News Feed

9:09 PM

State Emergency Service: 2,339 residents evacuated from Kherson Oblast.

According to the State Emergency Service, 2,339 people, including 120 children, were evacuated from the flooded areas of Kherson Oblast by June 8, 8:45 local time.

8:59 PM

Satellite images show massive flooding of Ukraine's south.

Satellite images shared by Planet Labs show the massive extent of the damage caused by the breach of the Kakhovka dam on June 6.

8:35 PM

Explosions reported in Cherkasy Oblast during nationwide air raid alert.

Cherkasy Oblast residents report explosions during nationwide air raid alert, local media outlet Suspilne Cherkasy wrote on June 8.

8:05 PM

CNN: US officials say Ukraine advances near Bakhmut but suffers losses.

Ukrainian forces achieved some success around Bakhmut but suffered "significant" losses in personnel and heavy equipment, CNN wrote on June 8, citing U.S. officials. Although Kyiv's troops managed to overrun Russians in some areas, they encountered heavier resistance than expected, according to the report.

7:51 PM

Media: Russia preparing terror attack to distract from Kakhovka disaster.

Russia is preparing to stage a terror attack on its gas transmission system to blame Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda media outlet reported on June 8, referring to its sources in Ukraine's military intelligence.

7:26 PM

Official: Ukrainian exports through Dnipro River won't be possible 'for a long time.'

As a result of the Kakhovka dam destruction, the Dnipro River will not be navigable downstream of the city of Zaporizhzhia "for a long time," Shipping Administration Head Yevhenii Ihnatenko said on June 8. This will effectively block Ukrainian exports through the Dnipro River.

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7:14 PM

Interview

Browder: ‘West must hand Russian Central Bank’s $350 billion to Ukraine for reconstruction’

6:29 PM

Update: Kherson Oblast shelling amid evacuation injures 9, no dead confirmed.

Russian June 8 attack on Kherson Oblast, where evacuations from the flooded areas are ongoing, injured nine civilians. There are no fatalities, the Interior Ministry reported.

6:19 PM

Opinion

Roland Freudenstein: Macron’s Bratislava speech – a French Zeitenwende or charm offensive?

5:57 PM

UK slaps new sanctions against Belarus.

The U.K. expanded its sanctions against Belarus for its support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.K. Foreign Office announced on June 8.

5:35 PM

Defense Ministry: Ukraine repels Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are conducting military operations near Bakhmut, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on June 8. In some areas, Russia is attempting to go on the offensive but without success.

5:12 PM

Politico: West remains divided on security guarantees for Ukraine.

Ukraine's Western allies remain divided on "nearly every element" regarding security guarantees for Ukraine, Politico wrote on June 8, citing unnamed European diplomats.

4:49 PM

Western media: Ukraine launches counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Ukraine launched its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia on June 8, ABC News reported, citing unnamed Ukrainian official sources, one of them supposedly close to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

4:31 PM

UN agrees to conduct evacuations from flooded Russian-occupied areas.

Ukraine and the United Nations (UN) agreed that the UN would deploy personnel to the flood-affected left bank of the Dnipro River, occupied by Russia. The UN workers will provide aid and conduct evacuations, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry announced on June 8.

3:27 PM

Police: 1 dead due to floods in Mykolaiv Oblast.

A civilian died in the village of Vasylivka in flooding caused by the Kakhovka dam collapse, Mykolaiv Oblast police head Serhii Shaikhet said on June 8. The 53-year-old man refused to evacuate a day before, the official added.

2:36 PM

Russian forces shell Kherson amid evacuation efforts.

Kherson is under Russian shelling on June 8 amid the ongoing evacuation of residents from the flooded areas, according to a Kyiv Independent journalist on the ground.

1:29 PM

Media: Explosions heard in Russian-occupied Luhansk.

An explosion was heard in the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk in Ukraine’s east on the morning of June 8, Ukrainian news outlet Suspilne reported citing residents. Smoke is rising in several areas of the city, in particular, over the Luhansk locomotive plant, as well as a food factory, Suspilne wrote.

