Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin’s forces of “pure terrorism” after Russia launched two rounds of devastating attacks on Kharkiv’s civilians on Saturday.
An initial series of overnight missile and drone strikes – described by Kharkiv’s mayor Ihor Terekhov as the “most powerful attack” of the war so far – killed at least three people and injured 21 others, with a six-week-old baby and a 14-year-old girl among the wounded.
Ukraine’s second city was again struck later on Saturday afternoon with guided aerial bombs.
Warning that at least one person had been killed and more than 40 wounded in the second attack, Mr Zelensky said: “This is another savage killing. Aerial bombs were dropped on civilians in the city – there is even a children’s railway nearby.
“This makes no military sense. This is pure terrorism This cannot be turned a blind eye to. And this is not some kind of game. Every day, we lose our people only because Russia feels it can act with impunity. Russia must be firmly forced into peace.”
The strikes on Kharkiv came amid Russia’s second-largest overnight missile and drone attack of the war so far, which targeted nearly 20 locations across Ukraine and involved 452 projectiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
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Key Points
- Zelensky condemns ‘savage’ Russian strikes on Kharkiv
- Areas hit by Russia’s second-largest overnight missile and drone strikes
- Kremlin bristles at Trump suggesting Ukraine and Russia are ‘fighting kids’
- Russia ‘already at war with UK and we can no longer rely on Trump’
- Kyiv officials accuse Russia of ‘dirty games’ over prisoner of war claims
Zelensky condemns 'savage' Russian strikes on Kharkiv
18:59
,
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned “savage” Russian strikes on Kharkiv which have left at least four people dead and dozens of people wounded in Ukraine’s second city over the past 24 hours.
Referring to the second batch of strikes on Saturday afternoon, which followed overnight strikes that killed three people, the Ukrainian president said: “As of now, over 40 people have been reported injured and one person killed in Kharkiv due to a Russian aerial bomb strike.
“This is another savage killing. Aerial bombs were dropped on civilians in the city – there is even a children’s railway nearby. This makes no military sense. This is pure terrorism. And this has been going on for more than three years of the full-scale war.
“This cannot be ignored. This cannot be turned a blind eye to. And this is not some kind of game. Every day, we lose our people only because Russia feels it can act with impunity. Russia must be firmly forced into peace.”
ICYMI: Trump suggests it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia ‘fight for a while’
18:26
,
Andy Gregory
Here are the comments from Donald Trump that have sparked anger in Moscow, as the US president likened the war to “two young children like crazy, they hate each other, they’re fighting in a park”, adding: “Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while”.
At least one person killed and 18 injured in fresh strikes on Kharkiv
17:39
,
Andy Gregory
One person has been killed and 18 people injured in a guided bomb strike on Kharkiv, the city’s mayor has said.
In an attack which comes just hours after three were killed and 21 wounded in an overnight assault on the city, mayor Igor Terekhov said fresh Russian strikes had caused more casualties on Saturday afternoon.
The latest assault brings the total number of people killed in the city to four, with at least 39 others wounded.
Ukraine turns tactics of hybrid warfare back on Putin, reports Sam Kiley
16:57
,
Rebecca Thomas, Sam Kiley
The “meat grinder” assaults by Russian infantry have almost stopped, reports The Independent’s Sam Kiley.
In a report from the world affairs editor, Ukrainian officers have told The Independent that Russian artillery bombardments have fallen away as drones have easily tracked and destroyed the big guns of the traditional battlefield.
And Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, in which Kyiv claimed to have destroyed or damaged a third of Russia’s strategic bombers along with some spy planes in a staggering long-range, long-term operation that hit Russian airfields 5,000km apart, has greatly boosted morale.
Along with ongoing long-range assaults with drones on Moscow’s airports, its energy infrastructure, and commanders themselves, Ukraine has turned the tactics of hybrid warfare developed by Russia back on Putin.
Kharkiv residents describe the ceilings falling off in fiery blaze
16:36
,
Rebecca Thomas
Residents of the homes damaged by Russia’s strikes in Kharvkiv describe their buildings going up in flames.
Alina Belous said that she had tried to extinguish flames with buckets of water to rescue a young girl trapped inside a burning building who had called out for help, AP news reports.
“We were trying to put it out ourselves with our buckets, together with our neighbours. Then the rescuers arrived and started helping us put out the fire, but there was smok,e and they worried that we couldn’t stay there. When the ceiling started falling off, they took us out,” she said.
Local resident Vadym Ihnachenko said that he thought at first that it was a neighboring building going up in flames.
