News Feed

1:36 AM

NGO: Chechen security forces blackmailing men who refuse to fight in Ukraine.

Russia is forcibly conscripting men in Chechnya to fight in Ukraine, imprisoning those who refuse and threatening their families, the "Severny Kavkaz SOS” (North Caucasus SOS) crisis group reported.

12:38 AM

Russian Orthodox Church claims transfer of Ukraine's POWs to Hungary.

The Russian Orthodox Church announced through its press service on June 8 that it handed over a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war to Hungary.

12:20 AM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky visits Kherson Oblast following Kakhovka dam disaster; Russia shells flooded city

11:57 PM

Zelensky: 'Russia needs to bear full responsibility for ecocide.'

In a June 8 address to the world's environmental protection community, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia needs to bear full responsibility for the ecocide it caused through the Kakhovka dam destruction.

11:32 PM

Polish general: 'No doubt' that Russia blew up Kakhovka dam.

The ex-commander of the Polish Land Forces Waldemar Skrzypczak told Ukrinform on June 8 that the Western military has "no doubt" that Russia was behind the Kakhovka disaster.

11:05 PM

Stoltenberg urges NATO members to aid with Kakhovka disaster aftermath.

On June 8, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on the members of the Alliance to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine in the wake of the Kakhovka dam disaster.

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10:54 PM

Military intelligence: Russia has enough missiles for key targets like Kyiv.

Russia can produce enough missiles to continue strikes against key targets like Kyiv, the military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov told Ukrainska Pravda in an interview published on June 8.

10:40 PM

Update: Russian strike on Cherkasy Oblast injures 8.

Russian missile strike against the Uman district in Cherkasy Oblast injured eight civilians, Governor Ihor Taburets reported on June 8.

10:05 PM

Russian forces bomb Kherson Oblast, kill 1, injure 1.

Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast killed one woman and injured another resident on June 8, the regional prosecutor's office reported.

9:36 PM

Governor: Dnipro River carries mines, ammunition to Odesa seaside.

The flooded Dnipro River carries mines and other types of unexploded ordnance to Odesa's seaside, Governor Oleh Kiper warned the city's residents on June 8.

9:09 PM

State Emergency Service: 2,339 residents evacuated from Kherson Oblast.

According to the State Emergency Service, 2,339 people, including 120 children, were evacuated from the flooded areas of Kherson Oblast by June 8, 8:45 local time.

8:59 PM

Satellite images show massive flooding of Ukraine's south.

Satellite images shared by Planet Labs show the massive extent of the damage caused by the breach of the Kakhovka dam on June 6.

8:35 PM

Explosions reported in Cherkasy Oblast during nationwide air raid alert.

Cherkasy Oblast residents report explosions during nationwide air raid alert, local media outlet Suspilne Cherkasy wrote on June 8.

8:05 PM

CNN: US officials say Ukraine advances near Bakhmut but suffers losses.

Ukrainian forces achieved some success around Bakhmut but suffered "significant" losses in personnel and heavy equipment, CNN wrote on June 8, citing U.S. officials. Although Kyiv's troops managed to overrun Russians in some areas, they encountered heavier resistance than expected, according to the report.

7:51 PM

Media: Russia preparing terror attack to distract from Kakhovka disaster.

Russia is preparing to stage a terror attack on its gas transmission system to blame Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda media outlet reported on June 8, referring to its sources in Ukraine's military intelligence.

7:26 PM

Official: Ukrainian exports through Dnipro River won't be possible 'for a long time.'

As a result of the Kakhovka dam destruction, the Dnipro River will not be navigable downstream of the city of Zaporizhzhia "for a long time," Shipping Administration Head Yevhenii Ihnatenko said on June 8. This will effectively block Ukrainian exports through the Dnipro River.

7:14 PM

Interview

Browder: ‘West must hand Russian Central Bank’s $350 billion to Ukraine for reconstruction’

6:29 PM

Update: Kherson Oblast shelling amid evacuation injures 9, no dead confirmed.

Russian June 8 attack on Kherson Oblast, where evacuations from the flooded areas are ongoing, injured nine civilians. There are no fatalities, the Interior Ministry reported.

6:19 PM

Opinion

Roland Freudenstein: Macron’s Bratislava speech – a French Zeitenwende or charm offensive?

5:57 PM

UK slaps new sanctions against Belarus.

The U.K. expanded its sanctions against Belarus for its support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.K. Foreign Office announced on June 8.

5:35 PM

Defense Ministry: Ukraine repels Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are conducting military operations near Bakhmut, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on June 8. In some areas, Russia is attempting to go on the offensive but without success.

5:12 PM

Politico: West remains divided on security guarantees for Ukraine.

Ukraine's Western allies remain divided on "nearly every element" regarding security guarantees for Ukraine, Politico wrote on June 8, citing unnamed European diplomats.

4:49 PM

Western media: Ukraine launches counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Ukraine launched its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia on June 8, ABC News reported, citing unnamed Ukrainian official sources, one of them supposedly close to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

4:31 PM

UN agrees to conduct evacuations from flooded Russian-occupied areas.

Ukraine and the United Nations (UN) agreed that the UN would deploy personnel to the flood-affected left bank of the Dnipro River, occupied by Russia. The UN workers will provide aid and conduct evacuations, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry announced on June 8.

3:27 PM

Police: 1 dead due to floods in Mykolaiv Oblast.

A civilian died in the village of Vasylivka in flooding caused by the Kakhovka dam collapse, Mykolaiv Oblast police head Serhii Shaikhet said on June 8. The 53-year-old man refused to evacuate a day before, the official added.

MORE NEWS

Russia’s Kinzhal missile is not hypersonic. Nor is it invincible

Retired US General Petraeus: ‘Now it's inevitable – we should give the ATACMS’

On Ukraine’s southern front line, tension reigns before decisive counteroffensive

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Zelensky honors Muslim tradition by participating in first 'official' iftar

by The Kyiv Independent news desk April 8, 2023 12:09 AM 1 min read

President Volodymyr Zelensky joins iftar, the meal breaking the daily fast during Ramadan, with Muslim Ukrainian soldiers and representatives of the Crimean Tatar community, on April 7. (Courtesy)

This audio is created with AI assistance

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on April 7 that Ukraine was beginning a new tradition of hosting official iftar meals during Ramadan, Ukrinform reported.

In Islam, iftar is the meal breaking the daily fast during the month of Ramadan.

Zelensky announced it as he participated in the first "official" iftar on April 7, with Muslim servicemen, representatives of the diplomatic corps, and the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people outside a mosque in the center of Kyiv, during which he thanked the Muslim community for defending Ukraine.

"And with this, we affirm that Ukraine values every person, values every community," Zelensky said, adding that "diversity is part of Ukraine's character."

The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

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