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Balkan Insight (23 June 2026)

Maksim Samorukov

The war in Ukraine may be going badly – but in Bulgaria and Bosnia, Russia is making headway without having to take any action. Whether this will result in genuine gains is another question.

June has proved a tough month for Russia, with setbacks multiplying on various fronts. A long-awaited breakthrough on the battlefield against Ukraine remains as remote a prospect as ever, while Kyiv has brought drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure to a new level of efficiency.

The Kremlin had hardly recovered from the embarrassment of black smoke covering the opening of Russia’s showcase economic forum in St Petersburg when another oil refinery exploded in Moscow, generating even more spectacular pictures.

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