Latest news from Kyiv and Kyiv region. Events from Ukraine's capital, politics, economy, culture
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has sent official appeals to international human rights organizations following another Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. According to documented data, since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, 742 religious sites in Ukraine have been destroyed or damaged.
After a nighttime strike on the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Svyrydenko climbed onto the scorched roof and announced urgent funding from the reserve fund. But there is a difference of years of restoration work between "allocating funds" and "restoring."
On the night of June 15, a Russian "Shahed" drone set fire to the roof of the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. UNESCO condemned the strike without naming Russia as the perpetrator — and received a sharp response from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
While Kyiv residents argue over inflatable mattresses in the subway, the capital has bomb shelters for only half its population, and 14 out of 46 "official" metro stations are not legally classified as protective structures.
An organization issued a statement about damage to a UNESCO World Heritage site, but avoided naming Russia. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called this a lack of leadership.
# English Translation On the night of June 15, a rocket attack on the Dovzhenko Film Studio burned down Ukraine's oldest costume collection — Cossack costumes, props from "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors," and three million clothing items. What survived World War II did not survive this attack.
On the night of June 15, a kamikaze drone hit the altar section of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The restoration of the iconostasis was only completed last year — now it is under threat due to damage to the upper part of the building.
On the night of June 15, a Russian strike damaged the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra — a UNESCO-protected site and a monument protected under the Second Protocol of the Hague Convention. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is initiating international procedures, demanding specific actions rather than statements.
# Translation During the night of June 15, in one of Russia's largest strikes on Kyiv, the building of the Higher Anti-Corruption Court on Beresteysky Prospect was damaged. Despite broken windows and ongoing repair work, the court announced that all hearings would proceed as scheduled.
On the night of June 15, Russia struck directly at the Stefaniv Chapel of the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Now priority repair work will be financed from the state reserve fund — the same fund that was spent on 87% of its annual limit by the beginning of summer.
# Moscow Claims "Achievement of Objectives" After Missile Strikes Assumption Cathedral — Site Under Enhanced Hague Convention Protection. This Is Not a Rhetorical Error: It's a Documented Pattern. Moscow claimed it had "achieved its objectives" after its missile struck the Assumption Cathedral, a site under enhanced protection under the Hague Convention. This is not merely a rhetorical slip: it represents a documented pattern of conduct.
Russia has struck the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of the oldest shrines in the Orthodox world and a UNESCO-protected site with enhanced protection status. Kyiv is initiating international procedures and expects action, not just words.
A traffic accident involving at least three vehicles on Olena Teliga Street has once again disrupted traffic toward Dovzhenko Street. This is not the first incident on this section — less than a month ago, another accident with casualties occurred here.
# Translation A 42-year-old mortar operator Sergiy Kuznetsov from the 56th Mariupol Brigade died on June 9 at a capital emergency hospital after nearly two months of treatment. Police have opened an investigation under two articles, including intentional homicide.
French entrepreneur Louis Tuten is dismantling a 43-meter attraction that stood on Podil without permits since 2017. The finale is not a dismantling for safety reasons, but a relocation to Lviv region amid threats of international court action.
# Defenders of Bulgakov emerged on social media after dismantling on Andriyivsky Descent. But while the fate of the monument was being decided, there was almost no public opposition.
A collision between two vehicles at an intersection in Kyiv's Pechersk district has claimed the life of a pedestrian who was crossing the street.
A man in a state of intoxication threw a Bichon Frise out of a window in Kyiv's Sviatoshynsky district, then subsequently denied his involvement in the crime. The case has become part of a record wave of proceedings for animal cruelty.
A fire broke out in the basement of the recently restored Bessarabian Market due to burning trash. The incident occurred amid planned restoration of the floor slabs between the basement and the trading hall, which still has not received approval from the Ministry of Culture.
The Kyiv City State Administration identified thousands of locations for charging stations and plans to hand them over to businesses through Prozorro.Sales. The question is whether the auctions will become real competition or merely a formality.
The case of Adnan Kivan's death reveals a scheme: the accused doctor prolongs the proceedings with motions — while the three-year statute of limitations under Article 140 of the Criminal Code expires regardless of what the expert examination establishes.
