On June 1, the commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, Mykhailo Drapaty, quit his job. He said he felt personally responsible after a Russian missile strike killed at least 12 Ukrainian soldiers at a training site. Drapaty explained in his resignation letter that leaving was a decision he made because of the tragedy.
The missile hit happened during rising fighting between Ukraine and Russia. Officials said the attack targeted a military training area. Most of the 12 soldiers who died were in shelters at the time. Over 60 more soldiers were hurt in the strike.
At the same time, Ukraine said it launched a big drone attack on Russian air bases far away from the front. Ukraine’s security service said the goal was to damage Russian bombers. The drones struck bases in places like Siberia, the Arctic, and near Moscow.
Ukraine claimed more than 40 planes were damaged at the Belaya air base in Siberia. A video showed some planes on fire, but outside sources could not confirm the damage. Russia admitted some planes caught fire but said no one was hurt. Russia also said it arrested some people connected to the drone attack.
Governors in Russia’s Irkutsk and Murmansk regions confirmed the drone attacks near the Belaya and Olenya air bases. The Irkutsk governor said this was the first drone strike in Siberia. Both governors shared videos and told people not to panic.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his defense minister would go to Istanbul to meet with Russian officials. Zelensky said Ukraine wants a full ceasefire and the return of prisoners and kidnapped children. Russia agreed to send a delegation but didn’t say what it wants in return. President Putin rejected the idea of a high-level meeting.
Despite the talks, the fighting is still going on. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched a record number of drones and missiles overnight. Russia also said it captured another village in northern Ukraine, and Ukraine is worried Russia may be preparing a bigger ground attack.
Inside Russia, two bridges near the Ukrainian border were destroyed by explosions. One explosion caused a passenger train to crash, killing seven people. Another explosion derailed a freight train and hurt the driver. Russian officials called these acts terrorism and started an investigation but did not blame Ukraine.
All these events—the attacks, the commander’s resignation, and the peace talks—show how complicated the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has become as it goes into its third year.
