U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Canada for the Group of Seven (G7) Leaders' Summit late on June 15, according to a Kyiv Independent journalist on the ground.

Trump's arrival comes ahead of his expected high-stakes meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 17 in Kananaskis, Alberta.

Canada, which holds the G7 presidency in 2025, invited Zelensky to participate in the 3-day summit, which will mark Zelensky's fourth G7 Leaders' Summit since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

After a disastrous first in-person meeting between the two leaders in the Oval Office in February — during which Trump and Vice President JD Vance lambasted Zelensky over what they described as "a lack of gratitude for U.S. support" — a second meeting in the Vatican led to Trump reiterating calls for a Russian ceasefire and even threatening to impose sanctions on Russia.

In the month since their last in-person meeting, tensions between Trump and Zelensky have risen again. Despite issuing several threats, Trump has not followed through on implementing additional economic pressure on Moscow.

Zelensky said in a closed-door meeting attended by the Kyiv Independent on June 13 that his priority is to speak with Trump about sanctions against Russia, peace talks, weapons purchases, and U.S.-Ukraine economic cooperation.

The anticipated third meeting could signal the future of Trump and Zelensky's relationship, as well as offer insight into the United States' commitment to supporting Ukraine.

Amid increased anxiety around Trump's commitment to ending the war, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently announced that the Pentagon will reduce funding allocated for military assistance to Ukraine in its 2026 defense budget.

On June 12, Zelensky decried Washington's lack of urgency around sanctions, suggesting that Russia is "lying to Trump." He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy is to maintain the illusion of dialogue without ever committing to a ceasefire.

"There are steps forward we can take — but we need the political will of the U.S. president, if he wants," Zelensky said on June 13.

High stakes, low resolve: What Ukraine can expect from the upcoming G7 summit

As world leaders prepare to gather in the remote community of Kananaskis in Alberta, Canada for the Group of Seven (G7) Leaders’ Summit on June 15-17, Russia’s war in Ukraine once again holds center stage — but views on how to address the three-year conflict diverge sharply. In the five months

The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat

President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 15 condemned Russia's latest mass attack against Ukraine, calling the strikes on energy infrastructure "a spit in the face of everything the international community is trying to do to stop this war."

Earlier in the day, Russia targeted the city of Kremenchuk in Poltava Oblast with a combined missile and drone attack, damaging energy and agricultural facilities. The strike involved nearly 200 drones and missiles, including both cruise and ballistic missiles. The attack came shortly after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In his nightly address, Zelensky said the attack on Kremenchuk was "deliberately and treacherously planned to target our civilian infrastructure" and that Russia intended to damage energy facilities.

"This is Russia's spit in the face of everything the international community is trying to do to stop this war," Zelensky said in his nightly address.

"It happened right after Putin's conversation with Trump. After the Americans asked us not to strike Russian energy facilities. At the same time as Putin tries to portray himself as a mediator for the Middle East ... The level of cynicism is staggering."

Following his call with Putin, Trump claimed he would be "open" to the Russian president acting as a mediator in the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Zelensky rejected the idea of Putin — who has waged war against Ukraine for over 10 years and has taken no steps towards a lasting ceasefire — playing the role of peacemaker.

Putin "is war itself," Zelensky said, urging the international community not to fall for "Russian manipulation and lies."

Zelensky also warned that Russia may be planning additional attacks on Ukraine's energy sector, including nuclear power infrastructure. According to the president, Ukrainian intelligence agencies have obtained evidence of Russia's threat and shared the information with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Trump administration.

"Russia is planning further attacks on our energy sector — attacks that may be less visible to the world right now because all eyes are on the situation in the Middle East," he said.

Throughout the full-scale war, Russia has attempted to disrupt Ukraine's power grid through targeted attacks on energy infrastructure. After rejecting a U.S. proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in March, Moscow instead agreed to a month-long ceasefire on energy attacks.

Russia subsequently violated the partial ceasefire, which ended in in April. The Kremlin continues to refuse calls for an unconditional truce.

With no new US aid packages on the horizon, can Ukraine continue to fight Russia?

The U.S. has not announced any military aid packages for Ukraine in almost five months, pushing Kyiv to seek new alternatives. But time is running out quickly as Russian troops slowly advance on the eastern front line and gear up for a new summer offensive. “While Ukraine’s dependence on

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated as new details emerge.