Lawyer Serhiy Karpenko filed a lawsuit at Shevchenkivsky Court in Kyiv seeking 4.4 billion hryvnias in moral compensation. This is the first civil suit filed by a victim in the case where Kolomoisky has been held in custody for a year.
Grigory-Fyodor Glushych did not live two weeks until vacation. A driver killed him with 39 traffic violations on his record — and a system that allowed this to be ignored.
# Bolt Driver Who Killed Four People in Underground Passage Had 39 Traffic Violations on Record The Bolt driver who drove into an underground passage at Karavayevi Dachas on June 5 and killed four people had 39 documented traffic violations. The platform was unaware of any of them — and is now changing its policies based on passenger complaints rather than relying on state databases.
Ukrposhta is expanding its network of self-service lockers to 600 units after a pilot program at 121 Kyiv branches demonstrated that seven out of ten customers collected parcels without operator assistance. However, the key question remains whether this is sufficient to compete with street-based parcel lockers.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports is considering the construction of an ice rink at the Piddubny College campus using equipment evacuated from Kherson before the occupation. The project has already been developed, and funding is being sought through a charitable platform.
Four suspects have been exposed for organizing a "trap workshop" in the capital: 11 people were held under lock and key, forced to process wood without pay, and beaten if they resisted. The scheme is standard for Ukraine and has long been known to police.
On June 5, a Mercedes crashed into an underground passage on Chokolivskyi Boulevard in Kyiv: two police officers, a 12-year-old boy, and a 47-year-old woman were killed—among them kindergarten worker Iryna Lazaryeva. Driver Pavlo Pleshnivtsev had 39 recorded traffic violations on his record—and continued driving.
Bolt has introduced driver blocking after two complaints of dangerous driving — but admitted it still lacks access to state databases on traffic violations. This means: the platform did not see 39 recorded violations by Pavlo Pleshyvtsev until the moment of the tragedy.
# Unknown Throws Dog From Sixth Floor Window in Kyiv In Kyiv, an unknown person threw a bichon frise dog from a sixth-floor window on Chornobylska Street. Investigators opened a criminal case under Part 3 of Article 299 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — the most severe provision concerning animal cruelty.
Pavel Pleshivtsev, a resident of Kherson region, drove his Mercedes-Benz C300 at high speed through the fence of an underground passage on Vadym Hetman Street, killing two patrol officers, a woman, and a child. The court denied bail: 60 days in custody.
Patrol officers in Kyiv's Darnytskyy district detained a man who fired shots in a residential courtyard. A criminal case has been opened under the article on hooliganism.
Kyiv Becomes Ukraine's Most Expensive Rental Market Again Following Late 2025 Collapse from Shelling and Utilities Crisis. Sumy Region Shows Anomalous 165% Monthly Surge, While Cheapest Housing Found in Frontline Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia.
# Translation A 49-year-old resident of Kherson region, Pavlo Pleshivtsev, drove his Mercedes into an underground pedestrian crossing and killed four people, including two police officers and a 12-year-old boy. He now faces up to 10 years in prison, yet the question remains unanswered: why he still had a driver's license after ten traffic violations.
A 49-year-old Mercedes driver who drove into an underground passage and killed four people in Kyiv had 39 recorded traffic violations on record — 18 of them in 2025 alone. This is not a portrait of an exception, but a demonstration that the system of accumulating fines fails to stop serial violators.
On the evening of June 6, on Red Kalyna Avenue in Kyiv, an Audi driver crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with a truck. Police have not yet determined why the car ended up in the opposite lane.
A 49-year-old Pavlo Pleshyvtsev received 10 administrative penalties for traffic violations six months before the tragedy. This did not stop him from driving a vehicle with 39 recorded violations.
On June 6-7 in Kyiv, several entertainment events will take place simultaneously — from the FANCON pop culture festival at the International Exhibition Center to intimate creative evenings where admission tickets are donations to the armed forces.
# Mercedes Crashes Into Underground Passage, Four Killed On June 5, a Mercedes traveling at high speed veered off the roadway on Chokolivsky Boulevard and crashed into an underground pedestrian passage. Two men, a woman, and a 12-year-old boy were killed at the scene. The driver, a resident of Kherson region with a history of traffic violations, was hospitalized.
On June 5, a Mercedes driver at high speed drove into a pedestrian zone at the intersection of Vadym Hetman and Ushynsky streets, killing four people. The Office of the Prosecutor General has established that this was neither the first accident nor the first violation report.
