The number of fatalities from Russia’s 17 June massive attack on Kyiv has climbed to 26 people, with rescue teams continuing to recover bodies from the debris of a destroyed residential building.

Search and rescue operations have been ongoing since the early morning hours on 18 June at a nine-story apartment complex in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district struck by a Russian ballistic missile, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.

Rescue crews worked through the night to extract victims from the rubble. The casualty count increased throughout the day as emergency workers made additional recoveries, with the latest update on death toll being 19 people killed in one single building. Five more civilians died on other sites affected by the Russian attack.

[update] As of 1 p.m. on 18 June, the State Emergency Service reported that the number of killed people retrieved from the destroyed building in Solomianskyi district has risen to 21, moving the total death toll up to 26 people.

Among the victims was a 31-year-old man whose parents had waited all day at the strike site hoping for his rescue. He did not survive.

Dmytro Isaenko was a first-year master’s student at Drahomanov University’s Faculty of Physical Education, Sports and Health, who was studying physical culture and sport with a focus on human health and physical recreation.

“This is the young man whose fate the whole country was following. The one whose parents stood by the ruins of the destroyed house and waited for their son, prayed and did not leave,” the university wrote on its Facebook page. “We all prayed with them. Their photos flew around the world, became a symbol of pain and hope. But no miracle happened.”

According to his social media posts, he enjoyed hiking in the mountains and had tried his hand at stand-up comedy.

The missile strike caused extensive damage to the residential structure, with the projectile penetrating deep enough to break through concrete floors into the basement level. The building housed multiple families across its nine floors.

Beyond the fatalities, the State Emergency Service documented 134 people injured across the capital. Rescue operations remain active in Kyiv as teams continue searching for potential survivors and victims in the damaged structures.

In response to the devastation, Kyiv authorities declared a day of mourning on 18 June, with flags lowered, entertainment events canceled, and the city honoring the victims.

US Embassy in Kyiv announced its participation in the city’s day of mourning for the 26 people killed in Kyiv, including one American citizen. The Embassy also characterized the 17 June Russian strike as contradicting President Trump’s calls to end the war and stop the killing.

The attack on Kyiv was part of a broader Russian assault on Ukraine that also targeted Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, and Mykolaiv oblasts. On the night of 16-17 June, Russian forces launched a total of 440 drones and 32 missiles, including cruise and ballistic types.

In Odesa, the assault killed a 60-year-old woman and injured 17 people, including a pregnant woman and a 17-year-old girl, while also damaging civilian infrastructure including residential buildings, a preschool facility, and garages.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on June 18 condemned Russia's massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv that killed at least 23 people and injured more than 130 a day earlier, saying it "runs counter" to U.S. President Donald Trump's peace efforts.

"Today, with all of Ukraine, we join a day of mourning in Kyiv for the victims of Russia's June 17 attack," the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said in a statement. "We extend deepest condolences to the victims' families. This senseless attack runs counter to President Trump's call to stop the killing and end the war."

The nine-hour overnight attack, which began late June 16, has become one of the largest aerial assaults on the Ukrainian capital since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 472 aerial weapons, including nearly 280 Shahed-type attack drones and cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukraine's air defense downed 428 targets, but several struck residential areas, including a nine-story apartment building in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district.

Among the dead was a U.S. citizen, State Department Press Secretary Tammy Bruce confirmed at a briefing on June 17.

"We are aware of last night's attack on Kyiv, which resulted in numerous casualties, including the tragic death of a U.S. citizen," Bruce said. "We condemn those strikes and extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected."

President Volodymyr Zelensky called it "one of the most horrifying attacks on Kyiv" and urged stronger international support to help Ukraine defend itself.

Despite the scale of the attack, Trump appeared to be unaware of the strike when questioned by reporters aboard Air Force One early on June 17.

"When was that? When?" Trump responded when a reporter asked for his reaction. Told that the drone and missile attack had occurred "very recently," Trump said: "Just now? You mean as I’m walking back to see you, that’s when it took place? Sounds like it. I’ll have to look at it."

As of a day later, the White House had still not issued an official response to the strike.

The June 17 attack caused extensive damage across the capital. Civilian infrastructure hit included kindergartens, a university dormitory, residential neighborhoods, and industrial sites.

Fahrenheit, a Ukrainian manufacturer of military and civilian clothing, reported that its Kyiv factory was damaged and operations were suspended. Ukrposhta, the national postal service, lost two branches. Ukrainian Railways said a grain-carrying train was struck, disrupting transit.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said unexploded cluster munitions were found in the city — a type of weapon banned by some countries due to the danger they pose to civilians. June 18 was declared a day of mourning in Kyiv.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the timing of the attack, as G7 leaders gathered in Canada, a deliberate message from the Kremlin. Moscow has escalated strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, targeting residential areas and critical infrastructure.

Ukraine has urged Western allies to respond by reinforcing air defense capabilities and tightening economic pressure on Russia.

Putin ‘cannot be trusted’ as mediator, Kallas says, urges EU to tighten Russian oil cap after deadly Kyiv strike

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas urged the European Union to press forward with lowering the oil price cap on Russian crude, even without U.S. support, warning that Middle East tensions could otherwise drive prices up and boost Russia’s revenues.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir

A Russian terror attack on 17 June was the largest of the full-scale war, says military expert Ivan Kyrychevskyi. Russia deliberately targeted residential buildings with missiles with cluster munitions to kill as many civilians as possible, Espreso reports. 

“Before 17 June, the maximum was 200–300 aerial weapons launched at once. This time, the Russians used nearly 500, most of them kamikaze drones,” Kyrychevskyi explains.

The UN has also noted that this attack on Kyiv may be the deadliest in nearly a year. The main impact hit densely populated neighborhoods, not military targets.

“X-101 missiles with cluster warheads can’t break through fortifications, but they kill people. That’s why they were used deliberately against civilians,” Kyrychevskyi says.

No one believes anymore that the strikes on Ukrainian hospitals and children’s centers are a “mistake.” After the attack on Kyiv’s Ohmatdyt children’s hospital in 2024, Western governments have stopped buying into the narrative of “accidental strikes,” adds the expert. 

Russia began its full-scale terror campaign against the Ukrainian civilian population in 2022, burning 90% of Mariupol and Bakhmut and committing atrocities during the attacks on Bucha in Kyiv Oblast.

U.S. President Donald Trump was unaware of a deadly Russian drone and missile strike on Kyiv that killed at least 15 people and injured over 120, when asked about the attack by reporters on June 17.

On board Air Force One as he flew back from Canada, Trump was questioned about the attack by a reporter. A clock in the plane shows it was shortly after 1:30 a.m. Washington time, 8:30 a.m. Kyiv time, two-and-a-half hours after the nine-hour-long attack ended, and after reports of casualties had been made public.

When asked for his reaction, he responded: "When was that? When?"

The reporter then says the "Russian drone attack on Kyiv" occurred "very recently."

"Just now? You mean as I’m walking back to see you, that’s when it took place? Sounds like it. I’ll have to look at it," Trump replies.

At the time of writing some seven hours later, the White House has still yet to comment on the attack.

The comments came a few hours after Ukraine endured the largest aerial attack on Kyiv in 2025. According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia launched 472 aerial weapons overnight, including nearly 280 Shahed-type attack drones, 16 Kh-101 cruise missiles, two Kinzhal ballistic missiles, and other guided munitions, primarily targeting the capital.

Air defenses downed 428 of them, including 239 Shaheds and 15 cruise missiles, while at least one Kinzhal was intercepted.

The almost nine-hour assault killed 15 people and injured 124, according to local authorities. A nine-story residential building in the Solomianskyi district was struck and partially collapsed, killing residents.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said cluster munitions were discovered in the city, a type of weapon banned under international conventions due to their indiscriminate nature and long-term threat to civilians. June 18 has been declared an official day of mourning in Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strike "one of the most horrifying attacks on Kyiv" and urged international partners to respond decisively. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the timing of the strike, as G7 leaders meet, was a deliberate message from the Kremlin.

Civilian sites hit in the capital include kindergartens, residential areas, a university dormitory, and production facilities. Ukrainian manufacturer Fahrenheit, which produces military and civilian clothing, announced its factory was damaged and all orders suspended indefinitely. Ukrposhta, the national postal service, lost two branches. A Ukrainian Railways train carrying grain was also struck, temporarily halting traffic.

Russia has escalated attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, including mass strikes on energy infrastructure and residential areas.

US group designed to pressure Russia into peace in Ukraine disbanded by Trump administration, Reuters reports

“It lost steam toward the end because the president wasn’t there,” an official told Reuters.

The Kyiv IndependentChris York

The Fahrenheit clothing company suspended operations indefinitely after Russian forces damaged its production facility during a massive overnight attack on Kyiv on 17 June. The strike hit the factory where the company manufactures clothing and underwear for civilians and military personnel.

“We are forced to report that due to another barbaric attack by Russia, our production was damaged,” the company announced on Facebook. “The blow fell on the place where we have been creating clothes for everyone for years, including for our military.”

The attack forced Fahrenheit to cancel all current orders and halt acceptance of new ones for an indefinite period, according to the company’s statement.

The June 17 strike was part of what authorities called “one of the most extensive bombardments in recent months,” killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more across Ukraine. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the attack involved more than 440 drones and 32 missiles launched overnight, targeting multiple oblasts including Kyiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv oblasts.

Kyiv authorities confirmed 14 fatalities and more than 100 injuries in the capital by 9:30 am. In Odesa, regional administration reported one person killed and 17 injured during the bombardment.

