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Russia-Ukraine war – live: Kyiv launches multiple attacks across frontline

Russia-Ukraine war – live: Kyiv launches multiple attacks across frontline

Ukraine has launched attacks at a number of points across the frontline with Russia’s forces – suggesting its long-waited counteroffensive could finally be kicking into gear.

So far though it is unclear whether the strikes represented the start of the long-heralded move against Vladimir Putin’s invasion, and Ukrainian officials made no mention of any broad, significant new campaign or sidestepped questions on the matter.

Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said the nation’s forces were “shifting to offensive actions” in some areas but sought to play them down as “local attacks”.

On Monday, Moscow claimed to have repelled a major Ukrainian offensive in the south of the Donetsk region but the chief of private army Wagner admitted Russian forces had lost ground around Bakhmut further north.

Wagner captured Bakhmut last month after the longest battle of the war and handed its positions there to regular Russian troops, but Kyiv has since been attacking Russian-held areas to the north and south of the city.

Key Points

  • Russia claims 250 Ukrainian soldiers killed in thwarted offensive

  • Wagner leader says ground lost – despite Moscow’s claims of thwarting attack

  • UK’s James Cleverly meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv

  • We are ready for counteroffensive, Zelensky tells Vladimir Putin

  • Mercenary boss Prigozhin accuses Moscow of trying to kill his troops

Ukraine war map reveals Europe’s largest nuclear power plant ‘threatened’ after dam attack

10:21 , William Mata

As Ukraine accuses Russia of decimating a major dam in the Moscow-seized area of Kherson, the country’s national energy company has warned of the risk to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

A video shared by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky early on Tuesday morning appeared to depict water gushing through the remains of the Soviet-era dam, built in 1956 on the Dnipro river. This footage remains unverified.

Energoatom, Ukraine’s national nuclear energy company, expressed concern over the “threat” to the nearby Zaprozhizhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is dependent on water from the dam’s reservoir.

Read Eleanor Noyce’s full story here.

Location of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine (OpenStreetMap)
Location of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine (OpenStreetMap)

Russia blew up dam to stop Ukrainian forces crossing Dnipro - Ukrainian military

10:17 , William Mata

Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine to prevent Ukrainian forces crossing the Dnipro river, the spokesperson for Ukraine‘s southern military command said on Tuesday.

“This is a hysterical reaction,” spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk told an online briefing. “They were aware that the movement of the (Ukrainian) defence forces would take place and in this way tried to influence the defence forces so that the crossing of the Dnipro, which they feared, would not happen.”

State of emergency declared in Nova Kakhovka district after dam breach -TASS

10:11 , William Mata

A state of emergency has been declared in the Nova Kakhovka district in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Kherson province following a breach of the town's dam, the Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported, citing a decree by local Moscow-backed authorities.

It follows a torrent of water bursting through a gaping hole in a dam on the Dnipro River that separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine on Tuesday, flooding a swathe of the war zone and forcing villagers to flee.

Ukraine accused Russia of blowing up the dam from the inside in a deliberate war crime. Russian-installed officials gave conflicting accounts, some blaming Ukrainian shelling, others saying the dam had burst on its own.

The Nova Kakhovka dam supplies water to Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, both under Russian control. The vast reservoir behind it is one of the main geographic features of southern Ukraine, 240 km (150 miles) long and up to 23 km (14 miles) wide. A swathe of countryside lies in the flood plain below.

The destruction of the dam creates a new humanitarian disaster in the centre of the war zone and transforms the front lines just as Ukraine is unleashing a long-awaited counteroffensive to drive Russian troops from its territory.

Water rushing through the burst dam (AFP via Getty Images)
Water rushing through the burst dam (AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine war map today

10:07 , William Mata

Where the front of the battle is today.

Where the dam is within Ukraine (OpenStreetMap)
Where the dam is within Ukraine (OpenStreetMap)

Ukraine dam blast shows brutality of Russia's war, NATO chief says

09:56 , William Mata

The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine shows the brutality of Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.

“The destruction of the Kakhovka dam today puts thousands of civilians at risk and causes severe environmental damage,” Stoltenberg said in a post on Twitter

“This is an outrageous act, which demonstrates once again the brutality of Russia’s war in Ukraine.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (AP)
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (AP)

Ukraine's Zelensky says Russian forces blew up Kakhovka hydro station from inside

09:51 , William Mata

Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station in southern Ukraine overnight from inside the facility, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.

“Tonight at 02:50, Russian terrorists carried out an internal detonation of the structures of the Kakhovskaya HPP. About 80 settlements are in the zone of flooding,” he said on Telegram.

Meanwhile, top Ukrainian diplomat Anton Korynevych on Tuesday blamed Russia for the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine and said it was the action of a "terrorist state".

"Russia cannot defeat us on the battle field, so it targets civilian infrastructure to try to freeze us into submission. Just today Russia blew up a major dam," Mr Korynevych, ambassador-at-large for Ukraine's foreign ministry, said in opening remarks at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

"It is causing significant civilian evacuations, ecological damages and is threatening the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia's actions are the actions of a terrorist state, an aggressor."

Pictures: June 6, so far

09:37 , William Mata

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly as he visits members of the Halo Trust non-commercial charity organisation for demining in the village of Hrebelky, in Kyiv region (PA)
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly as he visits members of the Halo Trust non-commercial charity organisation for demining in the village of Hrebelky, in Kyiv region (PA)
A general view of the Nova Kakhovka dam that was breached in Kherson region (via REUTERS)
A general view of the Nova Kakhovka dam that was breached in Kherson region (via REUTERS)
A general view of the Nova Kakhovka dam that was breached in Kherson region (via REUTERS)
A general view of the Nova Kakhovka dam that was breached in Kherson region (via REUTERS)
A general view of the Nova Kakhovka dam that was breached in Kherson region, Ukraine (via REUTERS)
A general view of the Nova Kakhovka dam that was breached in Kherson region, Ukraine (via REUTERS)

Russian-installed official: Kyiv struck dam to distract from counteroffensive 'failures'

09:32 , Reuters

The Russian-installed governor of Ukraine‘s Kherson region said that Kyiv had struck the Nova Kakhovka dam to distract attention from what he said were the failures of the counteroffensive in the country’s east.

In a video posted on Telegram, Vladimir Saldo said that a major evacuation would not be necessary as a result of the dam breach.

TASS citied emergency service as saying that Ukraine had struck the region with Storm Shadow missiles which had been supplied to Kyiv by Britain.

A map of the dam’s location (Google Maps)
A map of the dam’s location (Google Maps)

Russian-installed official: Nova Kakhovka dam breach due to Ukrainian strikes -TASS

09:23 , William Mata

A Russian-installed official in the Russian-held Ukrainian town of Nova Kakhovka on Tuesday blamed a breach of the town's dam on Ukrainian strikes, the Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported.

TASS cited the official as saying that the dam was continuing to crumble, and that water was flowing "uncontrollably".

A satellite image shows an overview of Nova Kakhovka dam in Kherson (via REUTERS)
A satellite image shows an overview of Nova Kakhovka dam in Kherson (via REUTERS)

UK foreign minister says Ukraine dam blast a result of Russian invasion

09:14 , Reuters

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday it was too early to give a meaningful assessment of the details behind the destruction of a dam in southern Ukraine, but that it happened only because of Russia's invasion.

The Kakhovka dam in a Russian controlled-part of southern Ukraine was breached after an explosion that both Ukraine and Russia said was an intentional attack by the other's forces.

