Ukrainian drones over a space centre north of Moscow. Five people killed in Russian air strikes

A space communications centre in Dubna, some 120 kilometres north of Moscow, was targeted in a massive drone attack by the Ukrainian armed forces, without any disruption to operations. This was reported to the Tass news agency by the centre’s spokesperson. “There was a massive drone attack. Television broadcasts and communications,” the spokeswoman emphasised, “were not disrupted. Measures have been taken to deal with the aftermath. None of the staff were injured.”

The Ukrainian armed forces have also struck a semiconductor factory in Voronezh with a missile, according to unofficial Ukrainian and Russian sources. The region’s governor, Aleksandr Gusev, had announced a missile alert at 11.40 this morning (Moscow time). The components manufactured by Sborka (VZPP-S), one of Russia’s leading microelectronics manufacturers, are used, amongst other things, in the production of Iskander, Kalibr and S-400 missiles.

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accuses Moscow of killing five people in last night’s raids, recalling the day the Second World War began for the Russian world.

“Today, as on 22 June every year, there will be many solemn statements in Russia about the Second World War and one of its bloodiest chapters: the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany. For Ukraine, this period has always served as a reminder of the importance of peace and the duty to honour the millions of innocent victims of the Second World War. It was precisely that moment in the 20th century that should have changed forever the way every state and the whole world views human life, affirming life itself as the highest value. “The world wars would never have happened if the leaders of that era had been guided by the value of human life rather than by their imperial delusions,” Zelensky emphasised on X.

“Yet today, Russia began the day neither by paying tribute to those who fell during the Second World War, nor by sending signals that might help bring about an end to the current conflict – Russia’s war against Ukraine. On the contrary, it began the day with further killings that are entirely unjustifiable. In the Sumy region, a Russian drone killed a child, a grandmother and a man. The child’s mother and two other children from the same family were injured. Their home was destroyed. It was an ordinary house, which in no way constituted a military target. In Zaporizhzhia, two people were killed overnight by Russian attacks and a further seven were injured. Unfortunately, there have also been casualties in the Odessa region. Attacks were carried out against the regions of Kherson, Donetsk and Kharkiv. Once again, Russia has targeted energy infrastructure in the Chernihiv region,” the Ukrainian leader added.