Casualties

6:14 AM

Russia stalling, staging 'diplomatic show' in peace talks with Ukraine, Umerov says.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on June 2 slammed Russia for only providing its memorandum of a peace proposal at talks earlier in the day, saying that "the Russians are once again stalling for time."

4:31 AM

'We face war in Europe' — UK announces major defense spending boost amid Russian threat.

Every part of society, every citizen of this country, has a role to play because we have to recognize that things have changed in the world of today... The front line, if you like, is here," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

2:44 AM

Russia admits to taking Ukrainian children during latest peace talks, Zelensky says.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that during the June 2 negotiations in Istanbul, Russian representatives dismissed Ukraine's efforts to raise the issue of abducted Ukrainian children as a "show for childless European old ladies."

1:48 AM

Norway to help Ukraine cover 1 billion euro gas shortfall, Zelensky says.

"We agreed that we will look for opportunities to close any deficit, which may arise if everything is not restored (Ukrainian gas production infrastructure affected by Russian attacks), if we cannot fully provide our population with gas," Zelensky said.

12:19 AM

Zelensky says he's ready to meet with Putin, Trump in Turkey.

"I told (Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan) that I support a meeting at the level of leaders, because I have the impression that there will be no ceasefire without our meeting," Zelensky said on June 2.

12:00 AM

DTEK to build one of Europe's largest energy storage facilities, company announces.

Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK secured a $72-million loan to build one of the largest battery energy storage complexes in Eastern Europe, the company said on June 3.

11:36 PM

Ukrainian strikes in Russia

‘Closer to victory’ – Operation Spiderweb gives much-needed morale boost to Ukrainians after 3 years of full-scale war

11:23 PM

Russian propagandists split between downplaying devastating Ukrainian drone attacks and issuing threats

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.