Ukraine War News Today - Top Stories and Breaking Updates from Kyiv Post

Germany’s Chancellor Merz does not allow Trump to bully him in White House meeting.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz came through his Oval Office encounter with Donald Trump relatively unscathed Thursday – despite differences over Ukraine as the US president said it might be better to let Moscow and Kyiv fight it out like children.

A month into his job, Merz unleashed a charm offensive on the 78-year-old Trump, presenting him with a framed copy of the birth certificate of his grandfather Frederick, who was born in Germany in 1869.

Trump’s public fight with disgruntled Musk overshadows his meeting with the new German chancellor.

Tensions between Donald Trump and Elon Musk exploded into public view Thursday, as the US president said he was “very disappointed” by his billionaire former aide’s criticisms and Musk hit back in real time on social media.

“Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office after Musk slammed his tax and spending mega-bill as an “abomination”.

President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the EU is working on its 18th package of sanctions against Russia and will work with the US to target sources of Russian financing.

European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said that the European Union is prepared to coordinate its next round of sanctions on Russia with proposed American Congressional efforts to sanction Moscow.

The comments come from the EU’s policy Chief after a meeting on Monday with US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Monday. Senator Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D – D-Conn.) were in Kyiv last week to meet with Zelensky and announce ongoing support for Ukraine and an effort in the US Congress to push through new sanctions on Russia.

The US President suggests that he tried to push back when Russian leader Vladimir Putin told him ‘we have no choice but to attack’ in response to the latest Ukrainian operation deep inside Russia.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he is “with Ukraine,” when asked about US support to the war-torn country.

“Yeah, I’m with Ukraine. We just signed a big deal on rare earth with Ukraine... You know what I’m for, stopping killing, really, that’s what I’m for again, a war that would have never started, should have never started,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he welcomed Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich was named NATO’s top Europe commander, easing fears the US might abandon the role amid shifting focus to China.

US Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich was appointed today by US President Donald Trump to serve as the NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe (SACEUR). Lt. Gen. Grynkewich will now face Senate confirmation hearings.

All 32 NATO allies have agreed to his appointment, and he will simultaneously serve as the Commander of the US European Command (EUCOM).

The United States treats the war in Ukraine as a problem to be managed. But Putin is the problem. For America’s own security, it needs to consider Kyiv a partner to be empowered.

In my previous April 2024 article, “US Blind Spot in the Drone War,” I warned that the United States was underestimating the scale and urgency of drone warfare. Operation Spiderweb has only reinforced that warning, and the consequences of inaction are growing.

Ukraine has just executed one of the most significant military operations of the 21st century and most people barely noticed.

WSJ says by redirecting key anti-drone technology to US forces, the Trump administration has signaled further reductions in US support for Ukraine – a move that has angered Congress.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration has decided to redirect proximity fuses for the 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets promised to Ukraine as part of the Biden administration’s $3.85 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

Although those funds have been expended, the equipment they purchased, which include those fuses, will continue to be delivered until the end of 2026.

The Black Sea Security Forum 2025 in Odesa brought together an unprecedented number of parliamentarians, experts, ambassadors, and top officials from dozens of countries – Kyiv Post was there.

The Black Sea Security Forum 2025 in Odesa brought together lawmakers, arms inspectors, humanitarian leaders, investors, ambassadors, and top officials from dozens of countries.

The gathering happened despite ongoing Russian attacks on the city. Unable to reach Odesa  –  Ukraine’s main port on the Black Sea  –  the Kremlin has resorted to brutal drone and ballistic missile strikes targeting civilians.

Both Washington and Kyiv are working to ensure that the mineral deal is made operational by the end of 2025, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko says.

Ukraine and the US want to make the minerals fund that will govern the April 30 deal operational by the end of the year and conduct its first meeting in July, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, told Reuters in Washington on Wednesday.

Svyrydenko and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met in the US capital to discuss the next steps for implementing the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, set up after the signing of the minerals deal. 

What this year’s Black Sea Security Forum was all about – its chairman tells Kyiv Post.

The possible shift comes as foreign carriers face repeated flight restrictions in Moscow’s airspace because of ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks.

At least two foreign airlines are in talks to move some flights from Moscow airports to Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, airline industry sources say. One of the airlines is likely Turkish Airlines, and the other could be Emirates.

The possible shift comes amid frequent flight restrictions in Moscow’s airspace caused by ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks. These security concerns have led to the cancellation or delay of hundreds of flights across Russia, with major shutdowns at several airports.

