Russian airstrikes against Donetsk Oblast kill civilian

5:37 PM

Espionage

The Hungary-Ukraine spy scandal and Russia's possible role, explained

4:05 PM  (Updated:  May 30, 2025 5:22 pm)

Ukraine attacks elite Russian unit base nearly 7,000km away in Vladivostok, source claims.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) was behind the explosions near Desantnaya Bay in Russia's Vladivostok on May 30, which reportedly damaged military personnel and equipment, a source in HUR told the Kyiv Independent.

5:19 PM

Putin in favor of meeting Zelensky, Trump if progress is made in peace talks, Kremlin says.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stressed that a high-level summit would require concrete outcomes from the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

5:10 PM

Video

All territory will revert to Ukraine, predicts US diplomat.

The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sits down with Michael Carpenter, former U.S. Ambassador to OSCE and senior director for Europe at the National Security Council, to discuss the current lagging U.S. military support for Ukraine amid the ongoing ceasefire talks with Russia. Carpenter also offers his predictions for the future of Ukraine’s occupied territories.

3:29 PM

Ukraine's memorandum proposes ceasefire across land, air, and sea, NYT reports.

Kyiv and its allies have urged Moscow to adopt an unconditional ceasefire starting May 12 as the first step toward peace talks — a proposal Russia has ignored.

3:07 PM

War analysis

Russia ‘tests’ Europe’s capacity to help Ukraine with intensifying air attacks

1:55 PM

Opinion

War’s unseen isolation: A Ukrainian officer’s story of survival and hope

1:40 PM

Ukraine ready for 2nd round of Istanbul talks but seeks Russian draft memo in advance, Yermak says.

"Ukraine is ready to attend the next meeting, but we want to engage in a constructive discussion. This means it is important to receive Russia’s draft. There is enough time – four days are sufficient for preparing and sending the documents," Presidential Office Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said.

7:56 PM  (Updated:  May 30, 2025 12:50 pm)

Religion

Detention, pressure, threats — US pastor in Ukraine tells the Kyiv Independent about his encounter with Russians

2:30 AM  (Updated:  May 30, 2025 11:41 am)

Russians aren't happy about Putin's 'buffer zone,' intercepted call released by Ukraine's HUR suggests.

"Well, in short, it's clear that they're going to kick everyone out of the border areas and create a gray zone," a Belgorod Oblast resident says in a call intercepted by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR).

11:23 AM

Over 89,000 Russian targets struck in May using drones, Ukraine's commander claims.

"Each drone means a destroyed enemy, and therefore a saved life of a Ukrainian serviceman. A special emphasis is placed on the destruction of enemy UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) operators and their command centers," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

10:10 AM

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 7, injure 39 over past day.

Ukrainian forces downed 26 out of the 90 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Thirty drones were intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars without causing any damage, according to the statement.

9:21 AM

NATO expansion 'fair' concern for Putin, Kellogg says.

"And that's one of the issues Russia will bring up... They're also talking about Georgia, they're talking about Moldova, they're talking — obviously — about Ukraine. And we're saying, 'Okay, let's address this comprehensively,'" U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Keith Kellogg said.

8:11 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 986,080 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,140 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:57 AM

Officials from US, UK, France, Germany to attend Ukraine-Russia peace talks, Kellogg says.

Security advisors from the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany will attend planned peace talks between Ukraine and Russia on June 2, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said

6:38 AM

'He was kidnapped' — Georgian opposition leader detained as ruling party continues crackdown on dissent.

Leader of the Georgian opposition party "Coalition for Change," Nika Melia, was detained on May 29, NewsGeorgia reported, citing Melia's associates.

4:51 AM  (Updated:  May 30, 2025 5:24 am)

9 injured in Kharkiv amid Russian drone attack.

Nine were injured in Kharkiv overnight on May 30, amid a Russian drone attack on the city.

3:56 PM  (Updated:  May 30, 2025 4:16 am)

'We only work for Serbia' — Vucic denies Moscow's claims of Serbian companies supplying ammunition to Ukraine.

"We have formed a working group, together with Russian partners, to establish the facts... we work only for Serbia," Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said.

12:35 AM

Trump hopes next Russia-Ukraine talks will 'move ball forward,' White House says as Moscow further delays peace memo.

Trump previously said it would take him "about two weeks" to know whether or not Russian President Vladimir Putin was serious about a peace deal.

11:21 PM

Russia received at least 100 ballistic missiles from North Korea last year, monitors find.

Illegal arms transfers "contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure," according to a report from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team.

10:50 PM

The Kyiv Independent wins Ukrainian journalism award for exposing Russian soldiers’ sexual violence.

The Kyiv Independent's investigative documentary, "He Came Back," which exposes sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, has won the 2025 Ukrainian journalism award, "Honor of the Profession."

10:16 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russia reports 2nd consecutive day of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow

9:27 PM

No sign Russia is preparing to restart Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Reuters reports.

"Our teams continue to confirm there is no indication at the moment that there will be any active preparations for a restart of the plant now," an IAEA official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

8:56 PM

China сuts drone sales to Ukraine, West but continues supplying Russia, Bloomberg reports.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said China has stopped selling drones to Ukraine and Western countries while continuing to supply them to Russia, Bloomberg reported on May 29.

8:16 PM  (Updated:  May 29, 2025 8:47 pm)

'No one has seen it yet' — Zelensky slams Russia for stalling on ceasefire memorandum ahead of Istanbul talks.

"The so-called memorandum they promised and claimed to be preparing for more than a week — no one has seen it," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.