The attack on Fahrenheit represents another blow to Ukrainian businesses supporting the war effort. The company’s facility produced essential clothing items for the Armed Forces of Ukraine alongside civilian garments.

Read also:

• Can France keep its word to Ukraine with new CAESAR contracts stacking up?
• Trump delays backing new Russia sanctions over claimed US economic burden and peace deal hopes as Moscow continues to bomb Ukraine
• Russia targeted Ukraine with 440 drones and 32 missiles in deadly overnight attack, Ukrainian Air Force says

Emergency services in Kyiv have recovered fragments of cluster munitions following the overnight Russian missile and drone attack on June 17, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported, calling it further evidence of Russia's "genocide" against Ukrainians.

"In the capital's Nyvky neighborhood, emergency workers are now finding these kinds of cluster munition parts," Klitschko said in a statement shared on social media. "Another clear sign of the genocide Russia is committing against Ukrainians."

Cluster munitions are banned under international law by more than 100 countries due to their indiscriminate nature and the long-term threat they pose to civilians, especially when unexploded submunitions remain hidden in residential areas.

While Russia and Ukraine are not signatories to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, international humanitarian organizations have repeatedly condemned the use of such weapons in populated areas. Ukraine uses cluster munitions on the battlefield against Russian forces.

The mayor's comments came hours after one of the largest and deadliest attacks on the Ukrainian capital in months, in which at least 15 people were killed and nearly 100 injured. The Russian strike, which lasted nearly nine hours, included waves of kamikaze drones, ballistic missiles, and what authorities now confirm were banned explosive parts.

President Volodymyr Zelensky called the assault "one of the most horrifying attacks on Kyiv," saying more than 440 drones and 32 missiles were launched across Ukraine overnight.

"Such attacks are pure terrorism," he said in a statement on social media. "And the whole world, the U.S., and Europe must finally respond as civilized societies respond to terrorists."

Zelensky confirmed that damage had been reported in eight districts of Kyiv, with emergency workers still searching for survivors beneath the rubble of a destroyed apartment block.

He added that strikes also hit Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv regions. "Fifteen people are confirmed dead. My condolences to their families and loved ones," Zelensky said.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also condemned the attack, calling it a "massive and brutal strike" timed deliberately to coincide with the G7 summit, which is taking place in Canada on June 16-17.

Russian drone strike on Odesa injures 13, including 1 child

Russian drone strikes on Odesa early June 17 injured 13 people, including one child, regional authorities reported.

The Kyiv IndependentLucy Pakhnyuk

 Russia continues its daily air attacks against Ukrainian residential neighborhoods, injuring civilians. In the early hours of 17 June, Russia launched a massive combined air attack on Ukraine, hitting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike “one of the most terrible attacks on Kyiv” and confirmed that a total of more than 440 drones and 32 missiles were launched overnight. According to him, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv Oblast, Zhytomyr Oblast, Kirovohrad Oblast, Mykolaiv Oblast, and Kyiv Oblast were also targeted. As of 9:30, Kyiv authorities confirmed 14 dead and more than 100 injured. In Odesa, the oblast administration reported 1 person killed and 17 injured in the strike.

Kyiv’s air raid alert began at 21:14 on 16 June and lasted until 6:06 on 17 June. The first explosions occurred at midnight. Initial reports at 2:40 confirmed 16 injuries, mainly in the Solomianskyi district. Later, injuries were also reported in the Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi districts, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

By 6:54, over 40 people were confirmed injured, more than 30 of them hospitalized. At 9:29, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported 99 confirmed injuries, later updating the number to 104. Of those, 59 were hospitalized.

Among the dead was a 62-year-old US citizen, who died in the Solomianskyi district. Klitschko stated that the man died “in front of a house where medics were helping other people injured by the shelling.”

In Kyiv, a nine-story residential building was struck in the Solomianskyi district, with an entire section of the building destroyed “down to the basement,” according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. Emergency services were still searching the rubble for survivors.

Infrastructure damage included destroyed buildings in eight districts of the city. The Kyiv Aviation Institute reported that its dormitory No. 10 was hit by a drone. Three other dormitories suffered shattered windows from the blast wave. A kindergarten was damaged in the Darnytskyi district. Public transport was affected, with tram routes No. 15 and 22 halted and traffic blocked on Boryspilska Street, according to the Kyiv City State Administration.

This was one of the most extensive Russian air assaults on Kyiv in recent months. The Kyiv City Military Administration reported that Russia used 175 drones, over 14 cruise missiles, and at least two ballistic missiles, deliberately targeting civilian housing in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy: ‘This is pure terrorism’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that “such attacks are pure terrorism” and urged the international community to respond accordingly.

“Russia destroyed an entire section of a residential building. Buildings in eight districts of Kyiv were damaged. Work continues at all impact sites. All victims are receiving the necessary help. At this time, 15 people are reported dead. My condolences to the families and loved ones,” he posted.

He continued:

“Putin does this only because he can afford to continue the war. He wants war to continue. It is bad when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to this. We are in contact with all partners at all possible levels so there is a proper response. These terrorists must feel pain, not peaceful, normal people.”

Strikes on Odesa and Zaporizhzhia

In Odesa, 17 people were injured, and one woman was killed. According to Odesa Oblast Military Administration official Oleksandr Kharlov, a 60-year-old woman was missing after failing to respond to the air raid alert. Later reports confirmed that her body was found under the rubble. Kharlov also said another person was being searched for at a different location.

Among the injured were a pregnant woman and a 17-year-old girl. One person was hospitalized; others were treated on an outpatient basis. Damage in the city included residential buildings, an inclusive education center, a preschool, and private garages.

In Zaporizhzhia, a missile damaged a multi-story apartment building and a dormitory. Regional head Ivan Fedorov reported that over 50 apartments had windows blown out by the blast wave. No casualties were reported.

Updates:

Ukraine’s Air Force says Russia used 440 drones and 32 missiles in deadly overnight attack against Ukraine. Of those, air defenders neutralized 402 drones and 26 missiles.

Russia targeted Ukraine with 440 drones and 32 missiles in deadly overnight attack, Ukrainian Air Force says

Injury toll reaches 114, day of mourning declared in Kyiv

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that three people were killed in Darnytsia District as a result of the large-scale Russian air assault on the city. By 10:05, medical services had received 114 victims, with 68 hospitalized and the rest treated on-site.

The city declared 18 June as a Day of Mourning, during which flags on all municipal buildings will be flown at half-staff, and entertainment events are banned.

Search-and-rescue efforts continue in Solomyanskyi District, where emergency crews are still working through the rubble, according to Klitschko.

It remains unclear whether the newly confirmed fatalities are part of the 14 earlier reported by the Kyiv City Military Administration. The injury count has risen from a previous 104.

Russia hit 27 locations in Kyiv, including homes and infrastructure, five people missing

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that 27 locations across Kyiv came under attack overnight on 17 June. The strikes damaged residential buildings, educational facilities, and critical infrastructure.

Klymenko stated,

“We received information about at least five missing residents of the building. Rescuers will clear the rubble until we are sure that everyone is safe and receiving help.”

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said 296 rescuers and 75 vehicles are currently involved in response efforts across the city.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister condemns attack during G7 summit

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack a deliberate Russian act to coincide with the ongoing G7 summit in Canada.

Writing on X, Sybiha said Russia does this on purpose to send a signal of total disrespect to the US and other partners, while “pretending to seek diplomatic solutions.”

Civilian infrastructure and grain wagons damaged

CEO of Ukrzaliznytsia railway company CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi reported damage to freight cars carrying grain in Kyiv following the night’s missile and drone strikes. However, he assured that operations would be swiftly restored and train schedules would not be affected.

National postal operator Ukrposhta also suffered damage, with two branches—No. 03124 and No. 03126—destroyed. According to CEO Ihor Smilianskyi, a new branch is expected to start operating at an alternate address by 18 June. 

Energy company DTEK reported that 1,148 Kyiv residents were left without electricity as a result of the Russian strikes.

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

At least 14 people have been killed and 117 others injured after a mass Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight on June 17.

Ukraine's National Police initially reported 15 dead and 124 injured in the attack, but Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko later revised the death toll to 10. The State Emergency Service subsequently updated the figure to 14.

Klymenko said operational data may change, as body parts found during rescue efforts can sometimes be mistakenly counted as multiple victims.

According to the State Emergency Service, one body has been recovered from the rubble of the nine-story building, and rescue operations are still ongoing.

The almost nine-hour-long attack saw Moscow's forces launch large numbers of kamikaze attack drones, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles at Ukraine's capital.

Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground reported the sounds of drones, missiles, and multiple rounds of explosions throughout the night.

The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that Russia launched 472 aerial weapons overnight, including nearly 280 Shahed-type attack drones and two Kinzhal ballistic missiles. The strike primarily targeted Kyiv.

Ukraine's air defense forces reportedly destroyed 428 air targets, including 239 Shahed drones and 15 Kh-101 cruise missiles. Air defenses also intercepted one Kinzhal missile, while another was reportedly lost from radar tracking.

President Volodymyr Zelensky called the assault "one of the most horrifying attacks on Kyiv," saying more than 440 drones and 32 missiles were launched across Ukraine overnight.

"Such attacks are pure terrorism," he said in a statement on social media. "And the whole world, the U.S., and Europe must finally respond as civilized societies respond to terrorists."

Zelensky confirmed that damage had been reported in eight districts of Kyiv, with emergency workers still searching for survivors beneath the rubble of a destroyed apartment block.

In a video posted on Telegram, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said cluster munitions had been found in one area of the city. He later added that June 18 would be an official day of mourning in Kyiv.