“But when we saw sparks coming from the top, we realized it was our building.”
Ukraine-Russia war latest: What you need to know
16:08
,
Rebecca Thomas
Here’s what you need to know following the latest outbreak of attacks in the Russia/Ukraine war.
- On Friday, Russia struck six Ukrainian territories, killing at least six people and wounding about 80. Among the dead were three emergency responders in Kyiv, one person in Lutsk and two people in Chernihiv.
- On Saturday a large Russian drone-and-missile attack targeted Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least three people and wounded 21 others, local officials said.
- Ukraine has offered an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a meeting between its Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to break the deadlock. But the Kremlin has effectively rejected a truce and hasn’t budged from its demands.
- President Trump also said that it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia “fight for a while”
- Meanwhile, later on Saturday, Russia and Ukraine each accused the other of endangering plans to swap 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action, agreed upon during direct talks in Istanbul on Monday that otherwise made no progress towards ending the war.
Reports by Associated Press
Ukrainian officials accuse Russia of 'playing dirty games' over prisoner of war claims
15:36
,
Rebecca Thomas
Ukrainian officials said on Saturday, urging Moscow to stop "playing dirty games" and return to constructive work, according to reports from Reuters.
Vladimir Medinsky, Kremlin aide, claimed on Saturday that Ukraine had unexpectedly postponed exchanging prisoners of war and accepting the bodies of killed soldiers for an indefinite period.
Ukraine has now denied this. Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said that there was no fixed date for the return of bodies and that Russia was not sticking to the agreed parameters of the PoW swap, accusing Moscow of “dirty games” and “manipulations.”
Recap: What was agreed at Monday's talks in Istanbul?
14:58
,
Rebecca Whittaker
The second round of peace talks in Istanbul ended with an agreement to swap more prisoners of war.
The two sides committed to returning the bodies of 12,000 soldiers and to swap all sick and heavily wounded prisoners of war. They also agreed to swap those who are aged under 25.
Ukrainian negotiators said Russia had again rejected an "unconditional ceasefire".
However, the Russian team proposed a two or three-day truce "in certain areas" of the vast front line.
Russia 'resorted to unilateral actions', Ukraine claims
14:34
,
Rebecca Whittaker
There are several conflicting accounts of the delayed prisoner exchange
Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has refuted Russian claims that Ukraine postponed a planned weekend prisoner exchange.
It said submitted lists to Russia for prisoners to exchange "in accordance with clearly defined categories agreed" in Istanbul last week.
But it claimed Russia submitted lists that did not comply with these agreements, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
The Coordination Headquarters stated: "Regarding the repatriation of bodies – an agreement was indeed reached. However, no date was agreed. Instead of following the agreed process, the Russian side resorted to unilateral actions that were not coordinated within the joint framework."
It adds that Ukraine is ready to work for an exchange of prisoners and bodies, and calls on Russia to work constructively with them.
Russia claims Ukraine didn't show at exchange point for prisoner swap
14:14
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky accused Ukraine of postponing the prisoner swap, which Ukraine denies.
Medinsky said Russia had already started an exchange of bodies and prisoners of war which he says both sides had agreed to, the BBC reported.
More than 1,000 prisoners from each side are set to be released.
But Medinsky claims Ukrainian negotiators did not arrive at the agreed upon location.
He said the Russian team "are there" and ready "to work".
Ukrainian attack damaged 10 per cent of Russia's strategic bombers, Germany says
13:40
,
Rebecca Thomas
A Ukrainian drone attack last weekend likely damaged around 10 per cent of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet, a senior German military official said.
Reuters reports German Major General Christian Freuding said: “According to our assessment, more than a dozen aircraft were damaged, TU-95 and TU-22 strategic bombers as well as A-50 surveillance planes,"
The affected A-50s planes were likely non-operational when they hit, the general said.
"We believe that they can no longer be used for spare parts. This is a loss, as only a handful of these aircraft exist," he said.
"As for the long-range bomber fleet, 10% of it has been damaged in the attack, according to our assessment."
Russia accuses Ukraine of delaying prisoner of war swap
12:44
,
Rebecca Thomas
Russia has accused Ukraine of postponing a large-scale prisoner of war swap.
Following peace talks in Istanbul officials had also agreed on the repatriation of the bodies of dead soldiers, according to reports by Agence France Presse.
Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv agreed on Monday to swap all wounded soldiers and those under the age of 25 who were still held as prisoners of war.
