More than four years after the EU began sanctioning Russian steel, Belgium remains a loyal importer — thanks to a sanctions exemption that allows a Russia-based steel giant to continue supplying its Belgian factories with low-cost slabs. Despite sweeping EU sanctions against the Kremlin for its war in Ukraine, Belgium has opposed attempts to sanction the company, NLMK, and its Kremlin-connected billionaire owner, Vladimir Lisin. Belgian officials fear that taking action could hurt employment in

The Ukrainian Navy confirmed that it lost control of one of its drones in the Black Sea due to electronic warfare, causing the unmanned vessel to drift to the Romanian coast.

"We simply struck where it was convenient to observe the results," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that 185 Russian POWs had returned home, saying that they are currently in Belarus and will be receiving the psychological and medical care there.

All signatories to the letter sit outside of the European Parliament's political mainstream, with euroskeptic and pro-Russian politicians strongly represented.

The explosion occurred at 4:15 a.m. local time at a sorting depot in the capital’s Obolon district during a quiet night without any Russian air attacks, Nova Post’s press service confirmed to the Kyiv Independent on June 5.

Russian forces launched two Kh-59/69 guided missiles and 216 Shahed-type attack drones against Ukraine overnight, with Ukrainian air defenses intercepting 198 of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

"Almost half of your 26 years of power in Russia you have spent in the war against Ukraine," Zelensky wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Whatever you say about NATO, geopolitics and the Russian language, this war is your personal choice — a war without a real reason. This is how history will remember it."

The number includes 1,550 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"Without doubt, we are ready and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine by peaceful means — and based on what we have discussed at the meeting with President (Donald) Trump in Anchorage," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

The Ukraine Support Act allocates $8 billion in military financing for Kyiv, extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2027, and imposes additional sanctions on Russia.

Kyiv hopes U.S.-mediated peace talks with Moscow could yield results before winter as Ukrainian officials grow concerned about shortages of anti-missile systems and signs Russia may be preparing a new mobilization. President Volodymyr Zelensky told lawmakers from his Servant of the People party in late May that Kyiv sees what he described as a realistic opportunity to end the war, according to two people familiar with the matter. Head of Zelensky's office, Kyrylo Budanov, later publicly echoed

"A decision was made to carry out systematic preemptive strikes that will disrupt enemy launches and reduce the number of enemy drones that will once again fly to attack kindergartens, high-rise buildings, and hospitals."

The letter lays out Putin's increasingly apparent vulnerabilities, Ukraine's growing strength, and the case for an immediate reopening of peace negotiations.

Editor's note: Got an opinion on anything you've read in the Kyiv Independent so far? Send it to letters@kyivindependent.com, and it may appear in our Letters section. Key developments on June 4: * 'What should we do?' Russians in panic after Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg * Ukraine strikes Russian patrol ship in Sea of Azov, confirms damage to St. Petersburg oil terminal * Why Ukraine is talking about ending 'hot phase' of Russia's war before winter * Ukraine strips 8 military units of ri

Eight Ukrainian military units lost the right to independently conduct basic training after inspections found shortcomings, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

Claims of an alleged migrant "influx" have become increasingly common in Ukraine in recent months, in what experts describe as a coordinated disinformation operation. The central theme in these claims is that foreign labor migrants are allegedly arriving in Ukraine to replace the country's population while Ukrainian men continue fighting at the front. The claims have spread quickly across social media and Telegram channels, and even appeared in mainstream reporting. Although Ukrainian media o

The vessel, measuring nearly 50 meters in length, was struck near the settlement of Iurkine in Russian-occupied Crimea, Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Magyar" Brovdi said on Telegram.

The detective was detained in July amid a conflict between the President's Office and the NABU, which says the authorities are trying to eliminate its independence.

"The business elite in St. Petersburg can now see firsthand how the Russian Defense Ministry is eroding their share of the so-called 'social contract,'" a Russian military blogger known by the nickname Reporter Filatov said.

Once billed as a rival to Davos, the forum now draws far-right influencers and conspiracy theorists.

"This is the first case in which, following a request for international legal assistance from the Ukrainian prosecution authorities, a foreign court has approved the seizure of a vessel allegedly involved in the illegal export of Ukrainian goods from the temporarily occupied territories," Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said.

Western media and analysts' work often "amplifies all sorts of Kremlin talking points, which does real damage," said Edward Lucas, founder of BISC, the first pan-Baltic think tank.

The IAEA said the incident is a matter of "serious concern" because the facility relies on a single remaining power line supplying electricity to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

The Air Force said Russia launched 293 drones, 264 of which were intercepted. At least 24 drones struck 11 locations, while falling debris was recorded at 12 sites.

All 27 EU member states have given the green light to open the first cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on June 4 after an agreement between Kyiv and Budapest cleared the key hurdle.

The number includes 1,300 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

A Russian drone struck infrastructure in the Boryspil region of Kyiv Oblast overnight on June 4, sparking a fire at the site and injuring one person, Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said.

"Hungary cannot play the decisive role here; that's a matter for the major powers. We can provide diplomatic and humanitarian aid, and Hungary could also be a venue for negotiations," Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said.

The U.S. House of Representatives advanced the Ukraine Support Act despite opposition from the Trump administration and Republican leadership, setting up a final vote on the measure on June 4.

Russian oil exports to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline have returned to normal after a months-long outage that fueled tensions between Ukraine and the Central European countries.

Greece has issued formal diplomatic protests to Ukraine after an explosives-laden naval drone was discovered in the country's waters last month, the Greek Foreign Ministry said on June 3.