Many of the deaths and injuries occurred when a Russian missile hit a nine-storey residential building in the Solomianskyi district, "completely destroying" one section, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said.

"I saw the missile because it was low," Olena Kushnirova, a 46-year-old  nurse who lives in a neighboring building to the one that was hit, told the Kyiv Independent.

"I grabbed my daughter by the hand and shouted 'run!' It was literally 15 seconds. We ran to the toilet, and then there was a very powerful explosion."

During the attack on the capital, a 62-year-old U.S. citizen died in the Solomianskyi district in a building across from where medics were assisting the injured, Klitschko reported. Medical personnel confirmed biological death.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also condemned the attack, calling it a "massive and brutal strike" timed deliberately to coincide with the G7 summit.

"Putin does this on purpose... He sends a signal of total disrespect to the United States and other partners who have called for an end to the killing," Sybiha said. "Only strong steps and real pressure on Moscow can prove him wrong."

A Russian drone also hit a multi-storey building Darnytskyi District.

"At first there was shock," Tatiana Bratus, a 50-year-old resident of the building told the Kyiv Independent.

"People started running outside, shouting, some in panic, because the attack wasn't over yet. They said there were still rockets flying. People ran to the bomb shelter.

A kindergarten in the Darnytskyi district was also damaged, Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration said. No casualties were reported at the site.

The upper floors of residential buildings in the Solomianskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts were also damaged.  

A dormitory at the Kyiv Aviation Institute was hit by drones during the attack, the news outlet Suspilne reported. Drones struck the institute's 10th floor and broke windows on three other floors.

Outside the capital, the attacks also caused damage and injured civilians in Kyiv Oblast towns. At least one woman was injured and multiple homes were damaged, according to the regional administration.

The Russian strike damaged the production facility of Fahrenheit, a Ukrainian clothing manufacturer that supplies apparel and undergarments for both civilians and the military. The company announced it was forced to cancel all current orders and suspend new ones indefinitely following the destruction of its Kyiv site.

Russian forces also hit a Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) freight train carrying grain. Several railcars overturned, temporarily halting operations and spilling grain from the damaged wagons. Ukrzaliznytsia said the damage would be "promptly repaired" and train traffic would not be affected.

Ukrposhta, Ukraine's national postal service, reported the destruction of two of its branches in Kyiv during the attack, according to CEO Ihor Smiliansky. The company's team is working to "quickly restore services," he said.

The attack followed a series of drone strikes overnight on June 16 targeting Kyiv Oblast, including both the capital and surrounding settlements. In the Obukhiv district, a 60-year-old man was injured, according to regional authorities.  

Russian attacks against Ukraine have intensified in May and June, with Moscow launching several record-breaking mass strikes against Kyiv and other cities.

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 has accused Russia of "lying about everything" after yet another drone attack on Kyiv injured two people overnight on June 16, saying the strike once again rubbished Kremlin claims that only military objects are being targeted.

The strike hit Rusanivka Gardens, a private neighborhood in the capital’s Dniprovskyi District, creating a crater near civilian homes, and injuring a 20-year-old man and a woman, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said.

"The Russians lie about everything. When they claim to have hit military targets, they are actually targeting our homes and our people," he wrote on Telegram.

"This is a deliberate tactic of terror."

The injured man was hospitalized in serious condition, while the woman is being treated on an outpatient basis, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

"Miraculously, significant damage and casualties were avoided," Tkachenko said.

Despite Moscow's denials, Russia has repeatedly hit civilian areas throughout its full-scale war. On July 8, 2024, one of the deadliest strikes on Kyiv killed 33 people and wounded 121 others, including patients at Ohmatdyt, Ukraine's largest children's hospital.

The Russian Defense Ministry continues to insist it targets only military infrastructure, dismissing reports of civilian casualties as "absolutely untrue." The pattern of destruction across cities like Kharkiv and Kherson shows civilians are often the primary targets.

Moscow launched 138 drones at Ukraine overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones. Ukraine's Air Force reported that air defenses intercepted 125 of them, while another 41 went off radars — likely used as decoys to overwhelm air defense systems.

The strike comes as Russia intensifies its air campaign against Ukraine and continues to reject Western-backed proposals for a ceasefire. Kyiv, located along the Dnipro River in the country's north-center, remains one of the most heavily targeted cities in the war.

‘Spit in the face’ — Zelensky condemns Russia’s mass attack, dismisses idea of Putin as peacemaker

“This is Russia’s spit in the face of everything the international community is trying to do to stop this war ... At the same time as Putin tries to portray himself as a mediator for the Middle East. The level of cynicism is staggering.”

The Kyiv IndependentLucy Pakhnyuk

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

Kyiv Pride held a parade with over 1,500 participants in the Ukrainian capital on June 14, which was met with counterprotests.

"Other Ukrainian Prides also participated — including Kharkiv Pride and Ukraine Pride. Kyiv’s student community was represented, among others, by the Student Parliament of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and Ukraine Global Scholars," Kyiv Pride said in a post to Facebook.

On June 7, a drone charity event for Kyiv Pride took place outside the Foreign Ministry building and was met with a nearby counterprotest.

The march was joined by representatives from the EU, Canada, the U.K., and various other countries, including France, Germany, and Spain.

The march was joined by the LGBT+ Military non-governmental organization (NGO) as Russia's war against Ukraine continues.

"Among the marchers was veteran Viktor Pylypenko, head of the NGO LGBT+ Military for Equal Rights. He drew public attention to the growing loss of military personnel and veterans who are dying at war — while their families remain unrecognized by law," Kyiv Pride said in its statement.

The march raised 20,000 hryvnia for the Serhiy Sternenko Foundation to purchase drones for the military.

Representatives, including Canada's ambassador to Ukraine, Natalka Cmoc, joined the event.

"Ambassadors, the Canadian embassy team, along with many diplomats, joined (the) Kyiv Pride march this morning," Cmoc said.

The Kyiv Pride event was met with a nearby counterprotest.

"With regret, we must note that those who incite violence still have broader access to public space and freely walk through the central streets, while participants of Kyiv Pride March are surrounded by police and restricted in their route. We continue to witness the spread of hate speech," Kyiv Pride said.

Kyiv Pride held a march in June 2024 for the first time since Russia began its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.

‘Europe hasn’t decided what to do if US steps back’ — key takeaways from Zelensky’s closed-door briefing

“Both teams are working to ensure we meet,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir

They call you — and suddenly, you’re an “agent,” without even realizing it. Ukrainian law enforcement is reporting a surge in cases where the Russians target pensioners by phone, impersonating officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) or the National Police. Victims are then blackmailed into carrying out sabotage missions for Russia, according to the National Police.

Russia’s strategy is clear: recruit people who are unaware they have become pawns in a campaign of international sabotage.

In Ukraine, elderly people are typically contacted via Viber. The goal: coerce them into following “orders” based on fake draft notices, fabricated criminal cases, or alleged links to Russia through purchases of medicines or dietary supplements.

One common scheme involves telling a pensioner that a drug they bought is banned because it was “produced in Russia.” That, the scammers claim, amounts to “collaboration with the enemy.” What follows is extortion — and a so-called “way out”: either wire money or complete a “small task.”

Pensioners in Kyiv have already contacted police after being defrauded or drawn into dangerous schemes. Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasizes that legitimate security agencies never issue illegal or covert orders to citizens.

According to the SBU, Russian operatives are also attempting to recruit minors. These efforts often begin with photographing sensitive sites or tagging graffiti, and escalate to acts of sabotage against railway and energy infrastructure.

Moreover, in Europe, the Russians recruit Ukrainian agents to cause a double wave: shock in the West and propaganda within Russia. 

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on June 12 to meet Ukrainian leaders and discuss future defense support for Ukraine, DPA news agency reported.

"We are doing everything we can to support Ukraine so that it can defend itself and get into a position where Russia is prepared to enter into serious negotiations," Pistorius said ahead of the departure, according to Reuters.

The visit marks Pistorius's first official trip to Ukraine as a minister in Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new German government.

During former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s tenure, Defense Minister Pistorius made several visits to the war-torn country and played a key role in establishing Germany as Ukraine’s top European military donor.

Amid President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Berlin on May 28, Pistorius and his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, signed an agreement allocating 5 billion euros ($5.76 billion) in military support to Ukraine.

Under the deal, Berlin agreed to help fund the production of long-range drones in Ukraine, tapping into the country's existing industrial capacities and technical expertise.

Berlin also reaffirmed its commitment to supply Ukraine with critical ammunition and weapons. The arms heading Kyiv's way include air defense systems, artillery, land weapons systems, and handguns.

Taurus cruise missiles, a much-coveted long-range weapon capable of striking targets 500 kilometers (300 miles) away, were not announced as part of the package.

Merz has pledged to maintain Germany's steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. Berlin's role is even more crucial now as the U.S. Trump administration signaled its intent to cut down military assistance for Kyiv.

Since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Germany has provided Ukraine with almost 44 billion euros (around $50 billion) in various forms of support, the German government said.

Ukraine bracing for ‘painful’ reduction in US military aid after Hegseth announces cuts

Editor’s note: For security reasons, the real names of the soldiers mentioned in this story have not been used. A reduction in U.S. military aid to Ukraine would be “painful” and could have potentially “dire consequences” for the global order, Ukrainian lawmakers and soldiers have told the Kyiv Independent.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Russia has likely used a new jet-powered attack drone, the Geran-3, in a recent missile and drone strike on Kyiv, according to Ukrainian defense outlet Defense Express.

