Balloon Juice - War for Ukraine Day 1,201: Russia Continues It's Nightly Bombardments

Russia set a new record for strikes on Ukraine last night:

Russia unleashed 499 air targets on Ukraine overnight — a new record of terror.

Art by Nikita Titov

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 4:41 AM

A staggering 499 drones and missiles were launched by Russia last night, targeting Ukrainian cities as their residents slept.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 7:48 AM

What a night.
– The Ukrainian Defence Forces intercepted 479 out of 499 enemy air threats;
– Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to target the russian war machine: hitting the Savasleyka airbase where at least 2 jets were hit (likely MiG-31 & Su-30/34) & a Shahed component factory in Cheboksary 🔥

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 7:57 AM

Again? Again.

Russian planes are in the air and on their way to bomb Ukraine.

After unleashing almost 500 drones and missiles on Ukraine just last night.

Too bad we couldn’t destroy all of them.

Please keep Ukraine in your thoughts tonight.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 4:42 PM

According to monitoring groups, planes landed back without launching missiles. We are under russian drone attack tho

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 6:52 PM

And they are back at it tonight. All of eastern and most of central Ukraine is under air raid alert for drone swarms at 3:50 AM local time in Ukraine/8:50 PM EDT.

A maternity hospital, along with other buildings, is on fire in Odesa following a Russian drone strike.

Monsters.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 7:03 PM

Russian drone strike damaged the administrative building of a maternity hospital in Odesa. The fact that no one died is nothing short of a miracle.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 7:29 PM

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

Every One of Our Units That Successfully Fulfills Its Mission on Its Front Is Protecting the Entire Country – Address by the President

9 June 2025 – 20:10

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

Today, the first stage of the prisoner exchange agreed in Istanbul has begun. More stages will follow – at least, that’s what was discussed with the Russian side. This exchange is to include the wounded, the severely wounded, and also those aged 25 and younger. The exchange process is expected to take place over multiple days. The details of the process are quite sensitive, so for now, there is less information than usual. I thank everyone who is helping to carry out the exchange and working to ensure that all our people can return home from Russian captivity.

I held a meeting on June’s international agenda – much has already been planned. And one of the key issues will be precisely this: speeding up diplomacy and achieving real decisions. No meeting should be hollow – in Ukraine, we must always feel the exact value of each negotiation, each format. If a meeting doesn’t bring us closer to decisions that can end the war through diplomacy, then there must be decisions that will help strengthen our defense, our active operations, or increase pressure on Russia. Severe pressure on Russia or real, effective diplomacy to end the war – those are the only possible options.

Today, I held a meeting of the Staff. There were also separate discussions with Defense Minister Umerov, Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, and Chief of the General Staff Hnatov. Intelligence and the Security Service of Ukraine delivered their reports. The primary focus was the frontline, the formation and development of corps, and our strikes on Russian military targets: all their assets contributing to strikes against Ukraine. Our precision matters and should not only spoil the mood in Moscow, but also undermine the real capacity of military production, army supplies, and strategic potential. I thank all our warriors and companies who make this possible. I am also grateful to all our warriors for their tenacity.

The fiercest and most intense fighting continues in the Pokrovsk direction, in the areas of the Kursk operation, and along the border in the Sumy region. Russian tactics remain the same everywhere: ignore losses and try to advance, storming our Ukrainian positions in an attempt to seize even a single meter, anything at all. But their potential is not infinite. That’s why a certain level of Russian casualties – and our actions – should and do hinder their advance. Every one of our units that successfully fulfills its mission on its front is protecting the entire country. The Pokrovsk direction: the 117th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade and the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade – thank you, warriors, for your strength! The Kursk direction: the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade and the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade – thank you! And every unit in the Sumy region, in the Kharkiv region – all those defending Ukraine’s border areas and doing so effectively – thank you! Thank you!

Glory to Ukraine!

Georgia:

Day 194 of #GeorgiaProtests

“No justice, no peace!”

📷 George Burjanadze

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 2:42 PM

Speaking about Ambassador Fischer, who’s been attending journalist Mzia Amaglobeli’s court hearings, Tsulukiani says that he “doesn’t miss the trials of opposition leaders” and offers him “the opportunity to attend the GD investigative commission’s sessions instead”.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 7:13 AM

🟥Tina Bokuchava, leader of the UNM party, has stated that her husband, Kote Ioseliani, was abducted and threatened with harm to their children shortly before recording a video apology to Uta Ivanishvili, the son of Georgian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. Acc/to her, abduction aimed to intimidate her.