"I’ve heard reports of the explosion on the dam and the risk of flooding. It’s too early to make any kind of meaningful assessment of the details," Cleverly told Reuters while visiting Hrebelky outside Kyiv following talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the capital on Monday.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly as he visits members of the Halo Trust non-commercial charity organisation for demining in the village of Hrebelky (PA)
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly as he visits members of the Halo Trust non-commercial charity organisation for demining in the village of Hrebelky (PA)

Zelenskiy aide: Kakhovka dam blast is Russian attempt to 'raise the stakes'

08:59 , William Mata

The destruction of a dam in a Russian-occupied part of southern Ukraine is an attempt by Moscow to "raise the stakes" in its full-scale invasion and stoke fears of a nuclear catastrophe, a senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday.

"Today, the world must...understand that this is an attempt by terrorists to raise the stakes and scare everyone with a possible nuclear disaster," Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's administration, wrote on Telegram.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office Andriy Yermak and Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk (REUTERS)
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office Andriy Yermak and Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk (REUTERS)

Water level at Nova Kakhovka could rise by up to 12 metres after dam breach -Russian-installed official

08:51 , William Mata

The water level at the town immediately adjacent to the breached Nova Kakhovka dam could rise by up to 12 metres, its Russia-installed mayor, Vladimir Leontyev, said on Tuesday in a statement posted on Telegram.

Authorities said the water level in the town was expected to rise for the next 72 hours.

Evacuations have begun, says Russia

08:45 , Tara Cobham

A Russian-installed official in the town of Nova Kakhovka said on Tuesday residents of around 300 houses had been evacuated after a nearby dam was breached, state-owned news agency TASS reported.

TASS also quoted Nova Kakhovka's Russian-installed mayor Vladimir Leontyev as saying that part of the town had been disconnected from power supplies for safety reasons.

At least 16,000 people at risk, warns Kherson governor

08:34 , Tara Cobham

At least 16,000 people are in the "critical zone" and at risk because of the damaged dam, the governor of Ukraine's southern region of Kherson has said.

Speaking to local media Kherson governor Oleksandr Prokudin, said evacuation trains will begin soon departing from Kherson city in a few hours.

Water surges through destroyed dam in Ukraine as Zelensky blames Russian strike

07:55 , Tara Cobham

Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up a major dam in the Moscow-seized area of Kherson.

Footage shared by Volodymyr Zelensky early on Tuesday 6 June - which remains unverified - appears to show water surging through the remains of the dam.

The dam, which holds water equal to the Great Salt Lake in the US, was built in 1956 on the Dnipro river as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.

“Russian terrorists. The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam only confirms for the whole world that they must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land,” Mr Zelensky wrote, sharing a video on social media.

Watch here:

Water surges through destroyed dam in Ukraine as Zelensky blames Russian strike

Europe’s largest nuclear power plant at risk, warns energy company

07:45 , Tara Cobham

Europe’s largest nuclear power plant is at risk because of a dam being blown up in southern Ukraine, warned Energoatom, the country's national nuclear energy company, on Tuesday.

Ukraine accused Russia of breaching the Soviet-era dam, which is located in the southern region of Kherson, on Tuesday morning unleashing a torrent of floodwaters across the southern region of the war-torn country.

President Zelensky called the Russians “terrorists” and shared footage reportedly showing water cascading over the managed remains of parts of the dam.

Ukraine's national nuclear energy company Energoatom warned that the Zaprozhizhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is located in the area, was at risk as it relies on water from the dam’s reservoir for its cooling systems and for power for its turbines

“As a result of the detonation, the water level in the Kakhova reservoir is rapidly decreasing, which is an additional threat to the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP,” they said in a statement shared to their official Telegram channel.

“Water from the Kakhova Reservoir is necessary for the station to receive power for turbine capacitors and safety systems."

“The station's cooling pond is now full: as of 8:00 a.m., the water level is 16.6 meters, which is sufficient for the station's needs.”

It added that the “situation is under control”.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said that it was aware of reports of damage to Ukraine’s Kakhovka dam and added that IAEA experts were on the scene “closely monitoring the situation”.

“No immediate nuclear safety risk at plant” the agency added on Twitter.

Andriy Yermak, head of President Zelensky’s office, called the destruction of the dam “the largest man-made and man-made disaster in the world in recent decades”. He claimed the destruction to the dam was linked to Ukraine’s much anticipated Spring counteroffensive.

“[it] harms the environment and will negatively affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the years to come,” he added in a statement shared to his official Telegram.

“The insane goal of stopping the Defense Forces' advance and avoiding defeat and disgrace drives Kremlin criminals. They are willing to do anything to raise the stakes in this war.”

Destruction of Kakhovka reservoir will lead to a ‘decade-long water shortage in Crimea’, official says

07:17 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A Kyiv official has said that the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in the Kherson region could have “devastating consequences”.

“The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station could have catastrophic consequences for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which uses water from the Kakhovka reservoir to cool nuclear reactors,” Mustafa Nayyem, head of the state agency for restoration of Ukraine said.

He tweeted: “Blowing up the Kakhovskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant will have devastating consequences, including a decade-long water shortage in Crimea, irreparable damage to hundreds of thousands of lives, and the risk of drowning for thousands.”

'This is ecocide,' top Ukrainian official says after Kakhovka dam destruction

07:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A top Ukrainian official called the destruction of Nova Kakhovka dam an “ecocide” and said that “the Russians will be responsible for the possible deprivation of drinking water for people in the south of Kherson region and in Crimea”.

Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office said on Telegram that Russians will also be responsible for the “possible destruction of some settlements and the biosphere”.

“This is ecocide. The safety of people is a priority today. We must ensure that the enemy is punished at the international level.”

Meanwhile, it was reported evacuations from potential flood zones have already begun, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, the Ukraine-appointed head of the Kherson regional military administration.

White House remains tight-lipped over Ukraine counteroffensive

07:02 , Andy Gregory

While the Washington Post has reported that some US officials thought Ukraine’s counteroffensive was under way, the White House has declined to say whether they believe this is the case.

“I’m not going to be talking for the Ukrainian military. That’s for them to speak to,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told a regular briefing, although he stressed the work the US had done to ensure the Ukrainians were ready.

“So whether it’s starting now, or starting soon, or whenever they decide to step up and whatever they decide to do, the president is confident that we did everything we could over the last six, eight months or more to make sure that they had all the equipment, the training, the capabilities to be successful.”

Zelensky says Kakhovka dam blast proves Moscow’s forces ‘must be expelled' from Ukraine

06:54 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Volodymyr Zelensky said today that the Kakhovka dam destruction proves that Moscow’s forces “must be expelled” from all of Ukraine.

“Russian terrorists. The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam only confirms for the whole world that they must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land,” he wrote on Telegram.

“Not a single metre should be left to them, because they use every metre for terror.”

Meanwhile, evacuations from potential flood zones have already begun, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, the Ukraine-appointed head of the Kherson regional military administration.

'Water will reach critical level within five hours'

06:37 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The head of Ukraine’s Kherson region has said that the water will reach critical levels within five hours after a huge dam was blown up today near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Ukrainian authorities have asked residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate as water gushes out from the destroyed Nova Khakova dam in the southern Kherson region.

Ukraine’s ministry of internal affairs said in a statement today that with the water level rising, the ministry has urged everyone in the “danger zone” to turn off all electrical appliances, take documents and essentials, and take care of “loved ones and pets”.The “danger zone” includes the villages of Mykolaivka, Olhivka, Liovo, Tiahynka, Poniativka, Ivanivka, Tokarivka, Poniativka, Prydniprovske, Sadove, and the Korabel Island district of Kherson city.

