The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A woman walks near the damaged St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv following Russian drone strike on the capital on June 10, 2025. St. Sophia’s Cathedral dates from the 11th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Tetiana Dzhafarova / AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine, Russia conduct second prisoner swap under Istanbul deal. “All of them require immediate medical attention,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
US to cut military aid to Ukraine, Hegseth says. The U.S. will reduce funding allocated for military assistance to Ukraine in its upcoming defense budget, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a congressional hearing on June 10. “This administration takes a very different view of that conflict,” he said.
Russia admitted its ‘peace memorandum’ is an ultimatum Kyiv won’t accept, Zelensky says. “They (Russian officials) even told our delegation: we know that our memorandum is an ultimatum, and you will not accept it,” President Zelensky said.
Over 40% of Ukrainians willing to compromise on ‘de facto’ recognition of Russian occupation for peace, poll shows. Some 48% of Ukrainians oppose even a “de facto” recognition of Russian occupation of Ukraine’s territories to achieve peace, according to a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology published on June 10.
Allies won’t impose new sanctions on Russia because of Ukraine’s refusal to mobilize at age 18, Zelensky says. “I do not believe that we should mobilize people from the age of 18, as the leaders of other countries have thought.”
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Kyiv imposes sanctions against individuals, organizations involved in deportation of Ukrainian children. President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on 48 individuals and nine organizations.
Zelensky calls on West to slash Russian oil price cap in half as strikes on Ukraine escalate. “Each of the partners knows what price cap is needed — $30, no higher. Such a price level will mean real pressure on Russia,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 10.
Russia to help North Korea produce Shahed-type drones, Ukraine’s spy chief says. Shahed drones could enable North Korea to strike targets across South Korea, potentially overwhelming air defenses, and could also assist Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Russia has significantly improved North Korea’s shoddy KN-23 ballistic missiles. It was reported last year that around half fired at Ukraine by Russia malfunctioned and exploded in mid-air.
Russian soldier recorded launching grenade at residential building in retaken Kursk Oblast town. In the footage, the soldier is seen loading a grenade launcher while repeatedly shouting “Akhmat! Chechnya!” — a reference to Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov’s forces — before firing in the direction of a residential area.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Russia carries out one of largest attacks against Kyiv; more Ukrainian POWs come home
Kyiv and Odesa came under another mass Russian attack in the early hours of June 10, involving ballistic missiles and drones. Ukraine and Russia also concluded the second phase of a prisoner swap agreed to in Istanbul, bringing home wounded soldiers.
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram
‘We love our country’ — As Russia steps up its attacks, Kyiv residents choose to stay
Despite the recent uptick in attacks against the capital, local residents see no desire to leave. “This is my favorite city, this is my home, so we choose to live at home,” sales manager Victoriia Nikishyn told the Kyiv Independent after a Russian drone struck her apartment.
Photo: Tetiana Dzhafarova / AFP via Getty Images
As Russia inches closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, new Ukrainian region might soon be at war
Western military experts who spoke to the Kyiv Independent said it was clear that Russian troops would eventually penetrate the southeastern region. But they didn’t expect either side to throw “a significant amount of forces” in this sector, as the capture of Donetsk Oblast remains Moscow’s main objective.
Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos / Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Massive Russian drone attack kills 2, injures at least 28 in Kharkiv. The attack struck a five-story residential building in the city’s Slobidskyi district, leaving 15 apartments in flames, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. More victims may be trapped beneath the rubble.
In one of largest attacks on Ukraine’s capital, Russian barrage hits Kyiv, Odesa, kills 3, injures 12. In the early hours of June 10, Kyiv and Odesa came under another mass Russian attack. Civilians were injured and key landmarks damaged.
Russian attacks kill 7, injure 34 in Ukraine over past day. Ukrainian air defenses reportedly shot down seven Russian missiles and 213 attack drones. According to the Air Force, 64 drones disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare systems.
17-year-old boy dies after June 3 Russian attack on Sumy, death toll rises to 6. The boy, whose name was not disclosed, died because of his injuries several days after the strike.
General Staff: Russia has lost 998,080 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The number includes 960 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Opinions and insights
In African universities, Russia’s war against Ukraine finds new supporters
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has exposed a troubling trend within certain African academic institutions: a marked bias toward Russian narratives that undermines the very principles of academic integrity and intellectual honesty that universities claim to uphold,” writes Ngotho Gichuru, Ph.D. student at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
Photo: Barbara Debout / AFP via Getty Images
International response
EU unveils 18th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting energy, banking, oil. The EU has proposed for the first time a ban on transactions involving the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, as well as a reduction in the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel, among other measures.
Western firms reportedly paid at least $46 billion in taxes to Russia amid full-scale war in Ukraine. Seventeen of the 20 largest foreign corporate taxpayers in Russia come from G7 and EU countries, which are Ukraine’s main international supporters, according to investigative outlet Follow the Money.
Ukraine’s NATO membership remains ‘irreversible’ despite possible communique omission, Rutte says. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s comments follow reporting that this year’s summit communique may exclude references to Russia and Ukraine.
Russia doubts NATO’s Article 5, could use ‘little green men’ to test it, German intelligence chief warns. “They don’t need to send tanks for that,” German intelligence chief Bruno Kahl told Table Media. “They just have to send ‘little green men’ to Estonia to defend the allegedly oppressed Russian minority.”
Israeli Foreign Ministry denies sending Patriot systems to Ukraine amid conflicting claims. The denial contrasts with statements made by Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky, who said in a recent interview that Israel had agreed to transfer retired Patriot missile systems — originally supplied by the U.S. in the 1990s — to Ukraine.
Russia ships weapons to Africa, violating sanctions, AP reports. The deliveries — which reportedly include armored vehicles, howitzers, and artillery — represent another sign of Russia’s expanding military footprint in Africa.
In other news
Russia’s State Duma passes bill to create state messaging app as it considers blocking WhatsApp. The new app “combines the features of a messenger and the functions of government services,” the Duma’s press service reported.
Why some Ukrainians don’t leave their country despite attacks
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