A month into his job, Merz is at pains to maintain good ties with what he considers post-war Germany’s “indispensable” ally, despite Trump’s unyielding “America First” stance.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to meet with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, hoping to build a personal relationship despite discord over Ukraine and the threat of a trade war.

A month into his job, the conservative Merz, 69, is a staunch transatlanticist at pains to maintain good ties with what he considers post-war Germany’s “indispensable” ally, despite Trump’s unyielding “America First” stance.

Russian spies pretend to be SBU officers, send fake summonses, and trick even elderly Ukrainians into carrying out sabotage disguised as “activities of the state.”

Russian intelligence services have adopted a new scheme to recruit Ukrainian citizens. Moscow’s operatives now pose as representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

The Russians attempt to pass themselves off as Ukrainian counterintelligence officers and, under this cover, assign tasks to individuals, often of a criminal nature, claiming they are “in the interests of the Ukrainian State.”

A Russian strike on Pryluky killed a firefighter’s wife, police officer daughter, and a baby grandson. Zelensky condemned the attack, saying this marks the 632nd child killed in the full-scale war.

A Russian drone strike killed the family of a local fire chief in Pryluky, Chernihiv region, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported.

According to Klymenko, the drone hit the fire chief’s home during the overnight attack.

Kyiv’s weekend strikes on Russian airfields deep inside Russia destroyed nuclear-capable aircraft and infuriated Moscow.

The Kremlin said Thursday that Russia will decide “how and when” to respond to recent Ukrainian attacks on its airbases. The statement came after Russian leader Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump during a phone call that Russia would retaliate.

Ukrainian strikes over the weekend hit airbases deep inside Russia, damaging aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons, infuriating Moscow.

This weekend, Poles elected as president nationalist Karol Nawrocki, who throughout his campaign questioned the rights of Ukrainians in Poland.

For several months, Halyna Muliar watched Poland’s presidential campaign from home in Poznan, worried as candidates swerved further to the right and increasingly aimed nationalist slogans at Poland’s 1.5 million Ukrainians -- war refugees and economic migrants.

The 58-year-old arrived in Poland weeks before Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and recalled, with emotion, the huge solidarity from Poles when an evacuation train from her hometown of Mykolaiv arrived with her daughter and other refugees.

Odesa is a symbol of Ukraine’s importance and resilience. Hundreds of figures gathered there last weekend at the Black Sea Security Forum a mere 100 km from the front line — here are some takeaways

Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance is not in a hurry to borrow more funds. Bond Market Insight for June 4.

The MoF offered both military and regular bonds, seemingly not in a hurry to borrow more funds. Therefore, the MoF did not offer reserve bonds.

The MoF offered the usual 15 and 20-month bills yesterday, replacing a three-year note with a new issue due at the end of November 2028.

The military impact of Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb was obvious, but the aftershocks are now being felt by Russian business as its authorities react to “truck-phobia.”

In a belated knee-jerk reaction to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) truck-borne kamikaze drone swarm attacks on Russia’s strategic air bases, Moscow’s security forces have initiated a nation-wide mass inspection of cargo trucks, resulting in frequent kilometer-long tailbacks.

According to a report in The Moscow Times (MT) on Thursday, this has seen the setting up of semi-permanent checkpoints supplemented by mobile spot checks throughout the country. While the main emphasis seems to be focused on trucks with Chelyabinsk license plates – from where the vehicles used to transport Sunday’s attack drones originated – no vehicles are immune.

Russia launched a wave of drone and missile attacks across Ukrainian cities overnight, killing civilians – including a one-year-old baby – and wounding dozens, including four children.

Russian forces launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on multiple Ukrainian cities in the early hours of June 5, killing at least six people, including a one-year-old child, and injuring dozens more.

According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (DSNS), Kharkiv came under a combined strike of kamikaze drones and missiles, resulting in 17 injuries, including four children.

The Soviet-era air superiority fighter has been modified by Ukrainian engineers to allow it to employ Western precision weapons against Russian ground and air targets.

A Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet successfully destroyed a Russian surface-to-air missile (SAM) system using a US-made AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile), in what is claimed to be the first confirmed strike of the kind.

The hit was reported on June 2 by Army Recognition, which released video footage taken by a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone.

In its episode of Eastern Express on June 4, 2025, TVP World focused on Russia finally admitting to kidnapping and deporting Ukrainian children.

