Overview
- G7 leaders meeting in Evian and President Zelensky said this week that recent fighting has shifted momentum toward Ukraine and that Russia cannot win by force, prompting European chiefs to try to persuade President Trump to back a new negotiation approach.
- Ukraine reported heavy combat across the front, with the General Staff logging 228 engagements on June 15 and continued attacks and counterattacks on multiple directions during the following day.
- A mass drone and rocket strike on Kyiv on Monday severely damaged the Uspensky Cathedral of the Kyiv‑Pechersk Lavra, a claim Kyiv supports with recovered drone fragments while Moscow denies deliberate targeting of the site.
- Ukraine is stepping up unmanned operations and production, with overnight UAV strikes on Russian positions reported on June 16 and military leaders announcing formation of new drone units and plans to expand drone output.
- Civilians continue to be harmed — regional officials said an FPV drone strike in Nikopol killed three people — and leaders at the summit agreed to tighten sanctions, including EU measures targeting Russia’s shadow fleet, to increase pressure on Moscow.