Russia fired multiple rounds of glide bombs at the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Thursday, local authorities have said, as Vladimir Putin ramped up attacks across the country.
Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of the Kherson region, reposted footage of the aftermath of the attacks, which destroyed a government building and injured two people.
Several high-rise buildings were damaged, while a huge chunk of the top of the administrative building is seen missing in the video.
“Four KABs flew through this place,” Mr Prokudin wrote, using the Ukrainian phrase for glide bombs, which are modified, Soviet-era munitions carrying up to 1,500kg of explosives.
Additional footage posted by Mr Prokudin at around 2pm GMT appeared to show the building having sustained further damage after reports of a second round of glide bomb attacks.
Separately, a Russian drone strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Pryluky on Thursday killed at least five civilians, including a one-year-old child.
It comes as US president Donald Trump has warned that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will respond to Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, after the two leaders spoke on a phone call for around one hour and 15 minutes on Wednesday.
Read More
Key Points
- Kherson regional administration building hit by devastating glide bomb strike
- Trump warns Russian leader will respond to attacks on airbase
- 17 injured as Russian drones hit Kharkiv overnight
- Putin tells Pope that Ukraine is bent on 'escalating' conflict
- Russia says it will repair bombers damaged by Ukraine's drones
Brazil, India, China should put pressure on Russia to end war in Ukraine, Macron says
14:14
,
Tom Watling
Brazil, India and China should put pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, French president Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday during a joint press conference with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit in France.
Russia planning to make 2 million FPV drones in 2025, says Kyiv
14:05
,
Tom Watling
Russia plans to produce two million first-person-view drones in 2025, Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service has claimed.
Intelligence official Oleh Aleksandrov told Politico that Moscow has rapidly upped its production of the lethal but cheap drones, which have become one of the most common weapons on the frontlines in Ukraine.
“They aim to produce about 30,000 long-range drones of those types plus 30,000 false target drones they use to exhaust Ukrainian air defenses in 2025,” Aleksandrov said.
“As for the FPV drones, Russians are aiming to produce a whopping 2 million of them in 2025.”
Ukrainian forces working on tight budgets pioneered FPV drones, which are essentially affordable quadcopters retrofitted with small-munitions and cameras connected to a headset, allowing the drone pilot to steer it using a live, first-person-view feed.
They are short-range weapons operating on a timer.
Ukraine upscaled FPV production in 2024, creating around a million sets. They are aiming to produce 2.5 million this year.
In pictures: Civilians clean up aftermath of deadly Russian strike
13:41
,
Tom Watling
Below you can see pictures from the site of a Russian drone strike in the central city of Pryluky .
At least five people were killed in the strikes, including a one-year-old boy. The baby’s mother and grandmother, who was the wife of the local fire chief, were also killed when a Russian drone hit their house.
Zelensky launched a string of daring raids against Russia. He’s proving to Trump that Ukraine has the cards after all
13:18
,
Tom Watling
First came dozens of armed drones launched from trucks traveling deep inside Russia, swarming over military airfields across the country and raining down nuclear-capable long-range bombers. Then, two days later, a massive underwater bomb targeted a key bridge linking occupied Crimea to the Russian mainland.
The two daring raids by Ukrainian special forces have stunned the Kremlin, bolstered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and sent shockwaves through defence departments around the world.
But there has been an uncharacteristic silence from the White House, and its usually verbose inhabitants.
The Dutch queen unveils a bell made from Russian weapons to show solidarity with Ukraine
12:48
,
Tom Watling
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands handed over a bell made partly from Russian weapons to a church in the Czech Republic on Thursday in a sign of solidarity with Ukraine.
Known as the Bell of Freedom, it was manufactured by the Dutch Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry that used fragments of artillery shells and other weapons fired by Russia against Ukraine.
“This bell has a lot of symbolism in it and it’s a very special project for us,” the owner of the bell foundry, Joost Eijsbouts, told the Czech public radio. “To use material designed for violence and turn it into something peaceful is a good idea.”
Read the full story below.
Footage shows Russian attack on Kharkiv
12:29
,
Tom Watling
Footage published by officials from the northeast Ukrainian city of Kharkiv show the moment a Russian drone smashed into a high-rise building last night.
The video, shared by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief advisor, Andriy Yermak, is doing the rounds on Ukrainian social media.
Igor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second most-populated city, home to some 1.3 million people, posted the footage this morning.
No one was killed in the attack shown below; Mr Terekhov said the couple at home at the moment of the strike “only escaped because they were sleeping in another room”. “It’s a miracle that everyone is alive,” he added.