Russian TV airs deep fake video of Putin

06:27 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Several radio stations and local TV networks were reportedly hacked yesterday to broadcast a deep fake address by Vladimir Putin.

“Definitely there was no address. It is true that there were hacks in some regions,” chief spokesman Dmitry Peskov said according to the state-run TASS news agency.

“In particular, I know that there was a hack into Radio Mir and into some networks. Now all this has been eliminated and taken under control.”

It was reported that the fake address announced mass mobilisation and introduced martial law in border regions.

Eighty settlements near the destroyed Kakhovka dam may be affected

06:11 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Eighty settlements near the destroyed Kakhovka dam may be affected by the flooding, Russian state media TASS reported today.

The regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram that “within five hours the water will reach a critical level”. Reports suggested that the evacuation has already begun.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities have also asked residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate as water gushes out from the destroyed Nova Khakova dam.

Ukraine’s ministry of internal affairs said in a statement today that with the water level rising, the ministry has urged everyone in the “danger zone” to turn off all electrical appliances, take documents and essentials, and take care of “loved ones and pets”.

The “danger zone” includes the villages of Mykolaivka, Olhivka, Liovo, Tiahynka, Poniativka, Ivanivka, Tokarivka, Poniativka, Prydniprovske, Sadove, and the Korabel Island district of Kherson city.

At Normandy D-Day celebrations, echoes of Ukraine's looming fight

06:05 , AP

While US military officers here caution against too direct a comparison between the 1944 D-Day landings and Ukraine’s upcoming counteroffensive, the echoes of what Kyiv faces today are a dominant theme of this year’s commemorations of the young soldiers who died on the Normandy beaches nearly 80 years ago.

For days, the villages and towns surrounding Omaha and Utah beaches have held parades, memorial events, flyovers and parachute demonstrations to build up to the annual celebration of D-Day, the launch of Operation Overlord. The invasion on 6 June 1944 marked the beginning of the Allies’ massive ground invasion which would eventually lead to Germany’s surrender and the end of the Second World War in Europe.

The celebration is taking place as Ukraine prepares to launch its own counteroffensive against Russia – an impending fight for which many of those same allied forces have now provided billions of dollars in weapons and training to Kyiv’s soldiers to best prepare them to win.

“There’s echoes of that of course,” said US Joint Chiefs chair General Mark Milley. However, he cautioned against making a direct comparison to the Normandy invasion, where more than 150,000 troops made landfall in Normandy in a 24-hour period and millions eventually fought across Europe to defeat the Nazis.

Tara Copp has the full report:

At Normandy D-Day celebrations, echoes of Ukraine's looming fight

Ukrainian authorities ask residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate

06:01 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Ukrainian authorities have asked residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate as water gushes out from the destroyed Nova Khakova dam in the southern Kherson region.

Ukraine’s ministry of internal affairs said in a statement today that with the water level rising, the ministry has urged everyone in the “danger zone” to turn off all electrical appliances, take documents and essentials, and take care of “loved ones and pets”.

The “danger zone” includes the villages of Mykolaivka, Olhivka, Liovo, Tiahynka, Poniativka, Ivanivka, Tokarivka, Poniativka, Prydniprovske, Sadove, and the Korabel Island district of Kherson city.

“Trust the police, rescuers and our defenders,” the ministry said. “The enemy is trying to spread disinformation, to absolve themselves of responsibility for another crime.”

Zelensky to hold emergency meeting over Kakhovka dam blast

06:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky will hold an emergency meeting over the Kakhovka dam blast, Reuters reported.

A major Soviet-era dam in Ukraine that supplies water to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was blown up today with the two sides blaming each other for the incident.

Russian state media, TASS news agency quoted a Russia-installed official in the Zaporizhzhia region as saying that there was no “critical danger” yet to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant due to the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

Russian authorities say ‘no immediate danger to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant’ due to dam collapse

05:52 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency quoted a Russia-installed official in the Zaporizhzhia region as saying that there was no “critical danger” yet to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant due to the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

The major Soviet-era dam in Ukraine that supplies water to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was blown up today, with the two sides blaming each other for the incident.

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro river has unleashed a flood of water across a large area and there are fears that dangerous flooding could ensue.

Fears of dangerous flooding as Ukrainian dam destroyed

05:34 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A dam in southern Ukraine was blown up this morning, with both sides blaming each other for the destruction.

There are fears that a deluge of water from the destroyed Nova Kakhovka dam could threaten thousands of people in the surrounding countryside, it was reported.

Ukraine’s Operational Command South confirmed the dam’s destruction in a post on their official Facebook saying they were assessing the scale of the destruction and calculating likely areas of flooding.

The dam, 30 metres tall and 3.2 km long, was built in 1956 on the Dnipro river as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.

However, the Russian-installed mayor of Nova Kakhovka Vladimir Leontiev denied any information about the dam collapsing in an interview with Russian state media RIA Novosti, calling it “nonsense”.

Later, Russian state media TASS quoted a Moscow-backed official in the Zaporizhzhia region as saying that there was no “critical danger” yet to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant due to the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

US sanctions target Russian influence campaign in Moldova

05:10 , Reuters

The United States has imposed sanctions on members of a Russian intelligence-linked group for their role in Moscow’s efforts to destabilise democracy and influence elections in Moldova, the Treasury Department has said.

The new sanctions target seven Russian individuals, some of whom maintain ties to Russian intelligence services, the department said in a statement. They include the group's leader, Konstantin Prokopyevich Sapozhnikov, who organised the plot to destabilize the government of Moldova in early 2023, it said.

The group is part of a large global information operation connected to Russia that targets Ukraine and bordering countries as well as the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Treasury Department said.

The group's members provoke, train and oversee groups in democratic countries and conduct anti-government protests, rallies, marches and demonstrations, the department claimed.

Russia claims it destroyed 28 tanks and 109 armoured vehicles in Donetsk fighting

04:59 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russia has claimed that it destroyed 28 tanks and 109 armoured fighting vehicles in Donetsk fighting, it was reported.

Russia’s defence ministry said today that Ukrainian forces carried out a military operation in southern Donetsk yesterday in an attempt to advance, but claimed that the advance was repelled.

The ministry claimed Russian forces destroyed “28 tanks, including eight main battle Leopard tanks” and 109 armoured fighting vehicles.

Ukrainian forces advance on eastern front, defence ministry says

04:25 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Ukraine conducted offensive operations along the eastern front and made several advances, according to the deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar.

She said on Telegram that the Ukrainian troops advanced 200 to 1,600 metres in the direction of Orikhovo-Vasylivka and Paraskoviivka and 100 to 700 metres in the direction of Ivanivske and Klischiivka.

In an earlier Telegram message, Ms Maliar said that the Ukrainian military was moving along a fairly wide front towards Bakhmut.

Earlier, Russia’s ministry of defence had announced that Ukraine had launched a counteroffensive in five areas along the front.

On 4 June, the Institute for the Study of War concluded that the Ukrainian military conducted local ground attacks and “reportedly made limited tactical gains in western Donetsk oblast and eastern Zaporizhzhia oblast”.

Biden thanks Denmark for ‘standing up’ for Ukraine

04:14 , Andy Gregory

US president Joe Biden has thanked prime minister Mette Frederiksen for Denmark’s role in a Western alliance “standing up” for Ukraine.

