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7:14 PM

Wall Street Journal: Traders outsmart sanctions to supply Russian oil to US.

The oil is being concealed in blended refined products such as gasoline, diesel and chemicals, while traders obscure its origins to keep it flowing, the Wall Street Journal reported. Fuels believed to be partially made from Russian crude landed in New York and New Jersey in May, according to the newspaper. Oil is also being transferred between ships at sea, a scheme used to buy and sell sanctioned Iranian and Venezuelan oil. The U.S. and U.K. imposed an embargo on Russian oil in March, while the European Union introduced a partial oil embargo in May.

7:02 PM

Police: 139 Ukrainian children missing due to Russia's war.

More than 1,900 children were considered missing after Feb. 24 but 1,794 of them have been found by the police and returned to their relatives, National Police chief Ihor Klymenko said on June 1. Russia's war has killed 243 children and injured 446 since Feb. 24.

6:39 PM

Erdogan: Turkey didn't get concrete proposals from Sweden, Finland to unblock their NATO bids.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has opposed the countries' applications to join NATO, accusing them of supporting Kurdish militias in Turkey and Syria. The talks between Sweden, Finland and Turkey have so far seen little progress. They applied for NATO membership in May to boost their security amid Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

6:14 PM

Russia launches missile strike on Sumy Oblast.

Six missiles were fired on the oblast on June 1, according to Sumy Oblast Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky. The casualties and amount of damage are yet to be determined.

5:32 PM

Interior Ministry opens hotline for missing Ukrainian soldiers' relatives.

Ukrainians will be able to get information about their relatives, receive psychological assistance, and legal advice, the ministry said.

5:14 PM

Russia destroys Ukraine’s historic heritage, steals rare collections from museums.

In 1937, Pablo Picasso, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest painters in history, said after visiting an exhibition in Paris: “I bow down before the artistic miracle of this brilliant Ukrainian.” He was talking about the folk painter Maria Prymachenko and her paintings in the “naive art” genre. Eighty-five

4:40 PM

Switzerland blocks shipment of armored vehicles to Ukraine.

The Swiss government has rejected Denmark's request to send 20 Piranha III infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, Swiss broadcaster SRF reported. Denmark needs Switzerland's agreement because they were produced there, and Switzerland bans the export of Swiss-made weapons to conflict zones due to its neutral status. Earlier Switzerland also rejected the supplies of weapons from Germany and Poland to Ukraine.

3:36 PM

Estonian PM says EU officials debate whether to call Putin.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that a "heated debate" took place between EU leaders on May 31 on whether to continue phone talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine. She said that, despite the good intentions of the EU, Putin does not want to take any steps towards peace.

2:36 PM

SBU suspects local official in Chernivtsi of humanitarian aid fraud.

Artem Dekhtiarenko, a spokesman for the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said that a deputy head of the Chernivtsi regional military administration had allegedly participated in the commercial use of ambulances that were sent to Ukraine from Italy as humanitarian aid. Other officials involved in the crime are being identified, he added.

1:57 PM

Mayor: Russians make Mariupol residents help them in exchange for access to drinking water.

Mayor Vadym Boichenko said on national television that Mariupol residents don’t have access to normal supply of drinking water since April. Citizens can get the water brought by Russian troops in exchange for working on disassembling blockages, “helping them hide war crimes,” the mayor added.

1:45 PM

Scholz: Germany to send 'most modern' air defense systems to Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the country would send its "most modern air defense system," the IRIS-T, to Ukraine in the coming weeks. "This will enable Ukraine to protect an entire city from Russian air attacks," he said.

1:08 PM

Pope Francis urges Russia not to use grain supplies as weapon.

Pope Francis indirectly urged Russia, without naming the country, to not use Ukrainian grain as a weapon in the war. “The blockage of grain exports from Ukraine, on which the lives of millions of people depend, is especially alarming,” he said. Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s ports prevents the export of about 22 million tons of grain, creating a threat of famine in countries dependent on the grain, according to Ukrainian officials.

11:56 AM

Only 50 people per day get medical treatment in Mariupol, almost no access to medicine.

Petro Andriushchenko, an advisor to the Mariupol mayor, said that it’s nearly impossible to get medical treatment in occupied Mariupol, as the remaining hospitals can take only up to 50 patients per day, while 150,000 people are still in the city. Only four pharmacies are open in the city.

