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Russia and Ukraine continued their daily exchange of strikes on June 21, though with lower intensity compared to previous days. Ukrainian forces recorded 105 unmanned aerial vehicles and four missiles overnight on June 21, while the Russian Ministry of Defence reported shooting down 239 drones. The daily pattern of engagement reflected persistent priorities: strikes on logistics, port and energy infrastructure, with an emphasis on targeting crossings and supply nodes.
Strikes on Ukraine
If the nighttime attacks on Ukraine were predominantly drone-based, the daytime hours saw the large-scale use of aircraft-delivered munitions against Zaporizhzhia. The key episode was a strike on the city’s logistics artery. Around noon, a series of 12 glide bombs with universal planning and correction modules struck transport infrastructure. The targets included the bridge across the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station dam and the combined road-rail Preobrazhensky Bridge, which connects the left-bank part of the city with Khortytsia Island. Based on the pattern of destruction and the trajectory of the munitions, it can be assumed that the bombers were able to approach within release distance after the suppression of Ukrainian air defence radar stations in that direction.
The strike on the Preobrazhensky Bridge is of critical significance. It is the last crossing in the region within range of aviation strikes from a safe distance. The destruction or even prolonged damage to this link effectively severs rail communication along the Dnipro River. The next major railway bridge is located only in Dnipropetrovsk, nearly 80 kilometres upstream, placing it beyond the reach of Russian tactical aviation without significant risk. In addition to the bridges, the strike targeted Zaporizhzhia-1 railway station, which serves as a key hub for unloading military echelons, as well as a filling station hit by a Geran kamikaze drone.
In parallel, Geran drones struck fuel infrastructure facilities in Dnipropetrovsk Region. In the settlement of Hubynykha, a gas processing plant was hit, which sources indicate is one of the key suppliers of fuel and lubricants for Ukrainian forces in the region. In Shakhtarsk, a drone attacked a temporary deployment point of the Armed Forces of Ukraine housed in a vocational lycee building, while in Kryvyi Rih, a fire was reported at a mine.
Explosions also reverberated through Odesa Region, where targets included port infrastructure in Vylkove, Kiliya, and Izmail, pointing to a systematic effort to interdict Danube transport routes used for alternative export and supply.
The Russian defence ministry confirmed that strikes on energy facilities in Kyiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv Regions, as well as in the Kyiv-controlled part of the Donetsk People’s Republic, destroyed important nodes used in the interests of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Meanwhile, against the backdrop of hostilities, the “Equality March” for LGBT rights took place in Kyiv alongside a parallel procession of opponents; despite an air raid alert triggered by the takeoff of MiG-31 interceptors, participants did not leave the streets.
Strikes on Russia
The Ukrainian counter-strike proved no less massive, concentrated on transport and logistics hubs that link Crimea with mainland Russia. The primary target was the Kerch Peninsula. According to reports, likely targets included the Kerch seaport, the industrial zone, and the transshipment and storage complex for petroleum products, including liquefied gas.
Particularly damaging was the strike on infrastructure in Krasnodar Krai. In the Temryuk district, the port of Kavkaz was attacked: a drone struck the ferry Panagia and also sparked a fire at the Universal Chemical Terminal in the settlement of Chushka.
Ukrainian drone operators have also adopted a tactic of “hunting” civilian vehicles in the border zone, with attacks recorded on cargo trucks, including those of the marketplace Wildberries, travelling along routes toward Crimea. In Sevastopol, after a morning attack and the suppression of several UAVs by electronic warfare means, a temporary power outage schedule was introduced due to grid overload.
Analysts note that Kyiv continues its strategy of terror in border areas to a depth of 50–60 kilometres, relying on psychological pressure on the population and disruption of rear logistics. The goal is not so much to inflict critical military damage but to create a sustained perception of Russian territorial vulnerability and to destabilise the internal situation. However, as military observers point out, such actions inevitably lead to tougher retaliation and the radicalisation of public sentiment, requiring Russia to accelerate the expansion of layered short-range air defence and to extend strikes on Ukrainian logistics chains, particularly crossings over the Dnipro.
Strategic Context
In a broader strategic context, these exchanges take place against a worrying trend noted by the Western press. Citing data from the New York Times, Ukraine has expressed serious concern over a sharp increase in Russia’s use of ballistic missiles. While an average of six launches per month were recorded in 2023, that figure had risen to 74 missiles per month by 2026. About two-thirds of them successfully penetrate Ukrainian air defence, causing disproportionately greater damage than drones due to their powerful warheads and hypersonic speeds. Ballistic strikes have become the primary instrument of pressure on Ukraine’s energy and military infrastructure.
In response, Kyiv has accelerated its own missile programme. Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that the advent of Ukrainian ballistic missiles would “fundamentally change the nature of this war.” However, as the NYT notes, this step entails enormous risks. Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned that if Ukrainian missiles were able to reach Moscow, the Kremlin would be forced to “take the next step,” raising questions about the threshold of escalation and the possible use of nuclear weapons. Proponents of the programme argue that regular strikes on Russian cities could force the Kremlin to reconsider its calculations regarding the continuation of the war, but opponents do not rule out reciprocal escalation from Russia.
An additional factor reshaping the balance of power is new supply arrangements. The United Kingdom has conducted tests of new long-range ground-launched cruise missiles for Ukraine under the Brakestop project. The key feature of these missiles, known under the working name Crossbow, is the complete absence of US components, granting London sovereign control over their export and removing the US veto on their use against targets on Russian territory. With a range of approximately 600 kilometres, a 300-kilogram warhead, and a cost of around £400,000 each—significantly cheaper than Storm Shadow—these missiles are planned to be delivered to Kyiv by the end of the year. Their deployment is expected to begin closer to winter, potentially altering the landscape of long-range strikes by giving Ukraine the ability to conduct precision strikes on critical infrastructure deep inside Russia without regard to Washington’s position.