The development comes amid a sharp escalation in Moscow’s drone warfare. Russia is now deploying high-altitude, dive-bombing Shahed drones at scale—reportedly producing thousands monthly using Iranian designs and domestic assembly lines. These drones increasingly strike civilian infrastructure, overwhelming Ukrainian defenses and causing mounting casualties and destruction.

Whistling sounds and jet engine wreckage

Photos of the downed UAV show several key components, including a compact jet engine, indicating that the drone was likely the Geran-3 — a Russian variant of the Iranian Shahed-238. This model marks a significant upgrade over the slower Shahed-136 (Geran-2), boasting reported speeds of 550–600 km/h and a range of up to 2,500 km, compared to the Shahed-136’s 185 km/h.

Residents of Kyiv reported hearing a distinct whistling sound during the strike, consistent with a jet-powered drone and unlike the quieter propeller-driven models previously used.

Among the wreckage, investigators found an avionics panel nearly identical to those used in the Shahed-136 — responsible for flight programming, engine control, and onboard systems — suggesting a shared design lineage.

Though the drone was heavily fragmented, Defense Express says the evidence points to either an imported Shahed-238 or a Russian-produced version built with Iranian-sourced components.

Russian production and intelligence warnings

This is not the first suspected use of a jet-powered Shahed-type drone in Ukraine. A similar incident occurred in January 2024, but confirmation was inconclusive at the time.

In February 2025, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GUR) warned that Russia had begun domestic production of a jet-powered Shahed-style drone, designated Geran-3. It is believed to use a Tolou-10/13 jet engine, an Iranian-made, unlicensed copy of the Czech PBS TJ100.

Defense Express reports that analysis is still underway, but early findings strongly suggest that the drone used in the Kyiv attack was indeed the Geran-3.

Overnight on 10 June, Russia launched one of the war’s largest air attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, also targeting Odesa, killing at least three people and injuring over a dozen, according to local authorities.

The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that Russia launched 322 aerial weapons, including 315 Shahed drones and decoy UAVs, two North Korean-supplied KN-23 ballistic missiles from Voronezh Oblast, and five Iskander-K cruise missiles from Kursk Oblast.

Of these, Ukraine’s air defenses reportedly destroyed 284 targets: 213 Shahed drones, two ballistic missiles, and five cruise missiles, while 64 drones were jammed or lost from radar tracking.

The Air Force’s data suggest that at least 38 Russian drones may have hit their intended targets.

11 locations were hit, while drone debris crashed in 16 locations, according to the report.

Kyiv: Unprecedented strike on the capital

Kyiv was the primary target of Moscow’s air assault last night. Russia targeted Kyiv with an intense wave of aerial attacks overnight on 10 June, causing major fires and destruction across eight city districts.

The attack killed a woman in the Obolonskyi District and injured four men of various ages. Two remain hospitalized while two were treated on site, according to Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko and the Kyiv City Military Administration (KMVA).

Several residential buildings, businesses, a stadium, and infrastructure were damaged in the Darnytskyi, Obolonskyi, Holosiivskyi, Desnianskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, Podilskyi, Solomianskyi, and Dniprovskyi districts. In Obolonskyi, a helicopter was deployed to extinguish a major fire.

Debris damaged homes, cars, a sanatorium, and even a former consulate building of a European country, which caught fire. Though long out of use, the building was occupied by a guard and several animals—all survived.

In Shevchenkivskyi, the 11th-century St. Sophia’s Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sustained damage to its main apse cornice due to the blast wave. Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi confirmed the damage.

Police reported that a drone detonated near a patrol vehicle responding to the attack, injuring one officer with shrapnel. The incident is being investigated as part of a broader criminal case into the attack.

Russia just gave North Korea the blueprint for Iran’s long-range killer drones, Ukraine’s spy chief says

Odesa: Moscow targeted three medical facilities

The southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on the Black Sea coast also came under heavy drone attack. Odesa Oblast Military Administration (OVA) head Oleh Kiper reported two civilian deaths and nine injuries. One of those killed by Russia was a 59-year-old man. Among the injured were five women and three men, while another woman suffered an acute stress reaction. Four of the wounded were hospitalized with moderate injuries.

A maternity ward, private medical clinic, sports facility, zoo, and a central railway station building were damaged. Though no casualties were reported in the maternity hospital strike, all staff and patients were evacuated in time. In total, over 10 drones were used in the attack on Odesa.

An administrative building of the emergency medical services station was completely destroyed, with ambulances also damaged. Fires broke out across multiple locations in the city center. City authorities confirmed that residential buildings were hit, with initial reports of at least one woman killed and three hospitalized.

Cherkasy Oblast

Elsewhere, Cherkasy Oblast’s chief Ihor Taburets confirmed that local air defense shot down 15 Russian drones overnight. No injuries or infrastructure damage were reported.

Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions killed at least seven civilians and injured at least 34 over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 10.

Russia launched 315 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, as well as two North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles and five Iskander-K cruise missiles, primarily targeting Kyiv, the Air Force reported.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down all seven missiles and 213 attack drones. According to the statement, 64 drones disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare systems.

At least four people were injured during the overnight attack on Kyiv, and fires broke out in multiple districts of the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. The strike marked one of the heaviest attacks against Ukraine's capital city throughout the full-scale war.

A drone attack on Odesa killed two men and injured eight other people, four of whom were hospitalized and are in moderate condition, Governor Oleh Kiper said. Medical facilities, including a maternity hospital, were damaged in the southern city.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian drone and artillery attacks against the Nikopol district killed one person and injured another on June 9, and wounded two other men overnight on June 10, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

In the Synelnykove district of the same region, Russian drone attacks set fire to a cultural center, "effectively destroying" it, the governor added.

Russian attacks across Donetsk Oblast killed three people in Yarova, Pokrovsk, and Myrnohrad, and injured eight others, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

Russia attacked eight settlements in Kharkiv Oblast with missiles, bombs, and drones, injuring a man in Kupiansk and another in Derhachi, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

In Kherson Oblast, one person was killed and eight injured during Russian attacks, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. Five high-rise buildings and 15 houses were damaged.

An elderly woman was injured during a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov.

Russian missile and drone barrage hits Kyiv, Odesa, killing 2 and injuring 12, damaging maternity hospital

In the early hours of June 10, Kyiv and Odesa came under another mass Russian attack, involving ballistic missiles and drones. Explosions were heard across the capital as air defense systems engaged the targets.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Kyiv and Odesa came under another mass Russian attack in the early hours of June 10, involving ballistic missiles and drones. Explosions were heard across the capital as air defense systems engaged the targets.

A woman was killed and four other people were injured in Kyiv, according to local authorities. Meanwhile, in the southern city of Odesa, two men were killed and at least eight civilians were wounded in the attack. One more person suffered shock during the attack on Odesa, authorities reported.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the attack was one of the largest on Kyiv during the full-scale war.

"Russian missile and Shahed strikes drown out the efforts of the United States and others around the world to force Russia into peace," he wrote on X.

"For yet another night, instead of a ceasefire, there were massive strikes with Shahed drones, cruise and ballistic missiles."

Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground reported the sounds of drones and multiple explosions throughout the capital.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that cars were on fire in the Shevchenkivskyi district, while drone debris fell on the grounds of a school in the Obolonskyi district. Emergency services were dispatched to the sites of attack, and medics were also called to the Podilskyi and Darnytskyi districts.

Later in the day, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said that a woman was killed in the Obolonskyi district.

In the Dniprovskyi district, smoke was seen coming from non-residential buildings, and a fire broke out at a non-residential site in the Obolonskyi district.

"A residential building is on fire in the Shevchenkivskyi district. A woman is injured and is being treated," Tkachenko said at 3:10 a.m. local time.

Klitschko added that another injured person in the Darnytskyi district was treated on the spot by medics, while the third victim was hospitalized in the Obolonskyi district of the city. Kyiv's mayor reported at 5:58 a.m. that a fourth person was hospitalized as a result of the Russian attack on the capital.

Speaking to the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv resident Elvira Nechyporenko said she was in her apartment when she heard the explosions.

"I (was) away from the window. I moved to another wall. And it was clear that the building was hit," she said.

"There are no such words, no emotions. I just want to forget about their (Russia's) existence. I want them to simply not exist. Neither as a nation nor as a state. And not to remember that we have such neighbors."

The Russian attack smashed the windows in Viktoriia Nykyshyna's apartment while she was sheltering with her cat in the stairwell.

"We heard everything, how (the fire) was put out. We lived it all here," she said. "We are still holding on. We haven't fully realized what happened."

According to Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi, the strike also damaged St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. The UNESCO World Heritage site, dating back to the 11th century, is one of Ukraine's most significant religious and cultural landmarks.

"Tonight, (Russia) struck again at the very heart of our identity," Tochytskyi wrote on Facebook. "St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, a centuries-old shrine symbolizing the birth of our statehood, has been damaged."

The management of St. Sophia Cathedral has informed UNESCO about the damage caused to the historic site by a recent Russian airstrike, according to the reserve's general director, Nelia Kukovalska. Speaking to Suspilne, she said that the blast wave damaged the cornice of the cathedral's central apse. 

Russia launched 315 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, as well as two North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles and five Iskander-K cruise missiles, primarily targeting Kyiv, the Air Force reported.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down all seven missiles and 213 attack drones. According to the statement, 64 drones disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare systems.

In Odesa, a film studio and medical facilities, including a maternity hospital, were damaged.

"The administrative building of an emergency medical station was also completely destroyed. There is a fire at the scene. Ambulances are damaged. There are no injuries among the personnel," Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said at 3:40 a.m. local time.