Russia's top negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on social media said: "The Ukrainian side has unexpectedly postponed for an indefinite period, both the acceptance of the bodies and the exchange of prisoners of war."
Moscow has lost nearly million soldiers in Ukraine, Kyiv claims
12:30
,
Vishwam Sankaran
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces claims that Russia has lost 995,030 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion on 24 February 2022.
Russia has also lost 10,904 tanks, 22,737 armoured fighting vehicles, 51,079 vehicles and fuel tanks, 28,850 artillery systems, 1,410 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,181 air defence systems, 413 airplanes, 337 helicopters, 39,493 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine, according to Ukraine.
Trump tells Putin: ‘It might be better to let Russia and Ukraine fight for a while’
12:23
,
Rebecca Thomas
US president Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine should be left to “fight for a while,” with other nations leaving them to it.
On Thursday, Mr Trump compared the war to an ice hockey brawl whilst speaking in the Oval Office with his German counterpart Friedrich Merz.
“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).
Russia is already at war with Britain and we can no longer rely on Trump, defence adviser warns
11:45
,
Rebecca Thomas, Millie Cooke
Britain is at war with Russia already, one of the authors of the government’s strategic defence review has warned, while arguing that we can no longer depend on the US as a reliable ally.
Dr Fiona Hill, who served as the White House’s chief Russia adviser during Donald Trump’s first term in office, said the UK is in “pretty big trouble”, warning that the country is stuck between “the rock” of Russia and the “hard place” of an increasingly unreliable US under Mr Trump.
“Russia has hardened as an adversary in ways that we probably hadn’t fully anticipated,” Dr Hill told the Guardian, concluding that “Russia is at war with us”.
Dr Hill, who was highly critical of the Trump administration, said Britain could no longer rely on the US’s military umbrella as it did during the cold war, at least “not in the way that we did before”.
Baltic states back Ukraine's Nato membership
11:30
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have signed a joint statement supporting Ukraine's pursuit of EU and Nato memberships.
The parliamentary foreign affairs committees of the countries expressed their commitment to support Ukraine's EU integration and their goal of welcoming Ukraine as a full EU member by 1 January 2030.
Hungary remains a key obstacle in Ukraine accession, with the country's prime minister Viktor Orban stating in March that his government would conduct an opinion survey on Ukraine's potential EU membership.
A baby boy and 14 year old girl among those injured, officials claim
11:25
,
Rebecca Thomas
A 14-year-old girl and a baby boy were among the two children injured in strikes that damaged 18 apartment buildings, Ukrainian officials have said.
Kharkiv’s mayor Ihor Terekhov said the latest attack from Russia was “the most powerful attack” on the city since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to the Associated Press.
Kharkiv’s regional governor Oleh Syniehubov, according to AP, said two districts in the city were struck with three missiles, five aerial glide bombs and 48 drones.
He said among the injured were two children, a baby boy and a 14-year old girl, he added.
Meanwhile, in Dnipropetrovsk, two women aged 45 and 88 were injured, according to local official Serhii Lysak.
As Putin ramps up his summer offensive in Ukraine, will he succeed?
11:07
,
Rebecca Thomas
The Independent’s world affairs editor, Sam Kiely, analyses Russia’s latest offensive on Ukraine.
He writes, as the summer fighting season gets underway in the fourth year of Putin’s full scale invasion of its neighbour, Russia has clearly shifted its main effort to forever destabilising Ukraine.
Kyiv, meanwhile, has demonstrated that it is no longer on the back foot, and that it is far from defeated. Indeed two years after its failed summer counter offensive, Kyiv is growing in strength and confidence.
According to Kiely, Ukraine doesn’t have the capacity to drive Russia out of its lands this year. But it is hanging on and by next year may find it has the upper hand as European aid begins to come through to replace the military support that the US has withdrawn.
Minister calls for more pressure on Russia after drones kill three
10:56
,
Rebecca Thomas
Russian drones targeted Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv on Saturday, killing at least three and injuring 21.
The latest offensive, including aerial glide bombs that have become part of Russia’s onslaught during the three-year war, reports the Associated Press.
Andrii Sybiha, minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said in a post on social media platform X: “ Kharkiv had a particularly terrible night. 53 drones, four guided aerial bombs, and one missile. At least three people were killed, with 21 injured. There were strikes throughout Ukraine—in the Donetsk, Dnipro, Ternopil, Odesa, and other regions. People were injured and killed, and the energy infrastructure was also damaged.”
The minister added: “To put an end to Russia's killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required.”
Russia continues its terror against civilians. Hundreds of drones and missiles rained down on Ukraine overnight.
