Armenia's parliamentary election on June 7 saw the country's highest voter turnout since 2018, as citizens cast their ballots to determine the makeup of the National Assembly — and decide whether Yerevan will pursue a European alliance or deepen ties with Russia.

The talks will focus on Ukraine's defense and European security, as well as the leaders' "common view" on the diplomatic process to end Russia's war.

Zelensky said in a June 7 interview with Sky News that he asked Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to deliver a message to Putin: Ukraine will never surrender Donbas, and Zelensky is ready to meet with Putin.

The attack was carried out with Ukraine's homemade Fire Point drones and new long-range Behemoth UAV, causing significant damage to the bridge, the military said.

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 6-7: * 'Sky-high arrogance' — Russian drone strikes spent nuclear fuel depot in Chornobyl * Zelensky confirms another drone strike on St. Petersburg Oblast ahead of Putin's economic forum finale * Bridge linking Crimea to southern Ukraine damaged in drone strike, Russian occupation official says * Uk

The attack partially destroyed the repository's container reception building, though no spent nuclear fuel was being stored there at the time.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb also outlined a three-step approach for restarting diplomacy with Moscow.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 95 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian territory and occupied Crimea.

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, three years after Russia destroyed the Kakhovka Dam, causing major flooding in the area.

The June 5 meeting marks the start of a new phase of communication on prisoner and hostage issues after Russia appointed Lantratova as ombudswoman in May.

Moscow launched 236 drones overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force, which said 215 of them were shot down.

The number includes 1,350 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"While (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's army is searching for a replacement, the railway junction and logistics in the region are operating with a limited reserve for recovery," the group said.

Ukrainian drones struck energy and transport infrastructure in the occupied Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts overnight June 6-7, independent Telegram news channel Exilenova Plus reported.

Power returned to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant after a 15-hour outage, the IAEA said, ending one of the longest disruptions at the facility during the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a private meeting in Moscow with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, a longtime associate of the Russian leader, the Kremlin said June 5.

From a gated hilltop mansion on the outskirts of Yerevan, Russian-Armenian billionaire-turned-opposition figure Samvel Karapetyan is carefully coordinating his path to power. An energy sector magnate who made his fortune in Russia, Karapetyan has been under house arrest since January. From behind his high iron gates, he and his pro-Russian Strong Armenia party have emerged as the most prominent force among Armenia's bloc of scattered opposition parties. In Sunday's election, that opposition is

Ukraine's 3rd Special Operations Forces Regiment said its drones are capable of targeting Russian equipment and logistics along the Melitopol — Chonhar route in Ukraine's south.

The Turkish Coast Guard didn't specify who may have been responsible for the attack.

Ukraine's military carried out large-scale strikes across multiple Russian regions overnight on June 6, reaching up to 1,000 kilometers deep into Russian territory and hitting several targets, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"Russian forces and occupation authorities made effective use of the response window — the period during which an emergency has not yet reached the peak of its destructive impact — significantly more difficult," said Roman Koval, head of research at Truth Hounds.

A new documentary, Kakhovka. High Water. How the Destruction of the Hydroelectric Power Plant Changed Ukraine, examines the long-term consequences of the June 6, 2023 destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, which Ukrainian officials have called Europe's worst environmental disaster since Chornobyl. The Tellers Agency is releasing the documentary for free online to mark the third anniversary of the tragedy, when, according to Ukrainian authorities, Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka Dam in Russian-occ

"The Ukrainian side is convinced that this incident, much like similar occurrences in other regions, demonstrates that Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine poses a threat not only to our country but also to neighboring friendly states, Europe, and the world at large," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.

Ukrainian forces downed 249 out of the 272 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.

The number includes 1,380 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

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

Ukraine's Supreme Court has rejected a libel lawsuit filed by the late Andriy Portnov, a former top official who served pro-Kremlin ex-President Viktor Yanukovych, against the Kyiv Independent, according to a ruling obtained by the Kyiv Independent on June 5.

"We are here both to organize support within the framework of the coalition of the willing and to put that support in place," Macron said.