A fire broke out at the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai overnight on June 11, amid a massive Ukrainian attack, eyewitnesses claimed.

Zelensky's participation "is very important for us because we need to rebuild consensus within the G7 in support of Ukraine on the various aspects of the war," French President Emmanuel Macron said on June 10.

The defense company Ukrainian Armor and European firm MBDA on June 10 initiated a strategic partnership aimed at developing deep strike and anti-drone systems.

Poland is fighting for its piece of the 6.6 billion euro ($7.7 billion) package under the European Peace Facility, while Germany has called for full reimbursement to Kyiv.

EU imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Yamal project increased by nearly 18% in the first five months of 2026, according to a report by environmental and sanctions-monitoring NGO Urgewald shared with the Kyiv Independent. The figures show the challenges facing EU's effort to end its dependency on Russian energy, despite the bloc's phased ban on Russian gas imports. While Brussels has introduced restrictions on Russian LNG imports, loopholes in the current scheme have allowe

Key developments on June 10: * Russian-occupied Mariupol port no longer operational after Ukrainian strikes, Azov Corps says * Chonhar Bridge linking Crimea to Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast destroyed after Ukrainian drone strike, Ukraine says * Ukrainian Flamingo missiles strike military plant in large-scale attack on Russia, Zelensky confirms * 'Time to sit at the negotiating table' — Bulgaria to stop sending arms to Ukraine Ukrainian forces have disabled the Russian-occupied port of Ma

KI Insights is coming to the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk! Join us at a networking event on the eve of URC, on June 24, 2026. We will be hosting a discussion on the new power mapping of Ukraine and the key roadblocks to reform. The briefing will feature exclusive insights and research from across our research programs. It will cover how key political risks in Ukraine, the EU reform trajectory, and the military situation are viewed from Kyiv. The event will be followed by a historical

Volodymyr Zelensky made a rare misstep when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed associate EU membership for Ukraine, offering institutional access, participation in Council meetings, gradual budget integration, and critically, Article 42(7) security guarantees. Zelensky rejected it, insisting Ukraine deserves full and equal membership. In principle, most Europeans would agree. On politics, however, we can argue. Ukraine's EU candidacy is not the problem Europe is currently trying to solv

The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek speaks with Phillips O'Brien, a U.S. historian and professor of strategic studies, about U.S. policy on Ukraine under President Donald Trump, the future of transatlantic relations, and the state of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The shift comes after Rumen Radev — a Russia-friendly former president and a longtime critic of military aid to Kyiv — won the Bulgarian parliamentary elections in April.

History is rattling Ukraine-Poland relations, yet again. The new round of historical grievances erupted in Poland when President Volodymyr Zelensky named a Ukrainian special forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) — an organization that fought for Ukrainian independence during and after World War II, but which evokes painful memories in Poland. In Ukraine, the UPA represents a historical struggle against Moscow's domination — a legacy that feels especially alive amid Russia's full

As a result of the attack, the port was left without power, significantly disrupting Russian military logistics in occupied southern Ukraine, the Azov Corps said.

Damir Davydov, a Russian military official responsible for missile and artillery ammunition supplies, was killed in a car bombing outside Moscow on June 9.

The Chonhar Bridge in Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast was destroyed following a Ukrainian drone strike on June 9, Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, said on June 10.

The attack on Cheboksary was part of a broader Ukrainian assault that also struck the Kuibyshev oil refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast, as well as two oil infrastructure facilities in Russia's Vladimir Oblast.

The Air Force said Russia launched 207 drones, 181 of which were intercepted. At least 21 drones struck 14 locations, while falling debris was recorded at 13 sites.

When a bank asked Ukrainian defense tech company TAF Industries to pledge its assets as collateral for a simple bank loan, the company faced a dilemma: it couldn't reveal the location of its manufacturing facilities. To prove the factory existed, TAF came up with a bold workaround — blindfolding bank officials and driving them to the site. "It worked — they gave us a loan," Volodymyr Zinovskyi, CEO at TAF Industries, told the Kyiv Independent in a cafe in downtown Kyiv. Well into the fifth ye

The Verkhovna Rada failed to gather enough votes for some bills demanded by the EU and the IMF, and one bill necessary for European integration was passed but was lambasted by experts as "imitation" rather than genuine progress.

As Russian drones and missiles continue to pound Ukraine's war-damaged energy infrastructure, Kyiv is struggling to find funding for a 5.4 billion euro ($6.2 billion) "energy resilience plan" first announced in spring. The next few months are a race against time to prepare for what energy experts warn will be another difficult winter under constant Russian bombardment. Ukraine not only needs to repair equipment after Russia wiped out nine gigawatts of power generation last winter, but also deve

The number includes 1,190 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"Germany will contribute an additional 300 million euros to this initiative – that's approximately 50,000 rounds of long-range ammunition," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.

Ukraine signed new defense cooperation agreements with Latvia and Estonia on June 9, deepening security and defense ties with the Baltic nations.

"No country in Europe is off Russia's target list since its invasion of Ukraine," Kallas said.

Key developments on June 9: * Ukraine targets key Crimea crossing in broader day of strikes on Russian military logistics; * Russia's Starlink rival loses one of its first operational satellites, Russian media reports; * Ukraine strikes ammo depot in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, confirms fuel tank destruction near Mariupol; * Syrskyi approves Rocket Forces and Artillery development plan through 2030; * No visas for Russian soldiers, no crypto, no fish — EU announces new Russia sanctions packa

In its latest update, the General Staff said Ukrainian forces struck targets across several regions in Russia and occupied Ukraine, including an ammunition depot, command posts, drone control centers, logistics hubs, supply warehouses, and concentrations of Russian troops.

Since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian athletes and national teams have been widely excluded from international sport. Yet the pressure to reintegrate them never really disappeared, and Russian athletes are increasingly allowed back into international competition. First, under neutral status in selected disciplines, following a gradual easing of restrictions, to a point of growing calls for the return of Russian representation on the world stage. Thawing the ice

Russia's answer to Starlink has lost one of the first satellites launched for its planned internet network, according to Russian state-controlled newspaper Kommersant.

The newly approved strategy calls for gradually replacing aging Soviet-caliber artillery systems with domestically produced weapons while retaining some of the most advanced foreign-made systems currently in service, Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

The package will also include a freeze on the current pricing mechanism for Russia energy imports until the end of 2026, meaning Moscow won't be able to profit from rising prices resulting from the U.S. war on Iran.

"June and July this year may determine a lot," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

An investigation by the Irish Times, which revealed that the Aughinish Alumina plant is supporting the Russian war effort against Ukraine, has brought turmoil to domestic politics in Ireland.

Russian forces launched two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles and 168 drones, 146 of which were intercepted, overnight on June 9, according to Ukraine's Air Force.