A Russian attack caused damage to a maternity hospital in Odesa. At the time of the attack, 85 adults and 22 children were inside, but no staff or patients were injured as everyone was in the shelter, facility director Iryna Golovatyuk-Yuzefpolskaya told Suspilne.

Odesa is located approximately 442 kilometers (274 miles) from the capital.

The renewed assault comes just a day after Russia launched a record 499 aerial weapons against Ukraine, including 479 Shahed-type attack drones, decoy drones, four Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ballistic missiles, 10 Kh-101 cruise missiles, three Kh-22 cruise missiles over the Black Sea, two Kh-31P anti-radar missiles, and one Kh-35 cruise missile from occupied Crimea.

Ukraine reported it had neutralized 479 of those targets — 292 were shot down and 187 were disrupted through electronic warfare on June 9.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged the immediate implementation of new, strong sanctions against Moscow after the large-scale air strikes.

"Russia rejects any meaningful peace efforts and must face new, devastating sanctions. Already now. There is no more time to wait," the minister wrote on X on June 10.

Sybiha pointed out that the priority areas for the sanctions include Russian banks, a reduction in the gas price cap established by the G7, and secondary sanctions against those who assist Russia in evading restrictions.

"These sanctions are not just intended to support Ukraine. They are essential to our partners. Such economic restrictions defund Russia's war machine, which is directed not only at us, but also at them," he added.

Kyiv has repeatedly urged Russia to accept a Western-backed 30-day ceasefire as the first step toward a broader peace deal — a move that Moscow again rejected during a recent round of negotiations in Istanbul on June 2.

Exclusive: Russia’s ballistic missile production up at least 66% over past year, according to Ukrainian intel figures

Russia’s production of ballistic missiles has increased by at least 66% over the past year, according to data from Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) shared with the Kyiv Independent. According to data obtained by HUR, Moscow is now producing 60 to 70 Iskander-M — the ballistic version of the missile — and 10

The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post

“Open your eyes!” World heavyweight boxing champion from Ukraine, Oleksandr Usyk, has called on US President Donald Trump to come to Ukraine and live in his home to see firsthand the realities of war and Russian shelling, CNN Sports reports. 

“I offer him my home. Let him live in my house for a week and see how rockets fly over it and how people live in Ukraine,” says Usyk. 

According to the boxer, Trump must be responsible for his words, and finally fulfill his promise to end the war in Ukraine, as he had said he would stop the war within a day or a month.

“He should be responsible for the words he said. Why does he speak?” the boxer adds, stressing that the US president needs to “open his eyes and help.”

Usyk also advises Trump to live in the Kyiv districts of Obolon or Troieshchyna, “where houses, residential buildings are being bombed,” to “understand what is happening.”

This is not the first call by prominent figures for Trump to visit Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly invited Trump to visit the frontline and see the war with his own eyes. However, the American leader has yet to come to the country.

Russian forces launched a massive nighttime aerial assault on Ukraine’s Rivne Oblast early on 9 June, injuring one civilian, according to regional military administration head Oleksandr Koval.

Rivne Mayor Oleksandr Tretyak said that it was the most extensive assault on the oblast to date. Russian forces deployed dozens of Shahed drones and missiles against the oblast, Tretyak said.

Air defense forces destroyed numerous targets during the bombardment, Koval said. Defense forces and emergency services personnel are working at the strike sites, though the regional administration chief did not specify additional consequences of the Russian attack.

Explosions were heard overnight in Rivne, Dubno, and other settlements across the oblast. Ukraine’s Air Force had warned of missiles and drones heading toward Rivne and Dubno.

The assault extended beyond Rivne Oblast as Russian troops attacked Ukraine with Shahed drones from multiple directions while launching cruise and ballistic missiles. Kiev experienced explosions, with one drone striking an office building in the Darnytskyi district, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko.

The attack also affected Kyiv Oblast’s Boryspil district, where a residential building, outbuilding, and vehicle sustained damage, Kyiv Oblast police reported on Telegram.

The attack damaged a private house, car, and farm building in Boryspil district. No casualties has been reported.

Patrol officers, an investigative team, and explosives experts are working at the scene in Boryspil district. The air raid alert lasted over six hours as air defense systems operated across Kyiv and the surrounding oblast.

The overnight assault represented Russia’s latest large-scale drone attack on Ukraine, with explosions reported in multiple cities across the country.

A charity event for Kyiv Pride took place on June 7 outside the Foreign Ministry building and was met with a nearby counterprotest.

The event collected donations, with proceeds going toward FPV drones for Ukraine's Armed Forces provided by the Serhiy Sternenko Foundation.

On April 19, a clash broke out between police and far-right protesters outside the Zhovten cinema in Kyiv, where the Sunny Bunny LGBTQ+ film festival took place.

"This is a cultural and educational charity event. Today we will have several educational lectures, during which we will collect money for drones," Kyiv Pride organizers told local media.

Counterprotesters stood nearby, chanting anti-LGBTQ+ slogans as the Kyiv Pride charity event took place outside the Foreign Ministry building.

Kyiv Pride's previously planned event was cancelled amid police pressure on the National Expo Center of Ukraine (VDNG), the event organizers said.

"This year, the police did everything they could to cancel our event. They even intimidated the management of VDNG — the National Expo Center of Ukraine... Unfortunately, under such pressure, VDNG made the decision to cancel our event," Kyiv Pride said in a post to Facebook on June 6.

Public support for LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine has grown in recent years, but the community continues to face frequent threats and violence, particularly from far-right groups. Events such as Pride marches and queer cultural festivals are often targeted by the far right.

A 2023 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that over 70% of Ukrainians believe LGBTQ+ people should have the same rights as others.

Kyiv Pride held a march in June 2024 for the first time since Russia began its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.

Wondering where to start with Dostoevsky? Try his Ukrainian contemporaries instead

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a growing debate has emerged over the cultural and political legacy of Russian literature — particularly the global reverence for classic Russian authors, which critics argue has long served to promote the imperial narratives embedded in their work. As

The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan

Meaghan Mobbs, daughter of U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, made a direct appeal to her father on social media during Russia’s combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight on June 6.

"Loud night in Kyiv, Dad! It might be the explosions and gunfire in the dead of night, but I get the strange feeling the Russians don't want peace," Mobbs wrote on X, as Russia launched one of its most intense air assaults of the war.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Moscow fired 452 drones — including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones — and 45 missiles of various types across Ukraine, targeting the capital, major cities, and even western regions of the country.

Ukrainian defenders intercepted 199 drones and 36 missiles, while another 169 drones disappeared from radar, likely decoys used to saturate air defenses.

Multiple fires broke out across Kyiv after strikes hit residential areas and infrastructure.

Nationwide, at least five civilians were killed and 73 injured during the past day, according to regional authorities. Ukraine's Air Force repelled the barrage with aviation, electronic warfare, mobile fire groups, and missile defense systems.

Mobbs, a U.S. former paratrooper and longtime advocate for Ukraine, heads the R.T. Weatherman Foundation, which has delivered over 10,000 pallets of medical supplies and humanitarian aid to more than 70 Ukrainian hospitals and organizations.

The large-scale assault came as Russia continues to reject calls for a ceasefire and escalates its air campaign despite mounting international pressure and ongoing negotiations.

Kellogg has not yet commented on the attacks.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has positioned himself as a would-be peacemaker, has thus far refused to impose new sanctions on Moscow, citing ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire.

UPDATE: Russia hits Ukraine with large-scale attack days after Operation Spiderweb

At least four people in Kyiv were killed in the attack, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. Casualties and damage have also been reported in the western Ukrainian cities of Ternopil and Lutsk.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

At least five civilians were killed and 73 others injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on June 6.

Russia launched 452 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, along with 45 missiles of various types, Ukraine's Air Force reported.

Air defenses intercepted 199 drones, while another 169 dropped off radars — likely used as decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian systems. Ukrainian forces also intercepted 36 missiles, including the Iskander-M ballistic missile.

The attack was repelled using aviation, electronic warfare units, mobile fire groups, and anti-aircraft missile systems.

Kyiv suffered the highest number of fatalities, where at least four civilians were killed and 20 others injured, including 16 hospitalized, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

In Volyn Oblast, 15 people were injured. Drones damaged an apartment building, blowing out windows and tearing through its roof, the local State Emergency Service said.

Ternopil Oblast saw 10 people injured in strikes on civilian areas, including five members of the State Emergency Service, Governor Vyacheslav Negoda reported.

Four people were also wounded in Chernihiv Oblast and multiple homes were damaged by Russian strikes, Governor Viacheslav Chaus reported.

In Donetsk Oblast, six residents were injured — two each in Krynytsi, Pokrovsk, and Kostyantynivka — amid continued Russian shelling, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

Kharkiv Oblast reported three injuries following attacks on six settlements across the region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. In Kherson Oblast, 10 people were injured after Russian forces shelled residential areas and public infrastructure, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Poltava Oblast recorded three injuries after missiles hit administrative buildings, commercial warehouses, and a local coffee shop, Governor Volodymyr Kohut said.

In Sumy Oblast, two civilians born in 1966 and 1967 were wounded. Russian troops carried out nearly 110 attacks on 47 settlements in the region, local authorities said.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast reported one fatality amid ongoing Russian attacks on front-line settlements, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

UPDATE: Russia hits Ukraine with large-scale attack days after Operation Spiderweb

At least four people in Kyiv were killed in the attack, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. Casualties and damage have also been reported in the western Ukrainian cities of Ternopil and Lutsk.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

In the early hours of 6 June, Russia conducted one of the largest air attacks since the start of its full-scale invasion, targeting Kyiv, Ternopil, Lutsk, Lviv, and several other cities using a combination of missiles and drones. The Russian assault resulted in civilian casualties — with four people known to have been killed and 25 injured — along with widespread damage to infrastructure and multiple fires.

