Victory Chronicles-DAY 1202

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SOF), in coordination with other branches of the country’s defense, carried out precision strike overnight on June 9 against the Russian Savalevskya airbase in Nizhny Novgorod region – a facility that plays a critical role in Moscow’s long-range missile campaign against Ukraine. 

The base located 800 kilometers (487 miles) from the Ukrainian state border, is home to MiG-31K jets equipped with Kh-72 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles – one of Russia’s most difficult to intercept projectiles. 

Ukraine’s strike demonstrates Kyiv’s innovative and sophisticated ability to reach and disrupt targets deep within Russian territory. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, preliminary reports indicate that two Russian aircraft were hit — likely a MiG-31 and either a Su-30 or Su-34 fighter jet. The full extent of the damage is still being verified.

Savasleyka is a key node in Russia’s aerial strike capabilities It serves both as a launch platform for Kinzhal missiles and as a base for fighter operations.

The operation is part of Ukraine’s broader effort to shift the battlefield dynamics by taking the fight beyond front-line areas and putting pressure on critical military infrastructure inside Russia.

Zelenskyy: U.S. missiles originally intended for Ukraine redirected to Middle East. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that 20,000 missiles, originally earmarked to help Ukraine counter Russian Shahed drones, were instead redirected to the Middle East. 

In a June 8 interview with ABC News, Zelenskyy explained that that missiles were art of a specialized and relatively low-cost system Ukraine had agreed on with Washington. “We were counting on those 20,000 missiles,” he noted, adding that Ukraine now faces major challenges defending against drone attacks without the promised aid.

Ukraine hits Russian drone component plant deep inside Russia – over 621 miles from border. Ukraine’s defense forces have confirmed a long-range drone strike overnight on 8–9 June against a key Russian defense plant that produces components for Shahed drones.

The target — JSC VNDIR-Progres, located more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from Ukraine – was struck by at least two drones, setting the facility on fire.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the plant produces adaptive Kometa signal receivers used in Shahed UAVs, as well as guidance modules for precision aerial bombs. The operation aimed to disrupt Russia’s ability to produce aerial attack systems and degrade its strike capabilities.

“The strikes on facilities that enable Russian aggression will continue until the war is stopped,” the statement read. Damage assessments are ongoing, but the successful hit signals Ukraine’s growing ability to reach deep into Russian territory with targeted attacks on critical military infrastructure.

Ukraine returns first group of POWs under 25 in prisoner exchange with Russia. Ukraine has recovered the first group of military personnel under the age of 25 as part of the initial stage of the 66th prisoner exchange with Russia, officials announced Monday.

Footage released by the Coordination Headquarters and the Security Service of Ukraine shows the emotional homecoming of freed soldiers. Most had been held in captivity for three years, according to Deputy Head of the Coordination Headquarters Andriy Yusov.

“Many of those released today were captured in Mariupol and other high-intensity combat zones,” Yusov said during a national broadcast. “They come from various military branches and, given the length of captivity, their conditions vary. All are receiving necessary assistance.”

Key Takeaways:

• Kremlin officials and the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on June 8 that Russian forces reached the Donetsk-Dnipropetrovsk Oblast border and are conducting offensive operations into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — an oblast that Russia has not illegally declared as annexed.
• Russian officials have repeatedly signaled that the Kremlin has wider territorial ambitions in Ukraine, including in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
• Russia continued to baselessly accuse Ukraine of failing to repatriate the bodies of killed in action (KIA) soldiers on June 8 — part of the Kremlin’s efforts to undermine mutually agreed upon confidence-building measures with Ukraine.
• The Kremlin appears to have orchestrated a concerted media campaign that aimed to use the purportedly agreed-upon KIA exchange in order to discredit Ukraine and promote Russia’s justifications for its war to both domestic and international audiences.
• Russian officials appear to be setting conditions to withdraw from international arms control treaties, likely as part of preparation for a potential future war with NATO.
• Ukrainian forces reportedly struck a chemical plant in Tula Oblast on June 8.
• Ukrainian and Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk, and Russian forces recently advanced in the Povrovsk direction.

In Memoriam: Vladyslav Horai, a hero of Ukraine’s civic spirit

Vladyslav Horai, a soloist of the Odesa National Opera and a Merited Artist of Ukraine, was killed on June 8, 2025, in Sumy region while carrying out a volunteer mission. He was 61.

Horai was born in Ukraine and devoted his life to music. A world-renowned tenor, he performed in the opera company of the Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater since 1993. He earned numerous accolades, including the title of Merited Artist of Ukraine in 2013, a national chamber music award in Khmelnytskyi, and a laureateship at the Antonín Dvořák International Vocal Competition in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. His operatic repertoire included more than twenty roles.

Outside of his professional achievements, Horai was known for his kind heart, dignity, and strength of character. Even amid wartime, he remained actively involved in humanitarian efforts, volunteering to support civilians and soldiers alike.

“Today, June 8, while fulfilling his volunteer mission in Sumy region, our colleague, a world-class tenor, volunteer, father, and man of great heart — Vladyslav Horai — was killed,” the Odesa National Opera announced. “His voice was known across the world, but his heart belonged to Ukraine. Horai was not only a talent on stage — he was an example of strength, dignity, and kindness in life. Even in the darkest of times, he never stood aside — he helped, he volunteered, he gave support.”

Horai is survived by his family, colleagues, and a grateful nation that mourns the loss of both an extraordinary artist and a courageous citizen.

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

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