He said 13 people were injured in total overnight after multiple Russian strikes on Kharkiv.
Mr Yermak wrote in a post on X alongside the video that it showed Vladimir Putin was only posing as a peacemaker by talking about negotiating an end to the conflict.
“Putin is a terrorist who tries to pose as a ‘peacemaker’ and makes hoax calls,” the official wrote. “What about the ceasefire?”
Ось так російські терористи атакували цивільні будинки Харкова. Також вбили людей у Прилуках.
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) June 5, 2025
путін - терорист, який намагається вдавати з себе «миротворця» і здійснює дзвінки брехні.
Що з припиненням вогню? pic.twitter.com/Hall8lEO9u
Nato near consensus on 5% defence spending commitment, claims US
12:24
,
Tom Watling
Here we have some footage from today’s meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels.
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth says the alliance is “nearing consensus” on Nato members hitting a pledge to spend five per cent of GDP on defence.
It will be a massive jump for most of the 32 Nato members to hit this increase; many have only just reached the two per cent threshold demanded of them a decade ago.
Railway track damaged after blast in Russia's Voronezh region, state TV reports
12:02
,
Tom Watling
A railway track in Russia's Voronezh region was damaged after an blast, state television Vesti Voronezh reported, citing an unidentified source.
There were no casualties as a result of the explosion, state TV reported.
Regional governor Alexander Gusev said via his channel in Telegram that several trains were stopped as a result of the damage to the railway. Gusev did not mention any blasts.
Russia's FSB security service also said that a railway track in the Voronezh region was damaged by the detonation of an explosive device, Interfax news agency reported.
The issue of opening a criminal case on terrorism is currently under consideration, the FSB said.
Russian strike kills 5, including 1 year old, hours after Trump calls Putin
11:48
,
Tom Watling
We have a write-through of last night’s Russian attacks across Ukraine, which came just hours after Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin had told him he would retaliate to Kyiv’s cross-border attacks.
Nato near consensus on 5% defence spending commitment, claims US
11:32
Nato is “almost near consensus” on an agreement for each of its member states to increase defence spending to five per cent, US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth has claimed, following a meeting with his alliance counterparts.
“Countries in there are well exceeding two per cent and we think very close, almost near consensus, on a five per cent commitment for Nato,” he said.
“There are a few countries that are not quite there yet, I won't name any names,” he added.
Asked specifically about the UK, he said: “We're going to get there.”
After a defence review was published at the start of this week in London, Sir Keir Starmer refused to set a deadline for when the UK would up its defence spending to three per cent.
The Donald Trump administration wants all Nato members to spend at least five per cent on defence.
Russia will respond to Ukrainian attacks as and when its military sees fit, Kremlin says
11:11
,
Tom Watling
Russia will respond to Ukraine's latest attacks as and when its military sees fit, the Kremlin said on Thursday, confirming that President Vladimir Putin had told Donald Trump that Moscow was obliged to retaliate.
Ukraine used drones to strike Russian heavy bomber planes at air bases in Siberia and the far north at the weekend, and Russia also accused it of blowing up rail bridges in the south of the country, killing seven people. Ukraine has not acknowledged responsibility for the bridge attacks, which Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called state terrorism.
Peskov said Putin and Trump did not discuss holding a face-to-face meeting when they spoke on Wednesday. He said there was a general understanding that such a meeting was necessary, but it had to be properly prepared.
The two did not discuss the possible lifting of sanctions against Russia, Peskov said in reply to a question.
Zelensky: We expect maximum sanctions after Russia’s latest attacks
10:56
,
Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Kyiv “expects” the Donald Trump administration and Europe to “impose maximum sanctions” on Russia following another round of deadly Russian strikes.
At least five people were killed overnight as Russia launched more than 100 drones and missiles at targets across Ukraine. Among the dead was a one-year-old child in the central city of Pryluky.
Russia then fired four glide bombs into the southern city of Kherson this morning, injuring at least two more people and heavily damaging several buildings, including the region’s government headquarters.
“This was another massive strike by terrorists. Russian terrorists who kill our people every night,” Zelensky wrote on X.
“This is yet another reason to impose maximum sanctions and apply pressure together. We expect action from the United States, Europe, and everyone in the world who can really help change these terrible circumstances.
“Strength matters, and the war can only end through strength. Moscow must be pressured by all available means and gradually deprived of its ability to continue this aggression.”
Earlier, we reported that Zelensky’s chief of staff has been in Washington DC attempting to persuade Congress to go ahead with a massive new sanctions package against Russia.
