Slovak PM Fico undergoes 2nd surgery, still in serious condition following assassination attempt

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.

8:40 PM

Ukraine seeks to bring back up to 1,200 people in next prisoner swap with Russia, Zelensky says.

The next prisoner exchange will reportedly include young people between the ages of 18 and 25, as well as people with serious injuries.

6:00 PM  (Updated:  June 2, 2025 6:41 pm)

Ukraine, Russia preparing for new prisoner exchange following 2nd round of peace talks, Zelensky says.

Russia and Ukraine are preparing to hold a new prisoners of war (POWs) exchange mediated by Turkey after the second round of peace talks.

6:38 PM

Video

Ukrainians celebrate 'Spiderweb' operation that hit dozens of Russian bombers.

The Security Service of Ukraine, SBU, conducted a major special operation targeting four Russian air bases across the country on June 1. We asked Ukrainians on the streets of Kyiv to share their reactions to the operation.

6:17 PM

Russia proposes 2-3-day ceasefire in some areas of front to retrieve bodies of the fallen, Medinsky says.

According to a source in the President's Office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Russia declined a ceasefire proposed by Ukraine.

5:23 PM

Ukraine ready to make concessions on sanctions against Russia amid ongoing peace talks, demands ceasefire first.

Some of the sanctions against Russia could be lifted following a potential full ceasefire, according to Ukraine's official proposal, seen by the Kyiv Independent on June 2. Yet, the condition proposed by Ukraine is that sanctions are automatically renewed if the ceasefire agreement is broken.

4:13 PM

Portnov family bought Dubai properties worth over $2 million, media investigation says.

According to property records leaked from Dubai's Land Department and state-owned utilities, six properties were purchased in 2022–2023 by Portnov's civil partner, Anastasiia Valiaieva, and his daughter, Liliia Portnova, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

3:43 PM

Russian double-tap attack injures 12 emergency workers in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Russian drone attacks against a State Emergency Service building in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on June 2 injured 12 employees, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.

3:09 PM

Ukrainian military responds to commander’s claim of no state-supplied FPV drones for 3rd Brigade.

In a written response to a request from Babel, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said the brigade had received a total of 7,992 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of various types between Jan. 1 and May 27, 2025.

2:17 PM

Russian central bank head under pressure to slash key interest rate, Bloomberg reports.

The reason is the growing toll on the federal budget and civilian industries, three officials told Bloomberg, with some calling for the decision to be made at the bank's meeting on June 6.

1:33 PM

Trump reportedly wasn't informed in advance about Ukraine's drone strike on Russian bombers.

The White House was not notified about the plans, which were being prepared for a year and a half, Axios reported, citing a Ukrainian security official. CBS News' sources in the Trump administration also confirmed that the Trump administration was not informed.

1:21 PM

Zelensky urges Trump to enforce tougher sanctions if peace talks with Russia stall.

"If the Istanbul meeting brings nothing, that clearly means strong new sanctions are urgently needed,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

9:23 PM  (Updated:  June 2, 2025 1:10 pm)

34% of Russian strategic Russian bombers at main airfields damaged in Ukrainian drone operation, SBU reports.

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) reported that the June 1 “Spider Web” drone operation caused approximately $7 billion in damages and disabled 34% of cruise missile carriers in key Russian airbases.

12:50 PM

After Ukraine's strike on Russian bombers, governor mulls rewarding citizens for attacking UAVs with stones.

"In the operational staff, we will evaluate the actions of concerned citizens who tried to interfere with the work of drones and decide on their recognition," Governor of Russia's Irkutsk Oblast Igor Kobzev wrote on Telegram.

12:04 PM

Zelensky summons Drapatyi, who submitted resignation over Russian strike on Ukrainian training camp.

"I scheduled a meeting ... to sort it all out," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address.

11:28 AM

Zelensky arrives in Lithuania for summit with B9, Nordic countries.

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Vilnius on June 2 to participate in a summit of the Bucharest Nine (B9) member states and the Nordic countries, Zelensky's spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov confirmed for Ukrinform.

12:47 AM  (Updated:  June 2, 2025 11:11 am)

Conservative candidate Nawrocki wins Polish presidential election by narrow margin.

Right-wing historian Karol Nawrocki garnered 50.89% of the vote in the run-off election on June 1, narrowly defeating his liberal rival, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski.

10:44 AM

Destroyed Russian bombers seen in first satellite images after Ukrainian drone strike.

The photos, captured by U.S. aerospace company Umbra Space, appear to confirm the destruction of at least three Tu-95MS strategic bombers and one Tu-22M3 aircraft, with an additional Tu-95MS visibly damaged. Another image shows two more likely destroyed Tu-22M3 bombers on the field.