11:20 AM

Russian nuclear forces hold maneuver drills.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its nuclear forces had started maneuver drills in Ivanovo Oblast in western Russia, Russian news agency Interfax reported. Some 1,000 service members participate in exercises using over 100 vehicles, including Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers.

10:51 AM

UNICEF: Russia’s war kills 2 Ukrainian children, injures 4 daily.

UNICEF Ukraine said on June 1 that 3 million children in Ukraine and more than 2.2 million children in refugee-receiving countries are now in need of humanitarian assistance, adding that two out of three children were displaced due to the fighting.

10:05 AM

UK Defense Ministry: Russian ground operations concentrated in Luhansk Oblast.

According to the latest intelligence update by the U.K. Defense Ministry, fighting intensified in the streets of Sieverodonetsk, with Russian forces pushing closer to the eastern town center. The intelligence added that beyond the Donbas, Russia continues to launch long-range missile strikes across Ukraine.

9:44 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 30,700 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24.

Ukraine’s General Staff reported on June 1 that Russia had also lost 1,361 tanks, 3,343 armored fighting vehicles, 659 artillery pieces, 207 multiple launch rocket systems, 94 surface-to-air missiles, 175 helicopters, 208 airplanes, 519 drones, and 13 boats.

8:45 AM

Institute for the Study of War: Russia's focus on seizing Sievierodonetsk creates vulnerabilities for its forces in Kherson Oblast.

The U.S. think tank reports that Russian forces in Kherson Oblast are likely feeling the pressure of the limited Ukrainian counteroffensive in the northwestern part of the region, especially as much of the Russian operational focus is currently on the capture of Sievierodonetsk. Experts say that Kherson is "critical terrain because it is the only area of Ukraine in which Russian forces hold ground on the west bank of the Dnipro River." If Russia is able to retain a strong lodgement in Kherson, it will be a very strong position from which to launch future invasion sorties.

8:22 AM

Ukrainian military: Russian forces blow up bridges across Inhulets River in the south.

Ukraine's Operational Command "South" reports that fighting continues across the frontline and Russian troops have blown up bridges across the Inhulets River near Davydiv Brid and Velyka Oleksandrivka villages of Kherson Oblast to prevent Ukraine's counteroffensive.

7:39 AM

Biden: US doesn't seek war between NATO and Russia.

Writing in a New York Times op-ed published on May 31, Biden said: "As much as I disagree with Mr. Putin, and find his actions an outrage, the U.S. will not try to bring about his ouster in Moscow. So long as the U.S. or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict, either by sending American troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces." Biden also said that Ukraine will receive more advanced rocket systems and munitions that "will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine."

7:10 AM

Zelensky: 'Ukraine losing 60-100 soldiers per day in combat'.

In an interview with Newsmax TV Channel, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation "is very difficult." "We're losing 60-100 soldiers per day killed in action and around 500 people wounded in action. So we are holding our defensive perimeters." He added that Ukraine and its people are the "defensive perimeter" for the world.

6:48 AM

Official: Russian soldiers build fortification near Kryvyi Rih.

Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city’s military administration, said the Ukrainian military is conducting successful combat operations south of the city, and the Russian forces are being forced to strengthen their defenses. "(Russian soldiers) are forced to strengthen their defensive positions, they even tear down slabs from roads to build fortifications," Vilkul said, adding that they are also mining the coast of the Inhulets River.

5:51 AM

UN: Russia's war has killed 4,113 civilians, injured 4,916 in Ukraine.

According to the UN's human rights agency a total of 9,029 civilian casualties have been recorded since Russia's invasion began, although it believes the figures to be considerably higher including in Mariupol, Izium, and Popasna. Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area.

5:12 AM

WSJ: OPEC considers suspending Russia from oil deal.

Some OPEC members are mulling over the possibility of suspending Russia’s participation in an oil-production deal that limits the amount of crude oil each member can produce, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing OPEC delegates. This move could potentially allow for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other producers in the OPEC to pump more crude oil.

3:42 AM

Reuters: Genetic code for nearly 2,000 crops at risk due to Russia’s war.