The Trump administration has threatened sanctions against Moscow repeatedly but has yet to follow through. It says it is waiting to see how peace talks progress between Russia and Ukraine before deciding on action against Moscow.
Last night, Russia struck Pryluky in the Chernihiv region with six attack drones. A rescue operation continued throughout the night. Unfortunately, there have been injuries and fatalities. One of the rescuers arrived to deal with the aftermath right at his own home — it turned… pic.twitter.com/5B0WhRwenr
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 5, 2025
Policewoman killed in Russian attacks named
10:48
,
Tom Watling
Earlier, we reported that the family of a local fire chief in Ukraine’s central city of Pryluky was killed during an overnight Russian drone attack.
Those killed included the fire chief’s wife, their daughter and a one-year-old grandchild.
Local media has now named the daughter as patrol policewoman Daryna Shyhyda.
Authorities have also raised the toll of casualties to nine, including a five-year-old. A total of five people were killed.
Today has been declared an official day of mourning in Pyrluky.
Kherson regional administration building hit by devastating glide bomb strike
10:15
,
Tom Watling
Below we have some footage taken by the Kherson regional administration detailing the impact of this morning’s Russian glide bomb attacks on the port city in southern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s FM: Russia must face real sanctions
10:14
,
Tom Watling
Ukraine's foreign minister has called for additional sanctions to be slapped on Russia after its latest overnight drone and missile attacks killed at least five people.
“Russia does not seek peace. It issues ultimatums and targets civilians,” Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
“Every day that passes without sufficient pressure and strong responses encourages Russia to commit new crimes. Instead, Moscow must face real strength, sanctions, and unity.”
His comments echoed that of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, who has been in Washington DC to encourage Congress to pass a major sanctions bill against Russia.
The Republican leader of the US Senate, John Thune , said on Monday they could begin work this month to pass a sanctions bill on Russia, but added they were waiting to see the outcome of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv first.
The bill, whose lead sponsors are Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close ally of Donald Trump, and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, already has at least 82 co-sponsors in the 100-member Senate.
The measure would impose 500 per cent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports. China and India account for about 70 per cent of Russia's international energy business, which helps fund its war effort.
Overnight, Russia continued its terror against Ukraine and Ukrainians.
— Andrii Sybiha (@andrii_sybiha) June 5, 2025
Pryluky, Chernihiv region. Russian drones. Multiple casualties. One rescuer's wife, daughter, and one-year-old grandson were killed in a direct Russian strike on his home.
The Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy,… pic.twitter.com/CM6PLYrDPp
Russia says it will repair warplanes damaged by Ukraine's drones
09:53
,
Tom Watling
Russian warplanes were damaged but not destroyed in a 1 June attack by Ukraine, and they will be restored, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov has claimed.
Ukrainian strikes targeted airfields in Siberia and the far north where Russia houses heavy bombers that form part of its strategic nuclear forces.
The United States assesses that up to 20 warplanes were hit and around 10 were destroyed, two US officials told Reuters, a figure that is about half the number estimated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
But Ryabkov, who oversees arms control diplomacy, told state news agency TASS: "The equipment in question, as was also stated by representatives of the Ministry of Defence, was not destroyed but damaged. It will be restored."
It was not immediately clear how swiftly Russia could repair or replace the damaged aircraft - if at all - given the complexity of the technology, the age of some of the Soviet-era planes, and Western sanctions that restrict Russian imports of sensitive components.
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
09:38
,
Tom Watling
As we bring you reports that a Russian glide bomb attack has heavily damaged several buildings in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, we remind you of a piece written last year explaining these devastating munitions.
Introduced to the battlefield around last March, glide bombs are modified, Soviet-era munitions that can carry up to 3,000kg warheads. Russian military bloggers, at the time, took to referring to these munitions as “building destroyers”.
One British humanitarian living in Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, described to me the devastation wrought by glide bombs as a kind of “psychological torture”.
Ukraine to revise 2025 budget, increasing financing for defence, lawmaker says
09:22
,
Tom Watling
Ukraine's finance ministry plans to revise the 2025 budget, increasing financing for defence, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Thursday.
He said that Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko reported in parliament on the budget situation, saying Ukraine needed to channel more funds to its army. The 2025 budget targets 2.23 trillion hryvnias (£40 billion) for defence spending.
Crimean bridge attack and Operation Spiderweb show Zelensky has a fist full of wild cards against Russia
09:00
,
Tom Watling
Below we have some snap analysis from our World Affairs editor, Sam Kiley, on the significance of Ukraine’s covert operations in occupied Crimea and across the border in mainland Russia over last weekend and into this week.
