Victory Chronicles-DAY 1210

Rescue efforts continue in Kyiv following a Russian terror aerial attack overnight that saw hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles target Ukraine’s capital on June 17, which severely damaged a nine-story residential building. 

Authorities believe that between 4 and 14 residents may still be trapped under the rubble.

Kyiv City Military Administration Head, Tymur Tkachenko, said that one more body has been recovered. “It’s difficult to say how many people are still under the rubble. We estimate between 4 and 14 residents are unaccounted for,” he said on national television.

Tkachenko added that the building is likely beyond repair and that plans for demolition and reconstruction will be considered.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that the nationwide attack left at least 15 civilians  killed and 139 injured. In Kyiv alone, 14 fatalities, including a 62-year-old U.S. citizen and 114 injuries have been reported so far. The exact figure of the number killed may still change as rescue teams continue recovery efforts.

Zelenskyy: Russia launches 440 drones, 32 missiles in one of worst attacks on Kyiv Russia launched over 440 drones and 32 missiles in a massive overnight assault on June 17, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Kyiv suffered one of its heaviest attacks yet, with homes damaged in eight districts and a residential building collapse trapping civilians. At least 15 people were killed, while rescue efforts continue in Kyiv and other struck areas, including Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Chernihiv regions. Zelenskyy urged the West to respond decisively: “Terrorists must feel the pain—not peaceful people.”

Emergency service: Risk of high-rise building collapse in Kyiv hit by Russian missile. Ukrainian rescuers have warned of a potential structural collapse at a nine-story apartment building in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district, which was struck during a massive Russian attack on June 17.

“One section of the building is completely destroyed, and there is a real threat of further collapse,” the State Emergency Service (SES) reported.

SESalso responded to multiple fires across the city. In Solomianskyi, eight vehicles were destroyed and four more caught fire. A five-story residential building and a car repair shop were also hit.

In Sviatoshynskyi district, a residential building and a separate city structure caught fire. In Darnytskyi, debris caused a blaze and damaged a kindergarten and an apartment building. Additional damage was reported in Dniprovskyi and Obolonskyi districts.

A total of 296 rescuers, 75 emergency vehicles, three canine units, and two helicopters were deployed to aid recovery and provide assistance to victims.

Ukrainian drone unit ‘Wings of OMEGA’ destroys Russian artillery and armored vehicles. Pilots from the National Guard’s “Wings of OMEGA” unit destroyed multiple Russian artillery systems and vehicles over the past 24 hours, the unit reported.

According to the statement, guardsmen repelled 27 enemy assaults along the front line during the period. Their drone strikes eliminated six Russian artillery systems, four armored vehicles, and nine transport trucks. Footage released by the unit shows precise strikes on Russian positions and equipment. 

Key Takeaways:

• Ukraine and Russia conducted an exchange that included the bodies of soldiers killed in action (KIA) on June 16 in accordance with agreements reached during talks in Istanbul on June 2.
• Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) reported that the Kremlin is spreading narratives about the POW and KIA exchanges in order to sow panic in Ukraine and discredit Ukraine in the international community – in line with ISW’s recent assessments.
• Russia’s consumption of its Soviet-era tank stores appears to be slowing, possibly due to Russia’s increasing transition to using motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on the battlefield.
• Russia continues to set conditions to pose a long-term strategic threat to the United States and its Western allies even after the end of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Borova and in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and Russian forces recently advanced near Siversk, Toretsk, and Novopavlivka.

In Memoriam: Ruslan Yerko, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces

Staff Sgt. Ruslan Yerko, known by the call sign “YODA,” was killed on Aug. 26, 2024, during a Russian artillery attack near the village of Makiivka in Luhansk Oblast. He was 31.

Yerko was born in Horishni Plavni, Poltava Oblast. He graduated from local School No. 5 and later earned a degree in mining engineering from the Poltava Polytechnic College. He worked at the Poltava and Yeristiv Mining and Processing Plants as an electrical mechanic, including in equipment repair and infrastructure maintenance. Yerko loved the mountains, skiing, cycling trips, and drawing.

He served in the 1st Rifle Battalion of the 4th Separate Tank Brigade as a drone unit squad leader.

For his service, Yerko was awarded the Veteran of War badge, the ATO Participant badge, and distinctions from the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade and the 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade. He was posthumously honored with the Order for Courage, 3rd Class.

“Our YODA dedicated nearly his entire adult life to serving and defending his country. He walked the military path with dignity. He took part in the Revolution of Dignity, fought in the ATO/JFO zone, and never stood aside after the full-scale invasion began. Constantly stationed on the front line, often in the most dangerous sectors, he fulfilled his duty with loyalty and courage. He repelled enemy assaults, covered and saved fellow soldiers, and fought to reclaim Ukraine’s land. He remained loyal to his oath, his country, and the Ukrainian people. For those who knew, fought alongside, or befriended Ruslan, this loss is painful and lasting. He remains an extraordinary person in all our hearts,” said his friend, Marharyta Kartseva.

Yerko was buried in his hometown. He is survived by his parents and older brother.

In 2024, a memorial plaque honoring him whttps://www.facebook.com/memorialofheroes/posts/pfbid0sF67Cei5i9CcDnrJgMrM8m2XwEWYDFwmBpGPsEuqHJkqGXUdkLGbH1nc9Lzsfyjclas installed on the facade of School No. 5 in Horishni Plavni.

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

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• Moscow handed over mixed remains of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers in latest swaps, says Kyiv