The Oval Office visit kicked off the first of a pair of critical meetings Mr Biden is holding with European allies this week which will focus heavily on what lies ahead in the war in Ukraine – including the recently-launched effort to train and eventually equip Ukraine with US-built F-16s fighter jets.

“There’s a shared commitment to the core values and that gives us our strength – at least that’s what I believe,” Mr Biden said. “Together we’re working to protect those values – including standing up for the people of Ukraine against the brutal aggression of the Russians.”

Mr Biden will meet with the UK’s Rishi Sunak on Thursday.

 (Getty)
(Getty)

Russia launches new wave of overnight strikes on Kyiv

03:44 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Ukrainian authorities say the air defence systems downed more than 20 cruise missiles during overnight Russian air strikes on Kyiv.

“All were shot down, there were no hits,” Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on Telegram.

Officials said there were no casualties.

However, falling debris from the attacks hit road surfaces and damaged power lines to the trolley system in Kyiv’s Desnianskyi district, the military said.

Ukrainian reporter touts arrival of ‘day of all days’, as counteroffensive speculation grows

03:15 , Andy Gregory

Illia Ponomarenko, a defence reporter with the Kyiv Independent, has suggested that today “could be the beginning of the day of all days”, adding: “Let’s wait, pray, and see.”

Kyiv has received no formal complaints about weapons in Belgorod attacks, says minister

02:19 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine has received no formal complaints about attacks on Russian territory, Kyiv’s foreign minister has said – despite US and Belgian officials declaring an investigation into the possible use of Western weapons there.

Speaking about recent raids into the region of Belgorod conducted by anti-Kremlin Russian volunteer militias, Dmytro Kuleba cast the violence as an internal Russian matter and said it was none of his business.

U.S. and Belgian officials earlier said they were investigating the possible use of Western weapons by the militias inside Russian territory, something which the Kremlin could view as an escalation in the war.

Mr Kuleba, however, said his ministry had not received any formal complaints regarding the events in Belgorod.

“Usually when you want to express your concern with something, you send a note, and we haven’t received anything,” he told Reuters in an interview in Kyiv.

Ukraine’s foreign minister eyes Nato membership

01:18 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s looming counteroffensive will give the country the victory it needs to join Nato, the country’s foreign minister has said.

Membership of the military alliance would “probably” only be possible for Ukraine after the end of active hostilities, Dmytro Kuleba told Reuters in an interview in Kyiv.

The minister, who has been in post since March 2020, said Nato membership was the next big target on Ukraine’s agenda after some of its allies agreed to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 fighter jets coveted and lobbied for by Kyiv.

“We (already) unlocked all weapons ... There is nothing big left to fight for.”

“Nato membership cannot stop this war, but Nato membership will stop further wars. This is why the best way to ensure security in the region is to come to the moment when Ukraine becomes a member of Nato,” he said.

Ukraine has enough weapons to launch counteroffensive, says foreign minister

Tuesday 6 June 2023 00:13 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine has enough weapons to begin its counter-offensive against Russia, Kyiv’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.

Ukraine has for months feted a vast upcoming assault to retake its territory from Russia, using tanks, armoured cars and artillery donated by Western allies.

Mr Kuleba did not say whether the counter-offensive had started when asked by Reuters, saying that the most important thing was not when it started, but that it ended in Ukrainian victory.

The minister said that while Ukraine now had enough arms to begin its counter-offensive, it would still need continued deliveries from its allies to sustain the effort.

“When you go on the counter-offensive, it’s one thing to have enough weapons to begin it, but another thing to ensure sustainability of supplies in order to be able to continue as long as is needed,” he told the news agency.

He added that he was “pretty confident” that Kyiv’s partners would continue to supply arms until Kyiv reached its goals, but acknowledged they would face difficulties around production capacity.

Watch: Ukrainian government sends cryptic message to Russia

Monday 5 June 2023 23:26 , Andy Gregory

Zelensky hails ‘news we have been waiting for’ in Bakhmut

Monday 5 June 2023 22:17 , Andy Gregory

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed what he called “the news we have been waiting for” from troops fighting in and around Bakhmut.

“I am grateful to each soldier, to all our defenders, men and women, who have given us today the news we have been waiting for. Fine job, soldiers in the Bakhmut sector!” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address, giving no further details.

He said Russia was reacting “hysterically” to any action undertaken by Ukrainian forces and singled out two units who “skillfully, decisively and effectively defend our positions, destroy the occupiers and, most importantly, move forward”.

Russia’s military said it had thwarted a major offensive against its forces in eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials dismissed any notion that an anticipated major counter-offensive had begun. They reported some gains along front lines.

Russia now controls at least 18% of internationally recognised Ukrainian territory

Monday 5 June 2023 21:15 , Sam Rkaina

Russia now controls at least 18% of internationally recognised Ukrainian territory and has claimed four more regions of Ukraine as Russian territory after annexing Crimea in 2014.

For months, Ukraine has been preparing a fightback which officials in Kyiv and CIA Director William Burns have said will pierce Putin’s hubris.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Saturday that he was ready to launch it, but tempered a forecast of success with a warning that it could take some time and come at a heavy cost.

The success or failure of the counteroffensive, expected to be waged with billions of dollars worth of advanced Western weaponry, is likely to influence the shape of future Western diplomatic and military support for Ukraine.

Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year in what the Kremlin expected to be a swift operation, but its forces suffered a series of defeats and had to move back and regroup in swathes of the country’s east.

For months, tens of thousands of Russian troops have been digging in along a front line that stretches for around 600 miles (1,000 km), bracing for a Ukrainian attack expected to try to cut Russia’s so-called land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula.

 (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)
(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)

Ukraine launches attacks across frontline

Monday 5 June 2023 20:13 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine has launched attacks at a number of points across the frontline with Russian forces – suggesting that its long-waited counteroffensive is finally kicking into gear.

Officials in Kyiv were coy about the surge in military action, allowing the fog of war to cloud whether it marked the start of its push to reclaim land that Russia has occupied.

Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said that the nation’s forces were “shifting to offensive actions” in some areas but sought to play them down as “local attacks” – but there is no denying the surge in military activity.

Moscow seemed keen to suggest that it had repelled a “major offensive” at five points across the region of Donetsk.

Although its claims were undermined by other Russian sources and military bloggers, who suggested that Ukrainian forces had made advances around the city of Bakhmut in northern Donetsk and villages in the west of the region.

Ukrainian officials dismissed as fanciful claims from Russia’s Defence Ministry that it had killed hundreds of Ukrainian troops as well as destroyed a number of military vehicles around Donetsk.

Russia releases footage of strikes on Ukraine armoured vehicles

Monday 5 June 2023 19:21 , Sam Rkaina

Russia’s defence ministry released video of what it said showed several Ukrainian armoured vehicles in a field blowing up after being hit.

Reuters was able to confirm the location of two clips near Velyka Novosilka, a village west of Vuhledar in the southern part of Donetsk province, by the road layout, terrain, trees and other foliage that matched satellite imagery of the area. Reuters could not independently verify the other clips or the date the videos were filmed.

“There is a tough fight going on,” wrote prominent Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov, who blogs under the name War Gonzo, saying Ukrainian forces were attacking in the area.

The defence ministry said Russian forces killed 250 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed 16 tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armoured combat vehicles. Reuters was not able to verify the figures.