According to Crop Trust, an international nonprofit focused on crop diversity and food security, Ukraine’s seed banks are in danger of being destroyed amid ongoing hostilities. A research facility near Ukraine’s national seed bank in Kharkiv was damaged earlier in May, of which only 4% of the seeds are backed up. “Seed banks are a kind of life insurance for mankind,” said Executive Director of Crop Trust Stefan Schmitz told Reuters.

3:26 AM

UN: Ombudsman’s dismissal ‘contrary to international standards’.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said on Facebook on May 31 that the Verkhovna Rada’s dismissal of Lyudmyla Denisova “undermines the independence of this important human rights institution in Ukraine.” The institution decried the “unnecessarily speedy procedure” and the lack of explanation for her dismissal.

3:13 AM

Financial Times: EU, UK impose insurance ban on Russian oil cargoes.

Citing unnamed U.K. and European officials, Financial Times reported on May 31 that the two actors have agreed on a concerted ban on insuring ships transporting Russian oil, sharply restricting Russia’s ability to export crude oil. The ban is part of a new EU sanctions package aimed at Russian oil exports.

1:48 AM

Russia’s Gazprom halts gas supplies to Denmark's Orsted, Germany via Shell deal.

Russian state energy giant Gazprom has already turned off the taps to a top Dutch trader and halted flows to Denmark's Orsted and to Shell Energy Europe Limited for its contract to supply gas to Germany, after both companies refused to make payments in rubles. The cuts will be effective from June 1, Gazprom said.

12:59 AM

US warns against formalizing Russian control in Kherson.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Washington remains concerned about steps Russia is taking "to attempt to institutionalize control over sovereign Ukrainian territory," particularly in Kherson region.

11:28 PM

US ambassador to UN: White House approves Italian peace plan for Ukraine.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the U.S. supported a peace plan initiated by Italy to end the war in Ukraine. The four-stage plan includes a ceasefire and the demilitarization of the frontline under the United Nations supervision, negotiations on the status of Ukraine vis-a-vis NATO and the European Union, a Ukrainian-Russian agreement on Crimea and the Donbas, and a multilateral agreement on peace and security in Europe, according to earlier media reports.

10:57 PM

US ambassador to UN: White House repeatedly stated it will provide Ukraine with defensive weapons only.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has been “clear from day one” that they would provide Ukraine with defensive weapons, but not the ones that would allow reaching targets inside Russia. “We’re not going to become a party to the war, but we will support Ukraine’s efforts to defend its own sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said.

10:27 PM

Russian forces shell Kharkiv Oblast for 10 hours, 1 person killed.

Local official Viktor Kovalenko told Suspline media outlet that Russian shelling of Zolochiv village in Kharkiv Oblast continued for 10 hours. One person was killed, and one was injured due to the attack. The Russians are shooting at the village with howitzers, the official added.

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3:11 PM

Hungarian FM says US lifted Russian sanctions that hindered expansion of Paks Nuclear Power Plant.

“Construction of the major pieces of equipment for the Paks nuclear plant is proceeding in Russia and France,” Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said, as cited by Bloomberg.

3:10 PM

Video

Trump meets Zelensky at NATO summit | Ukraine This Week.

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur explains key takeaways from this week’s NATO summit, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump held their third in-person meeting since Trump’s return to office.

2:15 PM

Zelensky signs decree to withdraw from Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines, lawmaker says.

"Russia is not a party to this Convention and is massively using mines against our military and civilians," lawmaker Roman Kostenko, secretary of the parliament's defense committee, said in a post on Facebook.

11:37 AM

F-16 pilot killed during Russia's overnight massive air attack, Air Force says.

Maksym Ustymenko, born in 1993, was killed after shooting down seven aerial targets, the Air Force said in a statement. The Air Force added that his aircraft was damaged while he was trying to shoot down the last one, losing altitude and crashing.

10:14 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,018,940 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,220 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:58 AM

Ukraine approves new 'Murakha' ground robot for combat use.

The Murakha ("Ant") is a tracked robotic platform designed to support front-line units working under challenging conditions, the Defense Ministry said.

5:06 AM

(Updated: June 29, 2025 7:20 am)

Russian mass missile attack targets Ukrainian regions far from front lines.

