South China Morning Post: Zelensky seeks direct talks with Xi Jinping

6:52 AM

Russian drone strike on Odesa injures 13, including 1 child.

Russian drone strikes on Odesa early June 17 injured 13 people, including one child, regional authorities reported.

1:35 AM  (Updated:  June 17, 2025 5:53 am)

Russian mass attack hits Kyiv, killing 14, injuring at least 40.

Russian drones and ballistic missiles targeted the capital overnight, killing 14 people and injuring at least 40, local authorities reported. Damage to civilian infrastructure has also been reported throughout the city.

4:29 AM

Russian military-industrial chemical plant halts operations after Ukrainian drone strike.

The Nevinnomyssk Azot chemical plant — a key supplier to the Kremlin's military-industrial complex — has suspended production following Ukrainian drone strikes, Russian independent media reported on June 16.

2:53 AM

Trump leaving G7 summit early ahead of anticipated June 17 meeting with Zelensky.

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to depart the G7 Leaders' Summit late on June 16, ahead of an anticipated high-stakes meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 17.

12:30 AM

Canada reportedly set to announce new military aid for Ukraine at G7.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to announce additional support for Ukraine during the G7 summit, CBC News reported on June 16, citing government sources.

10:46 PM

Ukraine moves forward on lithium mining under US minerals deal, NYT reports.

On June 16, the Ukrainian government reportedly agreed to begin drafting recommendations for a bidding process to develop the Dobra lithium field in central Ukraine.

10:16 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russia ramps up its summer offensive in several directions, seeks to encircle Kostiantynivka

8:08 PM

Russia ramps up its summer offensive in several directions, Ukraine's military says.

The surge in activity near Novopavlivka suggests Russian forces are attempting to push into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which neighbors the embattled Donetsk Oblast, said Victor Tregubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces.

7:42 PM

Field report

Hungary’s soft power meets Ukraine’s hard reality in Zakarpattia

6:57 PM

Russia hands over bodies of its own soldiers in recent exchange, Kyiv says.

"This could have been done by the Russians on purpose to increase the number of bodies transferred and to load our (forensic) experts with work, adding to all this cynical information pressure. Or it could be their usual negligent attitude toward their own people. In any case, we also identify these bodies," Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.

6:11 PM

US cancels talks with Russia on restoring diplomatic relations, Moscow claims.

According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, the upcoming round was intended to "eliminate irritants" and help normalize the operations of both nations' diplomatic missions.

5:28 PM

Business

Investing in wartime Ukraine requires ‘nuanced understanding of risk’ but is worth it, says head of world’s largest business organization

5:12 PM

Zelensky in Austria talks about reconstruction, return of abducted children, punishing oligarchs.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that agreements signed in Austria cover agriculture, reconstruction, and the return of abducted Ukrainian children from Russia.

3:57 PM

Iran claims new ballistic missile tactic allowed breach of Israeli air defenses.

Iranian missiles were guided in a way that caused Israeli interceptor missiles to target each other, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said.

9:57 AM  (Updated:  June 16, 2025 2:58 pm)

Russia evading oil sanctions with illegal transfers near Greece, Cyprus, HUR says.

According to Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), the vessel, operating without Western insurance, is part of Russia's expanding shadow fleet used to bypass G7 and EU sanctions on Russian oil exports.

1:59 PM  (Updated:  June 16, 2025 2:55 pm)

Ukraine receives 1,245 bodies of fallen soldiers and citizens, concluding Istanbul repatriation deal.

The latest repatriation marks the final stage of the exchange agreement, bringing the total number of Ukrainian bodies returned under the deal to 6,057.

2:54 PM

Zelensky's trust rating drops 11 points to 65%, poll shows.

The survey found that 65% of Ukrainians currently trust the president, while 30% do not, yielding a trust balance of +35%, the lowest recorded since March.

1:19 PM

Russia to demand Ukraine destroy Western weapons to end war, senior Kremlin official says.

The remarks reflect Moscow's growing list of maximalist demands presented in its so-called "peace memorandum."

1:11 PM

Opinion

Let Ukraine join Joint Expeditionary Force countries. Especially now.

12:54 PM

6 killed, 18 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day.

Russia launched 138 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, Ukraine's Air Force said.

12:23 PM

Zelensky proposes Ruslan Kravchenko as new Prosecutor General.

The nomination ends a six-month vacancy at the top of Ukraine's prosecution service, following the resignation of Andriy Kostin in October 2024.

11:45 AM

Satellite images show expansion at 5 Russian nuclear sites near Europe.

One of the most notable developments is in Kaliningrad, where the suspected nuclear weapons storage site has undergone significant reconstruction.

10:06 AM

'Russians lie about everything' — Ukraine hits out at Kremlin claims after yet another drone strike on Kyiv.

"This is a deliberate tactic of terror," Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said.

8:16 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,005,060 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,200 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:09 AM

EU leaders call for tougher sanctions on Russia at G7 summit.

"To achieve peaceful strength we must put more pressure on Russia to secure a real ceasefire, to bring Russia to the negotiating table, and to end this war. Sanctions are critical to that end," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.