Russia launched a series of drone attacks on Kyiv Oblast overnight on June 15-16, targeting both the capital city and regional settlements, according to government officials.

In the Obukhiv district of Kyiv Oblast, a 60-year-old man was injured as a result of Russia's drone strike, reported regional governer Mykola Kalashnyk at 1:37 a.m. local time.

The injured man received medical assistance, Kalashnyk confirmed.

Civilian targets, including a private home, were also damaged in the attack. Emergency services are currently working at the scene.

Earlier in the night, explosions were also heard in Kyiv.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that the city's air defenses were operating and that drones were entering the city late on Sunday night, at about 11:29 p.m. local time.

Russia reports Ukrainian drone attack on drone factory in Tatarstan

The drones were shot down, but the debris fell on a plant in the town of Yelabuga, where Shahed-type attack drones are manufactured, causing a fire.

The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell

North Korea has suffered more than 6,000 casualties during offensive operations in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, according to a June 15 report from the United Kingdom’s defense intelligence.

According to the report, North Korea's losses account for more than half of the approximately 11,000 troops initially deployed to Kursk in fall 2024.

U.K. intelligence attributed the high casualty rate to large, highly attritional dismounted assaults.

Open source intelligence reports have also suggested that small numbers of additional North Korea troops have been deployed to make up for the losses.

Earlier this year, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea transferred approximately 3,000 additional soldiers to Russia in January and February.

North Korea has emerged as a key military ally of Russia through its invasion of Ukraine, supplying Moscow with artillery shells, missiles, and even soldiers in exchange for oil products and advanced military technology, such as ballistic missile upgrades.

In April 2025, Russia confirmed for the first time that North Korean forces were fighting alongside Russian troops in Kursk, although North Korean troops have been reportedly involved since fall 2024.

Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, marking the first large-scale invasion of Russian territory by foreign forces since World War II. The operation aimed to disrupt a planned Russian offensive on the neighboring Sumy Oblast and draw Russian forces away from the embattled Donbas region.

Russia launched a push to recapture the region in early March 2025, with Ukraine being forced to pull back from much of the initially taken territory.

Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian MiG-29 strikes Russian drone hub, ammo depot in Zaporizhzhia direction, releases video

Key developments on June 13: * Ukrainian MiG-29 strikes Russian drone hub, ammo depot in Zaporizhzhia direction, releases video * Ukrainian military denies NYT claims about Russian presence in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast * Russia preparing strategic reserves for conflicts beyond Ukraine, Ukraine warns * Ukraine repatriates bodies of 1,200 citizens, soldiers under Istanbul deal

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Editor's Note: June 15: This article has been updated to include confirmation of the attack from Ukrainian authorities.

Ukraine allegedly launched drones at Russia’s Tatarstan region, killing one and injuring 13, regional governor Rustam Minnikhanov reported on June 15.

The Ukrainian drones were reportedly shot down, but the debris fell on a plant in the town of Yelabuga, where Russian Shahed-type attack drones are manufactured, causing a fire.

According to Minnikhanov, it was an automobile plant, but some Telegram channels, including Astra, speculate that the well-known drone factory was the target.

Ukraine's General Staff subsequently confirmed details of the strike, including that it was directed at Shahed-style drone production in Yelabuga.

“Despite the attempt to sow fear and panic, all enterprises and life support facilities in the republic are operating stably. Emergency services are on constant alert,” said Minnikhanov.

A video of the attack was shared on Telegram, showing smoke billowing over the town, which lies some 1,500 kilometers from Kyiv.  There has been no official statement from Kyiv on the alleged strike, and the Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.

The so-called Alabuga Special Economic Zone hosts a factory producing Shahed-type long-range attack drones as well as other reconnaissance drones, and has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian forces since its launch in 2022.

The factory aims to produce 6,000 Shahed-type drones a year, with each one estimated to cost as little as $20,000.

Last year, Ukraine confirmed attacking military facilities in Tatarstan at least twice with long-distance drone strikes. Most recently, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck the plant on May 25.

Facing a workforce problem, the factory began recruiting African women under false pretences via a work-study program. As a result, Interpol began an investigation into the company in April for human trafficking.

Russian strike hit Boeing office in Kyiv in deliberate attack on US business, FT reports

“This is not just an attack against Ukraine, but also an attack where American business is being hit,” said Andy Hunder, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine.

The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell

Ukrainian actor Yuriy Felipenko, who worked with Kyiv Independent reporters, was killed at the frontline, his wife Kateryna Motrych wrote on social media on June 15.