12:17 PM

3 killed, including child, 8 injured in Russian attacks over past day.

In Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast, Russia shelled the town of Ukrainsk late on June 7, killing a family — grandfather, his son, and a 4-year-old grandson, the Prosecutor General's Office wrote.

11:43 AM

Zelensky travels to Kherson Oblast amid Kahkovka dam disaster.

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Kherson Oblast on the morning of June 8 to coordinate efforts to mitigate the consequences of the Kakhovka dam destruction.

10:18 AM

Governor: 600 square kilometers of Kherson Oblast under water.

According to Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin, 68% of the flooded land is on the Russian-occupied east bank of the Dnipro River, and 32% is on the Ukrainian-controlled west bank.

9:15 AM

General Staff: Russian soldiers didn't prepare for Kakhovka dam destruction, suffered losses on Dnipro River's east bank.

Russian troops occupying the east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast were not ready for the effects of the Kakhovka dam destruction, resulting in losses in personnel and military equipment, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on June 8.

8:24 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 212,760 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

Ukraine's General Staff reported on June 8 that Russia had also lost 3,891 tanks, 7,576 armored fighting vehicles, 6,384 vehicles and fuel tanks, 3,668 artillery systems, 595 multiple launch rocket systems, 355 air defense systems, 314 airplanes, 299 helicopters, 3,234 drones, and 18 boats.

7:27 AM

ISW: Destruction of Kakhovka dam 'significantly changing' Kherson front line.

The flooding caused by the dam's destruction has "heavily disrupted" Russian defensive positions on the east bank of the Dnipro River, especially Russian first-line positions in Hola Prystan and Oleshky, the Institute of the Study of War said in its latest update.

6:51 AM

IAEA says work ongoing to ensure Zaporizhzhia cooling pond has maximum amount of water after dam destruction.

The reservoir's level of water is continuing to drop following Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant on June 6, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement published on its website.

5:33 AM

White House says it is still assessing origin of Kakhovka dam destruction, but Russia ultimately to blame.

"Russia has no business to be (in Ukraine) in the first place. This dam was under Russia’s control, and they bear responsibility for the destruction caused by this war," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing on June 7.

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Edit post

High-profile Russian propagandist killed in explosion in St Petersburg cafe

by The Kyiv Independent news desk April 2, 2023 8:13 PM 2 min read

A photo posted on Russian Telegram channels of the outside of a cafe in St Petersburg where propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in an explosion on April 2, 2023. (Telegram)

This audio is created with AI assistance

An explosion in a cafe in central St. Petersburg killed Russian propagandist and war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky and injured 25 other people on April 2, Russian media reported.

Russia's Interior Ministry confirmed Tatarsky's death, stating that the causes of the explosion are under investigation.

The cafe reportedly once belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of notorious Russian private military organization the Wagner Group, which continues to play a key role in Russia's war against Ukraine.

A video posted to Telegram showed a large detonation going off on the first floor of a large building in St. Petersburg, where Tatarsky was reportedly hosting an event for followers of his coverage of the war.

According to unconfirmed reports on Telegram channels, the explosive was concealed in a trophy that Tatarsky was given at the event.

Russian outlet Fontanka reported that according to people in attendance, the explosion happened five minutes after a female visitor handed Tatarsky the trophy, thought to contain several hundred grams of explosive material.

A screenshot of a video circulated on Russian social media reportedly showing propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky receiving the trophy allegedly containing the explosives that killed him at an event in St Petersburg on April 2, 2023. (Telegram)

Tatarsky, who was born Maksim Fomin in the now-occupied parts of Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine, was one of the most well-known "independent" propaganda correspondents, consistently agitating for the further conquering of Ukrainian territory.

A photo of Russian propagandist and military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky posted on his personal Telegram account, which has over 560,000 followers. (Telegram)

The military blogger's Telegram channel, where he posted news, analysis, video and photo material from the front lines has over half a million followers.

Tatarsky reportedly served time in prison in Ukraine since 2011 but managed to join the Russian armed forces during the beginning of Russia's war in 2014.

The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

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