Israel–Iran escalation, Ukraine and Russia swap bodies - Friday brief
Collage by RBC-Ukraine
Israel strikes Iranian nuclear and military sites, and Tehran retaliates with a missile attack. Meanwhile, 1,200 fallen Ukrainians returned home.
Read more about what happened on Friday, June 13.
Israel-Iran conflict escalation - Consequences
During the night of June 13, Israeli aircraft launched strikes on Iran’s military and nuclear sites as part of its operation. Among the targets hit was the largest uranium enrichment facility in the city of Natanz.
The Iranian response was immediate - it launched hundreds of missiles toward Israeli territory. Tel Aviv was among the targets hit.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced a response to Iran’s strikes, saying it would be "unbearable" for them.
What consequences could the current escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict have globally and for Ukraine, read RBC-Ukraine's analysis.
Ukraine recovers bodies of 1,200 more fallen soldiers
The bodies of another 1,200 deceased Ukrainians have been returned from Russia, some of whom were fallen defenders. The repatriation took place under agreements made in Istanbul.
According to officials, law enforcement investigators and Interior Ministry experts will now carry out the necessary forensic examinations and identify the returned remains.
For the first time, as noted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the repatriation used specialized rail cars provided by Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways). This enables faster transportation of the fallen to various regional facilities for identification and further procedures.
Bus with Ukrainian children crashes in France
A major accident occurred in France involving a bus carrying Ukrainians, including a group of children, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.
Four people were confirmed dead, and at least 30 others were injured — 11 of them in serious condition.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the bus was returning from an educational exchange at a French lycée in Brittany. On its way to Paris, the driver lost control and the bus veered into a ditch.
EU extends temporary protection for Ukrainians until 2027
The Council of the European Union has unanimously agreed to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 4, 2027.
The EU noted that this protection system reduces pressure on national asylum systems, as those under temporary protection don’t need to apply for asylum individually. The extension sends a clear message to displaced Ukrainians that they do not need to file for asylum.
The extension does not alter the scope or rights established by the original 2022 decision.
Russian Su-25 aircraft crashes in Donetsk region
A Russian Su-25 attack aircraft crashed during a combat flight in the Donetsk region — likely shot down by its own wingman.
Russian blogger and aviation Telegram channel author Ilya Tumanov (Fighterbomber) posted a video of the crash and stated that “the causes of the Su-25 crash can be considered established.”
“The pilot is in the hospital with a broken arm. A commission will determine what went wrong and who is to blame,” Tumanov added.
The incident was also confirmed by Ukrainian OSINT analyst AviVector.
According to him, a pair of Su-25s from the Taganrog-Central airfield were conducting operations in the Vuhledar-Avdiivka direction when one of the aircraft crashed.
Meanwhile, OSINTtechnical reported that in the morning, a Russian Air Force Su-25 pilot accidentally shot down his wingman with unguided rockets over the Donetsk region.
