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.

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.

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.

The Kyiv Independent visited a Ukrainian military hospital where American and Ukrainian surgeons work together as part of the "Face-to-Face" mission to reconstruct faces damaged by explosions from strikes and landmines.

President Volodymyr Zelensky's letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin was never meant only for the man whose name was written at the top. According to a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the planning, the message was aimed at a much wider audience, including Putin's inner circle, Russian elites increasingly weary of the war, and even ordinary Russian citizens. The letter, sent on June 4, marked the first direct outreach from Zelensky to Putin since 2022. In it, the Ukrainian presiden

The Ukrainian Navy confirmed that it lost control of one of its drones in the Black Sea due to electronic warfare, causing the unmanned vessel to drift to the Romanian coast.

Some names have been changed to protect the identities of those featured in the story. After over two years of full-time reporting on the war in my country, I spent several months with the Reckoning Project, recording testimonies of alleged war crimes. I focused on forced displacement, deportation, and daily life under occupation, speaking with people who lived under Russian rule — from Crimea's annexation in 2014 to the occupation of parts of Kherson and Kharkiv oblasts in 2022. Many lost lo

The targeted vessels included one near the city of Berdiansk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, two near Yalta in Donetsk Oblast, and two near Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast.

More than four years after the EU began sanctioning Russian steel, Belgium remains a loyal importer — thanks to a sanctions exemption that allows a Russia-based steel giant to continue supplying its Belgian factories with low-cost slabs. Despite sweeping EU sanctions against the Kremlin for its war in Ukraine, Belgium has opposed attempts to sanction the company, NLMK, and its Kremlin-connected billionaire owner, Vladimir Lisin. Belgian officials fear that taking action could hurt employment in

"We simply struck where it was convenient to observe the results," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

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.

All signatories to the letter sit outside of the European Parliament's political mainstream, with euroskeptic and pro-Russian politicians strongly represented.

The explosion occurred at 4:15 a.m. local time at a sorting depot in the capital’s Obolon district during a quiet night without any Russian air attacks, Nova Post’s press service confirmed to the Kyiv Independent on June 5.

Russian forces launched two Kh-59/69 guided missiles and 216 Shahed-type attack drones against Ukraine overnight, with Ukrainian air defenses intercepting 198 of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

"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."

The number includes 1,550 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"Without doubt, we are ready and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine by peaceful means — and based on what we have discussed at the meeting with President (Donald) Trump in Anchorage," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

The Ukraine Support Act allocates $8 billion in military financing for Kyiv, extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2027, and imposes additional sanctions on Russia.

Kyiv hopes U.S.-mediated peace talks with Moscow could yield results before winter as Ukrainian officials grow concerned about shortages of anti-missile systems and signs Russia may be preparing a new mobilization. President Volodymyr Zelensky told lawmakers from his Servant of the People party in late May that Kyiv sees what he described as a realistic opportunity to end the war, according to two people familiar with the matter. Head of Zelensky's office, Kyrylo Budanov, later publicly echoed

"A decision was made to carry out systematic preemptive strikes that will disrupt enemy launches and reduce the number of enemy drones that will once again fly to attack kindergartens, high-rise buildings, and hospitals."

The letter lays out Putin's increasingly apparent vulnerabilities, Ukraine's growing strength, and the case for an immediate reopening of peace negotiations.

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 4: * 'What should we do?' Russians in panic after Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg * Ukraine strikes Russian patrol ship in Sea of Azov, confirms damage to St. Petersburg oil terminal * Why Ukraine is talking about ending 'hot phase' of Russia's war before winter * Ukraine strips 8 military units of ri

Eight Ukrainian military units lost the right to independently conduct basic training after inspections found shortcomings, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.