Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned that air defense units were at work repelling an attack against the capital. Information on casualties or damage is not yet available.

At the end of May, a Volgograd Telegram channel published an unusual announcement: local "mobile fire groups" tasked with shooting down Ukrainian drones were asking residents to chip in for radios, laser pointers, and camouflage nets. They needed 151,400 rubles, a little over 2,000 dollars. Over several days, they collected 13,300 rubles. The state, which had promised its citizens that the war would never touch them, was asking them to fund their own air defense themselves, and the Russians "ch

Key developments on June 24: * Ukrainian troops raise flag on Kinburn Spit in Mykolaiv Oblast held by Russian forces since 2022, military says * Skelia assault regiment commander suspended from duty amid investigation into alleged abuse * Ukrainian strikes hit energy, oil infrastructure in Russian-occupied Crimea as power outages continue, military confirms * Russian attacks kill 7, injure 70 across Ukraine over past day, as Ukrainian gas facilities hit in several regions Ukrainian troops

Ukraine's siege of Crimea has been a long time coming. Crimea is under an effective siege as Ukraine has been systematically isolating the occupied peninsula with a multipronged campaign of drone strikes. "Hell is beginning," Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in a June 17 interview. "Logistics are being cut off. Crimea is being isolated." Ukraine plans to fully isolate the peninsula, cutting it off from Russian supply while destroying critical infrastructure — ultimately allowi

Skelia commander Yurii Harkavyi was suspended amid an investigation into alleged abuse and noncombat deaths in one of Ukraine’s largest assault regiments.

The latest attack comes as the peninsula's energy grid has come under strain in recent days after Russian proxy authorities said widespread power outages in occupied Crimea on June 23 left approximately half of the peninsula without electricity.

Several EU countries are considering national laws intended to restrict how temporary protection works for the 4 million Ukrainian refugees across Europe.

Russian forces retreated under "heavy fire," with the evacuation of surviving personnel continuing, the statement read.

"There was no agreement in Alaska. There was a proposal, but there was no agreement," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. "If there had been an agreement, we would have had an end to the war."

Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi said on Facebook on June 25 that several Ukrnafta gas stations in Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts came under attack.

"We understand that we will meet daytime demand through nuclear power, imports, distributed generation, and renewable energy, but unfortunately, we will have to rely on consumers to balance evening peaks," Vitaliy Zaichenko, CEO of state grid operator Ukrenergo, said.

"Our long-range operations are a consistent, precise response to Russia's dragging out the war and attacking Ukrainian cities and communities," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukraine's central bank chief denied that a personal conflict contributed to the bank's decision to request the dismissal of the CEO of Ukraine's state postal service, amid a public outcry over the decision.

"We will not allow the shadow fleet to evade sanctions and fund Russia's war effort. Europe is determined," French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X on June 25.

The partnership with the World Bank's insurance arm, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency or MIGA, will insure DFC projects in Ukraine against political and war-related risks.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed reporting by the Kyiv Independent that U.S. President Donald Trump privately encouraged President Volodymyr Zelensky to act "more boldly" toward Russia.

"The funds have already been transferred to the state budget and will be used to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities and social resilience," Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on Telegram.

Russia's largest social media platform, VK, is a major channel for information distribution and state-backed narratives.

Sense Bank and Ukrgazbank have a "good chance" of being privatized by the end of 2026, Ukraine's central bank chief Andriy Pyshnyi told the Kyiv Independent in an interview on June 24 on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, Poland.

The number includes 1,270 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

President Donald Trump said on June 24 that President Volodymyr Zelensky is "doing pretty well" in Ukraine's defense against Russia's full-scale invasion, describing the Ukrainian leader as resilient despite the ongoing fighting.

The announcement came hours after a new call for 650 million euros ($740 million), the estimated cost of protecting Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of the winter.

A series of Russian drone strikes across Sumy Oblast on June 24 injured at least 15 civilians, including three children, regional authorities reported.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is in a tough spot. The liberal pro-EU, pro-Ukraine prime minister is looking at a country increasingly at odds with both. In recent weeks, ties between Kyiv and Warsaw have sharply deteriorated after President Volodymyr Zelensky named a military unit in honor of the World War II–era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), prompting his Polish counterpart to revoke the country's highest state honor previously awarded to the Ukrainian president. The unfolding row saw Z

Key developments on June 24: * Crimea now 'zone of constant losses' SBU says, after strikes on Russian air defenses, military airfields * Russia redeploys air defenses to Moscow, Kerch Bridge as Ukrainian strikes intensify, military intelligence says * Belarus halts equipment used to guide Russian strikes, Zelensky says, after Ukraine's ultimatum * Skelia assault regiment under investigation following report of 26 noncombat deaths, alleged abuse * Moscow Oil Refinery unlikely to resume ope

For decades, the central question of Ukraine's relationship with Europe was whether Ukraine would ever become part of the European Union. Today, the debate has fundamentally changed, and the question is no longer whether Ukraine belongs to Europe, but rather if Europe can credibly defend itself in today's volatile security environment without Ukraine. The answer is clear: it cannot. Ukraine is steadily becoming one of the key security providers on the European continent. This had stemmed not s

According to two sources familiar with the matter, repairs at the refinery are expected to take at least six months, potentially keeping the facility offline through the end of 2026.

"As of today, the equipment is no longer operating," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

According to the investigation, at least 26 service members died between late 2025 and spring 2026, many shortly after mobilization and training.

For international investors gathered at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Poland this week, the rebuilding of strategic sectors like energy has become a significant emerging opportunity — yet one they risk missing out on. Across an energy system that Russia has repeatedly tried to occupy or destroy since 2022, companies like DTEK are not waiting for peace before building again. Continuous attacks compel us to restore existing infrastructure while simultaneously accelerating the construction of

"We are preparing new, entirely justified steps in response to Russia's prolongation of the war and its strikes against Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

This week's letters come from readers writing about Ukraine — a Romanian journalist reporting from Kyiv on the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment, an American veteran on American support, and an investor questioning whether some foreign "investment" is being mistaken for genuine economic recovery. Got an opinion on anything you've read in the Kyiv Independent? Send it to letters@kyivindependent.com — your letter may appear in our Letters section. ‘Great news for Ukraine’s investment climate’ — W