War in Ukraine: kyiv continues to strike in Russia, Putin gets annoyed and warns

Have you missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Here is the gist of this Friday, June 12, 2026, on the 1,569th day of the conflict.

Fact of the day

The Russian president raises his voice. Ukrainian drone strikes, which have intensified in recent months, aim to “sow division” within Russian society and “damage” the economy, Vladimir Putin railed on Friday, assuring however that they “will not succeed”.

“Their goal is to divide Russian society, sow confusion and inflict economic damage. But they will not succeed,” declared the Russian president during a meeting in the Kremlin with soldiers. Vladimir Putin did not quantify the extent of the damage caused by these strikes, but he assured that “everything is quickly repaired”.

Moscow “must strengthen its air defense system,” said the Russian head of state, as he did last week after Ukrainian drones struck an oil installation and a military site in Saint Petersburg on the day of the opening of the Economic Forum in his hometown.

The number of the day

1.600. This is the distance in kilometers that separates the Ukrainian border and the ruse industrial city of Nizhnekamsk, located in the Republic of Tatarstan. This city was the scene of a drone attack by the Ukrainian army on the night of Thursday to Friday, causing injuries and causing the cancellation of celebrations on Friday, according to local authorities.

“For security reasons, it was decided to cancel all public events planned for today,” decided the mayor of Nizhnekamsk. June 12 is Russia Day, a national holiday. Following this strike, more than 20 people were moved to temporary accommodation, according to the mayor.

The Ukrainian General Staff, for its part, claimed responsibility on Telegram for nighttime strikes in Tatarstan that targeted two oil refineries located in Nizhnekamsk. Furthermore, during the night, in the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine, at least two civilians were killed in artillery fire, declared the acting governor.

Today’s statement

« An armed attack on Sweden or its allies cannot be ruled out »

The words are signed by the Swedish Parliamentary Defense Committee. In a report unveiled this Friday, the Scandinavian commission estimates that a Russian military offensive against NATO countries could take place in the “relatively near” future if the Kremlin deems the moment appropriate.

“Russian military offensives, to test the cohesion and credibility of Article 5 of the NATO treaty, could take place in the relatively near future if the political situation is considered favorable by the Kremlin,” the report develops. Article 5 states that an armed attack against one member country of the Alliance will be considered an attack against all.

According to the report, Moscow could take action even if it does not have sufficient military means to carry out such an attack.

“We can note that the security situation remains serious and characterized by a considerable degree of unpredictability. There is a risk of a rapid deterioration with serious consequences for the security of Sweden and Europe,” commented Jörgen Berglund, who chairs the parliamentary committee.

The trend

The European Union announced that it would formally resume negotiations with Ukraine on Monday for its accession, the process having been relaunched thanks to the lifting of the Hungarian veto.

“All member states have agreed to open the first “cluster” of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova,” announced Friday on X the President of the Council of the EU, Antonio Costa, welcoming “a major step” towards the enlargement of the bloc.