Ukraine.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk. Russian forces recently advanced in Sumy Oblast and near Toretsk.

In Memoriam: Artem Chuchko, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces

Jr. Sgt. Artem Chuchko, known by the call signs “Kosmos” and “Basaiev,” was killed in action on Nov. 7, 2024, during a combat mission near the village of Nelypivka in the Donetsk region. He was 20. His unit came under fire while conducting a special reconnaissance operation.

Chuchko was born in the village of Mala Tokmachka, Zaporizhzhia region. He graduated from the local school and enrolled in the Faculty of Mechanical and Technological Engineering at Tavria State Agrotechnological University. He did not have the chance to complete his studies.

In civilian life, Chuchko pursued a wide range of interests. He was a competitive athlete with awards in soccer, tennis, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and grappling. He later took up woodcarving after moving to Zaporizhzhia. A passionate student of Ukrainian history, he was active in the youth wing of the national liberation movement Right Sector, and regularly joined public events in support of the Azovstal defenders.

In June 2023, he joined the Azov 12th Special Purpose Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. He served as a senior scout in a special operations reconnaissance platoon. Chuchko was recognized for his service with the Commander-in-Chief’s “Golden Cross,” the “Cross of the Brave” (posthumously), and the Order for Courage, 3rd Class (posthumously).

“To our family, he was a ray of light, always sharing warmth and strength,” said his aunt Olena. “His peers respected him because he was a person of action and conviction. He defended his country because he believed Ukrainians deserved a better future.”

Chuchko was laid to rest at Matviivske Cemetery in Zaporizhzhia.
He is survived by his parents, Serhii and Olena; his sister, Alina; and extended family and friends.

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

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