I really don’t have much to say about the news. We don’t know much. Specifically, whether they got the weaponeering right to actually achieve any real effects. The reporting last week was that no one had ever tried a strike like the one just made on Fordow. Specifically, that conventional penetrators wouldn’t work or multiple strikes would be required, which might not be possible so only a low yield “tactical” nuclear penetrator. But that had been ruled out. The White House denied the reporting.
The Guardian on Wednesday claimed that the U.S. military has reservations regarding the success of using a bunker-buster bomb, a nonnuclear weapon, to eliminate Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility, buried deep in a mountain. Two defense officials were reportedly briefed that only a tactical nuclear weapon could reach the facility, but The Guardian noted that Trump is not considering using a tactical nuke.
On Thursday, Fox News senior White House correspondent Jaqui Heinrich reported that the White House told her otherwise.
“I was just told by a top official here that none of that report is true, that none of the options are off the table, and the U.S. military is very confident that bunker busters could get the job done at Fordo,” Heinrich said.
We won’t know anything until there’s more reporting, until CENTCOM does a battle damage assessment, and then someone releases it.
US personnel within the CENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR) are in for a very long ugly early morning and several very long days.
What we do know is that this strike is not in response to an attack on the US. This is not self defense. It is unconstitutional and illegal, not that that is anything new over the past six months.
The cost:
💔 In the Rivne region, Ukrainian soldier Serhii Dobrovolskyi has died — just days after returning home from russian captivity.
Serhii was 43. He had been considered missing in action since 2023, but was freed during the recent large prisoner swap at the end of May.
Source: mayor Vladyslav Sukhliak.— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Here’s last night’s air defense tally:
260 out of 280 targets shot down, jammed or lost track of in last night’s air attack on democratic Ukraine by fascist Russia. A 92.8% rate overall, 93.75% for drones but 55% for aeroballistic/cruise missiles. Drones can be deadly, but missiles remain the greatest threat.
— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 3:46 AM
When Putin says “where a Russian soldier steps, it’s ours,” he’s talking about Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltics, Moldova, the Caucasus, and countries like Kazakhstan, says Zelensky.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
When a Murderer Says He Wants to Kill, We Take That Accordingly, and We Will Respond Together With Our Partners – Address by the President
21 June 2025 – 16:34
I wish you good health, fellow Ukrainians!
I have just received a report from the Security Service of Ukraine, from the Head of the Service, Vasyl Maliuk. Today, I also spoke with the Commander-in-Chief and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Yesterday, everyone heard the signals from Russia’s leader. Whether it was bravado or madness on his part – it can be interpreted in any way. But when a murderer says he wants to kill, we take that accordingly, and we will respond together with our partners. I hope, with all our partners.
Yesterday, Putin put on a performance, particularly for the United States too, and he spoke completely openly. Yes, he wants all of Ukraine – and he had wanted it not just for four years, not just since 2014, but long before that, because he himself was shaped that way by Russian imperialism.
And when he speaks about Ukraine and something else about Russian soldiers’ boots on the ground, he is also speaking about Belarus, the Baltic states, Moldova, the Caucasus, countries like Kazakhstan, and every place on Earth that Russian killers can reach. Putin’s power ends where the capabilities of Russian killers end.
Of course, we will find Ukrainian drones for every boot of a Russian occupier. Of course, Ukraine will defend itself. We all clearly understand that the issue of Ukraine’s independence is a matter of survival for Ukrainians.
Over these years under Putin, the Russians have gone further, much further than the Gulag and many other things of the past. They burn cities, they burn villages to the ground, leaving only ruins and no human life. Anyone in the world can see what Putin has absolutely deliberately done to Donbas. Donbas has been essentially destroyed. And it was them in Moscow who once claimed they would bring protection to Donbas. What they actually brought was death – and this is the only thing they know how to deliver. Our communities in the Kharkiv region, in the border areas of our Sumy region, and in the Kherson region – the Russians are doing the same thing everywhere.
Ukraine is grateful to everyone around the world who helps strengthen our defense, who supports our warriors, and all our people. We are grateful to everyone who enforces truly strong sanctions against Russia and blocks schemes that enable trade with Russia. We are grateful to everyone advancing diplomacy.
But it is Russia that rejects peace proposals. And not just some – all of them: American, and, by the way, Chinese, European, Brazilian, African, Indian. Regardless of who says the war must be stopped, Putin doesn’t listen. It is Putin who speaks openly to the world about which cities he threatens and which nations he claims don’t exist.
We hope President Trump hears this – and sees how Putin is now trying to prolong even the Iranian regime’s survival, just to buy more time for his own madness and the murder of thousands.