"Despite the complexity of this overnight combined attack, no one was injured and no civilian buildings were damaged in Lviv," Mayor Andrii Sadovyi reported the morning after the strike.

6:09 AM

Russia reviving efforts to expand LNG exports after US sanctions, Bloomberg reports.

An LNG ice-class tanker has reportedly docked at Russia's Arctic LNG 2 facility for the first time since October, according to ship-tracking data and satellite images.

4:15 AM

Serbian police crack down on protestors at mass anti-government rally in Belgrade.

The 100,000-person rally marks the latest mass action in a protest movement that started last fall, with activists calling for an end to corruption and the 12-year rule of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

3:06 AM

McDonald's to open 10 new restaurants in Ukraine this year, NYT reports.

The 10 new locations will bring the total number close to 120 — more than were operating in Ukraine before the war.

1:29 AM

Pope Leo says Ukraine 'martyred' in Russia's 'senseless war.'

Pope Leo XIV welcomed Ukrainian Greek Catholic pilgrims to the Vatican on June 28 and offered his blessing to mothers of soldiers killed on the front lines.

10:59 PM

Former Kharkiv deputy mayor charged with embezzling funds allocated for defense fortifications.

A former deputy mayor for Kharkiv is facing multiple charges related to creating and leading a scheme that allegedly embezzled 5.4 million hryvnias ($130,000) of budget funds allocated for fortifications, law enforcement agencies announced on June 28.

8:02 PM

(Updated: June 28, 2025 9:46 pm)

Ukrainian drones strike missile, drone arsenal in Russia's Bryansk Oblast.

Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) struck on June 28 the 1060th Material-Technical Support Center in the city of Bryansk, Ukraine's General Staff said. The facilities store a Russian missile and drone arsenal, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing a source in HUR.

9:28 PM

Ukraine's parliament working on bill to organize post-war elections, speaker says.

The reason for separate legislation on a post-war election, Stefanchuk said, was due to the fact that Ukraine's Constitution does not not provide clarity on the details of holding elections following the end of a martial law period.

6:59 PM

Slovak PM sees 'no reason' to meet with Zelensky, claims Ukrainian president 'hates' him, after reportedly blocking Russian sanctions.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on June 28 that he does not intend to meet directly with President Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming that the Ukrainian president "hates" him, as relations between the two countries continue to sour.

5:45 PM

Germany reportedly scrambles fighter jets to intercept Russian spy plane over Baltic Sea.

The incident adds to a series of aerial provocations reported by NATO allies since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as Moscow is suspected of using the aircraft to spy on the alliance's positions.

11:06 AM

(Updated: June 28, 2025 4:28 pm)

Poland's Duda arrives in Kyiv to meet with Zelensky.

"Andrzej has been with Ukraine since the first days of the war, always side by side, a reliable ally and a true friend. This is undoubtedly the level of relations we want to preserve and strengthen with Poland," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

3:37 PM

Ukrainian drone strike on Crimea air base destroys 3 Russian helicopters, SBU claims.

The attack destroyed Mi-8, Mi-26 and Mi-28 attack helicopters, and a Pantsyr-S1 self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun system, the Security Service of Ukraine told the Kyiv Independent.

3:06 PM

Russia revives obsolete T-62 tanks amid equipment shortages, Ukraine's intel claims.

"The key factors limiting the ability to produce modern armored vehicles in Russia are a lack of industrial capacity and a shortage of imported high-tech components," Ukraine's military intelligence said.

2:29 PM

Ukraine downs new Russian Grom-1 bomb missile near Dnipro city, official says.

To date, neither Russian guided aerial bombs nor the Grom-1 bomb missile had previously reached the city of Dnipro.

12:53 PM

Pro-Ukraine partisans disrupt Russian military logistics in occupied Donetsk Oblast, group claims.

The Atesh partisan group set fire to a signal cabinet that helps control traffic on a railway line near the Russian-occupied city of Yasynuvata in Donetsk Oblast, a route used for Russia's military logistics, the group claimed on Telegram on June 28.

11:08 AM

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 10, injure at least 50 over past day.

Ukrainian forces downed 21 out of the 23 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.

7:58 AM

(Updated: June 28, 2025 9:54 am)

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