Victory Chronicles-DAY 1204

The number of civilian casualties from Russia’s overnight drone attack on Ukraine’s second most populous city, Kharkiv, has risen to three after a 65-year-old man with extensive burns died in intensive care. 

At least 60 people were injured, including nine children aged between 2 and 15 years old.

The attack, involving 17 Shahed suicide drones, struck residential areas in the Slobidskyi and Osnovianskyi districts, damaging homes, businesses, public transport, and playgrounds.

Eleven people remain hospitalized, including three children whose condition is reported as moderate. One woman is in critical condition. Authorities say an elderly woman may still be trapped under rubble at one of the impact sites.

Ukraine repatriates bodies of 1,212 fallen defenders in major recovery effort. In one of the largest operations of its kind, Ukraine has repatriated the bodies of 1,212 fallen soldiers, the nation’s Coordination Headquarters reported on June 11. 

The retrieval mission spanned multiple front-line regions, including Kursk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson – areas that have seen some of the fiercest fighting since Russia’s full-scale invasion. 

This large-scale return was made possible through cooperation between the Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, security agencies, humanitarian bodies, and international partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross. 

Authorities are now working swiftly to identify the deceased so they can be honored and returned to their families. The effort underscores Ukraine’s continued commitment to every one of its fallen heroes and families awaiting closure.

Russia targets Chernihiv hospital for fifth time since all-out war started in 2022. Russian forces targeted the Semenivka hospital in Chernihiv Oblast on 11 June in yet another attack on Ukraine civilian infrastructure. According to preliminary assessments, a Molniya-type attack drone struck the facility, causing damage to the facade, shattering windows, and affecting several interior rooms.

While no casualties were reported,this marks the fifth strike on the hospital since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion – raising serious concerns over a pattern of systemic assaults on medical institutions. 

 Ukrainian officials strongly condemned the incident, denouncing it as part of a deliberate campaign to terrorize civilians and degrade access to critical healthcare in frontline communities. The strike furthermore underscores Kyiv’s continuous call to the international community to hold Russia accountable for violation of international humanitarian law.

Drone strike hits Russian gunpowder plant in Tambov region, causing explosion and fire. A Ukrainian drone strike targeted a gunpowder factory in the city of Kotovsk, Tambov region, late Monday, triggering an explosion and fire, according to local Telegram channels. Residents reported hearing at least 15 blasts in the area. No casualties were reported.

Footage released by local sources shows the aftermath of the strike, with flames visible at the suspected site of impact. The factory, which manufactures components for small arms, artillery systems, and grenade launchers, had previously been targeted in January.

Russian state news agency TASS acknowledged a large-scale drone attack on the region but claimed it was repelled by air defenses. Tambov region is located approximately 770 kilometers from Ukraine.

Key Takeaways:

• Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin appears to be switching between rhetoric focused on Russian ethnic nationalism and Russian multinationalism, but remains committed to promoting anti-Western sentiment and the militarization of Russia’s youth.
• Russia is reportedly working to increase the number of North Korean labor migrants in Russia, likely to support Russia’s workforce and to directly join the Russian military.
• Ukraine and Russia conducted the second round of prisoner of war (POW) exchanges on June 10, in accordance with agreements the parties reached in Istanbul on June 2.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Vovchansk, Borova, Lyman, and Toretsk. Russian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk and Toretsk.

In Memoriam: Dmytro Duda, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces

Lieutenant Dmytro Duda, known by the call sign “Sport,” was killed on February 18, 2025, during a combat mission near the village of Honcharivka in the Sudzha district of Russia’s Kursk region. He sustained fatal injuries from an enemy FPV drone strike. Dmytro was 33 years old.

He was born in the city of Khmelnytskyi. From the age of five, he was deeply involved in sports—gymnastics, mixed martial arts, and arm wrestling—winning awards in both national and international competitions. After finishing school, he earned a degree in radio engineering from Khmelnytskyi National University and later pursued a career as an entrepreneur.

Following the full-scale Russian invasion, Dmytro applied to join the military but was initially deemed fit for limited service due to health reasons. Refusing to stand aside, he supported the Armed Forces through volunteer efforts until he was finally accepted into military service in 2024. Dmytro served in the 41st Separate Mechanized Brigade, where he trained as an artilleryman and rose to the position of platoon commander.

“My brother was an incredibly kind and generous person—the word ‘good-natured’ truly described him. He had countless friends and always aimed for the highest goals—and achieved them. On his first combat mission, he destroyed an armored vehicle and eliminated 12 enemy troops with a single, precise strike,” said his brother Oleksandr.

He was laid to rest at the Alley of Glory in the Rakove cemetery in his hometown. Dmytro is survived by his parents, brother, wife, daughter, extended family, and many friends.

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

• Germany’s spy chief: Germany has evidence of Russia’s plans to attack NATO
• Pentagon chief: US to scale back military support for Ukraine
• Germany’s spy chief: Russian people are ready to follow Putin and support Putin and his war
• Germany’s Merz may appoint ambassador to Ukraine as head of German intelligence
• Serbia’s president heads to Ukraine for unannounced visit
• Finland’s Foreign Ministry summons Russian chargé d’affaires over airspace violation