A response is clearly needed. Everyone in the world must choose where they stand. On our part, we in Ukraine have adopted a number of new decisions, taking into account the frankness of the Russian murderers who openly declare that they do not intend to stop.
First, there will be new international measures on our part to achieve truly tangible international sanctions against Russia. We know every target for international sanctions. I have assigned separate work engaging the global corporate sector, particularly those maintaining connections of the Russian energy and defense industries with the world. We are also intensifying all sanctions-related work within Ukraine – internal efforts so that everyone who still helps Russia, cooperates with it in any way, or maintains businesses in the occupied territories – so that each such individual feels that this is absolutely criminal activity. Justice must be ensured, including through domestic decisions.
Second, we will allocate more resources to our drones of all types, from deep-strike drones to concrete protection against Russian boots on the frontline.
Third, we will make changes to certain staff positions, including within the Ukrainian diplomatic corps and institutional management, to increase Ukraine’s potential both in relations with partners and in internal Ukrainian resilience. As for the diplomatic corps, in a month – including through a meeting with all Ukrainian ambassadors – we will draw conclusions about this transformation.
Currently, this is a month of special measures aimed at applying new pressure on Russia – on the occupier – to complicate their situation, thereby simplifying our path to peace. Details of today’s instructions to the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine remain confidential. Separately, the National Security and Defense Council will issue decisions; they are currently being prepared. And we will provide virtually daily updates on what Ukrainian diplomats are doing to achieve our Ukrainian goals.
The defense of Ukraine, the protection of our independence, and the strengthening of our sovereignty – all of this is about saving lives. I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine! I have absolute confidence in Ukrainians.
Glory to Ukraine!
Georgia:
Day 206 of #GeorgiaProtests
I had a lengthly discussion with my friend about the importance of continuity until we reach the next stage of large protests and the eventual victory.
It’s a matter of principle for us.
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 4:49 PM
For the 206th consecutive day, Rustaveli Avenue is blocked in Tbilisi.
Protests continue in cities across Georgia. ✊🇬🇪
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Nino Datashvili’s trial is happening now. Judge Eka Barbakadze isn’t allowing photos—no reason given.
Nino was arrested at a bus stop by men without uniforms who took her phone and wouldn’t let her call her child to hand over their only house key. She wasn’t allowed to call anyone for hours.
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 7:50 AM
🧵1/ Judge Eka Barbakadze ordered pre-trial detention as a preventive measure for Nino Datashvili.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 9:18 AM
2/ Nino Datashvili, a teacher and activist, was arrested on June 20 – one week after the MIA launched an investigation under Article 353(2), accusing her of “assaulting” a court bailiff during a scuffle at Tbilisi City Court.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 9:18 AM
3/ On June 9, Nino Datashvili was at the Tbilisi City Court during a hearing for the eight prisoners of conscience. According to her, she wanted to see a friend near courtroom number one, where the hearing was taking place, but a court bailiff did not allow her to do so.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 9:18 AM
4/ Video footage shows that, in protest, Nino Datashvili sat on the windowsill near the courtroom, which led to a verbal confrontation between her and the court bailiff.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 9:18 AM
5/ The bailiff then began to forcibly remove her from the area. Datashvili repeatedly asked the bailiff to state the legal basis or the specific article prohibiting her from being present there.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 9:18 AM
6/ After that, several more court bailiffs arrived and forcibly escorted Datashvili away. The footage shows both verbal exchanges and physical scuffling. Ultimately, court bailiffs used force to remove Nino Datashvili from the courthouse.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 9:18 AM
7/ The article under which the teacher is being charged was amended by Georgian Dream earlier this spring and, if convicted, provides for either a fine or imprisonment ranging from 4 to 7 years.
— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Very few people are psychologically, mentally, emotionally fit to push through a prolonged time of uncertainty & no guarantees.
And this is what autocracies count on.
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Dictatorships indeed appear stable – until they suddenly collapse.
But the collapse will not come without public resistance.
And that’s the hard part – convincing people to keep going even as the bad guys seem stable.
The struggle in Georgia now.
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Belarus:
Sergei Tikhanovsky, husband of Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, was freed after over five years in prison. Belarus released 14 prisoners following US envoy Keith Kellogg’s visit, including his deputy John Cole.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Germany and Canada:
Germany and Canada have agreed to fund the production of Ukrainian anti-Shahed drones — according to President Zelensky.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 10:25 AM
/2. “Their production is ready to be financed by Germany — relevant agreements have been reached with Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Canada will also support their production — this was discussed during a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 summit,”
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Back to Ukraine.