The government is allocating an additional 2 billion hryvnias to Kyiv for protecting energy infrastructure and heat supply. The funds are going to the city whose resilience plan is the only one among all regions that failed to receive approval from the National Security and Defense Council.
On June 5, a Mercedes-Benz C300 traveling at high speed veered off the road on Chokolivsky Boulevard and crashed into an underground pedestrian crossing. Four people were killed, three others were injured — and the driver has a criminal history known to law enforcement.
While the government is increasing funding for the capital's preparation for the heating season, Kuleba publicly criticized Klitschko's pace and promised to "assess the management capabilities" of city authorities after May 10.
# On June 5, a Mercedes driver at high speed drove into a pedestrian zone and crashed into an underground passage — four people were killed on the spot, the driver was hospitalized. A week earlier, Kharkiv's deputy mayor hit a motorcyclist fatally and resigned from his position.
A 56-year-old Kyiv resident illegally kept a wild wolf, a fox, and dogs in her city apartment for years without proper conditions or permits. The situation ended with a predator attack on the woman herself and the death of the fox. The case is now before the court.
On May 21 in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi District, two members of a military recruitment center notification group stopped the car of veteran Artem Moroz — a person with amputations and Group I disability — and beat him. The charge is "minor bodily harm," with a maximum penalty of a fine or restriction of liberty for up to two years.
On the morning of June 5, a parcel exploded at a Novaya Pochta sorting terminal in the Obolonsky district of Kyiv, killing employee Ivan Zhariy. The SBU opened a case under the article on terrorism resulting in loss of life.
On the morning of June 5, a package exploded at a postal operator's sorting center in Kyiv's Obolonsky district, killing one employee and injuring two others. Kyiv's city prosecutor's office has classified the incident as a terrorist act, with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducting the investigation.
A 59-year-old man was killed and two others were injured during a parcel inspection at a sorting center. SBU investigators have already opened a criminal investigation — this is the second similar explosion at a Kyiv post office in less than a year.
A 59-year-old man was killed and another person was injured after an explosion occurred at a postal terminal in the capital during a package inspection.
Kyiv detention facility has no protective structures for 3,000 people. While the state acknowledges the problem and cites lack of space, the strike on the Zaporizhzhia prison shows what such inaction leads to.
A property complex in the center of the capital will go to auction after a court rejected the latest attempt to block debt collection from bankrupt "Finansy ta Kredyt."
# Translation A decision that Kyiv City Council had been postponing since April 2022 was finally carried out: the sculpture was taken away by the author's daughter, as the property manager was never found. The museum at Andriyivsky, 13 remains open to this day.
After two patrol officers abandoned civilians during a terrorist attack in Kyiv's Holosiivskyi district, the Interior Ministry launched mandatory tactical training sessions at training grounds. Instructors are combat veterans, the duration is one year, and the question remains whether this will be sufficient.
A Mercedes driver stole an unlocked Tesla at a gas station following a quarrel with the owner — and then returned without the car demanding money. He faces up to eight years imprisonment.
Over several years, an official approved the issuance of local loan bonds despite the capital's budget revenues exceeding expenditures. The city paid over 581 million hryvnias in interest — and this money will not be recovered.
Since November 2024, more than 2,100 Kyiv residents have legalized 2,237 units of firearms and over a million rounds of ammunition — and this represents only part of the nationwide picture, where 15,000 units have already been declared across Ukraine. The procedure, unique even on a global scale, has raised a question to which the state still has no complete answer: what will happen to this arsenal after the martial law ends.
Two courts have confirmed: four residential buildings of the Briz cooperative in the Gorbachykha locality are standing illegally. However, actual demolition depends not on the court verdict, but on who and how will enforce it.
Shevchenko District Court has released Viktor Husarov from liability: the treason charges were dismissed due to lack of evidence, and the only proven leak became time-barred under the statute of limitations. Criminal liability has been removed, but he has not been acquitted.
# Translation A 39-year-old serviceman who illegally left his unit encountered military police representatives with two revolver shots. The Desnyansky incident in broader context: after August 30, 2025, amnesty return from the Armed Forces became legally impossible.
Rescuers have completed the debris removal at a five-story building in Kyiv's Shevchenko district and discovered remains of a woman who was believed to be missing. The death toll from the May 24 strike has reached three, with all victims found in the same building.
