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Russia’s war against Ukraine
Russian missiles damaged several buildings in the eastern Ukrainian town of Druzhkivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on June 8, 2025. (Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images)
‘No grounds for evacuation‘ from Sumy, official says amid Russian offensive into region. There are currently no plans for mass civilian evacuations from the city of Sumy, regional Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on June 8, as Russian advances into Sumy Oblast have continued to gain momentum.
Ukraine denies Russian troop presence in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast amid offensive, describe situation as ‘tense.’ Despite Russia’s claims of an intrusion into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Major Andrii Kovalev, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s General Staff denied Russian troop presence in the region.
Ukraine refutes Russia’s claims of disrupting POW exchange. “If the Russian side is now backing away from what was promised in Istanbul, it raises serious questions about the reliability and capability of their negotiating team,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on June 7.
Exchange of fallen soldiers’ bodies expected next week, official says. Budanov’s statement comes just a day after Russia claimed that a prisoner swap had failed due to Ukraine’s fault — an accusation Kyiv denied.
Russian missiles target western Ukraine in latest mass attack. Multiple rounds of explosions have been reported in Rivne, a city far from the front lines in northwestern Ukraine, amid an ongoing drone and missile attack.
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Russia captures village of Loknia in Sumy Oblast, monitoring group says. Located roughly 30 kilometers (some 18 miles) north of the city of Sumy, Loknia lies near the Russian border in a strategically exposed area.
US expects Russia’s retaliation for Operation Spiderweb to continue soon. One official told Reuters that while the timing remains unclear, a retaliatory strike could be expected in the coming days and is likely to be “asymmetrical.”
Ukrainian boxer Usyk invites Trump to his home to see Russia’s war firsthand, BBC reports. “I advise American President Donald Trump, go to Ukraine and live in my house one week. Only one week … Watch what’s going on every night,” the heavyweight champion said in an interview with BBC Sport.
Trump administration redirects 20,000 anti-drone missiles meant for Ukraine, Zelensky confirms. “We counted on this project — 20,000 missiles. Anti-Shahed missiles. It was not expensive, but it’s a special technology,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukrainian drones hit Russian electronic warfare facility in Chuvashia Republic, media reports. VNIIR-Progress is a Russian state institute that specializes in developing electronic warfare (EW) systems, including the Kometa antenna, used to jam satellite, radio, and radar signals.
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Ukraine war latest: US expects Russia’s retaliation for Operation Spiderweb to continue
The U.S. believes Russia has not yet fully responded to Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb and may soon launch another multi-pronged strike following the massive June 6 attack, Reuters reported on June 8, citing unnamed U.S. officials.
Photo: Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Ukrainian opera tenor and volunteer killed in Sumy Oblast. Vladyslav Horai, a renowned tenor and soloist of the Odesa National Opera, was killed in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast while on a volunteer mission, the opera house reported on June 8.
12 killed, 65 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian forces launched 49 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones, along with an Onyx anti-ship missile and two X-59/69 guided air-launched missiles.
International response
Slovakia will veto Russian sanctions if they harm national interests, Fico says. Fico’s comments come as Slovakia’s parliament passed a resolution on June 5 urging the government to oppose any new international sanctions or trade restrictions against Russia, citing alleged negative economic impacts.
Renault to begin drone production in Ukraine, media reports. Renault will partner with a small French defense company to equip production lines on Ukrainian territory, with the drones expected to serve both Ukrainian and French military forces, according to France Info.
Germany plans expansion of air raid shelters amid growing Russian threats, official says. “We must quickly create space for 1 million people,” Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Germany’s Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance told Suddeutsche Zeitung. “Existing structures must be assessed and adapted without delay.”
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