Kursk incursion, Tim Walz, Olympics | Ukraine This Week

1:30 PM

NATO's Rutte calls for 400% increase in air defenses to counter Russia, Bloomberg reports.

"Danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.

11:51 AM

Ukraine shoots down nearly 500 drones, missiles in Russian record strike, Air Force says.

Ukraine had reportedly neutralized 479 Russian drones and missiles, with 292 shot down, and 187 jammed or lost via electronic warfare.

5:47 AM  (Updated:  June 9, 2025 10:28 am)

Ukrainian drones hit Russian electronic warfare facility in Chuvashia Republic, military says.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces confirmed the strike, saying Ukrainian drone units, in coordination with other units, targeted VNIIR-Progress and ABS Electro in Cheboksary overnight as part of efforts to degrade Russia's capacity to produce air attack systems.

10:27 AM

Ukraine says it hit Russian MiG-31, Su-30/34 fighter jets following attack on airfield.

The overnight strike targeted the Savasleyka airfield in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, which the Kremlin uses to launch MiG-31K jets armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, according to the General Staff.

10:04 AM

Putin approves new naval strategy as Russia seeks to restore maritime power.

Since September 2022, Ukraine has used naval kamikaze drones to target the Russian Black Sea Fleet, destroying several vessels. The latest strike sank a Mangust-class patrol boat off the coast of occupied Crimea using a domestically produced Magura drone.

8:25 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 997,120 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

The number includes 970 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

5:04 AM  (Updated:  June 9, 2025 7:41 am)

Russian missiles target western Ukraine in latest mass attack.

At least one civilian was injured in Rivne, a city far from the front lines in northwestern Ukraine.

6:40 AM

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.

2:34 AM

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.

1:53 AM

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.

10:54 PM

'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.

10:10 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: US expects Russia's retaliation for Operation Spiderweb to continue soon; Ukraine denies Russian troop presence in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, describes situation as 'tense'

9:34 PM

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.

6:17 PM  (Updated:  June 8, 2025 8:38 pm)

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.

8:21 PM

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."

6:42 PM  (Updated:  June 8, 2025 7:08 pm)

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.

6:14 PM

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.

5:14 PM

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.

3:53 PM

Elon Musk's father to attend pro-Kremlin event in Russia hosted by far-right ideologue.

Among the forum's panels are sessions titled "Russian Space: The Race for Mars" and "The Battle for Hearts and Minds: The Ideology of Sovereign Russia."

2:36 PM

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."

7:52 AM  (Updated:  June 8, 2025 2:03 pm)

Ukrainian woman, 6-year-old daughter found murdered in Belgium.

A 46-year-old Ukrainian woman and her 6-year-old daughter were found murdered on June 6 in the city of Leuven, Belgium, authorities reported.

1:08 PM

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.

12:06 PM

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.

10:59 AM

Ukrainian drone attacks force airport shutdowns near Moscow, mayor says.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 61 Ukrainian drones were launched between the evening of June 7 and the morning of June 8.

10:48 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 996,150 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,120 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.