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) June 9, 2025 at 4:37 AM

I am not afraid, I will not be silenced, and I will fight till the end to demolish your violent regime!”

– UNM Chair Tina Bokuchava states after the Georgian Dream regime kidnapped & blindfolded her husband; threatened with their 3 children in order to silence her.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 4:23 AM

1/ The UNM chair Tina Bokuchava said her husband was kidnapped and beaten, and that he was threatened — including threats to their children’s safety — to force him to record a video denying his seven-year-old statement about Ivanishvili’s son’s sexual orientation.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 3:34 AM

2/ Tina Bokuchava said: “My husband was attacked at night by five masked men near the entrance to our house, close to Vake Pond. Fortunately, they were unable to inflict serious physical injuries”.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 3:34 AM

3/ “During the physical confrontation, he was forced into a car, blindfolded, handcuffed, and abducted in an unknown direction. As she was blindfolded, it is impossible for us to determine the exact location”.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 3:34 AM

4/ “However, based on the distance and trajectory, we believe he was taken to the Module building, where he was held for many hours”.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 3:34 AM

5/ Tina Bokuchava claims that the pressure is intended to silence her in her role as the leader of the UNM, and that is why her family is being subjected to it.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 4:06 AM

Head of Patrol Police Vazha Siradze steps down for real, confirming it with a post of gratitude to the regime.

The Georgian Dream is getting rid of all those sanctioned. At the same time, it isn’t really able to recruit people of the same caliber, downgrading.

More sanctions!

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 2:47 PM

Giorgi Bachiashvili said today that Anri Okhanashvili, the current head of the State Security Service, was also on the plane that brought him back to Tbilisi from Abu Dhabi following his kidnapping.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 9:13 AM

Back to Ukraine.

We’ve become basically desensitised to successive record breaking air attacks by Russia against Ukraine. “Russia launched almost 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian forces said on Monday.” www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/w…

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 4:06 PM

From The New York Times:

Russia launched 499 drones and missiles overnight, Ukraine said on Monday, the largest air assault of the war as Moscow intensifies attacks and peace talks stall.

Russia has been stepping up attacks in recent months, an effort that appears to have escalated further after Ukraine mounted a large-scale, coordinated assault on Russian air bases on June 1. In the days since, Russia mounted one of the biggest aerial assaults of the war — which Moscow described as retaliation for the surprise Ukrainian strikes on its bombers.

On Monday, the Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia had launched 479 drones and 20 missiles overnight — the largest number of drones recorded since the war began more than three years ago. Most were intercepted, but 10 strikes were recorded, according to the air force.

One person was killed in the Rivne region of western Ukraine and a Russian strike damaged a private home in the Kyiv region, according to the local authorities. Officials in the Sumy region said that nine people had been injured over the past day. There were no other immediate reports of further damage or casualties.

Amid the intensified bombardment, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine urged civilians to pay attention to air-raid warnings.

“Please take care of yourselves,” he said in his overnight address. “Take care of yourselves and Ukraine.”

7Comments

1.

Jay

June 9, 2025 at 10:21 pm

Thank you, Adam.
2.

Westyny

June 9, 2025 at 10:36 pm

Thank you, as always, Adam.
3.

Tenar Arha

June 9, 2025 at 11:13 pm

Thanks Adam.
4.

Joey Maloney

June 9, 2025 at 11:44 pm

Thank you!

Wrong “Its” in headline /pedant
5.

Medicine Man

June 10, 2025 at 1:57 am

Thank you, Adam.
6.

Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom

June 10, 2025 at 2:43 am

The Russians really have a penchant for hitting hospitals, eh?😠

Someone needs to smuggle some Bluetooth tracking devices into Georgia, so certain people don’t go “missing” . I’m not entirely joking.

Thank you Adam.
7.

AlaskaReader

June 10, 2025 at 11:34 pm

Thanks Adam

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The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

We still have time to mess this up!

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

The “burn-it-down” people are good with that until they become part of the kindling.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

The revolution will be supervised.

Not loving this new fraud based economy.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

How stupid are these people?

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

Let me file that under fuck it.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

War for Ukraine Day 1,201: Russia Continues It’s Nightly Bombardments

Every One of Our Units That Successfully Fulfills Its Mission on Its Front Is Protecting the Entire Country – Address by the President

Every One of Our Units That Successfully Fulfills Its Mission on Its Front Is Protecting the Entire Country – Address by the President

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7Comments