Victory Chronicles-DAY 1199

At 1 a.m. overnight, air raid sirens started to blare across Ukraine, including its capital of Kyiv. The war-torn country woke up to 407 attack drones flying overhead and 44 various missiles, all of which threatened civilian targets. 

Just days after Ukraine’s audacious Operation “Spiderweb” that targeted Russia’s strategic bombers, Kyiv wasn’t spared amid the most extensive aerial offensive in the ongoing Kremlin invasion. 

Russia carried out a combined missile and drone on June 6, killing four civilians, including three first responders in what is called a “double tap” strike when after the initial attack, the same site is struck when first responders arrive to save lives. 

Russian forces, Multiple residential and civilian infrastructure sites were struck across six Kyiv districts. 

The attack damaged residential buildings, vehicles, and a metro line between the Darnytsia and Livoberezhna stations located on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River that bisects the city. 

Fires broke out at a warehouse in Solomianskyi District and on the upper floors of a high-rise apartment building, from which rescuers saved three residents. In the southern Holosiivskyi district, debris hit an educational facility and a gas station.

Fragments of downed drones were also found in Desnianskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and Dniprovskyi districts, where an additional gas station sustained damage. 

Emergency services continue recovery efforts across all affected areas.

According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, 16 people have been hospitalized, and casualty numbers may rise as search-and-rescue operations continue. City officials said this is yet another instance of Russia deliberately targeting Ukraine’s capital in its ongoing war of attrition.

Overall, at least six Ukrainian regions were targeted. Damage was also reported in the western Ukrainian cities of Ternopil and Lutsk, cities that are typically less affected by such attacks, indicating a broader reach of Russian aerial assaults.

Ukraine downs 406 aerial threats in massive Russian aerial June 6 attack. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 90 percent of the452 Russian combined aerial assaults overnight on June 6, including drones and missiles, according to the nation’s Air Force. Russia launched 407 Shahed drones and decoys, 36 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 6 Iskander-M/KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles, 2 Iskander-K cruise missiles, and a Kh-31P anti-radar missile. Most threats were destroyed or suppressed by electronic warfare, known as EW. Still, 13 civilian sites were hit and debris fell in 19 locations. It was one of the largest coordinated attacks to date, underscoring the scale of Russia’s ongoing air terror bombardment of solely civilian targets that are classified as war crimes.

General Staff: Ukraine strikes two Russian air bases overnight, igniting blazes. Ukrainian defense forces launched a coordinated overnight drone strike on June 6 that targeted two key Russian air bases in Saratov and Ryazan oblasts, causing major fires and disrupting Russian military logistics, Ukraine’s General Staff reported.

The Engels airbase in Saratov, a hub for Russia’s strategic bombers, was hit with at least three fuel storage tanks reportedly destroyed. Satellite imagery confirmed the fires, and local footage captured secondary explosions and thick plumes of smoke. The Kristall fuel facility nearby, part of Russia’s state reserve, also caught fire.

In Ryazan Oblast, the Dyagilevo airbase—used for refueling aircraft and bomber escorts—was also struck. Ukrainian forces penetrated Russian air defenses, triggering another fire near the site. 

Damage assessments are ongoing, as the main strategic goal of Ukraine in these operations are to degrade Russia’s long-range strike capabilities and disrupt military logistics. 

The strikes extended beyond airfields: a logistics hub linked to Russia’s 30th Motor Rifle Regiment in Kursk Oblast was also hit. Ukrainian officials say the attacks demonstrate growing reach and precision in targeting critical nodes of Russia’s military infrastructure.

Russian shelling targets residential neighborhoods in Kharkiv. Russian forces launched nighttime strikes on residential areas of Kharkiv, with video footage released by Mayor Ihor Terekhov showing explosions in civilian neighborhoods.

The footage, shared on Terekhov’s Telegram channel, captures the moments of impact as Russian munitions hit housing blocks under the cover of darkness. Footage released by the mayor documents the scale of destruction and the threat to non-military targets. Local authorities have not yet reported casualties, but described the attack as a clear act of terror against the civilian population.

Key Takeaways:

• Russian forces are reportedly sustaining an average of 1,140 casualties per day and suffering disproportionately high personnel casualties for marginal, grinding territorial gains.
• The Kremlin continues efforts to falsely portray Russia as willing to engage in good-faith negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, despite Russia’s repeated refusal to offer any concessions.
• Ukraine’s allies and partners continued to provide military aid to Ukraine during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (the Ramstein format) on June 4- 5.
• Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on June 5 the launch of a new initiative for joint production of Ukrainian weapons in Ramstein states in order to supply weapons to the Ukrainian military and to increase Ramstein states’ industrial capacity.
• North Korea reaffirmed its support for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine during Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu’s visit to North Korea on June 4.
• Russian authorities cracked down on a publication that has previously speculated about several Russian command changes.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Hulyaipole and in western Zaporizhzhia. Russian forces recently advanced in northern Kharkiv Oblast and near Kupyansk, Lyman, and Toretsk.

In Memoriam: Mykola Sydorenko, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces

Police Capt. Mykola Sydorenko, known by the call sign “Cage,” was killed in action on Jan. 13, 2025, near the city of Toretsk in Donetsk region. He sustained fatal blast and shrapnel wounds during a combat mission. He was 29.

Sydorenko was born in the city of Marhanets in Dnipropetrovsk region and lived in Kyiv. He earned a law degree from the National Academy of Internal Affairs and dedicated his life to service in the police. Before the war, he worked at the Department for the Execution of Criminal Sentences. He spent his free time with his family.

After the full-scale Russian invasion, he joined the United Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine “Lyut.” He served as an inspector in the assault regiment “Safari.”

“We were together for 16 years,” said his wife, Yuliia. “I know for sure he was the most loyal, responsible, kind, brave and cheerful man in the world. He never said no to anyone. He was fearless. On his first mission, he saved a fellow soldier’s life. You could always count on Mykola. We miss him terribly.”

Sydorenko was laid to rest at Berkovetske Cemetery in Kyiv.
He is survived by his wife, Yuliia, and their two young children, Mariia and Mykhailo, who were just 1 and 2 years old at the time of his passing.

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

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