Felipenko was well known for his role in the 2024 television series “A Promise to God” before joining the Achilles Strike Drone Battalion, then part of Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade, in April 2024.

Having since been upgraded to a separate regiment and one of the founding units of the Line of Drones initiative, Achilles is one of the most effective drone units in the country.

“Yura was killed. Yura was, without exaggeration, my world, my soul, my light. It is impossible to convey this loss. I feel like I have been destroyed,” Motrych wrote on her Instagram page, accompanied by a photo of Felipenko.

Felipenko's drone team was featured in a report by the Kyiv Independent on Ukraine's use of first-person view (FPV) drones against Russian infantry assaults in December 2024 as they defended the area around Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast.

Details of Felipenko’s funeral will be announced later, Motrych said.

Russia has killed numerous actors, artists, and writers since the start of the full-scale invasion. Many have fallen on the battlefield while others were killed during attacks on civilian areas.

Ukrainian opera tenor and volunteer killed in Sumy Oblast

Vladyslav Horai, a renowned tenor and soloist of the Odesa National Opera, was killed in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast while on a volunteer mission, the opera house reported on June 8.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

Russia deliberately targeted a building used by the U.S. aerospace and defense giant Boeing in a recent attack on Kyiv,  the Financial Times reported on June 15.

Overnight on June 9-10, Russian forces launched hundreds of drones and seven missiles in one of the biggest attacks on Ukraine, damaging buildings across the capital. One of the targets included Boeing’s office, according to two Boeing employees, three Ukrainian officials, and the head of the American Chamber of Commerce (ACC) in Ukraine, whom the FT spoke with.

"This is not just an attack against Ukraine, but also an attack where American business is being hit," Andy Hunder, President of the ACC in Ukraine, which represents nearly 700 U.S. and international investors and corporate members, told the Kyiv Independent.

"This is a war against a world where American businesses are making money and thriving," he added.

The strikes on Kyiv came after Ukraine surprised Russia with Operation Spiderweb that saw hundreds of drones target four airbases in Russia and damage 41 war planes. Moscow promised to retaliate in response.  

Boeing, one of the largest American companies operating in Ukraine, cooperates with the Ukrainian aerospace and defense company Antonov, with the two companies exploring several joint ventures and opportunities, including in defense.

Boeing told the FT that none of its employees were injured in the attack and that it continues to operate in Ukraine, where it employs some 1,000 people.

Antonov has also suffered from Russian strikes, as have other defense production sites. As Ukraine pushes for domestic defense production instead of relying on foreign imports, Ukrainian officials say that Moscow is attempting to hinder Ukraine’s efforts to manufacture arms.

German defense company Rheinmetall opened up a factory in Ukraine last October to produce a batch of Lynx infantry fighting vehicles. Moscow threatened the company, saying it was a legitimate target, although Rheinmetall said its facilities are well protected.

Russia has repeatedly targeted other Western businesses. Nearly half of the ACC’s members have had facilities damaged or destroyed, but 90% still continue to operate in Ukraine, Hunder said.

"The American business community is here, it continues to operate, and it's united," he added.

With no new US aid packages on the horizon, can Ukraine continue to fight Russia?

The U.S. has not announced any military aid packages for Ukraine in almost five months, pushing Kyiv to seek new alternatives. But time is running out quickly as Russian troops slowly advance on the eastern front line and gear up for a new summer offensive. “While Ukraine’s dependence on

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Ukraine recovered another 1,200 bodies following the latest round of repatriation efforts, following agreements with Russia in Istanbul, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on June 15.

The last repatriation took place on June 14 when the bodies of 1,200 fallen Ukrainians were given back. Before that, 2,412 bodies were returned on June 13 and June 11 respectively, following the talks in Istanbul on June 2.

Law enforcement investigations and institutions from Ukraine’s Interior Ministry will examine and identify the bodies in the near future, the coordination headquarters said. The bodies reportedly include military personnel.

The repatriation operation was coordinated by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War alongside the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Ombudsman’s Office, the Armed Forces, the Interior Ministry, and other government and defense bodies. The International Committee of the Red Cross also provided assistance during the process.

While the Istanbul talks failed to foster a ceasefire, both sides agreed to new POW exchanges. Ukraine has long pushed for an "all-for-all"prisoner exchange to bring home all Ukrainian captives, but Moscow has resisted such a comprehensive deal.