The daily report from Ukraine’s General Staff said only that there were 29 combat clashes in Donetsk and Luhansk provinces of eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine needs to keep Russia guessing to stay one step ahead of Pinocchio Putin’s propaganda machine

Monday 5 June 2023 18:33 , Sam Rkaina

Whether or not the attacks on Russian lines in the eastern region of Donetsk end up being seen as the start of Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive, the information war around them is in full swing.

For Russia’s defence ministry, its troops repelled a “major offensive” in Donetsk, killing 250 members of the Ukrainian forces and destroying a number of tanks and armoured vehicles at five points across the region’s frontline.

Moscow was bullish, as it always is – but Russia’s community of military bloggers was more circumspect.

Click here for the full story.

 (Sputnik)
(Sputnik)

James Cleverly meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv

Monday 5 June 2023 17:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Foreign secretary James Cleverly has met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

The meeting in the war-torn nation’s capital came amid signs the expected Ukrainian counter-offensive against the Russian invasion may have started.

In a video posted to Mr Zelensky’s Facebook page, Mr Cleverly is heard saying that the UK “will continue backing you and your country until you are victorious”.

The Ukrainian president thanks the UK for the “big support” it has given his country.

He wrote on Facebook: “During the meeting, we discussed important topical issues: Ukraine‘s expectations from the Nato Summit in Vilnius, promotion of the Ukrainian peace formula and preparation of the global summit on its implementation, as well as the London international conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine.

“We are very grateful for the support that the UK has provided and continues to provide to Ukraine.”

Kyiv has long called for Ukraine to be admitted to Nato, but allies are divided about when and how any accession might happen as the war with Russia continues.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak last week said Ukraine‘s “rightful place” is in Nato, at a gathering of European leaders in Moldova ahead of the key meeting of Nato leaders in Lithuania in July.

Sophie Wingate reports:

James Cleverly meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv

Ukraine has enough weapons for counter-offensive, says foreign minister

Monday 5 June 2023 17:01 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine has enough weapons for its counter-offensive against Russia, and the operation will give the country the victory it needs to join NATO, foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told Reuters on Monday.

Membership of the military alliance would “probably” only be possible for Ukraine after the end of active hostilities, Kuleba said in an interview in Kyiv.

He did not say whether the counter-offensive had started when asked.

At Normandy D-Day celebrations, echoes of Ukraine's looming fight

Monday 5 June 2023 16:45 , Eleanor Noyce

While U.S. military officers here caution against too direct a comparison between the 1944 D-Day landings and Ukraine‘s upcoming counteroffensive, the echoes of what Kyiv faces today are a dominant theme of this year’s commemorations of the young U.S. soldiers who died on the Normandy beaches nearly 80 years ago.

For days the villages and towns surrounding Omaha and Utah beaches have held parades, memorial events, flyovers and parachute demonstrations to build up to the annual celebration of D-Day, the launch of Operation Overlord. The June 6, 1944 invasion marked the beginning of the Allies’ massive ground invasion which would eventually lead to Germany’s surrender and the end of World War II in Europe.

The celebration is taking place as Ukraine prepares to launch its own counteroffensive against Russia — an impending fight for which many of those same allied forces have now provided billions of dollars in weapons and training to Kyiv’s soldiers to best prepare them to win.

Tara Copp reports:

At Normandy D-Day celebrations, echoes of Ukraine's looming fight

James Cleverly: ‘Ukraine will win this war and can count on our support'

Monday 5 June 2023 16:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine can count on UK support, James Cleverly said during his second visit to Kyiv.

The Foreign Secretary met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Zelensky and foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss how the UK can continue to best support Ukraine, from the battlefield to banking guarantees, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The visit comes amid preparations for the Ukraine recovery conference in London later in June, which will focus on boosting the nation’s economy.

Mr Cleverly said: “As Ukraine continues its sustained fightback against Russia, I was able to see for myself the true horrors and devastation of what Russia has wreaked on this sovereign state.

“Forcibly deporting children, razing cities like Bakhmut, Izium and Mariupol to the ground and committing atrocities are not the acts of a responsible international state. They are the actions of a hostile regime that is in violation of the UN Charter.

“Ukraine will win this war and can count on our support.”

Downing Street says James Cleverly is visiting Ukraine to underline UK’s ‘unwavering support’

Monday 5 June 2023 16:36 , Eleanor Noyce

Downing Street has said it will not get into “speculation” about the military state of affairs in Ukraine but said James Cleverly is visiting to underline the UK’s “unwavering support” for the country.

“The Foreign Secretary is visiting ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference which is happening later this month,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

“And obviously underlining the UK’s unwavering support.

“He’s had meetings with President Zelensky and the foreign minister as well.”

Russia says it holds back Ukrainian attacks in southern Donetsk region

Monday 5 June 2023 16:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Monday that it was holding back attacks by Ukrainian forces in the south of the Donetsk region, near the settlements of Novodonetske and Oktyabrske.

“The enemy offensive is successfully being held back by the actions of the units, artillery fire and air strikes of the Eastern Group of Forces,” the ministry said.

Ukraine says Russia still violating terms of Black Sea grain deal

Monday 5 June 2023 16:17 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine‘s restoration ministry said on Monday Russia had resumed the registration of ships under a deal allowing safe Black Sea grain exports but was violating the terms by not inspecting vessels in the right order.

It said in a statement that Russia had registered two vessels that declared their participation in the deal the same day, adding: “This goes against accepted vessel inspection rules which require that those that are longest-standing are inspected first.”

Russia’s TASS news agency had earlier on Monday reported that ship inspections had resumed.

Kyiv dismisses Russian reports of Ukrainian counteroffensive

Monday 5 June 2023 15:55 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian reports that Ukraine has begun a counteroffensive are meant to distract attention from losses Russian forces are taking around the eastern city of Bakhmut, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Monday.

Moscow said it had thwarted a major Ukrainian assault involving six mechanised and two tank battalions in the south of Ukraine‘s Donetsk region.

In a post on the Telegram messaging app, Hanna Maliar said Ukrainian forces were “shifting to offensive actions” in some areas along the front line but dismissed suggestions that this was part of a major operation.

“Why are the Russians actively releasing information about a counteroffensive? Because they need to divert attention from the defeat in the Bakhmut direction,” she wrote.

Russia’s private Wagner militia captured Bakhmut last month after the longest battle of the war and handed its positions there to regular Russian troops.

Since then, Ukraine has continued to attack areas north and south of the city. Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday that Kyiv’s troops had retaken part of a village near the ruined city.

Maliar said the area around Bakhmut remained the “epicentre” of fighting and that the Ukrainian military was “moving along a fairly wide front”.

Zelensky meets UK foreign secretary in Kyiv, thanks Britain for support

Monday 5 June 2023 15:35 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met British foreign secretary James Cleverly in Kyiv on Monday, and discussed preparations for a NATO summit and Ukraine‘s formula for ending Russia’s invasion.

“We are very grateful for the support that the UK has provided and continues to provide to Ukraine,” Zelensky said on Telegram under a video showing them meeting.

Zelensky aide labels Russian news reports a ‘separate virtual meta-universe'

Monday 5 June 2023 15:15 , Eleanor Noyce

A senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned against trusting Russian reports on the fighting in Ukraine.

“Russian news reports have long since become a separate virtual meta-universe,” presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted.

Ukraine has in recent weeks sought to weaken Russian positions but its plans have been shrouded in secrecy as it prepares to launch a counteroffensive.

Ukraine‘s military said earlier on Monday it had no information about a major offensive which Russia said Kyiv had launched at five points along the front line in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk.

