The Kremlin has hit back after US president Donald Trump compared the war between Russia and Ukraine to “kids fighting in a park”.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Trump had a right to his own opinion, but for Russia the conflict was “an existential matter about securing its own security and the future of the country.”
This follows Trump’s comments on Thursday that “Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy, they hate each other and they're fighting in a park.
“Sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart,” he added.
At least four people have been killed and over 40 injured in a massive aerial attack from Moscow, hours after the US president warned Putin’s response to a significant Ukrainian drone strike on Russian airbases “will not be pretty”.
Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia “targeted almost all of Ukraine” with over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles. He warned: "If someone is not applying pressure and is giving the war more time to take lives that is complicity and accountability. We must act decisively.”
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Key Points
- Four killed in Russian air attack on city, officials in Kyiv say
- Ukraine strikes Russian airfields and fuel reservoirs, military says
- More than 400 drones and 40 missiles fired at Ukraine overnight - Zelensky
- Trump hints he could impose sanctions on both Ukraine and Russia
- Trump says he's better off letting Ukraine and Russia ‘fight for a while’
Kremlin criticises Trump comment comparing war to fight between kids
11:10
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Bryony Gooch
The Kremlin has hit back at jibes from US president Donald Trump in which he compared Ukraine and Russia’s war to a fight between children.
They said “for us this is existential” and added their latest strikes are a response to actions of the “terrorist regime” in Kyiv.
Trump compared the war to a sports brawl, saying: “Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart.”
“You see it in hockey, you see it in sports.”
In pictures: Firefighters tackle blaze following air strike
11:01
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Bryony Gooch
Russia damage homes in three regions of Kyiv
10:49
,
Bryony Gooch
Russian air strikes have damaged homes in three different regions of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv region police have said on social media.
Following a major attack on Friday, the force reported that two homes were damaged in Buchansky district. One house was also damaged in Boryspil district. In addition, two cars, an outbuilding and a house were damaged in Brovary district.
The police did not receive information about the victims.
Police reminded citizens that in the event of an air raid, they must be vigilant and head for shelter.
Mapped: Russia and Ukraine's trade blows in major air strikes
10:42
,
Bryony Gooch
Trump tells Putin: ‘It might be better to let Russia and Ukraine fight for a while’
10:31
,
Bryony Gooch
Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine should be left to “fight for a while,” with other nations leaving them to it.
Mr Trump compared the war to an ice hockey brawl whilst speaking in the Oval Office with his German counterpart Friedrich Merz on Thursday (5 June).
“Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart,” Trump told reporters. “You see it in hockey, you see it in sports.”
The president revealed he shared the analogy with Vladimir Putin during a 75 minute phone call on Wednesday (4 June).
During the Oval Office meeting, the newly elected German chancellor told the president that he wants the US to put more pressure on Russia to end the war, believing them to be in a strong position to do so.
Holly Bishop reports:
Russia 'targeted almost all of Ukraine', says Zelensky
10:18
,
Bryony Gooch
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia “targeted almost all of Ukraine” in a massive attack on the country which has injured almost 50 people so far.
The president said on social media: “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. Some of the missiles and drones were shot down.
“I thank our warriors for their defense. But unfortunately, not all were intercepted. In total, over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles – including ballistic missiles – were used in today’s attack. 49 people were wounded.”
Drone attack set fire to industrial site in Russia's Engels, governor says
10:10
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Bryony Gooch
Russia has reported Ukrainian drone attacks on an industrial enterprise in the southern city of Engels.
Regional governor Roman Busargin said the attack on Friday caused a fire, but didn’t specify what kind of industrial site was targeted.
Busargin said a high-rise apartment block was also hit, but there were no casualties.
Video posted on social media, verified by Reuters, showed a fire burning fiercely emitting huge plumes of black smoke.
In January, a state of emergency was introduced in Engels after a Ukrainian drone strike hit an oil depot that serves a nearby base for Russian nuclear bomber planes, causing a fire that took days to put out.
Ukraine's general staff said it struck Russian airfields in Saratov and Ryazan regions, in addition to fuel reservoirs, during an overnight attack on Friday. Engels is part of the Saratov region.
Watch: Huge fire seen at Russian oil depot after reported Ukrainian drone strike
10:01
,
Bryony Gooch
In pictures: Kyiv building suffers heavy damage in mass drone attack
09:53
,
Alex Croft
Kyiv under major drone attack after Putin threatened response to Ukrainian strikes in Russia
09:42
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Alex Croft
Kyiv has been bombarded with drones shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to respond to a massive Ukrainian attack in Russia.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported on Telegram that Russia had launched ballistic missiles and drones into the war-torn country early on Friday, per CNN.
A Telegram post from the air force warned, “Several Tu-95MS strategic bombers are in the air. They allegedly launched cruise missiles!”