— Andrii Sybiha (@andrii_sybiha) June 7, 2025
Kharkiv had a particularly terrible night. 53 drones, four guided aerial bombs, and one missile. At least three people were killed, with 21 injured.
There were… pic.twitter.com/x0VGlpptBz
Kharkiv mayor says city 'facing most powerful attack since start of war'
10:30
,
Vishwam Sankaran
An attack on Kharkiv at night with drones, missiles and guided bombs killed at least three people and injured 22, the city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said on Saturday.
"Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war," he said on Telegram.
The Russian strikes reportedly targeted multi-storey and private residential buildings in the city as well as educational and energy infrastructure facilities.
One of the city's civilian industrial facilities was attacked by 40 drones, one missile and four bombs, Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said, adding that there could be more people trapped under the rubble.
Russia's second-largest overnight strike on Ukraine in pictures
10:00
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Russia's 2026 goals far beyond Moscow's territorial demands
09:30
,
Vishwam Sankaran
A map revealed by a senior Ukrainian official about the Russian military suggests Moscow intends to seize the whole of Ukraine on the east bank of the Dnipro River by the end of next year.
This includes capturing the rest of unoccupied parts of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhia Oblast, all of Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava oblasts as well as half of Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
Moscow's goal would require Russia to advance over 300 km (about 190 miles) from the furthest point of the international border to Kyiv City within the next 18 months, according to the ISW.
Russia will have to seize nine unoccupied oblast capitals, including Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Poltava cities, with a pre-war population of over 5.6 million people.
Russia lowers bank interest rates for first time since 2022
09:00
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Russia's central bank announced that it had lowered its key interest rate from an over two-decade high of 21 per cent to 20 per cent.
This is the first time Moscow has lowered interest rates since September 2022.
The step was likely taken due to increased pressure from Kremlin to project economic stability.
There is already rising tension between Kremlin officials and the Central Bank over Russia's compounding economic constraints.
While the Kremlin claims Russia's inflation rate hovered around nine to 10 percent, the actual figure could be closer to 20 percent as of March 2025, experts said.
The latest move to reduce interest rate further could drive further economic instability and contribute to elevated levels of inflation, they said.
Ukraine testing special 'interceptor drones' to counter Russian offensive
08:30
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Ukraine is reportedly innovating and expanding its air defence by testing new drones that intercept other strike drones.
Ukrainian forces have downed over 160 drones over Kyiv since February 2024 using these interceptor drones, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Russia is attempting to overwhelm Ukraine's air defence to inflict maximum damage and combat Kyiv's drone and counter-drone capabilities.
Areas hit by Russia's second-largest overnight missile and drone strikes
08:00
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Russia launched 452 projectiles yesterday, including 407 drones from Kursk and Oryol cities, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
The strikes hit 19 locations, including civilian and energy infrastructure in Kyiv, Lviv, Ternopil, Chernihiv, and Kremenchuk cities.
In Kyiv, Volyn, Sumy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, and Cherkasy oblasts were hit, according to the air force.
The strikes killed at least three civilians in Kyiv alone, with the overall toll across all Ukrainian cities rising to 7.
This is notably the second-largest overnight strike in Ukraine by Russian forces using drones and missiles since the start of the war.
It comes after Moscow's overnight attack between 31 May and 1 June when it launched 479 total drones and missiles towards Ukraine.
Recap: Everything that happened so far on Friday
07:30
,
Bryony Gooch
- At least four people and over 40 injured in a massive aerial attack from Moscow, which targeted almost all of Ukraine.
- Russia fired over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles in the attack.
- The Kremlin said the strike was in response to Ukrainian “terrorist acts” against Russia.
- Ukraine’s national police has said investigators are documenting “the war crimes of the terrorist state” of Russia after three rescuers died in the attack.
- Kyiv completed its own drown attack on an industrial enterprise in the southern city of Engels, according to a regional governor in Russia, Roman Busargin.
- Busargin said a high-rise apartment block was also hit, but there were no casualties.
- Ukraine also reportedly destroed an Mi-8 military helicopter in a strike on Bryansk airport.
Toll from Russia's overnight attack rises to 3 in Kharkiv
07:00
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Russia's overnight attack on Kharkiv has killed three and injured over a dozen people, the area's mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
Moscow attacked the Ukrainian city on Friday with drones, missiles, and KAB guided bombs, killing at least three people and injuring 17, according to officials.
City's mayor said at least 40 explosions were recorded across the city during the attack by nearly 50 drones, two missiles, and four guided aerial bombs.
