News Feed

5:00 AM

Official: It will take at least 5 years, $1 billion to build new power station after destruction of Kakhovka dam.

Building a new dam and hydroelectric station at the site of destroyed Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant will take at least five years and require at least $1 billion, head of Ukraine's state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo Ihor Syrota said on June 7.

3:40 AM

Guardian: Some NATO members may consider sending troops to Ukraine, warns former alliance chief.

Some NATO countries may decide to put troops on the ground in Ukraine if its member states fail to provide Kyiv with meaningful security guarantees at the alliance's summit in Vilnius, former NATO security general Anders Rasmussen said on June 7.

2:40 AM

Museum and home of famous Ukrainian painter flooded.

The home of famed Ukrainian painter Polina Raiko is under water as a result of the Kakhovka dam destruction, the project manager of the Polina Raiko Kherson Oblast Charitable Foundation Semen Khramtsov reported on Facebook.

1:30 AM

'They are destroying us.' People plea to escape flooded Russian-occupied areas

12:26 AM

Zelensky: International organizations must join rescue efforts in occupied parts of Kherson Oblast.

International organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, must begin rescue efforts in the occupied parts of flooded Kherson Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 7.

12:10 AM

War update

Ukraine war latest: 30 settlements flooded after Kakhovka dam destruction; 10,000 hectares of farmland expected to submerge

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12:05 AM

US State Department: 20,000 people must be resettled due to destruction of Kakhovka dam.

Around 20,000 people will have to be resettled because of the floods caused by the Kakhovka dam destruction, U.S. State Department official Vedant Patel said at a June 7 press briefing.

11:28 PM

Ukraine wants to produce NATO-standard 155 mm shells.

Ukraine's state-owned military enterprise Ukroboronprom is attempting to begin production of the 155 mm artillery shells, the company's spokesperson Natalia Sad said.

10:53 PM

Exiled mayor: 3 dead due to floods in Kherson Oblast.

Yevhen Ryshchuk, the exiled mayor of the Russian-occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, reported on the first victims of the Kakhovka dam disaster on June 7. According to the latest information, three people drowned.

9:50 PM

Governor: Floods hit Mykolaiv Oblast, 13 settlements under threat.

The floods caused by the Kakhovka dam destruction have reached Mykolaiv Oblast with at least 13 settlements under threat, Governor Vitalii Kim said on June 7.

9:06 PM

Governor: Lviv airport may reopen for humanitarian purposes.

The Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport may resume operations for humanitarian purposes, Lviv Oblast Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said on June 6.

9:02 PM

World Bank decreases Ukraine's GDP growth forecast for 2023.

In its June report, the World Bank set Ukraine's GDP forecast for the following year at 2%, compared to 3.3% in January. The forecast reportedly worsened due to Russia's attacks against Ukraine's energy infrastructure at the end of 2022 and the departure of a significant part of the country's working demographic abroad.

8:11 PM

State Emergency Service: Water level in Kherson rises by 55 meters.

The water level in Kherson has already reached 5.51 meters, Ukrinform reported on June 7, citing the State Emergency Service. The city was partially flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam the day before.

7:54 PM

Ukraine, OECD sign 4-year reconstruction, reform agreement.

Kyiv and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) signed a four-year partnership agreement to support reform, recovery, and reconstruction in Ukraine, the OECD announced on June 7.

7:48 PM

Health Ministry: Thousands of fish have died in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Tens of thousands of fish have died in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast after Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka dam the day before, the Health Ministry reported on June 7.

7:40 PM

Opinion

Gorodnichenko, Sologoub: The Ukraine-Russia culture war

6:26 PM

Ukraine's partners provide millions in aid after Kakhovka dam disaster.

Ukraine's international partners have provided $170 million in assistance following the Kakhovka dam disaster, and several EU countries have promised further aid.

6:12 PM

Polish farmers block trucks at Ukraine border crossing.

Polish farmers blocked the movement of trucks from Ukraine at the Medyka-Shehyni border crossing, demanding increased support from Warsaw for the domestic agricultural sector, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service announced on June 7.

5:40 PM

Interior Minister: 29 settlements in Kherson Oblast flooded.

Due to Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka dam, 29 settlements in Kherson Oblast have been flooded, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced on June 7. Over 1,800 people have been evacuated thus far.

5:05 PM

Ministry: 10,000 hectares of arable land expected to be flooded in Kherson Oblast.

Ten thousand hectares of arable land on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast are expected to be flooded after the disaster at the Kakhovka dam on June 6, the Agriculture Ministry reported on June 7.

4:22 PM

Minister: 65% of bomb shelters audited in Kyiv technically suitable for use.

Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin reported on June 7 that 65% of recently-surveyed bomb shelters in Kyiv are technically suitable for use and that the results of the audit are discouraging.

4:17 PM

Ministry: $40 million allocated to restore water pipelines impacted by Kahkovka dam disaster.

The Infrastructure Ministry reported on June 7 that it had allocated Hr 1.5 billion ($40 million) for the construction of water pipelines in Kherson Oblast and other parts of southern Ukraine to restore centralized water supply to areas impacted by the Kakhovka dam disaster.

3:31 PM

Military: Ukrainian forces go on offensive near Bakhmut.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on June 7 that Ukrainian forces were advancing on flanks near Bakhmut and Russian forces were losing ground.

3:08 PM

Lawyers: New head of top Ukrainian judicial body may have Russian citizenship.

Roman Ihnatov, the newly-appointed head of Ukraine’s High Qualification Commission of Judges, may have Russian citizenship, lawyers told the Kyiv Independent.

2:27 PM

UK PM on Kakhovka dam destruction: 'A new low' for Russia if it's responsible.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on June 7 that U.K. military and intelligence agencies were looking into the destruction of the Kakhovka dam and that it would represent "a new low" for Russian aggression against Ukraine if the Kremlin is responsible for the disaster.

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Pope Francis appoints Cardinal Zuppi to lead peace mission in Ukraine

by The Kyiv Independent news desk May 21, 2023 2:57 AM 1 min read

This audio is created with AI assistance

In a significant move aimed at resolving the ongoing war, Pope Francis has entrusted Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, to lead a peace mission in Ukraine.

The Holy See Press Office confirmed this development on May 20, underscoring the Pope's commitment to easing tensions in the region.

Vatican News reported that Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, told the journalists: "I can confirm that Pope Francis has entrusted Cardinal Matteo Zuppi with the responsibility of leading a mission, in agreement with the Secretariat of State, that contributes to an easing of tensions in the Ukraine conflict, in the hopes that this can initiate paths of peace, something never abandoned by the Holy Father."

The Vatican aims to leverage Cardinal Zuppi's diplomatic skills and vast network to contribute to de-escalating tensions and paving the way for a lasting resolution in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky had a chance to speak to Pope Francis in the Vatican for 40 minutes on May 13 during the Ukrainian leader's state visit to Italy, marking the first time Zelensky has met with the Pope since 2020.

Pope Francis reportedly gifted Zelensky a small olive branch sculpture that symbolizes peace, while Zelensky gave the pontiff an icon of the Virgin Mary painted onto a piece of body armor.

The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

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