CNN reported that Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv City Military Administration, said that there were reports of fires in buildings across Kyiv, and that a high-rise in the Solomyansky district was damaged.
Full report:
Watch: Trump suggests it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while'
09:29
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine strikes Russian airfields and fuel reservoirs, military says
09:18
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine's general staff said it struck Russian airfields in Saratov and Ryazan regions, in addition to fuel reservoirs, during an overnight attack on Friday.
"The Ukrainian Defence Forces launched a preemptive strike. On the eve of the massive enemy attack, enemy airfields and other important military facilities were hit," the Ukrainian military said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
It comes after Ukrainian attacks on Russian airfields sparked fury in Moscow, with Kyiv claiming that 41 bombers were destroyed in the stunning strikes.
More than 400 drones and 40 missiles fired at Ukraine overnight, Zelensky says
08:55
,
Alex Croft
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called on the US, Europe and other countries to ramp up pressure on Russia after it launched more than 400 drones and 40 missiles in attacks on Ukraine on Friday.
"If someone is not applying pressure and is giving the war more time to take lives that is complicity and accountability. We must act decisively," he wrote on X.
“In total, over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles – including ballistic missiles – were used in today’s attack. 49 people were wounded.
“Unfortunately, the number may increase – people are reaching out for help. As of now, three deaths have been confirmed – all of them were employees of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky added.
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. Some of the missiles and drones were shot down. I thank our… pic.twitter.com/O1iemSp3s2
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 6, 2025
Missile launchers damaged in Ukrainian attack on Russia's Bryansk region
08:41
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Alex Croft
While Donald Trump appears ready to step back from immediate efforts towards peace in Ukraine, Kyiv and Moscow continue to trade blows.
On Thursday, Ukrainian forces launched an attack on Russia’s Byransk region, targeting a concentration of Russian troops and three missile launchers, the general staff said.
One Iskander missile launcher - the short-range ballistic missile system which Russia uses to strike military and infrastructure targets in Ukraine - was destroyed, the military said. Two others were seriously damaged.
The targeted united was part of Russia’s 26th Missile Brigade which attempted to fire on Ukrainian territory and likely aimed at Kyiv, the military added according to The Kyiv Independent.
"Thanks to effective reconnaissance and the coordinated efforts of the Armed Forces and the Security Service of Ukraine, the targets were successfully hit," the General Staff said, adding that there were no civilian casualties.
Polish foreign minister takes aim at Musk after Trump feud
08:23
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Alex Croft
Poland’s foreign minister has taken aim at Elon Musk amid his spectacular fallout with US president Donald Trump on social media.
Warsaw's top diplomat Radoslaw Sikorski in March was embroiled in an extraordinarily public clash with Musk and US secretary of state Marco Rubio. He had suggested that Kyiv may need an alternative to the Starlink satellite service.
This prompted an angry Musk to tell Mr Sikorski to “be quiet, small man” amid a flurry of posts on his social media platform X.
After a public feud exploded between Trump and Musk on Thursday, Mr Sikorski took the chance to poke fun at the Tesla and SpaceX boss.
"See, big man, politics is harder than you thought,” he said in a post on X. Musk did not immediately respond to the post - arguably out of character for the business mogul who often tweets dozens of times per day.
Major attack on Ukraine's capital kills four as widespread destruction reported
08:09
,
Arpan Rai
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the early morning attack killed and injured 20 people, 16 of them in hospital.
The city's metro transport system was disrupted by a Russian strike that hit and damaged tracks between stations, Kyiv's military administration said. Ukraine's state rail company Ukrzaliznytsia said it was also detouring some trains due to railway damage in the region.
In the Solomianskyi district, a Russian drone slammed into the side of apartment building, leaving a gaping hole and burn marks, a Reuters photographer at the scene said.
Falling concrete blocks from the building crushed cars parked below. Two police investigators were examining what appeared to be the drone's engine.
Earlier in the night, Reuters reported the sound of Russian kamikaze drones buzzing in the sky, accompanied by the sounds of outgoing fire from Ukrainian anti-aircraft fire.
Reuters witnesses reported a series of booming explosions powerful enough to rattle windows far from the impact sites.
Some Kyiv residents sought shelter in metro stations, or in underground car parks.
Ukraine's air force said the country had been targeted with drones and missiles overnight.
Russian forces struck industrial facilities and infrastructure in the western city of Ternopil, leaving parts of it without power, mayor Serhii Nadal said.
The regional administration said the attack injured five people and recommended residents stay inside due to a high concentration of toxic substances in the air after a fire.
Five people were injured in the northwestern city of Lutsk where the attack also damaged private homes, educational institutions and government buildings, according to mayor Ihor Polishchuk.