Ukraine strikes Russian missile systems - video
08:46
,
Tom Watling
Ukraine’s military says it successfully struck Russia Iksander ballistic missile systems that were being used to strike Kyiv.
In a post on Facebook, Ukraine’s General Staff posted a video of the reported attack. The target was a unit of the 26th missile brigade of the Russian army, located in the Bryansk region near the border with Ukraine.
They said the operation was conducted alongside Kyiv’s security services, which is largely responsible for operations outside of mainland Ukraine.
“One Russian missile launcher exploded, and two more were likely damaged,” they said.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Report Destruction of Russian Iskander Missile System
— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) June 5, 2025
According to a statement from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a Russian Iskander missile launcher was destroyed in a coordinated strike involving Ukraine’s military, the Security Service of Ukraine… pic.twitter.com/xlIL7WAxi5
In pictures: Russia launches drone attacks across Ukraine
08:33
,
Tom Watling
Below, we have some pictures showing the aftermath of another overnight Russian drone strike. At least five people have been killed, including a one-year-old.
Russia fired more than 100 drones and missiles in overnight attack, says Kyiv
08:26
,
Tom Watling
Russia fired more than 100 drones and missiles at targets across Ukraine, Kyiv’s air force has reported.
In a statement on Telegram, the air force said Russia had attacked with 103 drones and one Iksander ballistic missile.
They said they shot down 74 of those drones, slightly below the average for downing Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Family of fire chief killed in Russia drone strike, says Kyiv
08:22
,
Tom Watling
The family of a local fire chief has been killed after a Russian drone struck their home in central Ukraine, Kyiv’s interior ministry has reported.
Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine’s interior minister, said the fire chief’s wife, daughter and granddaughter were all killed in the strike.
The fire chief, Mr Klymenko added, had been attending to fires around the city, the consequence of additional Russian drone strikes, when his home was struck.
“My condolences for the irreparable loss,” wrote Mr Klymenko on Telegram. “The killings and suffering of civilians are the style of a cruel Russia, for which human lives have no value.”
In Pryluky, a Russian drone struck the home of the local fire department chief
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 5, 2025
According to the Minister of Internal Affairs, the firefighter’s entire family was killed: his wife, his daughter (a patrol police officer), and her one-year-old son.
"The rescuer, on that terrible… pic.twitter.com/54GW7hKG24
Ukraine to receive up to €1.3bn from allies for weapons production
08:06
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine will receive up to €1.3bn (£1.09bn) for domestic weapons production in 2025 from allies, the war-hit nation’s defence minister said after a conversation with his Danish counterpart.
Kyiv's European allies have significantly ramped up their efforts to back Ukraine in fighting against the Russian invasion with the required military aid and ammunition.
The first tranche of €428m (£360m) will come from Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Norway and Iceland, minister Rustem Umerov said on his Telegram channel this morning.
"The money will soon be allocated to the production of Ukrainian weapons: artillery, strike drones, missiles, and anti-tank weapons created in Ukraine for our soldiers," he said.
Five killed, 23 injured in Russia's overnight drone attacks on Ukraine
07:47
,
Arpan Rai
At least five people, including a one-year-old child, have been killed in Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian cities overnight, officials said.
In the town of Pryluky, a one-year-old child and two women were among five people killed, Viacheslav Chaus, the regional governor of Chernihiv, said on Telegram, with initial details showing six more injured and hospitalised.
At least six drones were used in the overnight attack that damaged buildings in the town's residential area, Mr Chaus said.
In Kharkiv, a Russian drone attack damaged apartment buildings and injured 17 people, local officials said.
Emergency services said at least four children were among the injured in Kharkiv.Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said the strikes, around 1am, damaged seven apartment buildings, with direct hits on two.
Mr Terekhov said one drone hit the 17th floor of one building, and the second floor of another.
"It flew into our neighbours' apartment next door, and my child and I managed to run out into the hallway," said a resident, Anastasiia Meleshchenko, adding that the ceiling began to crumble after a blast.
"Yesterday, workers had just finished repair work in my apartment after the previous attack,” she said.
Located 30km (18 miles) from the Russian border in northeastern Ukraine, Kharkiv has been a frequent target of Russian drones and missiles in the more than three-year-old war.
Russia says it will repair bombers damaged by Ukraine's drones
07:20
,
Arpan Rai
Russia’s deputy foreign minister has claimed the country’s aircraft were damaged but not destroyed in a 1 June attack by Ukraine, and they will be restored.
