From: Transform Ukraine By Douglas Landro / June 23, 2025
Kyiv Under Massive Attack as Commander Reveals $10 Billion in Russian Damage from Ukrainian Deep Strikes, While Iran Oil Crisis Could Fund Putin’s War Machine
Summary of the Day – June 22, 2025
The theater of war expanded dramatically as U.S. President Donald Trump’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities sent shockwaves through global energy markets, creating an unexpected lifeline for Russia’s war economy just as Ukrainian forces demonstrated remarkable resilience across multiple fronts. While Moscow condemned American “violations of international law” with breathtaking hypocrisy, oil prices surged toward levels that could fundamentally alter the war’s financial dynamics. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi revealed that Ukrainian forces had inflicted $10 billion in damage on Russian territory while holding 90 square kilometers in Kursk Oblast, even as Russian forces pressed their summer offensive with nearly 695,000 troops. The day’s bloodshed included devastating missile strikes on Kyiv and Ukrainian training facilities, while the hidden costs of war emerged through corruption scandals and the deaths of recently released prisoners of war.
Moscow’s Masterful Hypocrisy: Iran Partnership Deepens as Oil Weapon Emerges
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s condemnation of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as “grossly violating international law” reached new heights of diplomatic cynicism, delivered while authorizing continued missile barrages against Ukrainian civilians. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that “the world will descend into chaos” if countries interpret self-defense rights as they wish—a statement of staggering irony from a nation systematically dismantling international order through its unprovoked invasion.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev amplified nuclear saber-rattling, claiming the U.S. had “failed to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities” and that “several unspecified countries are ready to directly supply Iran with nuclear warheads.” CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev announced that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was en route to Moscow for a June 23 meeting with Putin.
Araghchi confirmed his travel during an Istanbul press conference, declaring “We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions.” He added that there was “no red line” the U.S. had not crossed, suggesting escalating regional tensions that could reshape global energy dynamics.
Iran’s Parliament voted on June 22 to close the Strait of Hormuz—a decision that could transform Russia’s deteriorating war economy from dire straits to sustainable conflict funding. With Brent crude already climbing 11.4 percent to $77.27 since Israeli strikes began, analysts predicted a potential surge to $90-130 per barrel should Iran choke off this critical energy artery.
Voice of Ukraine 