Evening Brief: NATO Reaffirms Support for Ukraine Despite Zelenskyy’s Absence from Key Summit Meeting, Explosions in Qatar Follow Iranian Retaliation Threats

· SOFREP News Team

A lyceum in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa region, damaged by a direct hit in the latest Russian missile strike. (@ZelenskyyUa/X)

Good evening and welcome to your SOFREP Evening Brief for Monday, June 23, 2025. Here’s a quick look at today’s top developments: Russian strikes killed 14 in Ukraine, with major hits on Kyiv and Odesa. NATO reaffirmed its backing for Ukraine, even as President Zelenskyy was left out of a key summit session. Explosions shook Qatar amid Iranian threats following US-Israel airstrikes. The US approved Teledyne FLIR’s Black Hornet 4 drone for military deployment. In the US, a gunman was fatally shot outside a Michigan church. And in Asia, Thailand intercepted over 2 tons of meth, while Indonesia arrested 285 people in a sweeping drug crackdown.

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Russian Drone and Missile Barrage Kills 14 Civilians in Ukraine, Hits Kyiv and Odesa

Russian overnight attacks killed at least 14 civilians and injured dozens across Ukraine, with nine deaths in Kyiv where a missile strike caused part of an apartment building to collapse.

The assault included 352 drones, 11 ballistic missiles, and five cruise missiles, according to Ukraine’s air force, which reported intercepting most of them.

Later in the day, a Russian ballistic missile destroyed a high school in Ukraine’s Odesa region, killing two staff members. No children were present due to the summer break. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as “absolutely insane.”

Residential areas, hospitals, and subway stations in Kyiv sustained significant damage. Rescue teams pulled survivors from the wreckage, including a pregnant woman.

In Chernihiv, a drone strike killed two and wounded 10, including three children. One person died and eight were injured in Bila Tserkva.

Zelenskyy, currently visiting the United Kingdom, met with King Charles III and plans talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of the NATO summit. He blamed the attack on what he called a “coalition of murderers” involving Russia, North Korea, and Iran, citing evidence that North Korean missiles were used.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said it could take at least a year to identify thousands of repatriated soldier remains, with Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirming that Russia mistakenly returned the bodies of its own troops in recent swaps.

European leaders, including France’s foreign minister, condemned the strikes and pledged new sanctions against Moscow.

 

NATO Reaffirms Support for Ukraine Despite Zelenskyy’s Absence from Key Summit Meeting

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed Monday that Ukraine will remain central to this week’s alliance summit, even though President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not been invited to the leaders’ main working session.

Rutte emphasized that Ukraine’s defense remains a strategic priority and tied future defense spending goals through 2035 to support for Kyiv’s war effort.

Despite the diplomatic downgrade, Zelenskyy is expected to attend other meetings during the two-day summit. His strained relationship with US President Donald Trump, particularly after a contentious Oval Office meeting earlier this year, has reportedly contributed to the reduced visibility of Ukraine at the top-level gathering.

Rutte underscored that Russia remains NATO’s most direct threat, noting its continued war against Ukraine with backing from North Korea, Iran, China, and Belarus. He announced that European allies and Canada will increase their collective security aid to Ukraine to €35 billion ($40 billion) in the coming year, up from €20 billion ($23 billion).

 

Explosions in Qatar Follow Iranian Retaliation Threats Amid US-Israel Strikes

Explosions rocked Qatar Monday night, shortly after the country closed its airspace in response to Iranian threats of retaliation for US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Witnesses reported seeing missiles in the sky, though Qatari and Iranian officials have not formally confirmed an attack. The incidents came hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned of a response to any invasion.

The US, which operates the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, entered the Israel-Iran conflict Sunday by launching bunker-buster strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran. In response, Iran vowed retaliation and expanded missile attacks on Israel, striking cities including Haifa and Tel Aviv in what it called “Operation True Promise 3.”

Israeli officials confirmed air defenses responded to impacts near Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Israel expanded its campaign against Tehran by targeting symbolic regime sites, including the notorious Evin prison and roads near the Fordo enrichment facility. The Israeli military warned that further strikes are planned.

US President Trump fueled tensions by questioning the survival of Iran’s regime on social media, prompting Tehran to accuse Washington of invasion and sovereignty violations.

Iranian military officials now claim a “free hand” to attack American interests.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it expects severe damage at Fordo following the US strike. Iran claims it removed sensitive nuclear material ahead of the attack, though the IAEA has not confirmed.

Since the conflict escalated, Israeli attacks have killed at least 950 people in Iran, while Iran’s counterstrikes have killed 24 Israelis and wounded over 1,000. With tens of thousands of US troops stationed across the Middle East and Iran threatening to strike American forces, fears of a broader regional war continue to rise.

