This week, Babel published a major investigation into the violence and deaths of mobilized personnel in the "Skelya" assault regiment, which led to inspections there and the commander being suspended.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched a 40-day operation to influence the Russian Federation (a series of powerful strikes on strategic targets), a new prisoner exchange took place between Ukraine and Russia, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned.
Babel has compiled the main events of the week so that you can stay up to date with the news.
Babelʼs investigation into deaths and torture in the “Skelya” Regiment
On June 23, Babel published a major investigation into the situation in the 425th Assault Regiment "Skelya". Journalist Kateryna Lykhohlyad interviewed over 30 witnesses, mostly relatives of those mobilized to "Skelya", as well as a dozen soldiers from the regiment who escaped or are still serving there.
The journalist counted 25 deaths in the regimentʼs training centers over the past six months, the official cause of most of which is pneumonia, and also described cases of torture and abuse of those undergoing training. In addition, Babel is processing new similar cases to pass on the information to law enforcement.
After the publication of the material, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) began an inspection of the regiment. A mission of the Ombudsmanʼs Office and a comprehensive commission headed by the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are also working there. For the duration of the inspections, the commander of "Skelya", Lieutenant Colonel Yuriy Harkavy, was suspended from duty.
Meanwhile, a soldier of the “Skelya” regiment Mykola “Kyianyn” Kharkhan recorded a video threatening Babel. He called the journalist who prepared the investigation into the deaths and torture in the regiment a “journalist whore”, and the publication Babel a “Russian office publication” working for [Russian] money.
The “Skelya” communications officer Oleksiy Bratushchak said that threats against journalists were unacceptable, but that servicemen also had the right to freedom of speech.
Resignation of the British Prime Minister
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared his resignation on June 22. He had held the position since 2024.
Labour Party politician Andy Burnham could become Britainʼs new prime minister as early as July — he has already reported that he will run for party leadership.
Burnham supports Ukraine. In particular, he is one of the founders of the Unbroken Cities Network initiative, which unites cities around the world to help develop a rehabilitation program in Ukraine. Also in March 2022, Burnham organized a humanitarian fundraiser for Ukrainians.
REUTERS / Temilade Adelaja
The first tranche of aid to Ukraine from the EU
On June 25, Ukraine received the first tranche of aid from the European Union in the amount of €3.2 billion. This is part of a larger loan of €90 billion that the EU plans to allocate to Ukraine over the next two years.
In total, this year Ukraine is to receive €45 billion in financial assistance under the EU loan: €28.3 billion will go to defense, and €16.7 billion to budget support.
Conference on the Restoration of Ukraine
The fourth Ukraine Reconstruction Conference took place in Gdansk, Poland, from June 25 to 26. The event saw the signing of 160 agreements worth over €10 billion. Key outcomes include a $3.4 billion deal with the World Bank, €140 million for housing programs, and the launch of the European Flagship Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian delegation in Gdansk was led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, although President Volodymyr Zelensky was expected to be there.
This happened because of a diplomatic conflict between Ukraine and Poland: President Zelensky awarded the Separate Special Operations Center "North" of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine the honorary title "named after the Heroes of UPA", and Polish President Karol Nawrocki deprived it of the Order of the White Eagle, Polandʼs highest state award. Nawrocki also did not participate in the conference.
Cartel
On June 26, 160 Ukrainian soldiers returned home from Russian captivity in an exchange. All had been in captivity since 2022. Among them, in particular, 115 defenders of Mariupol.
The next day, seven civilians who were illegally detained by the Russians during the occupation of Mariupol, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk regions in 2022 were also returned to Ukraine.
40-day influence operation on Russia
On June 25, President Volodymyr Zelensky approved a 40-day influence operation on Russia, to be carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine, to encourage the Russian Federation to end the war.
The very next day, soldiers from the SBUʼs "Alpha" special unit attacked two Russian military support vessels, a ferry, and Russian air defense assets in temporarily occupied Crimea.
After these and a number of previous Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy and logistics, the occupying authorities of Crimea imposed a state of emergency on the peninsula.
On June 27, SBU struck the “Vtorovo” oil pumping station in the Volgograd region for the second time in a month, which supplies fuel to Moscow, and Ukrainian “Flamingo” missiles targeted the “Titan-Barricades” enterprise in Volgograd, the sole manufacturer of launchers for the “Iskander-M” missile system.
And at the end of the week, on the night of June 28, Ukraine struck two oil refineries in the Krasnodar and Yaroslavl regions of Russia.
The US and Iran exchange blows during peace talks
After the first round of talks in Switzerland, Iran and the United States agreed on a roadmap on June 22 that would lead the parties to a final deal within 60 days.
On the same day, the United States temporarily lifted sanctions on the production, supply, and sale of Iranian oil in exchange for Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz.
However, on June 26, the US reported that Iran had attacked a civilian merchant vessel under the Singapore flag with a drone in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the US struck Iran, and President Donald Trump threatened to use force against Tehran if it violated the ceasefire again.
However, Iran then attacked Bahrain and Kuwait and threatened to disrupt negotiations to end the war.
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