With thousands of children forcibly moved to Russia, Belarus or the occupied Ukrainian territories, Kyiv has long treated securing their return as a top priority. Could Moscow’s admission push the authorities towards achieving that goal? To discuss this issue, TVP World invited Kyiv Post’s Chief Editor Bohdan Nahaylo.

A high-level Ukrainian delegation warned US officials that Russian forces are preparing major advances into next year, including an attempt to cut off Black Sea access.

WASHINGTON DC – A senior Ukrainian delegation on Wednesday wrapped up a high-stakes trip to the US that was originally aimed at convincing President Donald Trump and his administration to not be deceived by what they describe as “Russian obfuscation.”

The top Ukrainian officials spent two days in Washington trying to explain to Americans that despite recent Istanbul meetings, the Kremlin was not bracing for peace – not at least in the short term.

North Korea has become one of Moscow’s main allies during its Ukraine offensive, sending thousands of troops to help the Kremlin oust Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk border region.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to “unconditionally support” Russia in its war in Ukraine and said he expected Moscow to emerge victorious, Pyongyang’s state media reported Thursday.

North Korea has become one of Moscow’s main allies during its more than three-year Ukraine offensive, sending thousands of troops and container-loads of weapons to help the Kremlin oust Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk border region.

Daily updates from the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) regarding frontline developments and casualty figures amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As of June 5, Russia has lost 992,750 troops after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 – including 930 troops over the past day, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

The figures are approximate estimations and include all troops who are put out of action for some time due to deaths or injuries. 

Defense analysts say the new bombs have a 95-kilometer range that pose a greater threat to civilians – but are still vulnerable to Ukrainian electronic warfare measures.

Russia has been working on a new generation of guided glide bombs known as UMPK-PD (“extended range”) since at least 2023 – but the first image of the system being used only surfaced in March this year.

According to Ukrainian military issues outlet Defense Express, Russian Su-34 bombers have now begun to actively use these modified bombs, equipped with extended-range kits that allow strikes at ranges of up to 95 kilometers (60 miles) – significantly farther than the 60–80 kilometers (37.5-50 miles) range of previous UMPK versions.

The EU’s Interests in the Black Sea Region – Kamiński, Duflot, Mihkelson, Coseru, Klympush-Tsinstadze.

Moldova’s PM has warned Russia is pushing to install a friendly government in Chișinău to allow a major troop buildup in Transnistria, threatening Ukraine and nearby NATO-member Romania.

Russia is seeking to deploy up to 10,000 troops in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria and is doing all it can to install a pro-Kremlin government in Chișinău to make it possible, Prime Minister Dorin Recean has said.

Speaking to the Financial Times (FT), Recean said Moscow is actively interfering in Moldova’s upcoming parliamentary elections, set for September, as part of a broader strategy to expand its military presence on Ukraine’s southwestern flank.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• The Kremlin is fixating on recent train derailments in Russia in order to further long-standing Kremlin narratives claiming that Ukraine is an illegitimate negotiating partner that is uninterested in peace, likely to distract the broader information space from recent Kremlin officials’ statements about Russia’s own disinterest in a negotiated settlement.
• Putin also used his June 4 phone call with Trump to further falsely portray Ukraine as an illegitimate negotiating partner that is uninterested in peace.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to express Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate with Russia to establish a just and lasting peace.
• Ukrainian and Western officials and open-source analysts continue to clarify the battlefield damage resulting from Ukraine’s “Operation Spider’s Web” long-range drone strike series against Russian air bases on June 1.
• Ukrainian special services reportedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to direct drones during Operation Spider’s Web.
• Ukraine’s Western allies continue to provide military aid to Ukraine.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk. Russian forces recently advanced in Sumy Oblast and near Toretsk.

The last such warning from the Embassy came on May 9, citing the risk of a large-scale air attack “over the next several days.” Two weeks later, Russia launched its most vicious civilian strike ever.

The US Embassy in Ukraine issued a warning on Wednesday about the growing risk of large-scale Russian attacks.

The embassy’s statement on its website came shortly after US President Donald Trump and Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin shared a phone call in which the Russian dictator said he would have to respond.

The afternoon phone call was the first between the US-born pope and Putin since Leo became head of the world’s Catholics last month.

Vladimir Putin discussed the war in Ukraine with Pope Leo in a telephone call on Wednesday, with the Kremlin claiming the Russian autocrat wanted peace through diplomacy.

Putin however also claimed “the regime in Kyiv is betting on an escalation of the conflict and carrying out of acts of sabotage against civil infrastructure on Russian territory,” it said in a statement.