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the US-Israel strikes as “unprovoked aggression” and discussed crisis responses with Iran’s foreign minister in Moscow.

 

Teledyne FLIR’s Black Hornet 4 Drone Cleared for US Military Use

Teledyne FLIR Defense’s Black Hornet 4 nano drone has officially joined the US military’s Blue UAS (unmanned aircraft system) List after passing cybersecurity evaluations under the National Defense Authorization Act and receiving approval from the Defense Innovation Unit.

This listing grants Authority to Operate and permits government agencies to deploy the system in official operations.

The Black Hornet 4 is a compact, palm-sized reconnaissance drone designed for short-range missions in urban or complex environments. The full system, including its control unit, weighs just 2.9 pounds and is operable with minimal training. It offers over 30 minutes of flight time and a range beyond 1.9 miles, while maintaining stability in winds up to 25 knots and light rain.

Equipped with a 12MP daylight camera, thermal sensor, real-time video transmission, and obstacle avoidance, the drone supports both day and night missions in cluttered terrain.

To date, FLIR has delivered over 33,000 Black Hornet variants to armed forces in more than 45 countries.

In May, the company opened a 13,000-square-foot (1,208-square-meter) support facility in Somerset, Kentucky, focused on maintenance, testing, and training for US units. This follows a five-year contract awarded in October, initially worth $25 million with the potential to reach $91 million.

 

Gunman Killed Outside Michigan Church After Opening Fire During Worship Service

A gunman opened fire outside CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, on Sunday during a worship service led by children.

Security staff fatally shot the suspect, 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning, after a church member struck him with a truck as he approached the building armed and firing.

Browning, who had previously attended services with his mother, wore a tactical vest and carried both a rifle and a handgun. He wounded one person and was neutralized by two armed church staff members. A security team member was also shot in the leg and is in stable condition following surgery. Approximately 150 people were inside the church at the time.

Police suspect Browning may have been experiencing a mental health crisis. He had no criminal history. Authorities found multiple firearms and large quantities of ammunition at his Romulus home. Police Chief Ryan Strong credited the church’s swift response with preventing a mass casualty event.

Lead Pastor Bobby Kelly called the parishioner who hit the gunman a “hero” and noted that the service was moved indoors from its originally planned outdoor location, something he believes helped prevent further tragedy.

 

Thai Authorities Seize Over 2 Tons of Crystal Meth in Major Drug Bust

Thai authorities seized nearly 2.4 metric tons of crystal methamphetamine from a tourist boat near a pier in Rayong province, foiling a major smuggling attempt before the drugs could leave the country.

Eight men were arrested over the weekend in connection with the operation, which officials estimate could have yielded over 3 billion baht ($90.8 million) if sold abroad.

The meth was concealed in plastic bags labeled as corn flour, with each package containing about one kilogram. Authorities also confiscated a van and a truck suspected of being used in the smuggling operation.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra praised the crackdown and reaffirmed the government’s hardline stance on drug trafficking. The UN has identified neighboring Myanmar as the main source of methamphetamine in the region, with Southeast Asia seeing a surge in synthetic drug production and a record 236 tons of meth seized in 2024.

The bust highlights continued trafficking activity in the Golden Triangle, a notorious drug-producing region where meth has overtaken opium and heroin due to its ease of industrial-scale production.

 

Indonesia Arrests 285 in Nationwide Drug Crackdown, Seizes Over Half a Ton of Narcotics

Indonesian authorities arrested 285 suspected drug traffickers—among them 29 women and seven foreigners—during a two-month nationwide crackdown from April to June.

Officials seized around 683,885 grams (0.68 ton) of narcotics, including methamphetamine, marijuana, ecstasy, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), hashish, and amphetamines, preventing distribution to an estimated 1.3 million users.

The National Narcotic Agency (BNN) also uncovered two drug syndicate-linked money laundering schemes and confiscated assets worth over 26 billion rupiah ($1.5 million). Thirty-six suspects were paraded before the media in prison uniforms during a press event. Most of the women arrested were housewives, prompting officials to urge public vigilance against drug recruitment both online and offline.

Among the arrested were citizens from the US, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, India, and Australia.

In a separate operation in Riau Islands province in May, authorities intercepted 2.7 tons of meth and 1.2 tons of ketamine in maritime smuggling attempts.

Indonesia remains a key hub for regional drug trafficking, despite strict laws that include the death penalty for smuggling. By November 2024, authorities had logged over 56,000 drug cases, seized 7.5 tons of meth and 3.3 tons of marijuana, and arrested more than 27,000 suspects.

Currently, 530 people—96 of them foreign nationals—are on death row, primarily for drug-related offenses.

 

Sources: News Agencies