Moscow said on Monday it had thwarted a major Ukrainian assault involving six mechanised and two tank battalions in the south of Ukraine‘s Donetsk region.

“We do not have such information and we do not comment on any kind of fake,” a spokesperson for the Ukrainian armed forces’ general staff said in response to a question from Reuters.

Kremlin: fake Putin address broadcast on Russian radio stations after 'hack'

Monday 5 June 2023 14:45 , Eleanor Noyce

The Kremlin said a purported radio address by President Vladimir Putin heard on Monday on Russian stations in regions bordering Ukraine was fake and the result of a hack, Russian news agencies reported.

The state-owned news agency RIA said a number of radio stations had carried the hoax address.

“All of these messages are an utter fake,” it cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

Independent Russian media reported that the announcement had told residents of the Rostov, Belgorod and Voronezh regions, all of which adjoin Ukraine, that Kyiv’s forces had crossed the border with Russia.

They cited the address as saying, wrongly, that martial law had been declared in border regions and a nationwide military mobilisation had begun for Russia’s war with Ukraine, and that residents should evacuate deeper into Russia.

Kyiv denies sending any troops into Russian territory, and says the sporadic ground incursions that have occurred in the last three months, for which Moscow blames Ukraine, have been the work of Russian partisans.

In a statement posted on Telegram, the Voronezh regional government confirmed that a hack had taken place, and said local radio stations were under the control of law enforcement agencies and local authorities.

Russia is evading sanctions by ‘buying back’ military supplies from India and Myanmar

Monday 5 June 2023 14:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia could be buying back military supplies previously exported to Myanmar and India, showed customs clearance data assessed in a Nikkei analysis.

The report cited records of Russian repurchases of parts for tanks and missiles exported previously to Myanmar and India, likely in a bid to reimport the components to improve older weapons expected to be used in Ukraine.

From India, Russia’s Machine-Building Design Bureau (NPK KBM) looking after the country’s missile production, purchased six components for night-vision sight for ground-to-air missiles for $150,000 (£120,757) in August and November last year, the report showed.

The order was placed with India’s defence ministry.

Arpan Rai reports:

Russia is evading sanctions by ‘buying back’ military supplies from India and Myanmar

Biden set for critical talks on Ukraine this week with Denmark's Frederiksen, UK's Sunak

Monday 5 June 2023 13:55 , Eleanor Noyce

President Joe Biden is welcoming Denmark and Britain’s prime ministers this week to Washington for talks that will focus heavily on what lays ahead in the war in Ukraine —including the recently-launched effort to train, and eventually equip, Ukraine with American-made F-16s fighter jets.

Britain and Denmark are playing a pivotal role in the nascent joint international plan that Biden recently endorsed after months of resisting calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for U.S. aircraft.

Biden’s separate meetings with the leaders of two key NATO allies — he’ll huddle with Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen on Monday and the UK’s Rishi Sunak on Thursday — come at a crucial period in the 15-month war as Ukraine readies to launch a counteroffensive.

Aamer Madhani reports:

Biden set for critical talks on Ukraine this week with Denmark's Frederiksen, UK's Sunak

US, India agree roadmap for defence industry cooperation

Monday 5 June 2023 13:37 , Eleanor Noyce

India and the United States have concluded a roadmap for defence industry cooperation for the next few years, the Indian government said on Monday, a move expected to bolster New Delhi’s defence manufacturing ambitions.

Washington is working to deepen ties with India and sees stronger military-to-military and technology ties with the world’s largest democracy as a key counterweight to China’s dominance in the region.

The roadmap was finalised at a meeting between visiting U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The agreement comes weeks before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington on 22 June for an official state visit and holds talks with President Joe Biden.

The roadmap is considered significant as Washington maintains strict controls over what domestic military technology can be shared or sold to other countries.

Talks between Singh and Austin had a “particular focus on identifying ways to strengthen industrial cooperation”, the Indian Defence Ministry statement said.

“Both sides will identify opportunities for co-development of new technologies and co-production of existing and new systems and facilitate increased collaboration between defence start-up ecosystems of the two countries,” it said.

“Towards these objectives, they concluded a roadmap for U.S.-India Defence Industrial Cooperation which shall guide the policy direction for the next few years.”

India, the world’s largest arms importer, depends on Russia for nearly half its military supplies, but has also increasingly diversified its sources to buy from the U.S., France and Israel, among others.

Gold miner Polymetal eyes sale of Russian arm after bosses cut ties

Monday 5 June 2023 13:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Anglo-Russian gold and silver miner Polymetal International could be eyeing up a sale of its Russian subsidiary following the resignation of its top two bosses and being targeted by US sanctions.

The London-listed firm, which primarily operates in Russia, said it is considering “all possible options” regarding divesting the Russian arm.

Shares in the company have dived since President Vladimir Putin led an invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

Prior to the war breaking out, shares in the business were trading at around 1,100p. They have since lost more than 80% of their value and are now worth about 180p.

Polymetal’s chief executive, Vitaly Nesis, and chief financial officer, Maxim Nazimok, cut ties with the Russian arm of the business completely, the company said.

Anna Wise has the full story:

Gold miner Polymetal eyes sale of Russian arm after bosses cut ties

Russia says it repels big attack in Ukraine but Russian mercenary leader says some ground lost

Monday 5 June 2023 13:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Moscow said on Monday it had thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive in the south of Ukraine‘s Donetsk region but Russia’s main mercenary leader said Russian forces had lost ground around Bakhmut further north.

Asked whether the attacks represented the start of Ukraine‘s long-heralded counter-offensive against Russia’s invasion, Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine‘s Security and Defence Council, told Reuters: “The war continues. Until complete victory.”

Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine had attacked on Sunday morning with six mechanised and two tank battalions in southern Donetsk, where Moscow has long suspected Ukraine would seek to drive a wedge through Russian-controlled territory.

“On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the South Donetsk direction,” the defence ministry said in a statement posted on Telegram at 1.30 a.m Moscow time (22.30 GMT).

“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defences in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front,” it said. “The enemy did not achieve its tasks, it had no success.”

Asked to comment, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said: “We do not have such information and we do not comment on any kind of fake.”

Ukrainian military chaplains complete training with British Army

Monday 5 June 2023 13:04 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian military chaplains have completed training with the British Army before heading back to the war-ravaged country to give frontline troops a “spiritual umbrella”.

The two-week programme run by the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department (RAChD) saw an initial group of 10 Ukrainians train at a camp in south-west England.

The participants learned how to deliver pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance to soldiers on the battlefield.

Lieutenant Dmytro Povorotnyi, a priest from Dnipro in central Ukraine, was one of the officers who took part.

“Once when Russia bombed Dnipro, my granddaughter who is four years old put her toys under the stairs and covered them with an umbrella,” said Lt Povorotnyi, who decided to become a military chaplain after the occupation of Crimea in 2014.

Lauren Shirreff reports:

Ukrainian military chaplains complete training with British Army

Russia says it sees 'no prospects' for further grain deal renewal

Monday 5 June 2023 12:47 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s foreign ministry said on Monday that it saw no prospects for extending the Black Sea grain export deal, which is set to expire in mid-July, Russian news agencies reported.

TASS news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying that it was continuing consultations with the United Nations over the deal, and that ship inspections had resumed.

UK Ministry of Defence issues intelligence update

Monday 5 June 2023 12:29 , Eleanor Noyce

The UK Ministry of Defence has issued an intelligence update on Ukraine.

A new map - released on Twitter on Monday morning - details the locations of Russian attacks and troops.