Trump hints he could impose sanctions on both Ukraine and Russia
07:42
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has hinted he might consider imposing sanctions on both Russia and Ukraine if the war goes on.
Before meeting German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Mr Trump said he believed that "at some point" there would be peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Asked whether he would impose further sanctions on Russia, the president responded: "When I see the moment where it's not going to stop... we'll be very, very, very tough.
“And it could be on both countries to be honest. You know, it takes two to tango."
Russia says it downed 174 Ukrainian drones overnight
07:37
,
Arpan Rai
Russia’s defence ministry has said its air defence units have downed 174 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Russia only reports the drones it claims to have shot down, and does not reveal total numbers or when they hit their targets.
Meanwhile, Russia mounted a major attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv killing four and injuring at least 20 people in residential areas.
The attack followed a warning from Russian president Vladimir Putin, conveyed via US leader Donald Trump, that the Kremlin would hit back after Ukrainian drones destroyed several strategic bomber aircraft in attacks deep inside Russia.
In photos: People in Kyiv take shelter as Russia attacks the city in overnight strikes
07:18
,
Arpan Rai
Russian drones and missiles mount heavy barrage on Ukraine's capital
07:05
,
Arpan Rai
At least four people have been killed as Russia mounted an intense and sustained barrage of Kyiv overnight, with missiles and drones targeting the Ukrainian capital where there was a succession of large explosions.
By daybreak today, authorities in Kyiv reported that a total of 16 people had been wounded, of whom 10 had been hospitalised.
Operation of the city's metro transport system was disrupted because a Russian strike had hit and damaged a train between stations, the city's military administration said.
The air attack also triggered fires in residential buildings in different parts of the city, authorities said.
Earlier in the night, as the attacks came in, Reuters reporters could hear the sound of Russian kamikaze drones buzzing in the sky, accompanied by the sounds of outgoing fire from Ukrainian anti-aircraft fire.
Trump secretly admired Ukraine’s ‘badass’ drone attack – report
06:31
,
Arpan Rai
President Donald Trump once accused Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky of lacking “cards” to play in his country’s years-long fight against Russia, but now he’s paying far more attention to what might be in the Ukrainian leader’s nhands.
In the wake of Ukraine’s brazen, and successful, attack on multiple Russian air bases over the weekend, Mr Trump was reportedly left marveling at the ingenuity and sheer chutzpah of Kyiv’s counteroffensive using dozens of armed drones launched from trucks traveling deep inside Russia, swarming over military airfields across the country and raining down onto nuclear-capable long-range bombers.
According to Axios, Mr Trump has privately described it as “strong” and “badass.”
Russia says it downed 174 Ukrainian drones overnight
06:26
,
Arpan Rai
Russia’s defence ministry has said its air defence units have downed 174 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Russia only reports the drones it claims to have shot down, and does not reveal total numbers or when they hit their targets.
Meanwhile, Russia mounted a major attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv killing four and injuring at least 20 people in residential areas.
The attack followed a warning from Russian president Vladimir Putin, conveyed via US leader Donald Trump, that the Kremlin would hit back after Ukrainian drones destroyed several strategic bomber aircraft in attacks deep inside Russia.
Kyiv struck by Russia's Kalibr cruise missiles, says Ukraine
06:19
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine's Air Force said the Kyiv city had been targeted overnight with drones and Kalibr cruise missiles.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said drones had struck the upper floors of a high-rise apartment building and started a fire in Darnytskyi district on the east side of the city, where he said emergency power cuts were possible.
Mr Tkachenko said a fire had also broken out in an apartment building in a western district. He said drone fragments had been spotted in three districts.
Reuters witnesses reported a series of booming explosions powerful enough to rattle windows far from the impact sites, and at least one large fire at the site of a drone hit.
Some Kyiv residents sought shelter in metro stations, or in underground car parks.
Photos show powerful explosions from Russian attacks on Kyiv which killed four
06:12
,
Arpan Rai
Four killed in Russian air attack on city, officials in Kyiv say
06:06
,
Arpan Rai
At least four people were killed in an overnight Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The toll was revised up from the previous figure of one dead.
Russia mounted an intense and sustained barrage of Kyiv overnight, with missiles and drones targeting the Ukrainian capital where there was a succession of large explosions.
By daybreak today, authorities in Kyiv reported that one person was killed and 20 people had been wounded, of whom 16 had been hospitalised.
Operation of the city's metro transport system was disrupted because a Russian strike had hit and damaged a train between stations, the city's military administration said.
The air attack also triggered fires in residential buildings in different parts of the city, authorities said.
