Ukraine warns it may revise ceasefire offer as UN Security Council stalls

Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Andrii Melnyk, warned on Wednesday that the country may revise its ceasefire offer to Russia if the UN Security Council does not adopt a resolution calling for a full and unconditional end to hostilities. Melnyk stated that Ukraine has changed the dynamics of the war with recent strikes, damaging about 40% of Russia's oil refineries. He emphasized that Ukraine is ready for direct negotiations with Russia, but "our patience is not endless." If the Security Council continues a wait-and-see approach, Ukraine may recalibrate its offer. A ceasefire along the de facto front line is already a great compromise, he added.

Melnyk's remarks reflect growing confidence that Ukraine has seized the initiative. Russian cities are experiencing fuel shortages, and Ukraine's "middle strike" campaign has seriously disrupted supply lines to occupying forces. In annexed Crimea, civilian gasoline sales have been halted, and all summer camps stopped accepting children from Monday for security reasons. Moscow's four airports were temporarily closed on Monday due to a wave of drone attacks.

The Ukrainian military said it struck a plant in Russia's Voronezh region that produces electronics for missiles, killing five and wounding dozens. The general staff reported that precision cruise missiles hit the facility, which makes components for Iskander missiles. Russia's Dubna satellite communications center was also hit. Russian state news agency TASS reported a "massive drone attack" by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian drone maker General Cherry disclosed that one of its factories was hit – a rare admission.

On Tuesday morning, Kyiv was put on air raid alert. Russian strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region wounded two people, while three were wounded in Sumy late Monday. A drone attack on Kharkiv injured one woman. A Russian drone strike on Sumy killed three members of one family, including a 13-year-old boy. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said their home was destroyed and was not a military target. A nighttime drone attack in Zaporizhzhia killed a woman and wounded three, including an 11-year-old boy.

The UN reports over 16,000 civilian deaths in the war. May saw the highest monthly civilian casualty count since April 2022: at least 274 killed and 1,763 injured. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said a Russian drone hit a ship in the Black Sea, killing its Egyptian cook. Eight sailors, including citizens of Turkey and India, abandoned the vessel on a life raft, and the ship sustained significant damage and lost seaworthiness.