“Over the course of May 2023, Russia launched over 300 Iranian Shahed series one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA-UAVs) against Ukraine: its most intense use of this weapon system to date”, a statement released by the MoD early on Monday morning read.

“Russia is probably launching so many OWA-UAVs in an attempt to force Ukraine to fire stocks of valuable, advanced air defence missiles.

“Russia is unlikely to have been notably successful: Ukraine has neutralised at least 90% of the incoming OWA-UAVs mostly using its older and cheaper air defence weapons and with electronic jamming.

“Russia has also likely been attempting to locate and strike Ukrainian forces well behind the front line. However, Russia remains very ineffective at hitting such dynamic targets at range because of its poor targeting processes.”

‘There are still discussions ongoing’: European Commission comments on possible extension to Ukrainian food import ban

Monday 5 June 2023 12:17 , Eleanor Noyce

Poland’s agriculture minister has received a draft regulation from the European Commission extending a ban on imports of some Ukrainian food products until 15 September, he said on Monday.

The EU on 2 May set restrictions on sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed within five countries - Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - to ease the excess supply of the grains within those countries, while allowing transit through them for export elsewhere.

Those restrictions are due to expire on Monday. A European Commission spokesperson said no decision had yet been taken.

“There are still discussions ongoing and we will communicate when there is a decision, which will probably be later today,” the spokesperson said.

The EU liberalised all imports from Ukraine for an initial 12 months from June 2022 to help Kyiv’s efforts to fend off Russia’s invasion. Last month it agreed to extend the tariff suspension for a further year.

The five countries saw a huge rise in imports from Ukraine following the suspension of tariffs.

UK PM says Wallace "widely-respected" when asked about NATO prospects

Monday 5 June 2023 12:05 , Eleanor Noyce

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the country’s defence minister Ben Wallace was “widely-respected” when asked about his candidacy to lead NATO, adding that the UK had always been a strong contributor to the transatlantic military alliance.

Wallace said in May that he would like to be NATO’s next secretary-general. His current boss, Sunak, told reporters on Monday that conversations about NATO’s next leader were happening amongst world leaders.

“I would say Ben is widely-respected amongst his colleagues around the world, particularly for the role he’s played in Ukraine,” Sunak said.

“Britain has always been a leading contributor to NATO... And we will always continue to be a strong contributor, a participant in NATO.”

Russia says it repelled Ukrainians trying to enter Belgorod region on Sunday

Monday 5 June 2023 12:01 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Monday that it had repelled a Ukrainian attempt to cross into the Belgorod region in southern Russia on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported.

It said that “more than 10” Ukrainian fighters had been killed by air and artillery strikes, the RIA news agency reported. Reuters was not able to independently verify the account.

A pro-Ukraine group of Russian partisans said on Sunday that it had captured several soldiers during a cross-border raid into the Belgorod region and would hand them over to Ukrainian authorities. The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported fighting in the town of Novaya Tavolzhanka with what he called “Ukrainian saboteurs”.

In pictures: Ukrainian military vehicle hit during combat in Ukraine

Monday 5 June 2023 11:50 , Eleanor Noyce

These photos taken from a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Monday 5 June show a Ukrainian military vehicle being hit during combat in Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian military fended off an attempt by Ukraine to launch an attack in the southern part of the Donetsk region on Sunday.

 (AP)
(AP)
 (AP)
(AP)
 (AP)
(AP)
 (AP)
(AP)

EU Commission says Mercosur trade deal a priority as it seeks new allies

Monday 5 June 2023 11:40 , Eleanor Noyce

The European Commission said that concluding the Mercosur-EU agreement is a priority, adding that Latin America and Europe should work on reducing “excessive dependency” on third countries, according to a document seen by Reuters on Monday.

Brussels is launching a political and economic offensive on Latin America to secure priority access to the region’s resources - especially raw materials - identifying the region as a potential close ally in the face of “increasing geopolitical challenges”, mainly the product of the Ukraine invasion by Russia.

In a communication to be presented on 7 June and seen in advance by Reuters, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell sets out a roadmap for concluding a number of free trade and partnership agreements with Latin American countries as soon as possible, as well as for boosting bilateral relations with Mexico and Brazil.

Ukraine addresses Russian statements regarding major offensive in the east: ‘We do not have such information'

Monday 5 June 2023 11:19 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine‘s military said on Monday it had no information about a major offensive which Russia said Kyiv had launched at five points along the front line in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk.

“We do not have such information and we do not comment on any kind of fake,” a spokesperson for the Ukrainian armed forces’ general staff said in response to a question from Reuters.

Belgium investigating whether arms destined to defend Ukraine ended up in Russia fighting

Monday 5 June 2023 11:12 , Eleanor Noyce

Belgium is investigating whether weapons it sent to help Ukraine defend its territory were used in fighting just over the border following a news report that said equipment produced by a Belgian company turned up around Russia‘s Belgorod region.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo warned Monday against jumping to any hasty conclusions since shipments over decades and different regions can make arms turn up in unexpected places.

“Defense and information services started a probe to be absolutely sure what happened there,” De Croo told Belgian broadcaster VRT.

The Washington Post published extensive reporting over the weekend saying that arms from some NATO member countries, including the United States, Poland, Czechia and Belgium, had appeared in Belgorod, which borders Ukraine.

Read the full story:

Belgium investigating whether arms destined to defend Ukraine ended up in Russia fighting

Russia’s Prigozhin labels Ukraine’s reclamation of settlement north of Bakhmut a ‘disgrace’

Monday 5 June 2023 10:59 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had retaken part of the settlement of Berkhivka, north of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, calling it a “disgrace”.

Prigozhin’s private Wagner militia captured Bakhmut last month after the longest battle of the war and handed its positions there to regular Russian troops. Ukrainian forces have continued to attack areas close to the city.

“Now part of the settlement of Berkhivka has already been lost, the troops are quietly running away. Disgrace!” Prigozhin said in an audio message published by his press service.

He urged Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, to come to the front to rally the troops.

“Come on, you can do it!” he said. “And if you can’t, you’ll die heroes.”

Prigozhin has waged a public feud with Shoigu and Gerasimov for months, frequently accusing them of failing to provide sufficient ammunition and support for Wagner in the field, and so causing it to suffer needlessly heavy losses.

Ukraine may lose 20% of winter grain yield if poor weather persists

Monday 5 June 2023 10:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Most of Ukraine‘s winter grain crops are in good condition but grain yields could fall by 20% if current dry and hot weather persists, APK-Inform consultancy quoted agricultural scientists as saying on Monday.

Ukraine is a major grain grower and exporter but its production has fallen sharply since Russia invaded the country in February last year.

Grain output decreased to around 53 million tonnes in 2022 from a record 86 million tonnes in 2021. The government has said that in 2023 the harvest could decline to 44.5 million tonnes.

Winter wheat dominates the Ukrainian winter grain harvest and accounts for 95% of the country’s overall wheat production.

“In general, weather conditions for most of the spring period were sufficiently favourable for growth and development of winter cereal crops,” Ukraine‘s national academy of agricultural science said in a report.

“However, in case of continuation of dry weather in the period of grain filling, especially on the background of high air temperatures... the share of lost yields can be from 15% to 20%,” it said, giving no exact forecast of the harvest.

Scientists noted that crops which were sown very late were particularly at risk.

The Ukrainian agriculture minister told Reuters on Friday that the ministry forecast the 2023 winter grain crop at around 18 million tonnes, or 20% less than in 2022.