Rescue workers are looking for those injured and trapped under rubble.
Zelensky hopes to meet with Trump at G7 in Canada
06:40
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky hopes to meet with his American counterpart Donald Trump at the G7 summit to take place in Alberta, Canada, from 15 to 17 June 15 to 17.
Ukrainian officials recently visited Washington to arrange for the meeting between the two leaders, according to Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office.
The trip followed Zelensky's statement that Ukraine "wants to buy" weapons the US.
"This is what the agreement is about – no gifts," Zelensky said.
Canada is hosting the 2025 #G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta! #FunFact: Canada has hosted the Summit six times to date. The 2025 Leaders’ Summit will mark our seventh time as host!
— Canada (@Canada) June 4, 2025
Want to learn more about the G7? ➡️ @G7Canada#G7Canada #G7Kananaskis2025 #G7Kananaskis pic.twitter.com/QCJ1X73Cqx
Turkey, meanwhile, said it planned to facilitate a meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine.
"I had a conversation with President Erdoğan of Turkey. And indeed, he sent a signal, asking how I would feel about a meeting of four leaders: himself, the President of the United States, Putin, and me," Zelensky said.
Russia planning to seize 'half of Ukraine' by 2026, Ukrainian official says
06:10
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Moscow is planning to seize half of Ukraine by the end of 2026, according to a senior Ukrainian official.
However, it is unlikely to succeed as the flow of Western aid to Ukraine continues, according to Ukrainian Presidential Office deputy head Colonel Pavlo Palisa.
The Ukrainian official said Russia is likely seeking to create a buffer zone along the northern Ukrainian-Russian border by 2025 end.
He added that Russia seems intent on occupying the whole of eastern Ukraine by the end of 2026.
A map presented by the deputy head colonel suggests Russia plans to seize about 222,700 additional square kilometres of Ukrainian territory by the end of 2026.
Moscow can provide Musk political asylum if needed, Russian official says
05:45
,
Vishwam Sankaran
Russia is ready to provide political asylum to Tesla titan Elon Musk if needed amid his ongoing public spat with American president Donald Trump, according to Dmitry Novikov, deputy chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs.
"He [Musk] won't need political asylum, although if he did, Russia could certainly provide it," Novikov told Russia's state-run TASS news agency.
Musk, a key figure in Trump's campaign and early administration, has been feuding openly with Trump over his "Big Beautiful Bill" tax proposal that could expand the US deficit by $600 billion.
The Tesla boss has earned support from Russian officials.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, hinted as a joke that he would broker peace between Musk and Trump in exchange for Starlink shares.
Trump trying to soften Senate's call for Russia sanctions
05:15
,
Vishwam Sankaran
The White House appears to be attempting to persuade Senator Lindsay Graham to soften his bipartisan bill calling for more sanctions against Russia.
The sanctions bill introduced by Mr Graham and Senate Democrat Richard Blumenthal on 1 April called for a 500 per cent tariff rate on all countries still purchasing Russian oil, according to the Wall Street Journal.
White House officials have sought Mr Graham to tone down the regulation, the WSJ added.
New sanctions would be in play only when it became clear that peace talks were not moving forward, the American president said, adding that any such move would apply to both Ukraine and Russia.
"It takes two to tango," Mr Trump said.
Trump reluctant to call out China for Russia support, report says
04:45
,
Vishwam Sankaran
US president Donald Trump is reportedly holding back from confronting China over its support for Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine.
Trump is instead prioritising US-China relationship at the moment, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous officials privy to the matter.
The Trump administration has reportedly lowered the Ukraine-Russia war on its list of foreign policy priorities, focusing instead on resolving bilateral issues with China.
The US president is currently prioritising issues like tariffs, technology restrictions, and rare earths in talks with China, according to Bloomberg.
Trump seems to justify Russia's latest assault on Ukrainian cities
04:15
,
Vishwam Sankaran
US president Donald Trump appeared to justify Russia's attack on Ukrainian cities following Kyiv's Operation Spiderweb drone strikes on Russian territory.
“They gave Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night," Trump told reporters yesterday.
"That's the thing I don't like about it. When I saw it I said 'here we go now it's going to be a strike,' the US president said.
Russia's missile and drone attack on Friday targeted Kyiv and major Ukrainian cities as well as the country's far-west.
As of now, over 80 people are presumed killed by Russia's attack, according to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Watch: Ukraine blows up bridge linking Russia and Crimea
03:00
,
Bryony Gooch
