Russia’s War on Ukraine: Strikes on Civilian Targets, Abuse Allegations in 'Skelya' Regiment, and International Responses — Latest

Multiple developments on June 24 underscored the continuing human-rights and security consequences of the Russia–Ukraine war, with reports ranging from diplomatic shifts and battlefield operations to allegations of serious abuse within Ukrainian ranks. Former U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “досить добре справляється”. Trump said: “Він досить добре справляється, як не крути, він принаймні тримається. Багато людей гине з обох боків, але я думаю, що він справляється досить добре.” Media outlets subsequently reported a possible softening of Trump’s stance toward increased pressure on Russia, although the White House did not confirm all such reports and noted the president’s preference for a “peace through strength” approach.

On the ground in Ukraine, the State Emergency Service (ДСНС) reported that a Russian strike in the night into June 25 caused a fire at an industrial facility in Poltava region. Emergency crews extinguished the blaze and, according to the service, no information about fatalities or injuries had been received. Authorities did not provide a more precise location or further details. The incident follows a pattern — Ukrainian officials and international bodies have repeatedly characterized Russian strikes on cities and critical civilian infrastructure as deliberate and potentially amounting to war crimes, while Moscow denies targeting civilian objects intentionally.

The day also brought allegations about treatment of personnel in Ukrainian fighting units. Military ombudswoman Olga Reshetilova addressed reports about the 425th separate assault regiment “Скеля”, saying her office first learned of beatings and other abuses there in May–June 2025 and that the scale of cases indicated “очевидну системність.” She said her office had removed 22 service members from the regiment who provided testimony about abuse, which was corroborated by polygraph tests. Reshetilova said specialists from the military police (ВСП) and her office identified a group of instructors who organized mistreatment at training grounds, but that the military police leadership had not taken appropriate measures to hold those individuals to account or to prevent future violations.

According to Reshetilova, the Office of the Military Ombudsman has sent five notifications about crimes in “Скеля” to law-enforcement agencies since the office began work in January. She said she secured temporary protections — preventing people her office implicated from working with personnel and restoring access for soldiers to contact their families — but stressed that her office cannot act as a law-enforcement body or make managerial decisions. Reshetilova warned that creating separate assault forces as an independent service could exacerbate human-rights violations, arguing instead for dedicated assault units within each corps so local commanders could exert proper control. Her comments followed an investigative report by the outlet Бабель which said 26 deaths occurred in “Скеля” training centers in the past six months, many of the deceased having spent less than a month in the unit; official causes often listed pneumonia. The regiment has acknowledged the deaths and said that 18 of the 26 died in hospital or en route and that many deaths were linked to preexisting illnesses.

President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed developments on the battlefield and in occupied territories, saying Kyiv’s data show “відчутні втрати російських окупантів” and that logistical problems for Russian forces in occupied regions are a “правильний сигнал” for Moscow. He framed Ukraine’s use of technology and strikes as making occupation unsustainable and promised to strengthen Ukraine’s technological base. On plans related to Crimea, Zelensky said: “Наша операція, зокрема, щодо Криму чітко прорахована, і те, як операція триває, абсолютно доводить: якщо саме те, про що ми говорили з партнерами в рамках G7, в України з’явиться – і це залежить від рішення партнерів, – ми оперативно забезпечимо умови, коли Росія буде змушена обрати мир.”

Defense officials have signaled intensified Ukrainian operations on the annexed Crimean peninsula. Minister Mykhailo Fedorov described one aim as “відбувається ізоляція Криму дронами”, suggesting an intentional effort to disrupt Russian logistics and infrastructure on the peninsula. Ukrainian officials say recent June strikes on military and energy infrastructure in Crimea are among the largest since the full-scale invasion began, while Moscow condemns such strikes and continues to insist its control over occupied territories.

In the international and reconstruction arena, the fifth Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine opened in Gdansk on June 24. Observers said tensions — particularly between Ukrainians and Poles — over political and logistical issues have risen even as the primary focus of the conference remains funding and projects for post-war recovery. Civil-society groups convened a Forum of Civil Society-2026 alongside the conference and issued a Gdansk joint appeal. Signatories include the European Endowment for Democracy, the International Renaissance Foundation, the Stefan Batory Foundation and a coalition of Ukrainian and international organizations such as Build Ukraine Back Better and RISE Ukraine, which presented recommendations for Ukraine and its partners on recovery and accountability.

Taken together, these developments reflect both battlefield dynamics and internal challenges for Ukrainian authorities — including allegations of abuse and unexplained deaths within mobilized units — and continued international diplomatic engagement over how best to support Kyiv and to exert pressure on Russia. Ukrainian officials and human-rights advocates stress the need for accountability for abuses, protection of civilians, and clear partner support to shape outcomes on the ground and at the negotiating table.