At the time of reporting, the attack was still ongoing, with several Russian drones remaining airborne over multiple regions.

Here’s what we know so far.

Known details and air defense response

So far, there is no official count of the missiles and drones used in the attack, but live reporting from Ukrainian monitoring channels indicated that Russia launched over 100 missiles, along with a significantly higher number of drones.

The Ukrainian air monitoring channel Monitor summarized that the Russian assault involved Kh-101 cruise missiles launched by Tu-95MS bombers from Volgograd Oblast, Kalibr missiles fired by the Black Sea fleet, and Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from Kursk and Voronezh Oblasts. The attack also included Shahed drones and other types of UAVs.

The assault affected Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, Lviv Oblast, Lutsk, Ternopil and Ternopil Oblast, Rivne Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Poltava Oblast, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district of Odesa Oblast. Energy infrastructure, residential areas, and civilian sites were hit, as confirmed by local authorities and military administrations.

Monitor stated the missile phase of the assault lasted from 03:10 to 04:40, while drone waves began at 20:10 and continued for over 10 hours.

Kyiv: Fires and casualties

Ukrainian airspace monitoring channels reported that Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital with cruise and ballistic missiles, and Shahed explosive drones. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, confirmed that as of 6:00, one person was killed and 20 others were injured, 16 of whom were hospitalized. Strikes hit multiple districts, including Solomianskyi, where a school and residential buildings were damaged.

Drone debris caused fires in Darnytskyi, where vehicles were destroyed, and in Holosiivskyi, where building structures were reportedly damaged. Fires also broke out in Shevchenkivskyi and Sviatoshynskyi. Debris fell in Desnianskyi and other parts of the city. Metro lines between “Darnytsia” and “Livoberezhna” were damaged. Some areas on the city’s left bank experienced temporary power outages.

“They were working under fire to help people. Another nine emergency workers were wounded. Some are in serious condition — doctors are fighting for their lives,” Klymenko wrote on Telegram.

Ternopil and oblast: Infrastructure and industrial sites hit

Ternopil mayor Serhii Nadal reported that industrial and infrastructure targets in the city were struck. Part of the city was left without electricity and water pressure dropped. Emergency services were working at the scene.

Head of the Oblast Military Administration, Viacheslav Nehoda, described it as “the most massive air attack on our oblast,” noting multiple strikes and ongoing firefighting efforts. Explosions were first reported during an air raid starting at 03:16.

Lutsk: Injuries and extensive property damage

In Lutsk, mayor Ihor Polishchuk confirmed five people were injured in the strikes. According to him, the Russians targeted the city with 15 drones and five missiles. It is the largest attack on the city since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

A residential building suffered partial destruction and windows were shattered in multiple buildings. Commercial facilities and private vehicles were also damaged. The Oblast Military Administration added that people were evacuated and received medical help, noting that air defenses “destroyed a lot of [aerial] targets.”

Russia kills Ukrainian baby and seven more people as Trump keeps pushing predictably doomed peace talks

Lviv Oblast: Air defense in action

Lviv mayor Andrii Sadovyi and regional head Maksym Kozytskyi confirmed that air defenses operated successfully and no Russian strikes reached Lviv community infrastructure. Loud explosions were heard during the air raid, which started at 00:53 and ended at 05:01.

Chernihiv: Shahed struck near apartment block

Chernihiv City Military Administration head Dmytro Bryzhynskyi reported that a Shahed drone exploded near a high-rise building on the city’s outskirts. No casualties or damage were mentioned.

Khmelnytskyi Oblast: Explosions heard during air raid

Explosions were reported by Suspilne correspondents in Khmelnytskyi during an air raid early in the morning. The Ukrainian Air Force noted that cruise missiles entered the oblast around 04:05.

Read the followup:

Russia launches 407 drones and 44 missiles against Ukraine in overnight assault, Air Force says

Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Russia launched a mass missile and drone attack against Ukraine overnight on June 6, targeting the capital, major cities, and the country's far-western regions.

A total of 80 people were injured and four people killed, including first responders, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"A cynical Russian strike on ordinary cities. More than 400 drones, more than 40 missiles. ... We need to put pressure on Russia to (accept a ceasefire) and to stop the strikes," he said.

The attack comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to retaliate against Ukraine for its drone strike against Russian air bases in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Air raid alerts were activated in all Ukrainian regions, following Russia's latest mass attack. Ukraine's Air Force warned during the night that multiple Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers had taken flight and likely already launched cruise missiles.

Explosions were reported in Kyiv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Lviv, Lutsk, and other cities as drones and missiles targeted all regions of the country.

Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia launched 452 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, along with 45 missiles of various types.

Air defenses intercepted 199 drones, while another 169 dropped off radars — likely used as decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian systems. Ukrainian forces also intercepted 36 missiles, including the Iskander-M ballistic missile.

"Russia doesn't change its stripes — another massive strike on cities and ordinary life. They targeted almost all of Ukraine — Volyn, Lviv, Ternopil, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions," Zelensky said the morning after the attacks.

"Russia must be held accountable for this. Since the first minute of this war, they have been striking cities and villages to destroy life."

‘Loud night in Kyiv, Dad’ — US envoy’s daughter appeals to Kellogg during Russian attack

“It might be the explosions and gunfire in the dead of night, but I get the strange feeling the Russians don’t want peace,” Meaghan Mobbs, daughter of U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, wrote on X.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Kyiv

Multiple fires broke out across Kyiv as drones struck residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure. Explosions and falling debris were reported in several districts, including Solomianskyi, Holosiivskyi, Darnytskyi, Dniprovskyi, and Shevchenkivskyi.

Three  people were killed overnight, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. Ukraine's State Emergency Service later confirmed that the victims were rescue workers responding to the attack.

Another 23 people in Kyiv were injured, including 14 emergency responders. A child was among the  injured.

According to Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK,2,167 families on the left bank of Kyiv were left without electricity due to Russian attacks.

Russia’s response to Operation Spiderweb is likely ‘not going to be pretty,’ Trump says

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on June 5 that Russia’s response to Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb is likely “not going to be pretty,” following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin the day prior.

The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat

A Russian drone struck the 11th floor of a 16-story apartment block in the Solomianskyi district, igniting a fire, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported. Three people were rescued, and the fire has since been extinguished. A fire also broke out at an industrial site in the area.

In the Holosiivskyi district, debris hit a residential building, sparking a blaze and causing yet-to-be-assessed damage. An educational institution was damaged in the attack and falling drone wreckage landed near a gas station, damaging a car.

Another erupted on the 17th floor of a residential high-rise in the Darnytskyi district. Medics were called to the site of the attack.

The administration also reported "significant damage" to a gas station in the city's Dniprovskyi district.

The attack damaged tracks and cables on the metro line between the Darnytsia and Livoberezhna stations, causing closures and route disruptions. Repair work is expected to be completed in 24 hours, the administration said.

‘Time to put an end to insanity of war,’ Brazil’s Lula told Putin, calls for restraint following Operation Spiderweb

“I said (to Putin) it’s time to open our eyes and to put an end to the insanity of war, which destroys everything and builds nothing,” Brazilian President Lula da Silva told reporters during a visit to France.

The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat

Western Ukraine

In the western city of Ternopil, Russia struck infrastructure and industrial facilities with Shahed drones and Kalibr cruise missiles, according to Mayor Serhii Nadal. Part of the city lost electricity.

Eleven people were injured, including five emergency workers.

Ternopil lies hundreds of kilometers from the front line and is not a frequent target of Russian attacks.

Casualties were also reported in Lutsk in northwestern Ukraine amid the mass strike. At least one person was killed and 27 more injured, according to the State Emergency Service. Rescue workers believe more victims may be buried beneath the rubble.

Ihor Polishchuk, the city's mayor, said that the roof of an apartment building was damaged, as were vehicles, commercial properties, and a government institution. According to the mayor, Russia attacked Lutsk with 15 drones and six missiles.

Russia's retaliation

Russia's mass attack injured dozens of people and caused destruction across the country.

Ukraine had been bracing for a large-scale assault after the Kremlin threatened revenge for Operation Spiderweb — Ukraine's audacious drone strike that damaged 41 Russian bombers on June 1.

After speaking with Putin over the phone on June 4, Trump warned that the Kremlin was planning a response to Ukraine's strike. While Putin has stayed publicly silent on Ukraine's attack, Trump said Russia's retaliation was "not going to be pretty."  

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on the morning of June 6 that the overnight attack was a "response" to Operation Spiderweb and alleged that the "goal of the strike was achieved" and the "designated objects were hit."

But Moscow needs no excuse to bombard Ukraine with drones and missiles, as the mass strikes Russia launched against Ukrainian cities in the days before Spiderweb prove. For three consecutive nights in the last week of May, Russia targeted Ukraine with some of the heaviest aerial attacks since the start of the full-scale war.

Aerial strikes against civilian targets have been a regular feature of Russia's all-out war since February 2022.

Russia continues to reject calls for a ceasefire and Putin has said he is no longer interested in negotiating with Ukraine.

Putin rejects Zelensky’s call for peace talks, accuses Ukraine of deadly bridge attack in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 4 accused Ukraine of being governed by a terrorist regime that deliberately targets civilians and claimed it is continuing to lose the war. He rejected the possibility of holding talks.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

Aircraft thundered over Finland’s forests as soldiers stormed an airstrip. Amid threats from Russia, the country held joint drills with Poland in which NATO allies simulated both an attack and a defense of an airfield, based on the example of Russia’s failed 2022 operation in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast, Business Insider reports. 

