Zelenskyy: Russia redeploying air defences from Ukraine to protect Moscow and Putin's residences

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed Russia is pulling air defence systems away from Crimea and frontline areas to protect Moscow, Valdai, and the Kerch Strait bridge. Meanwhile, Trump said Zelenskyy is doing "pretty well" in the war, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged unwavering European support ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, and two Norwegian People's Aid demining workers were killed in a Russian strike on Kherson Oblast.

Russia repositions air defences

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that Russia is redeploying air defence units away from Crimea and areas near the front to reinforce protection of Moscow, the Valdai region, and the Kerch Strait bridge, a move he says reflects growing Kremlin anxiety over Ukraine's long-range drone capabilities.

«Russia's leadership is now pulling more air defence units to Moscow, Valdai, and Putin's bridge over the Kerch Strait, at the expense of air defences in other regions,» Zelenskyy said on Thursday, June 25. He added that hundreds of S-400, S-500 and Pantsir launchers have been concentrated around Moscow, while approximately 90 launchers have been moved to the Valdai area, where one of Vladimir Putin's residences is located, and a dedicated air defence division has been established there.

Zelenskyy's claims have not been independently verified. He also accused Putin of refusing to end the war, saying: «There are many difficulties, all because Putin refuses to stop his war and listen to our proposals for meetings, real negotiations, and a dignified peace.»

Ukraine strikes Russian oil infrastructure

Overnight and into Thursday morning, Ukraine launched drone strikes against Russian oil infrastructure in Krasnodar Krai and Bashkortostan. The Poltavskaya oil storage facility in Krasnodar Krai, located roughly 300 kilometres from the front line, was reportedly hit, with a fire breaking out. In Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, approximately 1,500 kilometres from the front, two refineries, Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim and Bashneft-Novouil, were targeted. The head of Bashkortostan, Radi Khabirov, confirmed that industrial facilities had been struck but said there were no casualties.

Russia's Defence Ministry, meanwhile, reported that its air defences destroyed 269 Ukrainian drones overnight in strikes spanning more than a dozen regions, including Moscow Oblast, Crimea, and Krasnodar Krai.

Trump softens tone on Zelenskyy

U.S. President Donald Trump offered a notably warmer assessment of Ukraine's wartime performance, telling reporters in the Oval Office: «He's doing at least pretty well. A lot of people are dying on both sides, but I think he's doing pretty well.» The remark marks a shift from Trump's earlier rhetoric, when he suggested Zelenskyy lacked the «cards» needed to win the war. Analysts note Ukraine has shown greater resilience on the battlefield in recent weeks, though Russian air and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities continue to cause civilian casualties.

Merz pledges European solidarity ahead of NATO summit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that European NATO allies want to send a clear signal at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, scheduled for July 7-8, that support for Ukraine will not waver. Speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin after meeting with leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Poland, and holding a video call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Merz stated: «The message to Russia is: Ukraine will remain strong.» He also proposed that European NATO members take on a new, robust financing commitment to Kyiv. All 32 alliance members, including Trump, are expected in Ankara.

EU transfers €3.2 billion to Ukraine

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at a Ukraine reconstruction conference in Gdańsk, Poland, announced that the EU is transferring the first tranche, €3.2 billion, of a €90 billion loan package to Ukraine on Thursday. She also said a previously announced investment fund for Ukraine's reconstruction is now ready to launch, and could attract around €500 million in investments this year alone.

Demining workers killed in Kherson

Two demining specialists employed by the Norwegian humanitarian organisation Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) were killed on Wednesday in a Russian strike on the village of Novopetrivka in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. Four more NPA workers were wounded. The Kherson Oblast military administration said the attack was carried out with an Iskander-M ballistic missile. NPA has suspended all demining operations in Ukraine following the incident.

«Our primary priority right now is to take care of those affected in this incident, the injured, and our remaining staff both in Ukraine and here at home. We are all deeply shocked by this incident,» said NPA Secretary General Raymond Johansen.

Kherson Oblast is among Ukraine's most heavily mined regions, and demining teams work to clear areas so that civilians can safely return home and resume agricultural activity.

Russian opposition figure jailed

A Russian court sentenced Maxim Kruglov, deputy chairman of the anti-war opposition party Yabloko and a former Moscow City Duma deputy, to seven years in prison on charges of spreading «false information» about the Russian army. The 39-year-old was arrested last October; the charges related to two Telegram posts from 2022 in which he criticised Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kruglov denied guilt and told the court: «Essentially, this is a ban on dissent.»

Lithuanian volunteer killed fighting for Ukraine

A 25-year-old Lithuanian volunteer, Ignas Kailius, was killed fighting for Ukraine. His death was announced on Facebook by the Memorial, Ukraine International Volunteer page. Kailius had joined Ukraine's armed forces in February and served as an assistant grenadier; his last combat mission was on June 2. He is at least the third Lithuanian volunteer to die in the war, following Tadas Tumas and Tomas Valentelis.