"The equipment in question, as was also stated by representatives of the Ministry of Defence, was not destroyed but damaged. It will be restored," the minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
The United States assesses that Ukraine's drone attack over the weekend hit as many as 20 Russian warplanes, destroying around 10 of them, two US officials told Reuters, a figure that is about half the number estimated by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
This comes just hours after Russian president Vladimir Putin told president Donald Trump in a telephone conversation on Wednesday that Moscow would have to respond to the 1 June attack.
Russian forces advance deeper into Sumy region
07:14
,
Arpan Rai
Russian forces advanced further into Ukraine's northern region of Sumy, threatening the regional capital after taking more than 150 square km (58 sq miles) in less than two weeks, according to Russian officials and Ukrainian open source mapping.
President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to focus on creating a "buffer zone" of Russian-controlled territory in Sumy after Ukraine's lightning incursion into the neighbouring Kursk region last August.
Russia's defence ministry said its troops had taken the settlement of Kindrativka and were just 25-30km (15-20 miles) from the city of Sumy, which is now within artillery and drone range.
"The Russian Armed Forces continue their successful offensive north of Sumy," said Yuri Podolyaka, one of the most influential pro-Russian military bloggers.
The Ukrainian Deep State map of the battlefield showed Russia with control over 154.4 square km (60 square miles) of Sumy region and attacking it from different directions.
Andriy Demchenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, said that Russia was using small assault groups – rather than armoured vehicles – to penetrate into Sumy, Interfax Ukraine reported.
Kyiv said a Russian artillery attack on the city of Sumy killed four people and injured 28.
Military analysts say the Russian advance, with fierce frontline fighting and missile and drone strikes in Sumy, stretches Ukraine's ability to simultaneously defend its southern Donbas region, of which Moscow is seeking full control.
Despite the relaunch of peace talks, the war has been heating up and Russian forces, which already control just under a fifth of Ukraine, advanced in May at their fastest pace for at least six months, according to Ukraine's authoritative Deep State online map project.
Putin tells Pope that Ukraine is bent on 'escalating' conflict
06:49
,
Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin thanked Pope Leo for offering to help settle the Ukraine conflict and told him Kyiv is intent on "escalating" the war, the Kremlin said yesterday.
Putin began the Ukraine war by ordering the invasion of Russia's European neighbour, and has since occupied around 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine holds little-to-no Russian territory, and has repeatedly said Moscow could end the war immediately simply by withdrawing its forces.
A Kremlin statement said they spoke by phone but did not give a date.
US president Donald Trump has said the Pope offered to host Russia-Ukraine negotiations at the Vatican.
"Gratitude was expressed to the Pontiff for his readiness to help settle the crisis, in particular the Vatican's participation in resolving difficult humanitarian issues on a depoliticised basis," the statement said.
It added the Kremlin highlighted "that the Kyiv regime is banking on escalating the conflict and is carrying out sabotage against civilian infrastructure sites on Russian territory," the statement said, describing those acts as terrorism.
Crimean bridge attack and Operation Spiderweb show Zelensky has a fist full of wild cards against Russia
06:39
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s intelligence services released a video of their attack on Russia’s most important link to Crimea, the Kerch Bridge, which was recorded using Russia’s own surveillance systems.
The eruption of 1.1 tons of explosive on the logistical artery dealt a physical blow, but it’s the psychological effect that will be longer lasting.
Kyiv’s SBU spooks are telling Russia, and Vladimir Putin’s fan-in-chief Donald Trump, “see what we can do”.
Alongside Operation Spiderweb, a few days earlier, which Ukraine claims destroyed 34 per cent of Moscow’s strategic bomber force over thousands of miles inside the Russian Federation, the assassination of Russian military leaders, and the relentless targeting of Putin’s energy infrastructure, Ukraine is signalling that it has not only survived, but could win, this war.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
North Korea's Kim vows unconditional support for Russia
06:29
,
Arpan Rai
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged unconditional support for Russia’s position on Ukraine and other international issues as he met with the Russian secretary of the security council Sergei Shoigu yesterday.
"Kim Jong Un affirmed that the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will, in the future, too, unconditionally support the stand of Russia and its foreign policies," it said, using the North's official name.
North Korea will responsibly observe the articles of the treaty between the two countries, Mr Kim was quoted as saying.
The two men also discussed strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership and mutual cooperation in different fields.
The treaty was signed during Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang last year and a summit with North Korea's Mr Kim, and includes a mutual defence pact for immediate military assistance if either faces armed aggression.
.jpg)
