Jun 26, 2026, 11:30 AM UTC

Russian forces continued their aerial assault on Ukraine overnight into June 26, launching seven Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 189 uncrewed aerial vehicles. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 177 targets, including three ballistic missiles. However, four missiles and eleven drones reportedly impacted sites in the Kyiv and Poltava regions. Separately, Russian forces struck energy and civilian infrastructure in Odesa region's Vylkivska community, causing a fire and injuries. Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff updated its figures for Russian military personnel losses to 1,398,370 since the full-scale invasion began, with 1,310 recorded in the past 24 hours. In a distinct incident, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly attacked a Singapore-flagged commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on June 25. Sources: Громадське, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда

Russia reported intercepting 660 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, including Moscow, overnight. Concurrently, explosions were heard in Kyiv, with the Ukrainian air force indicating a missile targeted the capital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed Kyiv's intention to conduct "preemptive attacks" on Russian territory. The Kremlin, via spokesperson Dmitri Peskov, attributed Ukrainian strikes to worsening front-line conditions, asserting Russian forces are advancing "along the entire front" and predicting "irreversible" consequences for Kyiv. Separately, Russian-occupied Crimea declared an "emergency situation" due to a fuel crisis exacerbated by recent Ukrainian attacks. The European Council extended economic sanctions against Russia until summer 2027, and a first installment of a €90 billion European loan has been disbursed to Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged "mutual respect" and "understanding of history" between Poles and Ukrainians at a reconstruction conference in Gdansk.

Sources: Le Monde — International

Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, will reportedly cease providing services to clients within the European Union starting July 1. This decision stems from the company's inability to secure the necessary operating license under the bloc's new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation. The MiCA framework, designed to standardize crypto asset regulation across the EU, requires exchanges to obtain specific authorization to operate legally within member states. Binance's move affects its offerings to users in EU countries where it has not yet obtained local licenses compliant with the upcoming regulatory requirements. The company has been working to adapt its operations to various national and international regulatory landscapes.

Sources: Forbes Ukraine, Financial Times