After the talks, Russia said it would transfer 6,000 bodies to Ukraine, including soldiers and officers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would need to check the bodies that Russia is willing to return, as only 15% of the 6,000 have been identified.

"We had instances when they returned bodies that later were identified as their own," Zelensky said on June 2.

Russia transfers 50 Ukrainian children to so-called ‘rehab camp’ in Kalmykia, Kyiv says

Russia has transferred 50 children from the occupied Antratsyt district of Luhansk Oblast to a so-called rehabilitation camp in Kalmykia, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation reported on June 14.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) caught a Russian agent red-handed as he was filming a military airfield in preparation for a Russian strike, the agency reported on June 15.

According to the SBU, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) recruited the unemployed 24-year-old via the Telegram messaging app to collect coordinates for air attacks on airfields and logistic depots.

The FSB had allegedly instructed him to find military facilities and carry out reconnaissance on the ground in exchange for “easy money.”

The man was detained outside an airfield in Rivne Oblast while filming its outer perimeter with a hidden camera in his car. The SBU seized a phone and the camera on the scene, while other evidence was taken from the agent’s apartment.

If found guilty, he faces life imprisonment for high treason.

The SBU regularly announces it has foiled Russian agents and terrorist plots against military and civilian targets. The FSB usually targets unemployed people, those with criminal records, or addicts, according to the SBU's data.

In April, the SBU detained an instructor at a training center in Lviv Oblast who was planning to assassinate the base's commanders. That same month, the SBU detained nine FSB agents, including five minors, for plotting terrorist attacks in central and eastern Ukraine.

More than a fifth of FSB recruits in Ukraine are minors.

Power cut off in Russia’s Kaliningrad in sabotage operation, Ukrainian military intelligence says

In the early hours of June 14, Ukrainian agents drained the coolant from the substation’s power transformer before setting the facility on fire.

The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell

Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) ignited an electrical substation during a sabotage operation in the Russian city of Kaliningrad, causing $5 million in damage and cutting electricity to a military production site, a source in HUR told the Kyiv Independent.

In the early hours of June 14, Ukrainian agents drained the coolant from the substation’s power transformer before setting the facility on fire. The inferno inflicted major damage on the facility and caused a power cut, impacting nearby Russian military sites.

"We once again remind you that Russia no longer has a rear either in the east, in the west, or anywhere else on the planet. Everything Russian involved in the war against Ukraine will burn, sink, and be destroyed regardless of its level of protection or location," the source said.

Ukraine continues to carry out numerous secretive attacks within Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories, targeting military sites, like airfields, as well as key infrastructure like railways and oil refineries.

The attacks involve HUR, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) as well as partisan and sabotage groups.

HUR was behind explosions near Desantnaya Bay in Russia's far eastern Vladivostok on May 30, which reportedly damaged military personnel and equipment. The operations took place approximately 6,800 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, making it Ukraine's furthest incursion into Russian territory, if confirmed.

On June 1, the SBU launched Operation Spiderweb, a game-changing drone attack on four key Russian military airfields, damaging 41 planes, including heavy bombers and rare A-50 spy planes.

Ukrainian drones destroy Russian air defense systems in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, military intelligence says

Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) destroyed three Russian air defense systems using drones in the occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast on June 14, HUR says.

The Kyiv IndependentVolodymyr Ivanyshyn

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the most recent casualty numbers.

Russia attacked Ukraine with nearly 200 missiles and drones and shelled residents in Kherson and Donetsk oblasts, killing one and injuring three, Ukrainian authorities reported on June 15.

Russian forces unleashed drones, artillery, and airstrikes on Kherson Oblast and the city over the last day, killing one person and injuring seven, the oblast administration reported. Russian attacks damaged apartments, homes, and gas pipelines, as well as other infrastructure.

In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks injured two people in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, regional governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

Russia’s combined mass missile and drone strikes largely targeted Kremenchuk in Poltava Oblast. No one was injured or killed, but the attacks hit energy and agricultural facilities, said Poltava governor Volodymyr Kohut.

Of 183 drones Russia launched, Ukrainian air defense neutralized 159, the Air Force said in their morning update. Ukraine also shot down 2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles and six out of eight cruise missiles.

Drones were also spotted flying through Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, Chernihiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk oblasts.