# Kateryna Maternova Does Not Leave Kyiv. Foreign Ministry Calls Russian Threats Blackmail. What Lies Behind the Latest Escalation of Rhetoric — and Why It Matters.
# US State Secretary Reveals Mechanics of Lavrov Call: Putin's Personal Message to Trump About Embassy Threat, Not Direct Evacuation Demand The U.S. State Secretary disclosed the mechanics of the conversation with Lavrov, clarifying that it was a personal message from Putin to Trump regarding threats to the embassy, rather than a direct evacuation demand. The distinction is fundamental.
After the most massive attack on Kyiv in terms of number of damaged locations, Zakharova threatened... new attacks on Kyiv. Tykhy publicly asked: what does this even indicate — and did not rule out alcoholism.
Emergency rescuers unblocked the bodies of two deceased women and dismantled 165 square meters of reinforced concrete. The total toll from the attack on the capital stands at 92 wounded, with damage recorded at 49 locations.
# Ukrainian News Translation The chief designer and majority owner of the manufacturer of the "Flamingo" missile confirmed at a session of the Verkhovna Rada's temporary special commission his interest in selling 30% of the company to the UAE's EDGE Group defense holding. At the same time, it emerged that the application submitted to the AMCU was returned without review back in January, and a resubmission has not been made.
# Russia announces new "consecutive" strikes after one of largest attacks on capital, calls for diplomat evacuation A day after one of the largest attacks on the Russian capital, Russia officially announced new "consecutive" strikes and called for diplomats to evacuate. Andriy Kovalenko from the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the NSDC explained why now and for what purpose.
# Visit of Belarusian Opposition Leader to Kyiv is More Than Symbolic Ukraine is beginning to publicly consider scenarios for its northern border in the post-Lukashenko period.
A strike on the night of May 24 damaged over 300 facilities in the capital — a record in terms of destruction scale since the start of the full-scale invasion. Two people killed, 91 injured, with the most severe situation in the Darnytskyi district, where debris is still being cleared.
On the night of May 24, Russia delivered one of its most powerful strikes on the capital since the beginning of 2025—using "Oreshnik" missiles, hundreds of drones, and various types of rockets. The scale of destruction is now measured not only by casualties but also by another wave of applications for state compensation.
A day after one of Russia's largest attacks on Kyiv — 600 drones, 90 missiles, "Oreshnik," 4 killed — the Foreign Minister showed the diplomatic corps a destroyed neighborhood and demanded more air defense systems for Ukraine.
The night of June 23 witnessed one of the most devastating attacks on Kyiv in recent months. A missile strike on a residential high-rise destroyed an entire entrance; among the nine killed were an 11-year-old girl and her mother.
Bicycle shop VeloHub Muromets, covering 905 square meters, stands on land that cannot be built on or sold under the law. The court ordered its demolition — but according to a scheme that has been used on other plots in Kyiv.
# Ukraine's Oldest McDonald's Damaged on Its Anniversary Night Ukraine's oldest McDonald's was damaged during the night of May 23-24 — the same day it opened its doors in 1997. This marks the sixth attack on the establishment since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Rescuers have documented damage at 49 locations across various districts of the capital. Two women are among the casualties.
Russia delivered one of the largest strikes on the capital since the full-scale war began — 690 attack weapons, including the Oreshnik ballistic missile. Two killed, 87 wounded, and 300 destroyed and damaged facilities in Kyiv alone.
On the night of May 24, Russia launched one of its largest-scale attacks on the capital — ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and over 600 drones. The Interior Ministry showed what was happening inside the destroyed buildings in the first minutes after the explosions.
The night of May 24 became the largest in terms of damage to cultural sites in Kyiv since the start of the full-scale war. Among the ruins is a museum that was restored at state expense and opened in April.
On the night of December 27, Russia launched one of the largest combined strikes of 2025 — 519 drones and 40 missiles. Kyiv sustained direct hits on residential buildings, a National Aviation University dormitory, and a building of the Ministry of Education; one-third of the city was left without heat.
Daria Slesarenko lost her wedding dress in a fire after a Russian strike on Kyiv's Shevchenko district — and received dozens of offers from women willing to give their own dresses. A personal loss became a focal point for collective memory of what the war has left behind.