Explosions heard in Kyiv, Cherkasy oblasts, city of Kyiv amid Russian missile attack

12:38 PM

Ukraine invited to NATO summit, Zelensky says.

"We were invited to the NATO summit. I think this is important," President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a June 2 online press conference attended by the Kyiv Independent.

9:52 AM  (Updated:  June 3, 2025 12:36 pm)

Russian strike on downtown Sumy kills at least 3, injures around 20, authorities say.

"The Russians launched a savage strike on Sumy — directly targeting the city and its ordinary streets with rocket artillery. It was a fully deliberate attack on civilians," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

12:04 PM

US House Speaker Johnson backs Senate bill to toughen sanctions on Russia.

"There's many members of Congress that want us to sanction Russia as strongly as we can," U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said. "And I'm an advocate of that."

9:37 AM  (Updated:  June 3, 2025 11:29 am)

Ukrainian delegation arrives in US to discuss defense support, Russia sanctions.

Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, is traveling to the U.S., a source close to the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent on June 3.

10:17 AM

Russia lost 12 aircraft, Ukraine's military claims days after drone strike on Russian bombers.

The report came two days after the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched a mass drone attack against Russian strategic aviation parked at four different air bases on June 1.

11:23 PM  (Updated:  June 3, 2025 10:11 am)

Russian propagandists split between downplaying devastating Ukrainian drone attacks and issuing threats

10:06 AM

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 7, injure 42 over past day.

Ukrainian forces downed 60 out of the 112 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Fifteen drones were intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars without causing any damage, according to the statement.

9:11 AM

Ukrainian attack causes blackouts in Russian-occupied territories, Moscow's proxies claim.

Yevhen Balytskyi, the Kremlin-appointed head of the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, claimed that 457 settlements in the region were left without power, affecting more than 600,000 homes.

8:11 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 990,800 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,100 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:51 AM

UK government 'fully prepared' to sue Russian oligarch Abramovich over Chelsea FC sale.

The U.K. government is ready to sue sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich over the sale of the Chelsea Football Club, U.K. Treasury Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a joint statement.

6:14 AM

Russia stalling, staging 'diplomatic show' in peace talks with Ukraine, Umerov says.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on June 2 slammed Russia for only providing its memorandum of a peace proposal at talks earlier in the day, saying that "the Russians are once again stalling for time."

4:31 AM

'We face war in Europe' — UK announces major defense spending boost amid Russian threat.

Every part of society, every citizen of this country, has a role to play because we have to recognize that things have changed in the world of today... The front line, if you like, is here," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

2:44 AM

Russia admits to taking Ukrainian children during latest peace talks, Zelensky says.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that during the June 2 negotiations in Istanbul, Russian representatives dismissed Ukraine's efforts to raise the issue of abducted Ukrainian children as a "show for childless European old ladies."

1:48 AM

Norway to help Ukraine cover 1 billion euro gas shortfall, Zelensky says.

"We agreed that we will look for opportunities to close any deficit, which may arise if everything is not restored (Ukrainian gas production infrastructure affected by Russian attacks), if we cannot fully provide our population with gas," Zelensky said.

12:19 AM

Zelensky says he's ready to meet with Putin, Trump in Turkey.

"I told (Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan) that I support a meeting at the level of leaders, because I have the impression that there will be no ceasefire without our meeting," Zelensky said on June 2.

12:00 AM

DTEK to build one of Europe's largest energy storage facilities, company announces.

Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK secured a $72-million loan to build one of the largest battery energy storage complexes in Eastern Europe, the company said on June 3.

11:36 PM

Ukrainian strikes in Russia

‘Closer to victory’ – Operation Spiderweb gives much-needed morale boost to Ukrainians after 3 years of full-scale war

9:27 AM  (Updated:  June 2, 2025 11:13 pm)

Ukraine, Russia conclude talks in Istanbul, a 1,200-for-1,200 prisoner exchange is in the works, Zelensky says.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the next prisoner exchange would feature at least 1,000 people on each side, and might reach a 1,200-for-1,200 swap that would possibly also include imprisoned journalists and political prisoners held in Russia.

10:38 PM

Photos

Growing up under missiles — Ukrainian childhoods shaped by war (PHOTOS)

10:36 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine, Russia agree on new prisoner swap, return of fallen soldiers

10:34 PM

'Idiots' — Zelensky slams Russia’s proposal for brief truce to retrieve fallen soldiers' bodies.

"They just don’t see a ceasefire as such at the moment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 2, commenting on Russia's proposal. "I think they’re idiots, because, fundamentally, a ceasefire is meant so that there are no dead."

10:19 PM

Poland

Who is Nawrocki, Poland's new president, and what could his narrow victory mean for Polish-Ukrainian relations?

7:14 PM  (Updated:  June 2, 2025 9:36 pm)

Russian losses

Operation Spiderweb — everything we know about Ukraine's audacious attack on Russia's heavy bombers

1:52 PM  (Updated:  June 2, 2025 9:35 pm)

'Russian bombers are burning en masse' — Ukraine's SBU drones hit 'more than 40' aircraft in mass attack, source says.

"Currently, more than 40 aircraft are known to have been hit, including the A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22 M3," a source told the Kyiv Independent.

8:57 PM

5 Ukrainian regions, ban on NATO, limits on Kyiv's army — Russian media publishes Moscow's official peace demands.

Among Russia's key demands, according to the document, is the official recognition of Russia's annexation of Crimea, as well as the annexation of Ukraine's Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk oblasts, none of which Moscow controls in full.