Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that 185 Russian POWs had returned home, saying that they are currently in Belarus and will be receiving the psychological and medical care there.
Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar Krai overnight on June 6 amid a wider Ukrainian attack on Russian regions, Russian Telegram media channels reported.
In his evening address on June 5, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having no interest in ending Russia's war in Ukraine, after the Russian leader dismissed Zelensky's open letter calling for the immediate reopening of peace negotiations.
A Swedish court has ruled that the cargo vessel Caffa, seized after allegedly transporting grain stolen from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, may be handed over to Ukraine, Reuters reported on June 5.
"The latest wave of Russian strikes is yet another reminder that Moscow continues to choose escalation over peace, and terror over diplomacy," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
U.S. President Donald Trump on June 5 signaled support for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to end the full-scale war, saying he believes it is close to being settled.
Editor's note: Got an opinion on anything you've read in the Kyiv Independent so far? Send it to letters@kyivindependent.com, and it may appear in our Letters section. Key developments on June 5: * Ukraine destroys Russia's drone base at occupied Donetsk Airport * 185 Ukrainian POWs return from Russian captivity in latest exchange * 'Enough of the war' — Zelensky throws down gauntlet to Putin in open letter * 5 Russian cargo ships targeted by Ukrainian drones, Azerbaijan reports deaths of
The Kyiv Independent's coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, after eight years of aggression against Ukraine that began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and fighting in Donbas. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties and displaced millions of Ukrainians. NATO and Western allies have provided military aid to Ukraine while the conflict continues across fronts in Ukraine’s south and east.
"Almost half of your 26 years of power in Russia you have spent in the war against Ukraine," Zelensky wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Whatever you say about NATO, geopolitics and the Russian language, this war is your personal choice — a war without a real reason. This is how history will remember it."
