Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Brussels, June 18, 2026

EA-Times Radio VideoCast: Russia’s “Hybrid War” Beyond Ukraine

Thursday’s Coverage: Moscow’s Oil Refinery On Fire After Kyiv’s Drone Strikes

UPDATE 2241 GMT:

The office of European Council President António Costa has launched discussions with the Kremlin.

A European Union official said Costa’s chief of staff Pedro Lourtie had multiple phone calls with a senior Russian official in “brief contacts…to open communication channels”.

Numerous EU leaders told Costa on Thursday evening that they disagreed with his move, according to “diplomats briefed on the private discussions”. Some asked him to stop.

The critics said the time was not right to engage with the Kremlin and all capitals should have been consulted first.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blasted the effort in an essay on the Ministry website, saying Europe is “a party bent on Russia’s defeat” and is re-arming to prepare for conflict with Russia by 2030.

“Dialogue with Europe, therefore, cannot be conducted as though it were an impartial third-party observer,” he snapped.

UPDATE 2232 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Belarus to halt its support of Russia’s drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

Zelensky said Russia was using relay stations on Belarusian towers. He addressed Belarus leader Aleksandr Lukashenko:

Russia will continue to push him [Lukashenko] into this war. Now he understands that Ukraine will respond.

Today he has repeaters on his towers. On his territory, along two regions bordering Ukraine, there is equipment that adjusts fire on the Ukrainian population.

They are killing civilians there.

Zelensky said a week was sufficient for Lukashenko to turn off the relays. “If he doesn’t do it, we will,” the President assured, saying that Kyiv would try to prevent Belarus from selling oil.

UPDATE 1516 GMT:

At least 11 civilians, including an 8-year-old girl, were murdered and 63 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

Russian drones also targeted two civilian vessels, under the flags of Panama and of St. Kitts and Nevis, sailing from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. One crew member was killed and two were injured aboard one vessel, while three crew members were wounded aboard the other.

Air defenses downed 79 of 90 attack drones launched by Russia, but nine hit eight locations.

In the Odesa region in the south, one person was killed and four injured when Russian drones set a fire in a truck parking area.

In the Sumy region in the northeast, a 78-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man were killed and four others injured amid 40 attacks on 23 settlements.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region in the southeast, three civilians were murdered, including the 8-year-old girl, and 18 injured.

In the neighboring Kherson region, one person was killed and nine injured as the Russians targeted a bus and pedestrians.

In the Kharkiv region in the northeast, one person was slain and 15 injured, including four children.

In the Donetsk region in the east, two civilians were murdered and four wounded.

Casualties were also reported in the Zaporizhzhia region.

UPDATE 0820 GMT:

Officials suspect Russian intelligence services are behind the fatal shooting of exiled activist and artist Robert Kuzovkov in eastern Poland on Monday.

A 36-year-old with a Georgian passport and alleged links to organized crime has been arrested.

Kuzovkov painted unflattering caricatures of Vladimir Putin and high-ranking Russian officials, including one of Putin cradled in the arms of Joseph Stalin.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the killing appears to be a political assassination, possibly ordered by Russia.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: European supporters of Ukraine have hailed “a new momentum” for Kyiv against Russia’s invasion.

As he and European Commission Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Council President António Costa spoke of “a historic week” with formal accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova underway.

“The EU, the US, and our partners from Canada, Japan, the UK – all of us – are working together to continue to support Ukraine,” he said.

Von der Leyen said Ukraine “deserves it, because you have been working so hard to move forward with the necessary reforms”. She said “the tide is turning,” as “Ukraine is holding the line, even partially regaining its territory”, while Russia is struggling with a “suffering” and growing digital censorship.

Zelensky responded that it is “a really great moment for Ukraine”.

He followed up at the summit:

Military Aid for Ukraine

After meetings of NATO Defense Ministers and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Kyiv’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said allies pledged $4 billion in aid, primarily consisting of air defense missiles, drones, and artillery.

Fedorov said almost $1 billion will be directed through the PURL program, in which NATO members buy US arms, to provide Ukraine with interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems. Germany, Norway, Netherlands, and Sweden are suppoorting the bulk of the assistance.

Allies also pledged more than $1 billion in drones.

Earlier in the day, the UK announced provision of 150,000 drones and more than 350 air defense missiles and ground-based radar systems under a new military aid package worth £752 million ($1 billion). The Netherlands announced an additional €500 million, including €250 million ($287 million) to strengthen Ukraine’s drone capabilities.

Norway, Denmark, Spain, Lithuania, and Luxembourg committed a total of $540 million for long-range artillery ammunition.

EU Seeks Line of Communication with Russia While Extending Sanctions

EU officials said the bloc has reached out to Russia to open a line of communication. However, several leaders said there was no point in rushing into talks with Russia. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs summarized:

First of ⁠all, there has to be someone on the other side willing for peace. Unfortunately no one wants peace on that side….There is no point for contact if the ​other party doesn’t want [peace].

EU leaders agreed ⁠to ⁠renew sanctions ​against Russia for another ⁠12 months, a ​spokesperson ‌confirmed.

Previously, the 27 members had only agreed on six-month extensions.