Despite talks of peace negotiations, Russia has amped up its drone attacks on Ukraine over the last month. On May 26, Russia launched 355 drones at Ukraine, a record that was broken on June 1 with 472 drones, and on June 9, when Russia fired 479 drones and 20 missiles against Ukrainian cities.

Trump gave Putin a ‘two-week’ deadline to consider peace in Ukraine. Instead, Russia just launched more drones.

A “two week” deadline imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to see if Russia is serious about peace in Ukraine has come and gone, with Moscow’s escalation of attacks on civilians during this period failing to draw the slightest condemnation from the White House. “We’re going to find out

The Kyiv IndependentYuliia Taradiuk

Russia has lost 1,003,860 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on June 15.

The number includes 1,170 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 10,937 tanks, 22,804 armored fighting vehicles, 52,017 vehicles and fuel tanks, 29,190 artillery systems, 1,418 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,186 air defense systems, 416 airplanes, 337 helicopters, 40,709 drones, 3,337 cruise missiles, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.

From buffer zone to new front: Russia pushes deeper into Sumy Oblast

In March 2025, as Ukrainian forces made their final retreat from Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, new grey spots began to appear on open-source maps on the other side of the state border, in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast. For the first time since 2022, when Moscow’s forces retreated

The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell

Iran has partially suspended production at the South Pars gas field — the world’s largest — after an Israeli airstrike triggered a fire at the site, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on June 14, according to Reuters. If confirmed, it would mark the first Israeli strike targeting Iran’s vital oil and gas infrastructure.

The South Pars field, located offshore in southern Bushehr province, is responsible for the bulk of Iran’s gas output. Tehran shares the field with Qatar, which refers to its portion as the North Field. A strike on South Pars represents a significant escalation, coming after oil prices surged 9% on June 13 following Israel’s initial wave of attacks, which had not targeted energy infrastructure, Reuters reports.

Israel launched its air offensive against Iran on June 13, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites, in what it described as an effort to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

The Iranian oil ministry said the fire caused by the strike has been extinguished. According to Tasnim, the fire broke out in one of four units of Phase 14 at South Pars, halting the production of 12 million cubic meters of gas.

Iran, the world’s third-largest gas producer after the United States and Russia, produces around 275 billion cubic meters of gas per year, about 6.5% of global output.

Due to international sanctions, the country consumes most of this domestically. Qatar, which operates the majority of the shared field with support from global firms such as Exxon and Shell, produces 77 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually, supplying both European and Asian markets.

Israel-Iran war could provide economic boost Russia needs to continue fight against Ukraine

Israel’s “preemptive” strikes against Iran targeting the country’s nuclear program and killing top military officials could have far-reaching implications for Ukraine and could boost Russia’s ability to continue its full-scale invasion, experts have told the Kyiv Independent. Iran has been one of Russia’s staunchest allies throughout the war, providing thousands

The Kyiv IndependentChris York

Germany aims to prioritize defense spending in the next EU budget while firmly opposing any increase in national contributions, according to a position paper obtained by the Financial Times (FT).

As the bloc’s largest economy and top net contributor, Berlin wants EU funds to support joint arms procurement and help expand production capacity among European weapons manufacturers.

The paper reportedly reflects Germany’s broader shift toward higher domestic military spending in response to Russia’s ongoing threat and amid calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for Europe to shoulder more of its own defense.

Berlin argues the EU budget should also fund dual-use technologies, military transport corridors, and other security-related initiatives despite current treaty restrictions on defence spending from the common budget, according to FT.

To free up funds for these priorities, Germany proposes cutting administrative costs and simplifying the EU budget structure. The government supports reducing the number of programes, granting the European Commission more flexibility to shift funds, and focusing spending on strategic areas such as cross-border infrastructure, energy security, digitalisation, and innovation.

Germany also opposes any extension of the EU’s post-Covid joint borrowing programme, stressing that repayments for the 800 billion euro fund must begin in 2028 as scheduled. While Berlin is open to discussing new EU-level revenue sources such as a carbon border levy or minimum corporate tax, it continues to reject an increase in direct national contributions to the budget, which currently total about 1% of EU GDP.

High stakes, low resolve: What Ukraine can expect from the upcoming G7 Leaders’ Summit

As world leaders prepare to gather in the remote community of Kananaskis in Alberta, Canada for the Group of Seven (G7) Leaders’ Summit on June 15-17, Russia’s war in Ukraine once again holds center stage — but views on how to address the three-year conflict diverge sharply. In the five months

The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat