… and on that note, it’s a wrap from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
Responding to overnight attacks by Russia, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “Russia must be held accountable for this,” as he urged the US and Europe to put more pressure on Moscow. (10:01)
Three people were killed and 49 people were wounded, he said, but that number may still go up as “people are reaching out for help”. Earlier today, Kyiv authorities reported four dead (10:01), indicating a level of confusion about the death toll.
The Kremlin has just said the overnight attacks on Ukraine, as “all military actions,” were conducted “in response to actions of terrorist regime in Kyiv,” Reuters reported (12:04).
Meanwhile, back in Germany from his visit to Washington DC, German chancellor Friedrich Merz said that “in Washington there seems to not be a clear understanding of the extent of Russian armament” (11:06).
Separately, the Dutch government has confirmed plans for a snap parliamentary election on 27 October after the collapse of the ruling coalition (12:38).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Europe can sustain Ukraine's fight with Russia even without US, German general says
Europe is capable of sustaining Ukraine’s resistance against Russia, even if the United States were to decide to completely halt its military support to Kyiv, the senior military official in charge of coordinating Germany’s arms supplies told Reuters.
Major General Christian Freuding said Nato’s European members plus Canada had already exceeded the estimated $20 billion worth of US military aid provided last year to Kyiv.
They accounted for around 60% of the total costs borne by the Western allies, he said.
“The war against Ukraine is raging on our continent, it is also being waged against the European security order. If the political will is there, then the means will also be there to largely compensate for the American support,” Freuding said in an interview.
‘He’s a bulldog’: the man behind the success of Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb
And if you want to read the story behind Ukraine’s attack on Sunday and the profile of the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasyl Malyuk who was the man behind the success of this operation, Guardian’s Daniel Boffey has this long read for you.
Here is a taster:
“I am confident that the SBU operations led by Vasyl Malyuk will be the subject of books and films,” said one SBU officer on condition of anonymity.
“Because compared to what the security service is doing now, Hollywood is nervously smoking on the sidelines.”
Russian attack on Ukraine overnight - what we know so far
Russia launched an intense missile and drone barrage at Kyiv overnight, killing four people, after Vladimir Putin had vowed to respond to Operation Spiderweb.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Friday that Russia had launched more than 400 drones and more than 40 missiles at the country, as he urged allies to build pressure on the Kremlin to end its war.
“If someone does not put pressure and gives the war more time to take lives, they are complicit and responsible. We need to act decisively,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on social media.
Missiles and drones hammered the Ukrainian capital leading fires to rage through residential buildings and forcing the local metro system to close after a train was hit.
It was part of a nationwide assault during which a mix of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, Kalibr missiles and dozens of drones were launched.
Despite the efforts of Ukraine’s air defences, the authorities in Kyiv reported that three emergency workers had been killed and 20 people wounded, of whom 16 had been hospitalised. “Search and rescue operations are ongoing at several locations,” Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said on Telegram.
Russia’s defence ministry said that its forces had carried out the overnight attacks in response to what it called Ukrainian “terrorist acts” against Russia.
Russia had previously vowed to take revenge on Ukraine after Monday’s audacious drone attack, known as Operation Spiderweb, on its bomber fleet.
And here is the official confirmation from the Dutch interior minister Judith Uitermark.
We have officially set the election date: the Second Chamber elections will take place on Wednesday 29 October 2025.
In the coming period, I will work with the municipalities and other stakeholders to prepare so that this important day in our democracy goes smoothly!
Netherlands to hold snap election in October
Meanwhile, we are getting an important update from the Netherlands after the recent collapse of the government there.
The country will hold a snap general election on 29 October, Dutch news agency ANP reported, citing the country’s caretaker government.
Updated
US magazine The Atlantic reported that US president Donald Trump privately expressed his frustration with Ukraine over its major attack on Russian targets over the weekend.
The magazine said Trump worried it “could escalate the conflict, according to three administration officials and an outside adviser to the White House.”
It said:
“Trump privately echoed a right-wing talking point this week by criticizing Zelensky for supposedly showboating after the drone attacks; according to the adviser, Trump was impressed with the audacity of the strikes but believes that Zelensky’s focus should have been on Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Istanbul.”
Updated
All military actions are in response to Kyiv's actions, Russia says
The Kremlin has just said the overnight attacks on Ukraine, as “all military actions,” were conducted “in response to actions of terrorist regime in Kyiv,” Reuters reported.
Picking up on Trump’s comments comparing the war between Russia and Ukraine to “two young children fighting like crazy in a park”, Kremlin spokepserosn Dmitry Petrov added that for Russia “this is existential.”
“For us it is an existential issue, an issue on our national interest, safety, on our future and the future of our children, of our country,” he said, as reported by AFP.