Trump tells German leader D-Day ‘was not a pleasant day for you’
05:37
,
Arpan Rai
A meeting between president Donald Trump and German chancellor Friedrich Merz took an awkward turn yesterday when he suggested that Germans might not view the anniversary of D-Day — commemorating the US-led invasion of Europe that was the beginning of the end for the Nazis — in a favorable light.
Sitting in the Oval Office, Mr Merz and Mr Trump were discussing the death toll from Russia’s three-year-old war against Ukraine, the bloodiest conflict in Europe since the end of the Second World War, when the German leader noted that tomorrow marks the 81st anniversary of Operation Overlord, the allied amphibious assault on Adolf Hitler’s European stranglehold that began with American, British, Canadian and Free French troops storming the beaches of Normandy.
Merz says Trump agrees with him on the war
05:21
,
Arpan Rai
German Chancellor Freidrich Merz stressed that Donald Trump agreed with him on the war in Ukraine when asked for his response to the US president’s comments.
He pointed to Mr Trump as the "key person in the world" who would be able to stop the bloodshed.
But Mr Merz also emphasised that Germany "was on the side of Ukraine" and that Kyiv was only attacking military targets, not Russian civilians.
"We are trying to get them stronger," Mr Merz said of Ukraine.
IAEA team at Zaporizhzhia says it heard repeated rounds of gunfire
05:15
,
Arpan Rai
International monitors at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine heard repeated rounds of gunfire that appeared to be aimed at drones reportedly attacking the site's training centre, the UN's nuclear watchdog said yesterday.
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility with six reactors, in the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Each side has since routinely accused the other of attacking the plant and posing a threat to nuclear safety.
Monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported hearing at least five explosions between 11.30am and 13.45pm local time, each preceded by gunfire, an IAEA statement said.
The statement gave no indication of the origin of the drones and said there were no reports of any damage to the centre.
"Drones flying close to nuclear power plants could threaten their safety and security, with potentially serious consequences," IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said.
"As I have stated repeatedly during the war, such incidents must stop immediately."
Nuclear chief warns of danger as gunfire targeted at drones over power plant
05:09
,
Arpan Rai
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned that drones flying near nuclear power plants are a danger, after international monitors at the Russian-held Zaporizhia plant in Ukraine heard repeated gunfire.
The gunfire appeared to be aimed at drones reportedly attacking the site's training centre, the UN nuclear watchdog said.
The plant's Russian management had earlier said Ukrainian drones had landed on the roof of the training centre in "yet another attack" on the facility.
"Drones flying close to nuclear power plants could threaten their safety and security, with potentially serious consequences," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.
"As I have stated repeatedly during the war, such incidents must stop immediately."
The statement said it was the fourth time this year that the training centre, just outside the site perimeter, was reportedly targeted by drones.
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility with six reactors, in the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
With all its reactors in shut down mode, the plant produces no electricity. Before the war, it generated one-fifth of Ukraine's electricity.
Four killed in Russian air attack on city, officials in Kyiv say
04:57
,
Arpan Rai
At least four people were killed in an overnight Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The toll was revised up from the previous figure of one dead.
Russia mounted an intense and sustained barrage of Kyiv overnight, with missiles and drones targeting the Ukrainian capital where there was a succession of large explosions.
By daybreak today, authorities in Kyiv reported that one person was killed and 20 people had been wounded, of whom 16 had been hospitalised.
Operation of the city's metro transport system was disrupted because a Russian strike had hit and damaged a train between stations, the city's military administration said.
The air attack also triggered fires in residential buildings in different parts of the city, authorities said.
Trump secretly admired 'badass' Ukrainian drone attack - reports
04:41
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump was reportedly left marveling at the ingenuity of Kyiv’s Operation Spider Web, which damaged more than Russian 40 war planes.
According to Axios, Mr Trump has privately described it as “strong” and “badass.”
One of the US president’s advisers likened the audacious move to “a chihuahua inflicting some real damage on a much bigger dog."
Andrew Feinberg has a full-write up of that story below.
Kyiv under major drone attack after Putin threatened response to Ukrainian strikes in Russia
04:30
,
Arpan Rai
Kyiv has been bombarded with drones shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to respond to a massive Ukrainian attack in Russia.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported on Telegram that Russia had launched ballistic missiles and drones into the war-torn country early on Friday, per CNN.
A Telegram post from the air force warned, “Several Tu-95MS strategic bombers are in the air. They allegedly launched cruise missiles!”
CNN reported that Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv City Military Administration, said that there were reports of fires in buildings across Kyiv, and that a high-rise in the Solomyansky district was damaged.
Rachel Dobkin reports from New York:
Kremlin vows to retaliate for attacks on planes and bridges
04:26
,
Arpan Rai
Russia will respond to Ukraine's latest attacks as and when its military sees fit, the Kremlin said yesterday, accusing Kyiv of state terrorism.
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