The drills Northern Forest Saber involved airdropping a red team, consisting of Polish airborne forces and Finnish units, onto a runway in a forest. Their objective was to capture and hold the airfield to enable the arrival of reinforcements and heavy weapons.

At the same time, the blue team, composed exclusively of Finnish troops, had to repel the assault and retake control of the site.

Finland, which lacks its own airborne forces, gained invaluable experience through cooperation with its Polish counterparts. Colonel Matti Honko of the Finnish army acknowledged: “You need to suppress air defenses and secure air superiority. Before you can do that, there’s a lot you must be capable of.”

Polish Brigadier General Michał Strzelecki added that airborne operations are even more complex today than in the past but remain critical in the early phases of war: “Rapid deployment of troops through airborne operations can be decisive.”

NATO openly acknowledges that such training incorporates lessons from the war in Ukraine.

Despite Russia’s plan’s failure, NATO allies, especially those bordering Russia, are determined not to repeat the enemy’s mistakes and are preparing today for potential scenarios of aggression.

The situation on the border of Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts with Russia must be treated with the utmost seriousness, warns Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Zhorin, deputy commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade.

Zhorin stresses the urgent need to prepare logistics, cover roads with anti-drone nets, and build fortifications. He notes that Russia lacks sufficient forces to capture regional centers but may attempt to push deeper into Ukrainian territory to use this as leverage in negotiations.

“Their goal isn’t to seize entire regions, but to add two more to their propaganda narrative — and claim they could have taken them, but chose not to,” Zhorin says.

Even without a critical mass of troops, the threat remains — and not just in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, warns that Russia may also launch an offensive in the Chernihiv direction, 24 Channel reports. 

This is a critical threat, as Chernihiv borders Kyiv Oblast and was a key invasion route in 2022, when Russian forces advanced through Hlukhiv, Bakhmach, and Chernihiv in an attempt to encircle Kyiv from the northeast.

“We must disrupt Russia’s plans to create a buffer zone. That zone must be on Russian territory, not in Ukraine,” Kovalenko emphasizes.

He adds that Russia has long ceased to hide its strategic goal — the occupation of all of Ukraine. However, having a plan does not mean the enemy is capable of executing it.

Ukraine’s military leadership urges not to delay in strengthening the border and preparing for a multi-directional defense.

The XIII International Book Arsenal Festival begins today, on 29 May, in Kyiv and will run through 1 June 2025, according to festival organizers.

The event brings together 100 major publishers and 12 small publishing houses, accoding to the statement on the website.

The official opening is scheduled for 5 pm on 29 May, but attendees can begin to enter the premises of the National Cultural, Artistic and Museum Complex Mystetskyi Arsenal from 4 pm.

Festival organizers report the event consists of a programmatic section and a book fair. The book fair will be held on the first floor of the Old Arsenal. Publishers will present discussions, presentations and lectures alongside curatorial and special programs.

The festival features more than 200 events across several program tracks. These include the focus theme program, main program, children and teenagers program, and professional program.

This year’s focus theme is “Everything Is Translation.” Yale University historian and professor Marci Shore and writer, translator and Ukrainian PEN member Oksana Forostyna serve as curators of the focus theme. They selected the theme to address questions of literary, cultural and social translation amid global changes.

The Book Arsenal festival launched in 2011 at the Mystetskyi Arsenal complex. The annual event unites book, literary and artistic communities from around the world. Events include author meetings, workshops, musical and artistic presentations, competitions including book design awards.

Writers, poets, philosophers, illustrators, artists and publishers from Ukraine and more than 50 countries participate in the festival. Approximately 500 international authors have attended over the years of the festival’s existence.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with the official statement from Kyiv's municipal authorities.

Christopher Walters, a U.S. filmmaker documenting the Russian war against Ukraine, was injured when a balcony fell on him in central Kyiv, he said on social media on May 29.

Walters posted a video address on Instagram, with visible bruises on his face and a ruined balcony in the background.

"While missiles and drones are flying, we are being injured by balconies due to someone's irresponsibility!" the filmmaker said in the post.

The incident took place in Kyiv's Podilskyi district in front of a building's entrance, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration.

Kyiv's municipal authorities said in a May 29 statement that workers from the Podilskyi District housing maintenance company immediately cleared the debris and cordoned off the area.

City officials said that technical inspections are now being prepared to assess what repairs are needed. They also noted that the injured individual did not call emergency services or request medical aid at the time.

According to the Kyiv administration, housing maintenance companies cannot access private balconies without the consent of homeowners. It urged those living in older buildings to report signs of structural damage immediately.

Tkachenko, who is in a public conflict with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, stressed that the accident was "not a hostile attack but a consequence of many years of inaction."

Walters said he wants to conduct an investigation to determine the causes of the incident and prevent it from happening again.

Tkachenko added that he would have a "serious conversation" with district management companies and instructed the new head of the Podilskyi strict administration to keep in touch with the victim and inspect the damage.

Ukraine war latest: Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul

* Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul * Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war * 11 more Ukrainian Children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, Yermak’s advisor says * ‘We’ll know in two weeks’ if Putin serious

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Nataliia Hrabarchuk traded toys and children’s laughter for an Igla man-portable air defense system and the roar of combat launches. Ukraine’s West Air Command has shared the story of this brave defender of the skies.

Once a kindergarten teacher, now an anti-aircraft gunner, the soldier joined the military on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion despite strong opposition from her family. 

Her very first combat launch, in November 2024, was a direct hit: she downed a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile.

Until 2021, Nataliia Hrabarchuk was a kindergarten teacher. But sensing the inevitability of a major war, she made the difficult decision to join an air defense missile unit just before the invasion, even though her entire family was against it.

She spent five months in intensive training at a military center, where she learned to operate various types of man-portable weapons and conducted hundreds of simulated launches on training systems.

Then, in November 2024, during one of Russia’s massive missile-and-drone attacks, her moment came. While on combat duty, Nataliia Hrabarchuk destroyed an incoming Russian Kh-101 cruise missile using an Igla man-portable air-defense system.

“It was her first combat launch — and a perfect hit!” Air Command West proudly report.

Nataliia recalls that when the Russian missile appeared before her, she instantly set aside all emotion and nerves, focusing solely on the mission.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, has awarded Nataliia Hrabarchuk a commendation from the Ministry of Defense for her courage and successful completion of the combat task.

On the night of 26 May, Russia launched 439 Shahed-type drones against Ukraine, which is an absolute record. This comes as US President Donald Trump has been pushing for Kyiv-Moscow peace talks, allegedly to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia, meanwhile, has escalated its air attacks against Ukrainian cities, ignoring all calls for a ceasefire.

In the early hours of 26 May, Russia launched what Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as the “largest drone attack since the start of the full-scale war.” A total of 355 explosive and decoy drones and 9 air-launched cruise missiles targeted Ukraine from various directions including Bryansk, Kursk, and occupied Crimea, according to the Air Force. The air assault targeted factories and residential areas in multiple cities, injuring a teenager in Odesa. Other Russian attacks killed four and injured at least 17 Ukrainian civilians, according to local authorities and Ukraine’s Emergency Service.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported intercepting all 9 Kh-101 missiles and neutralizing 288 drones, using a combination of aviation, air defense missile systems, electronic warfare, and mobile fire groups. Despite these efforts, drone impacts were recorded in five locations, and debris fell in ten areas.

Figures from the Air Force indicate that over 60 Russian drones may have reached their targets — marking a notably lower interception rate compared to previous attacks.

Trump slams Putin as “crazy” after deadly Russian attack, but also blames Zelenskyy and Biden

Kharkiv Oblast: Explosions, fires, and casualties

According to Suspilne Kharkiv, 13 explosions were heard starting at 00:33 in Kharkiv. Kharkiv and its suburbs were under Russian drone attack, confirmed by Oleh Syniehubov, head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration (OVA). In Vasyshcheve near Kharkiv, a private enterprise caught fire after being hit by drones, as reported by the State Emergency Service.

While not attributing any casualties to the Shahed drone assault, Syniehubov stated that over the past 24 hours, other Russian strikes on six settlements in Kharkiv Oblast killed two women, 84 and 58, and injured a 60-year-old man and two women aged 76 and 68. 

Kyiv: Third night of aerial terror

According to Kyiv’s City Military Administration, Kyiv was attacked for the third consecutive night. A six-hour air raid saw damage in Dniprovskyi and Desnianskyi districts, including shattered windows in a residential building and drone fragments hitting a garage and a restaurant area.

Officials reported no injuries.

Russia’s massive missile and drone assault kills at least 12 civilians, injures 52, between two prisoner swaps

Odesa Oblast: Teenager injured, homes damaged

Odesa’s OVA and Emergency Service confirmed that drones caused the destruction of a detached home and fires in Velikodolynske. Several private homes, outbuildings, and vehicles were also damaged.

A 14-year-old boy was injured, suffering leg wounds, and received on-site medical treatment.

Khmelnytskyi Oblast: Missiles and drones hit Starokostiantyniv area

In the Starokostiantyniv community, hosting one of Ukraine’s airbases, Russia used a combined missile and drone strike, according to Khmelnytskyi Oblast head Serhii Tiurin.

Though no civilians were hurt, four enterprises suffered damage to warehouses, workshops, and admin buildings, while 18 residential homes, one outbuilding, and a power line were damaged.