Updated
EU negotiating new agri deal with Ukraine after wartime tariffs suspensions expired
Separately, in Brussels, the EU’s agriculture commissioner offered some commentary on the bloc’s trading arrangements with Ukraine after the previous tariff suspensions expired on Thursday.
The EU and Ukraine reverted to the prewar regime of trade quotas on Friday, while the two sides negotiate a new longer-term deal.
Christophe Hansen told Reuters that a new deal will set import quotas on agricultural goods from Ukraine somewhere “in between” current levels and the temporary exemptions granted after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The EU temporarily waived duties and quotas on agricultural products in June 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion to help Ukraine compensate for the higher costs of its exports, after Russia threatened its traditional Black Sea shipping lanes.
But the move sparked some controversy in some EU countries, including Poland.
Ukraine’s farm minister Vitaliy Koval told Reuters this week that Kyiv was pushing for an agreement on higher quotas than it had before the war, Reuters reported.
Merz reveals more on his Trump talks, warns of 'no clear understanding' of Russian armament
Meanwhile, German chancellor Friedrich Merz revealed more details about his meeting with US president Donald Trump yesterday.
Setting the scene in a speech during a family entrepreneurs’ events, he said that “whether we like it or not, we will remain dependent on the United States, on America, for a long time to come.”
He separately said that the Trump administration was “open for discussions” and "to hear other opinions,” Reuters reported, as he insisted: “you must speak with Trump, not about him.”
On Ukraine, he said that “in Washington there seems to not be a clear understanding of the extent of Russian armament.”
But more broadly on Nato, he felt assured that “Trump was clear about not taking the US out of Nato.”
Ukraine claims two successful night-time strikes on Russian airfields
Back to Ukraine, the country’s army claimed “successful” night-time strikes on two Russian airfields – one in the south of the country and the other in a region near Moscow – that it said were used by Russian bomber planes to attack Ukraine, AFP reported.
“On the night of 6 June, a successful strike was launched at Engels airfield in Saratov region, a place of concentration of enemy aircraft,” Ukraine’s army said, adding: “The airfield of Dyagilevo in the Ryazan region, where aerial refuelling and escort fighters are based and used to support missile strikes on Ukrainian territory, was also hit.”
Europe watches Trump-Musk fallout with amusement
Elsewhere, European leaders reacted with amusement as a very public spat unfolded overnight between Donald Trump, the world’s most powerful man, and Elon Musk, the richest, turning a clash of egos into global political theater.
Former EU commissioner, Thierry Breton, who publicly clashed with Musk during his time in the office, particularly enjoyed the night as he published the eyes emoji and an icon showing a popcorn box.
Others used the moment to get one back at Musk. Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski publicly sparred with the billionaire a few months back over Starlinks for Ukraine, with Musk telling him to “be quiet, small man.”
Last night, Sikorski dug out his post and reposted with a brief comment:
See, big man, politics is harder than you thought.
But for all the jokes and fun, the White House fallout will inevitably raise some eyebrows across Europe as it shows yet another uncertainty that European leaders will have to plan for when dealing with the already unpredictable Trump administration.
Germany’s Friedrich Merz will be delighted that he emerged unscatched from his meeting in the Oval Office last night, effectively adopting a simple yet effective strategy: only speak when asked.
'Russia must be held accountable,' Ukraine's Zelenskyy says
Responding to overnight attacks, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “Russia must be held accountable for this,” as he urged the US and Europe to put more pressure on Moscow.
“We must act decisively,” he said.
Zelenskyy revealed that Russia used over 400 drones and 40 missiles, including ballistic missiles, in the overnight attack which “targeted almost all of Ukraine.”
Three people were killed and 49 people were wounded, he said, but that number may still go up as “people are reaching out for help”. Earlier today, Kyiv authorities reported four dead, indicating a level of confusion about the death toll.
Since the first minute of this war, they have been striking cities and villages to destroy life.
We’ve done a lot together with the world to enable Ukraine to defend itself.
But now is exactly the moment when America, Europe, and everyone around the world can stop this war together by pressuring Russia.
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.
Updated
Morning opening: Deadly attacks on Ukraine
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, Reuters reporters in the city said.
By daybreak on Friday, authorities in Kyiv reported that four people were killed and 20 people had been wounded, of whom 16 had been hospitalised.
“Four people have been confirmed dead in the capital. Search and rescue operations are ongoing at several locations,” mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.
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.
The attack came after Russia vowed to take revenge on Ukraine after a drone attack on the country’s bomber fleet.
Let’s see what else the day brings us. I will bring you all the key updates from across Europe and from Ukraine.
It’s Friday, 6 June 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
