President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "very positive" phone call with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on June 8.

France and Germany have decided to abandon the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter jet program, according to multiple media reports citing French and German government sources.

The Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM), a state-controlled pollster, has reportedly stopped publishing President Vladimir Putin's "open" trust rating after it fell to its lowest level since the start of the full-scale war, the Moscow Times reported on June 8.

Candace Owens billed her trip to Russia last week as a family vacation. It turned into something far more useful for the Kremlin. The U.S. far-right conspiracy theorist — boasting 35 million followers across all social media platforms — ended up appearing at Russia's flagship economic forum, talking to Russian propaganda outlets, and praising the country's "traditional values" while dismissing Western coverage of it as lies. Her visit also exposed a fresh fault line within the MAGA movement, d

YEREVAN, Armenia — The best of a bad lot was how many Armenians described victorious Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of Sunday's pivotal election — the first since the bitter defeat in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan. While the election has frequently been framed outside Armenia as a choice between pro-Russian or pro-Western forces, few locals on the streets of Yerevan saw it in such stark terms. With a population of just over 3 million, Armenia is heavily econom

Key developments on June 8: * Russia rejects Ukrainian, European peace initiatives, says battlefield will decide war * NATO jets shoot down drone over Latvia in 1st such interception, military says * Ukraine strikes Russian oil depot, radar station, other military targets, General Staff confirms * Ukraine foils Russian plot to assassinate senior military intelligence official, police say * At least 8 killed, 52 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over past day Ukrainian forces recap

"I thank His Majesty, the people, and the entire United Kingdom for their ironclad support for our people," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"For the time being, I think this issue has been solved at the working level," the EU's Enlargement Chief Marta Kos said in a meeting with journalists in Kyiv on June 8, referring to Poland's objection.

This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin. Key news as of June 8: * Crimea faces food shortages amid Ukraine's intensified drone attacks * Bridge linking Crimea to southern Ukraine damaged in drone strike, Ukrainian military confirms * Ukraine's drones take aerial control over part of land route to Russian-occupied Crimea, military sa

Some names have been changed to protect the identities of those featured in the story As a war crimes researcher at the Reckoning Project, my job was to listen to Ukrainians who had fled the occupation. What they had to say reshaped how I understand life in Russian-occupied territories. Simplistic outside judgments about people living under occupation often feel deeply unfair to Ukrainians who escaped it. From a safe distance, it is easy to say, "Why didn't they stay and resist?" or "Why didn'

The decision represents the most high-profile conviction in a corruption case in Ukraine's independent history.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed the vote had taken place "amidst severe repression" and that democratic procedures were "grossly violated."

The heaviest fighting is taking place in the Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk Oblast, the Oleksandrivka sector, which lies at the junction of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, and the Huliaipole sector in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the commander-in-chief said.

The target was Andrii Yusov, spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence and deputy head of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, he confirmed later in the day.

"I don't know how we can even talk about negotiations," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

Russian forces launched 155 drones, 124 of which were intercepted, according to Ukraine's Air Force.

The drone entered the country after being diverted by Russian electronic warfare systems, Latvia's military said.

Ukraine's military reportedly launched another onslaught of middle strikes on Russian and Russian-occupied regions overnight on June 8, striking multiple oil depots and electrical substations, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

The number includes 1,330 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, and Ukraine issued a joint statement on June 7 setting out five conditions that must be met between Kyiv and Moscow to bring a resolution to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian drones continued their medium-range on western Russia, as well as Russian-occupied territories on June 7, damaging and destroying several military targets, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) reported.

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.