These are the key events on day 1,200 of Russia’s war on Ukraine:
Here’s where things stand on Sunday, June 8:
Fighting
- Russian forces attacked Kharkiv, killing at least four people and wounding over 60, including a baby, according to local officials.
- Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said this was the most powerful attack since the full-scale war began.
- Elsewhere, three were killed in Donetsk, and three in Kherson, areas where fighting has been intense.
- Russia’s forces took control of a section of the Yunakivka-Sudzha highway in Sumy, which Ukraine had used to supply its forces.
- Ukraine reported Russia launched 206 drones and other missiles overnight; Kyiv’s air defences downed 87 drones and lost another 80.
- A Russian Su-35 fighter jet was shot down by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk direction.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine destroyed three Iskander missile systems and damaged Russian military helicopters, hindering Russia’s operations.
- German Major General Christian Freuding said a recent Ukrainian attack damaged 10 percent of Russia’s long-range bomber fleet, though Moscow retains 90 percent of its strategic bombers.
- In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack in the Moscow region wounded two people.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed it intercepted and destroyed 36 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, including Moscow.
Prisoner Exchange
- Russia and Ukraine accused each other of endangering plans to exchange 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action, agreed upon in Istanbul.
- Vladimir Medinsky, leading the Russian delegation, claimed Ukraine halted an imminent swap and accused Russia of “dirty games.”
- Ukraine responded by saying Russia was manipulating facts.
- The Ukrainian authority overseeing such swaps accused Russia of submitting lists of prisoners different from those agreed upon.
Weapons
- Zelenskyy urged the US to send “positive signals” regarding Ukraine’s request to buy air defense systems after Russian attacks on Kharkiv.
- France’s armed forces minister announced that a French carmaker is preparing to manufacture drones in Ukraine.
- Canada’s Minister of National Defence announced military assistance worth 35 million Canadian dollars for Ukraine, including armored vehicles.
Diplomacy
- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Russia has asked the US to resume direct flights and ease restrictions on its diplomats in the US.
- Ryabkov noted that US officials are “not very enthusiastic” about resuming flights.
