The European Union is set to reinstate tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural exports on June 6. This is the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion that the EU will not renew an agreement suspending trade barriers between Ukraine and Europe. The end of tariff-free trade comes amid mounting opposition to Ukrainian
At least four people in Kyiv were killed in the attack, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. Casualties and damage have also been reported in the western Ukrainian cities of Ternopil and Lutsk.
President Donald Trump likened the war between Russia and Ukraine to a fight between two children in a park, suggesting it might be better to let them clash for a while before stepping in, given the depth of animosity between them.
Russian forces launched high-explosive bombs at the center of Ukraine's southern city of Kherson on June 5, hitting and partially destroying the Regional State Administration building and damaging several surrounding structures.
Key developments on June 5: * Ukraine strikes Russian missile base in Bryansk Oblast, damages Iskander launchers, Ukrainian military says * 'Deadline is in my brain' — Trump dismisses timeline to impose Russian sanctions * 'Not destroyed but damaged' — Russia claims it will repair bombers struck in Operation Spiderweb * Trump privately praises Ukraine's drone
U.S. President Donald Trump warned on June 5 that Russia's response to Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb is likely "not going to be pretty," following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin the day prior.
In addition to supply-chain challenges brought upon economic sanctions, Russia would also likely face challenges due to the complexities of Soviet-era technology present in the aircraft, if it were to attempt to restore the bombers.
"I said (to Putin) it's time to open our eyes and to put an end to the insanity of war, which destroys everything and builds nothing," Brazilian President Lula da Silva told reporters during a visit to France.
Once the playground of disgraced Ukrainian politicians, a golf club in Kyiv’s Soviet-era Obolon neighborhood is now set to become the new campus of the Kyiv School of Economics, which last month bought the site for $18 million as part of a $40 million investment — the largest private investment
Launched to promote Russian literature on the global stage during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the new Dar (“Gift”) literary prize is already mired in controversy — and not just for its troubling timing. After Ukrainian author Maria Galina declined the award for her wartime chronicle of Odesa, attention shifted
Janine di Giovanni, a veteran war reporter and author who has covered decades of conflicts in Rwanda, Syria, Iraq, and Bosnia, reflects on her work in Ukraine and other conflicts.
Ukraine's intelligence agencies as well as Ukrainian partisan movements have previously been involved in sabotage attacks on Russian railways, disrupting the transport of military cargo toward the front line.
The ramp-up marks a critical expansion of Moscow's drone warfare program, as both Ukraine and Russia increasingly rely on unmanned systems for reconnaissance and front-line attacks.
While Trump has remained silent in public about the attack, he reportedly expressed enthusiasm behind closed doors.
The strike reportedly destroyed one Iskander missile launcher and seriously damaged two others.
The SBU said this marks a notable escalation and shift in Russia’s recruitment strategy.
According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia launched 103 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed that his country "unconditionally supports the stand of Russia and its foreign policies."
"We discussed very concrete steps how to make this fund operational during this year," Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said during a visit to Washington.
The number includes 930 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
According to Chernihiv Oblast Governor Viacheslav Chaus, at least six Iranian-designed Shahed-136 drones were used in the assault.
Two U.S. officials told Reuters on June 4 that Ukraine struck as many as 20 Russian military aircraft during Operation Spiderweb, destroying around 10 of them. The claims stands in contrast with estimates made by Ukraine's security service (SBU) which claimed more than 40 aircraft were hit in the June 1 attack.
According to the Wall Street Journal, special fuzes used in ground-to-air rocket systems that protect against drone attacks will be redirected towards units in the Middle East, as the U.S. braces for conflict with Iran as well as Houthi militants in Yemen.
Russian missile and drone attacks on the city of Kharkiv overnight on June 5 injured 17 people, including four children, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
Zelensky said on social media that Russia launched nearly 27,700 aerial bombs, 11,200 Shahed drones, approximately 9,000 other types of attack drones, and over 700 missiles at Ukraine in 2025.
Russia wants the Vatican to "take a more active role" in advocating for what it described as freedom of religion in Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement on June 4 following recent diplomatic contacts.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a briefing on June 4 that he may consider allowing the creation of private armies in Ukraine.
On June 4, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the incident, saying Putin had been informed about the strike and that Russia’s Investigative Committee had launched a probe.
Trump said he spoke to Putin over the phone for an hour and 15 minutes on June 4 and that it was "a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace."
Key developments on June 4: * Ukraine hacks Russia's Tupolev bomber producer, source claims * Putin's 'disregard' for troops highlighted as Russian losses approach 1 million, study finds * Ukraine expects to exchange 500 POWs in next swap with Russia, Zelensky says * Russia strikes Ukrainian military training facility in Poltava Oblast, military says
Editor’s note: This is issue 28 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from May 26–June 1, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission. Benchmarks
Editor’s Note: The following is the latest in a series of reports by the Kyiv Independent about the memorialization of Ukraine’s fallen soldiers. "We weren’t taught to live side-by-side with death in schools and universities, but it's always near," the speaker Anton Liahusha, the dean of the
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