/1. Zelensky: “We have started the Build with Ukraine program, and this summer we will sign agreements to begin exporting our technologies abroad by opening production lines in European countries—and maybe beyond—in countries that support us and finance drone and missile production in Ukraine.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 7:56 AM
/2. …We will provide the necessary technologies and manufacture weapons there for both Ukraine and those countries: various types of drones, missiles, and possibly artillery. Agreements are already in place. During the war, we plan to supply all this to the Ukrainian Armed Forces….
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 7:56 AM
/3. …This year, we have secured $43 billion for Ukraine’s defense industry. These funds support our defense sector. Ukraine is part of Europe’s security, and next year we want partner countries to allocate 0.25% of their GDP to support domestic defense production in Ukraine.”
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Ukrainian ground kamikaze drone drives right into the Russians’ underground shelter and blows it up from the inside.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Ukraine has started producing homegrown radar systems to detect Russian drones. These radars are already being supplied to the military, especially to drone-interceptor units.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Ukrainian drone operators from the 14th Separate UAV Regiment took out a rare Russian 9S36M Viking radar. They hit the chassis first, then fully disabled the radar.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Kramatorsk:
Russia has struck Kramatorsk, damaging a multi-story building, according to city authorities. It’s believed there are people trapped under the rubble as rescue operations continue.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Sloviansk:
In a separate attack, Russians also shelled Sloviansk. This assault tragically killed a 17-year-old boy and wounded three others. The shelling also damaged 32 private homes, 2 administrative buildings, 4 apartment buildings, a production facility, and 3 cars.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Chernihiv Oblast:
Today, russia attacked a house in the Chernihiv region with a drone for no military reason whatsoever, murdering a person.
Why? What did it achieve them?
There is a dozen of such news every day with no coverage in media.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 5:21 PM
The Russian occupied portion of Zaporizhzhia Oblast:
Additional photo of a targeted Russian fuel train on the Zaporizhzhia front.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
A Russian fuel train is ablaze near Tokmak, with at least 11 tanker cars on fire. A massive plume of smoke is visible from up to 20 kilometers away.- Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of Occupation, reported.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Kherson:
Russia keeps mercilessly attacking Kherson!
Overnight, the Russian army shelled Kherson’s Central district, according to the Regional Military Administration.
The attacks damaged multi-story residential buildings. Homes sustained damage to balconies, walls, and roofs, with windows blown out.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Several apartments were hit directly by shells. An 85-year-old woman, who was in one of these apartments, was hospitalized with injuries.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Kremenchuk:
Looks like a Hollywood scene? No. This is real.
Kremenchuk was hit again last night. Real terror against innocent people.
Real superheroes rescuing. Global inaction is real as well.
russia won’t stop unless it’s made by force to stop. Is that still a mystery for anyone?— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Cluster munitions, appearing as metallic spheres approximately 10 cm in diameter, have been discovered in Kremenchuk following a Russian attack.
Their resemblance to toys or balls makes them particularly dangerous for children – police reports.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 7:38 AM
The Black Sea:
A Russian/Iranian Shahed attack drone, shot down, or perhaps disabled by jamming (it seems to be intact) plunges into the Black Sea off the coast of Odesa.
— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Sumy Oblast:
A group of 12 Russians surrenders in the Sumy region.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Russians attacked Sumy community civilian infrastructure twice tonight. First, likely a Lancet drone hit a company building. An hour later, a drone struck a residential house. No casualties reported.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Donetsk Oblast:
Ukrainian SBU cyber unit took out another R-330 Zhitel electronic warfare system in Donetsk region.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Russia:
As of June 15, Russia has over 1,950 missiles — including ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic Kinzhal types — and more than 6,000 Shahed-136 attack drones and decoys, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence. Russia is currently producing up to 195 missiles per month and 170 drones per day.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 4:51 AM
That’s enough for tonight.
Your daily Patron!
There are no new Patron skeets or videos today. Here is some adjacent material.
This is Mriya, a Belgian shepherd, she had a 39 hour shift yesterday
— Mira of Kyiv 🇺🇦 (@reshetz.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Open thread!
Trump: Bombing for Peace
RobinS
Adam I so very much appreciate your posts!
I have a question – Ukraine got secret drones into Russia. Israel got secret drones into Iran. Should we just assume there are secret drones in the U.S.?
wjca
Thanks Adam
Adam L Silverman
@RobinS: You’re most welcome.
As to you’re question, I have no idea. Given the ease with which one can buy commercial drones and the materials for making explosives, I would adopt the working premise that there most likely are. But I have nothing to back that up other than a sufficiently developed sense of paranoia.
