On Monday morning, June 15, Reuters reported on a Russian attack that heavily damaged a 1000-year-old Ukrainian monastery of immense historical, cultural, and spiritual significance:
As flames leapt above the religious compound, Kyiv residents took shelter underground in the worst Russian attack on Ukraine since early June, when drones and missiles killed more than 20 people and left more than 100 wounded.
(“Historic Ukrainian monastery damaged, 10 people killed in Russian attacks” | Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/one-injured-ukraine-repels-air-attacks-over-kyiv-local-authorities-say-2026-06-14/)
News photos document the damage incurred. This public domain photo shows the monastery before drones swooped in:
The story got buried amid the 80thbirthday party news and the Iran deal news. What appeared to be debris from a Russian drone was photographed in the vicinity.
In a report covering the response from Catholic and Orthodox leaders, OSV News noted that more than 700 religious sites in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks, according to monitors. In a post on X, as noted in both the Reuters and the OSV News stories, the primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, called the drone attack on the monastery “another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity.” He continued:
What more must the Kremlin Antichrist do for the world to realize that decisive action must be taken so that the Russian terror against Ukraine and the very principles of peace comes to an end?
Fact: The current Russo-Ukrainian War, which began with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, has now lasted more days than all of World War 1.
Fact: As we have documented in the Kotok Report, Putin’s attacks focus on civilian targets like the maternity hospital in Odessa. I won’t take time to enumerate all the citations. There are hundreds of examples.
Fact: We have documented repeated lies and deception by Putin and his mouthpieces like Lavrov and Peskov.
Fact: According to estimates, Russian casualties in Putin’s war now exceed a million. Russia’s economy is failing. Russia’s inflation is in double digits, and so are its interest rates.
Fact: The yield on Russian bonds now tops 15% and ranks second highest in the world. (Turkey’s bond yield is highest at a jaw-dropping 31%, and Brazil’s is third.) See a comprehensive list at https://tradingeconomics.com/bonds.
Fact: Russia uses bribery and deception to recruit young people to become cannon fodder in Putin’s continuing war. See the story about Cameroon contractors recruited to become soldiers and their subsequent death. See the story about how Russian conscripts bribe their commanding officers to avoid being sent into battle. I will stop here.
Fact: Russia (along with China) has collaborated with Iran, sharing drone technology and enhancing production capacity. Russian assistance has killed Americans and American allies.
There are dangerous narcissists in this world; and in my opinion, the leading contender is Vladimir Putin.
The power to raise the price of Putin’s miscreant behavior resides in the legislation that would authorize a more direct US economic response. That legislation sits waiting in the United States Senate.
How many more churches need to be bombed, and how many more mothers need to be killed before the US Senate passes that bill? If it ever comes to a vote, I expect it will be robustly and vigorously supported by both political parties.
Let’s not be distracted from Putin’s behavior while we confront the rest of the world’s ongoing problems.
The major bipartisan effort targeting Russia — the Sanctioning Russia Act (S. 1241) — has stalled in the Senate despite having over 80 cosponsors. Additionally, a House-passed measure containing sweeping new oil and gas sanctions (H.R. 2913 / Ukraine Support Act) faces long odds due to a veto threat. (See further information on the bill at Wikipedia and Legis1.)
The status of major legislative actions includes:
- Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 (S. 1241): Introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham, this bill authorizes penalties against individuals and countries (such as China, India, and Brazil) purchasing cheap Russian oil. Although it garnered massive, veto-proof bipartisan support, Senate leadership has continually sidestepped scheduling a final floor vote. (See Graham’s statement, Politico, and Wikipedia.)
- Ukraine Support Act (H.R. 2913): The House defied GOP leadership and the Trump administration by passing this standalone package featuring an 8 billion aid and loan framework alongside new sanctions on key segments of the Russian economy. Its fate in the Senate is highly uncertain, as it is caught in a standoff between pro-Ukraine defense hawks and administration-aligned lawmakers. (See reports from PBS, USNews, Legis1, and Politico.)
- STOP China and Russia Act of 2025 (S. 2657): Another prominent bill targeting Russia-China cooperation in the Ukraine invasion, currently lingering in committee. (See also US News.)
- You can track real-time legislative actions and committee votes on the official Congress.gov S. 1241 Bill Summary page.
Further Reading
“Ukraine hits Russia-controlled Crimea in deadly drone attack” | DW,
https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-drone-strikes-crimea-russia-war/a-77642973
“Ukraine strikes both sides of the occupied-Crimean Bridge in overnight drone attack, Zelensky says” | Kyiv Independent,
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-reportedly-strikes-oil-terminal-in-occupied-crimea
“The Russian Economy Looks More Vulnerable Each Day” | Wall Street Journal,
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-russian-economy-looks-more-vulnerable-each-day-4df52a6f
“War-weary Russia is falling apart” | The Hill,
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5924789-russia-war-dissent-growing/
“Catholic, Orthodox Leaders Condemn Russian Attack on Kyiv Cathedral” | OSV News,
https://www.osvnews.com/catholic-orthodox-leaders-condemn-russian-attack-on-kyiv-cathedral/
“The World According to Putin: No Deal on Ukraine in Sight” | Carnegie Politika,
https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2026/06/russia-putin-policy-trap
“Amateur saboteurs: the young men carrying out attacks for gangs, Russia and Iran” | Reuters,
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/amateur-saboteurs-young-men-carrying-out-attacks-gangs-russia-iran-2026-06-15/
Excerpt:
Russia has used the proxy tactic extensively in Ukraine: since its full-scale invasion in 2022, roughly one in five of the more than 1,100 Ukrainians accused of committing arson, terrorism or sabotage have been minors, Ukraine’s security service has said.
“10 Monday AM Reads” (June 15) | Barry Ritholtz, https://us3.campaign-archive.com/?e=6460a8223a&u=383aaca5ff52f014f446ef1d2&id=e17f84329f
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