The massive bombing attacks occurred in Kyiv and the port city of Odessa using missiles and drones. They destroyed mainly civilian targets. The drones can not carry much payload, so the death toll was low. But, they carry a message to all Ukrainians, to leave because we are coming with tanks.
Ukrainian officials claim a maternity hospital was hit by missiles and drones. It is too soon to know the full extent of damage. The particular drone used by the Russians is the Iranian Shahed 136. It was a massive attack with 315 drones. Pictures of injured Ukrainians from broken glass from a maternity ward were really terrible.
Link: Wikipedia HESA Shahed 136 drone
So both Iran and Russia must be overjoyed to know that Secretary Hegseth will not deliver to Ukraine the essential component of anti-drone defense, namely the proximity fuzes so they can defend themselves.
Russia must be very happy with Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth as he failed to attend the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on June 5-6 at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. His opening remarks on February 12, 2025 were pretty bad, because he said laid fault with Ukraine for not conceding occupied territory in advance of “Peace Talks” which had nothing to do with peace.
Link: Hegseth to skip Ukraine meeting at NATO headquarters
Instead, Matt Whitaker, Ambassador to NATO went in his place. He has been on the job exactly two months and zero experience in the military. See video clip at end, of why Matt Whitaker should never been approved as Ambassador to NATO. See link at end of this post.
I applaud the Secretary General Mark Rutte, as he stated shorty after the meeting, “Wishful thinking will not keep us safe. We can not dream away the danger. Hope is not a strategy. So NATO has to become a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance.” His comments on increased spending should have been music to Donald Trump, as he stated, “America has carried too much of the burden for too long.”
It is clear, that Ukraine is struggling to defend itself. Putin can talk peace, but it is only to keep Trump happy, which he has managed to do quite well. He wants control of Ukraine. The next important date will be June 24-25, 2025 for the NATO Summit. I expect if Secretary Hegseth shows up, it will only be to praise Trump and congratulate certain nations on paying their fair share of NATO expenses.
The war could end tomorrow, if Russia simply respects the agreed upon borders of Ukraine. Ukraine’s only chance for long term survival is membership within NATO. It can only happen after the war is over.
Stay tuned,
Dave
Links:
Video clip by Rachel Maddow on Matt Whitaker, our Ambassador to NATO. Apparently, singing high praises to Trump is enough.
Opening Comments at February 12, NATO Group by Peter Hegseth
Excerpt for a Feb 13, 2025 article by Ivana Strader, Foundations for the Defense of Democracies, Ivana Strader
The original Minsk agreements were failures precisely because they provided no real backing for Ukraine, only a phony ceasefire and endless talks while Russia continued to bolster rebels in the Donbass. The Trump administration is right that the new negotiations must not become a third Minsk, but it is wrong to take Ukrainian Nato membership off the table. No matter what Putin’s propaganda may say, it is clear that he fears the Western alliance. In its imperial quest to rebuild the Soviet “sphere of influence” Russia has attacked Moldova, Georgia, and now Ukraine, all countries lacking the protection of Nato membership. Clearly, Nato membership is a powerful deterrent; it is also one which Russia has no grounds to object to. After all, the United States makes no demands as to the membership of Russia’s Collective Security Treaty Organisation. The Trump administration risks disarming itself of a key source of leverage before negotiations even begin.
You may have to sign up for a free 7 day subscription to read this article.
news and views 