Adam L Silverman
@wjca: You’re welcome.
just another boomer
Thank you, Adam, for this report on a heavy news day.
Particular thanks for starting with Serhii Dobrovolskyi’s death, sad but a victory nonetheless in returning to die among friends. He deserves to be remembered.
Putin may be trying for a bit of Stalin in his tone, but Stalin was not just Ni shagu nazad. Stalin was a lot better at steps forward than Putin is.
Adam L Silverman
@just another boomer: You’re most welcome.
jackmac
@Adam L Silverman: I’d say a “sufficiently developed sense of paranoia” about secret drones inside the United States is entirely warranted. Along with the dangers posed by some kind of Iranian retaliation here, such action could also provide Trump and minions an excuse for a security crackdown.
And thanks for all you do and all you manage to get into your nightly reporting.
Adam L Silverman
Time to get the grime off and rack out.
Adam L Silverman
@jackmac: You’re welcome.
Jay
Thank you, Adam.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
I get the feeling that isn’t going to happen. Feels like Trump ignoring reality on this one.
Westyny
Thank you, Adam.
RobinS
@Adam L Silverman: thank you
planetjanet
@Adam L Silverman: This is exactly my fear. The Ukranian attack deep inside Russia was startling. It feels like an attack here is just a matter of time.
Chris
@RobinS:
One of my biggest “my God, there are a lot of idiots in the world” came last December when a bunch of co-worker started talking about the UFO craze of the time (you know, when our governor identified UFOs that turned out to actually be stars). And while everybody was perfectly willing to believe that they were aliens, they absolutely ruled out the possibility that they might be drone from “Iran or something.” Because “they don’t have the technology.”
Ignoring for the moment the fact that Iran has been Russia’s main supplier of drones for years, how fucking thick do you have to be to think that it’s beyond Iran’s capacities to have some of their people in the U.S. simply buy a few of the million-odd drones that are commercially available right here.
I know I shouldn’t complain, better we have a panic about extraterrestrials than about real people, but my God, we’re a powerfully dumb species sometimes.
PJ
Adam, thanks for all the work you do on collating the terrible things involving oppressive dictators and morons going on around the world.
hotshoe
I figure that Putin is furious with Dirty Don right now — because military action in/against Iran disrupts Iran supplying Russia with Shahed drones.
Yeah, Dirty Don has layers of security, but he also chose to fill government offices with Americans corrupted by Russia. He should be careful what he drinks.
YY_Sima Qian
@RobinS:
@Adam L Silverman:
@jackmac:
China Hawks (at least the reality based ones) such as Tom Shugart have been warning about this threat vector for years, given the complete lack of hardening in US bases in CONUS & most parts of the Indo-Pacific, & the fact that the PRC dominates the consumer & (indeed key parts of the military) drone supply chain.
Banning DJI won’t address that threat, though.
YY_Sima Qian
Adam, the “tactical” nukes being discussed are not “low yield”. I posted an X thread by Jeffrey Lewis yesterday in another post, he went into detail the yields of the Robust Nuclear Enhanced Penetrators, which are B62-7/-11 nuclear bombs in thick steel casing. He also mentioned that is no benefit to penetrating more than ~ 10 m, given the 300-400 KT yield. However, such shallow penetration would not contain the nuclear explosion, & will release a huge amount of radioactivity & kick up a tremendous amount of radioactive dust. Civilian casualties will likely be tens to hundreds of thousands, if used against Fordow.
Trump officials pointedly refused to say such options are off the table, probably to sound tough.
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
zhena gogolia
Fuck everyone who voted for this monster.
Betty
The Ukrainians continue to amaze the world with their creative response to Russian aggression. I just keep praying the Russian people will reach the breaking point and say enough to Putin’s war.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
apparently in Bell, California ICE tried one of their raids and the entire community turns out to stop them. There reports of firetrucks being used to block ICE vehicles.
I think Trump did the attack in Iran to try and drown out what happen in Bell.
O. Felix Culpa
@zhena gogolia: Yes.
Ken B
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Trump has been having a rough month. His birthday parade was… let’s say less than he was hoping for. Most courts are not siding with him, though he still the six Shitheads Supreme, most of the time.
People have been mocking him for his cowardice and indecision (TACO, ‘two weeks’). His poll numbers are in free fall. ICE is about as popular as one of his loaded diapers.
All of this is really bad for a narcissist.
I think the main reason he did this is that he needed a win, and he thought this would be one. Notice in his announcement, he basically said “I hit you, I win, it’s over.” Classic bully thinking.
I don’t think the Iranians are going to accept that. Trump has blundered into something very nasty, and his continued blundering is going to make it worse.