Zaporizhzhia: Two injured in Yurkyvka

Zaporizhzhia’s Yurkyvka village was shelled by Russian forces on 26 May, said oblast head Ivan Fedorov. A 60-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man were injured and received medical assistance. A detached house was destroyed in the attack.

Sumy: One dead, one wounded in artillery strike

Russian artillery hit Kindrativka in Sumy’s Khotin community, killing a 48-year-old man and injuring a 52-year-old civilian, who was treated at the scene, the Oblast Administration reported.

Donetsk Oblast: Six civilians injured

On 25 May, six civilians were injured in Donetsk Oblast due to Russian attacks, regional officials confirmed.

Russia attacks Ukraine with record 273 drones, leaving one dead, multiple injured in Kyiv Oblast

Kherson: Civilian deaths and injuries

Between the mornings of 25 and 26 May, one person was killed and four others wounded in Kherson Oblast, according to its administration.

At around 10:00 this morning, a drone strike in Kherson’s Korabelnyi district injured a 46-year-old woman, who suffered a blast injury and concussion, and was treated as an outpatient.

Poland scrambles jets as precaution

Due to Russian air activity over Ukraine, Poland’s Armed Forces deployed Polish and allied aircraft, warning of increased noise over southeastern Poland.

The operational command called it the second consecutive “very intense night” for their air defense systems.

Zelenskyy: Political message, not military strategy

President Zelenskyy commented that the sheer scale of the Russian air attack had “no military logic”, arguing it was instead a political signal.

“Only the feeling of total impunity can allow Russia to strike like this,” he said.

The Ukrainian President called on international partners to increase sanctions and block Russian oil trade and financial flows to deprive Moscow of its war resources.

“This is how Putin shows his contempt for a world that puts more effort into “dialogue” with him than into applying pressure. Like any criminal, Russia can only be restrained by force. Only through strength — the strength of the United States, the strength of Europe, the strength of all nations that value life — can these attacks be fully stopped and real peace achieved,” Zelenskyy said.

Kyiv endured its third consecutive night of massive Russian drone attacks, with air raid alerts lasting six hours in the Ukrainian capital.

Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, wrote on Telegram that Russian forces struck the capital with attack drones. The assault damaged buildings in the Dniprovsky district, where windows were blown out in one residential building. Debris fell on a garage cooperative and a recreational facility.

“Fortunately, there were no casualties. Thank you to the Defense Forces for their effective work. Thank you to everyone who eliminates the consequences of attacks and helps the residents of the capital,” Tkachenko wrote.

The attack marked the third consecutive massive assault on Ukraine. Russia has conducted its most extensive missile and drone strikes of the full-scale war over the past two days. On the night of 25 May, the Russian army attacked 13 Ukrainian oblasts using dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles plus about 300 drones.

On 24 May, Russia launched a combined strike on Kyiv using ballistic missiles and drones simultaneously. The attack involved 14 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 250 attack drones across Ukraine. Air defense destroyed six missiles and neutralized 245 drones. Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said nine ballistic missiles targeted Kyiv specifically.

Russian forces regularly attack Ukrainian oblasts with various weapons including attack drones, missiles, guided bombs, and rocket systems. Russian leadership denies that the army deliberately targets civilian infrastructure during the full-scale war. Ukrainian authorities and international organizations classify these strikes as war crimes by the Russian Federation. They emphasize the attacks have a deliberate nature.

On the night of 26 May, Russia again launched its massive drone attack on several oblasts of Ukraine. Two civilians were injured in a night attack in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov.

Russian army reportedly struck the village of Yurkivka, hitting a private house. The house is destroyed. The blast wave damaged nearby houses and cars. A 60-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man were injured. The victims received necessary medical care, according to Fedorov.

In Odesa Oblast, Russian attack drones destroyed a 100-square-meter residential building overnight on 26 May. The strike caused a fire that rescuers extinguished, according to the regional emergency service.

The attack damaged roofs of residential buildings, an outbuilding, two garages, cars, a fence, and a gas pipeline. At another location, two garages were destroyed and caught fire. A residential building was damaged and a car burned.

A 14-year-old resident of Velykodolynske was injured in the nighttime attack on Odesa Oblast. Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said the boy sustained various leg wounds. Medics provided assistance on site.

More than 10 explosions occurred in Kharkiv overnight. Governor Oleh Syniehubov said that six settlements in the oblast sustained Russian attack. The shelling in Kupiansk killed an 84-year-old and a 58-year-old woman, injured a 60-year-old man and women aged 76 and 68.

In Khmelnytskyi Oblast, private households and enterprises were damaged. Oblast Governor Serhii Tyurin said there were no casualties preliminarily.

Exclusive

Russia tests new “porcupine” anti-drone armor. Ukraine’s drones still win.. From cope cages to turtle tanks, Russian anti-drone armor kept evolving. The latest iteration—a porcupine bristling with metal spikes—just met Ukrainian drones and lost, but likely won’t be the last.

The diplomatic delusion driving Trump’s appeasement of Putin. A president too arrogant to study his enemy thinks he can divide the world’s closest autocrats.

Russia bombs Ukrainian hotels full of journalists — 31 times, on purpose. A new report calls it a calculated assault on the press.

“They care about your lives more”: Viral Black journalist shatters illusions about Ukraine war support. Social media dubbed him “Harriet Tubman” for helping Ukrainians flee the war. Then they turned on him for demanding solidarity for all.

Military

Drone-on-drone: Ukrainian police show destruction of Russian FPV ambush drones. A new video reveals how patrol police drone operators are countering hidden drone threats.

Ukraine captures 971 Russian troops during Kursk operation since August. The Kursk offensive operation became Ukraine’s most successful campaign for taking Russian prisoners, netting 971 captives over nine months.

Ukrainian drones hit Russian military train with fuel in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast (video). Footage shows the fiery aftermath of a 24 May attack on a key railway supply line.

ISW: Russian salient near Donetsk Oblast’s Kostiantynivka grows, threatening the city. Recent advances southwest of the town may enable a future assault toward Kostiantynivka or Pokrovsk, ISW reports.

Russian Migalovo airbase hit by kamikaze drones, reports confirm (video). The base in Tver Oblast hosts Il-76 and An-124 military transport aircraft. During the drone assault, Russian air defenses reportedly targeted at least two Russian planes.

Russian forces attempt border probes in Kharkiv Oblast, no signs of large-scale attacks, military says. Earlier, Sky News claimed Russia has concentrated 50,000 troops near Kharkiv Oblast’s border.

As of 25 MAY 2025, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

• Personnel: 980850 (+1020)
• Tanks: 10854 (+2)
• APV: 22633 (+11)
• Artillery systems: 28269 (+68)
• MLRS: 1396 (+1)
• Anti-aircraft systems: 1169
• Aircraft: 372
• Helicopters: 336
• UAV: 37367 (+190)
• Cruise missiles: 3203 (+6)
• Warships/boats: 28
• Submarines: 1
• Vehicles and fuel tanks: 49751 (+112)

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine needs strategic command for defense innovation to challenge Thales and Rheinmetall, says EW systems producer. Ukraine must establish an engineering command center to transform frontline needs into mass-produced miracles, says Anatolii Khrapchynskyi at the Ukraine–EU defense forum in Brussels.

YLE: Recycled fishing nets become Ukraine’s frontline anti-drone tool. Old gear once used by Danish and Swedish fishermen now protects Ukrainian soldiers from aerial attacks.

China provides 80% of critical electronics for Russian drones, intelligence agency says. Ukraine’s intelligence service confirmed that about 20 Russian factories receive Chinese machine tools, special chemicals, gunpowder and components specifically for military enterprises.

Ukraine to get last pledged Dutch F-16 fighter jets tomorrow. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans confirmed the delivery will complete the pledged shipment of 24 aircraft.

US intelligence: Putin remains ready to fight through 2025— war determines his legacy. Despite heavy losses, Moscow “seems comfortable with the current cost of its slow advances,” betting on a war of attrition that intelligence officials say will likely favor Russia through 2025 without increased Western aid for Ukraine.

Russia is secretly building nuclear air-to-air missiles—for killing drones, apparently. A Cold War-era missile gets a nuclear upgrade—for a 21st-century enemy: drones.

Bloomberg: Europe can’t make enough weapons for Ukraine—so it wants to buy American. Europe can’t build fast enough—so it’s eyeing American weapons for Ukraine.

International

“War goes on regardless of weekends,” Zelenskyy blasts US silence after massive strike. As Trump pushes peace talks, Putin answers with ballistic hell across Ukrainian cities.

Russian navy now guards shadow fleet oil tankers in Gulf of Finland, minister says. The presence of military escorts to tankers is something Finnish officials haven’t seen before.

WP: Trump softens on Putin as Russian battlefield edge declines. The Kremlin faces military strain, yet Trump appears reluctant to escalate pressure.

Humanitarian and social impact

No Azov soldiers freed in 1000-for-1000 prisoner swap. More than 800 soldiers of the Ukrainian National Guard’s Azov unit remain in Russian captivity since 2022.

Russia kills two women in Kupiansk, hitting the city with 500 and 1,500 kg bombs. Two air-dropped FAB bombs with UMPK guidance kit destroyed dozens of homes.

Zelenskyy: “303 defenders are home” after final stage of 1000-for-1000 prisoner exchange. Soldiers from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and more are now receiving medical aid and support. Among the freed are National Guard members, border guards, and Mariupol defenders.

Russia’s massive missile and drone assault kills at least 12 civilians, injures 52, between two prisoner swaps. Ukraine’s Air Force reports over 350 aerial weapons launched in one night.

Read our earlier daily review here.