Kremlin calls US statement on nuclear arms control 'positive'

Monday 5 June 2023 10:41 , Eleanor Noyce

The Kremlin said on Monday that a statement by United States national security adviser Jake Sullivan calling for bilateral arms control discussions was “positive”, and that Russia remained open for dialogue.

Sullivan said on Friday that the United States would abide by the nuclear weapons limits set in the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms reduction pact between the two Cold War rivals, until its 2026 expiry if Russia did the same.

President Vladimir Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in the treaty in February.

“This is an important and positive statement by Mr Sullivan. Of course, we expect it to be de facto confirmed by steps through diplomatic channels, and then the proposed formats for dialogue can be considered,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Signed by then-U.S. president Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, the New START treaty caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the United States and Russia can deploy.

It came into force in 2011 and was extended in 2021 for five more years after Joe Biden took office as U.S. president.

Under the agreement, Moscow and Washington are committed to deploying no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and a maximum of 700 long-range missiles and bombers.

When operating as intended, the pact allows both U.S. and Russian inspectors to ensure that the other side is complying with the treaty.

Russia's most famous icon handed over from museum to church despite protests

Monday 5 June 2023 10:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian Orthodox believers celebrated Trinity Sunday with Russia’s most famous icon transferred from a museum to Moscow‘s main cathedral despite the keepers’ vociferous protests.

The Trinity icon by Andrei Rublev, which was kept in Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery since the 1920s, was moved to Christ the Savior Cathedral before the holiday on President Vladimir Putin‘s personal order.

Putin’s abrupt decision to hand over the 15th-century icon to the church came despite a strong opposition from the Tretyakov keepers, who warned that the icon was too fragile to move and requires constant care to avoid a drastic deterioraton in its condition.

Russia's most famous icon handed over from museum to church despite protests

Poland receives draft EU regulation extending ban on Ukrainian food imports

Monday 5 June 2023 10:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Poland’s agriculture minister has received a draft regulation from the European Commission extending a ban on Ukrainian grain imports until 15 September, he said on Monday.

The EU on 2 May set restrictions until 5 June on imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed to ease the excess supply of the grains in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

Those countries had complained that cheaper Ukrainian grain was making domestic production unprofitable and had asked the EU to extend the ban.

“We have received from the EC a draft of a new regulation banning the import of 4 products to the 5 countries,” Robert Telus wrote on Twitter. “The effective date provided for in the draft is 15 September this year.”

“It’s a draft but I hope it will come into force from tomorrow,” he added.

Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed can be sold to any other country in the 27-nation bloc.

The EU had earlier liberalised all imports from Ukraine to help Kyiv’s efforts to fend off Russia’s invasion. The five countries became transit routes for Ukrainian grain that could not be exported through its Black Sea ports because of the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for the unconditional removal of all export restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products at talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Russia's Prigozhin says Ukraine has retaken part of settlement north of Bakhmut

Monday 5 June 2023 10:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had retaken part of the settlement of Berkhivka, north of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, calling it a “disgrace”.

Prigozhin’s private Wagner army captured Bakhmut last month after the longest battle of the war and handed its positions there to regular Russian troops.

Papal envoy heads to Ukraine to 'listen carefully' to possible peace plans

Monday 5 June 2023 10:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, tasked by Pope Francis to carry out a peace mission to try to help end the war in Ukraine, headed to Kyiv on Monday for a two-day trip to sound out government authorities.

The Vatican announced his visit, which many observers see as an uphill effort, in a short statement. It said the main purpose was “to listen carefully to Ukrainian authorities on the possible ways to reach a just peace and support humanitarian gestures that may help ease tensions”.

It was not clear if Zuppi, who is archbishop of Bologna and head of the Italian Bishops Conference, would meet President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky met the pope at the Vatican on 13 May and later appeared cool to the prospects of any papal initiative that would put Ukraine on an equal footing with Russia, which invaded its neighbour on 24 Feb 2022.

Zuppi, 67, told reporters last month that he did not foresee a mediation in the strict sense of the word but that he was ready to “do anything” to help ease tensions.

“We can’t watch a war without at least saying that we are close to the victims and seeking in every way possible to alleviate the consequences,” he said.

At the meeting in May, Zelensky asked the pope to back Kyiv’s peace plan, which Zelensky has repeatedly said is not open to negotiation.

Russia claims it thwarted Ukrainian attacks in provinces annexed by Moscow

Monday 5 June 2023 10:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian officials said their forces thwarted large Ukrainian attacks in two provinces of Ukraine illegally annexed by Moscow. Ukraine did not confirm the attacks, making it unclear whether they marked the start of an anticipated counteroffensive.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a rare early morning video released Monday that its forces pushed back a “large scale” assault Sunday at five points in southern Ukraine’s Donetsk province, one of four regions that President Vladimir Putin claimed as Russian territory last fall but is only partially controlled by Moscow.

“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defenses in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front,” Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. “The enemy did not achieve its tasks. It had no success.”

Konashenkov said 250 Ukrainian personnel were killed, and 16 Ukrainian tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armoured combat vehicles were destroyed.

Susie Blann has more:

Russia claims it thwarted Ukrainian attacks in provinces annexed by Moscow

Saudi Arabia welcomes Venezuelan leader Maduro, reaching out to yet another US foe

Monday 5 June 2023 09:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Saudi Arabia has welcomed Venzuelan President Nicolas Maduro on an official visit, reaching out to yet another U.S. foe as the oil-rich kingdom engages in a flurry of diplomacy.

Maduro arrived late Sunday in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where he was greeted by Saudi officials, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

Last month, the Saudis welcomed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a close Western ally, to an Arab League summit. But days later, they hosted a senior Russian official who is under Western sanctions.

The Saudis say they are pursuing their own national interests in a world increasingly defined by great power competition. Experts say the diplomatic surge is aimed at shoring up regional stability and improving the kingdom’s image as it seeks international investment for massive development projects.

Read more:

Saudi Arabia welcomes Venezuelan leader Maduro, reaching out to yet another US foe

Belgium investigating whether its weapons were used in Russia, PM says

Monday 5 June 2023 09:34 , Eleanor Noyce

Belgium will ask Ukraine for clarification on reports that rifles made in Belgium had been used by pro-Ukrainian forces to fight Russian troops inside Russia’s western border, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Monday.

The Washington Post on Saturday reported that anti-Kremlin fighters who launched a cross-border attack from Ukraine into the Russian Belgorod region last month used tactical vehicles originally given to Ukraine by the United States and Poland and carried rifles made in Belgium and the Czech Republic.

“Our defence ministry and its intelligence agencies have started an investigation and are asking for information to determine what has happened exactly,” De Croo said on Belgium’s Radio 1.

“European weapons are delivered to Ukraine under the condition that they are used on Ukrainian territory with the purpose of defending that territory. And we have strict controls in place to see that this is the case,” he said.

De Croo declined to comment on possible consequences if the reports were confirmed.

“We must not get ahead of ourselves here,” the prime minister said. “But we are analysing the situation and we would take this very seriously.”

Poland receives draft EU regulation extending ban on Ukrainian food imports

Monday 5 June 2023 09:29 , Eleanor Noyce

Poland’s agriculture minister has received a draft regulation from the European Commission extending a ban on Ukrainian grain imports until September 15, he said on Monday.

“We have received from the EC a draft of a new regulation banning the import of 4 products to the 5 countries,” Robert Telus wrote on Twitter. “The effective date provided for in the draft is September 15 this year.”

Russia begins Baltic Sea drills one day after NATO

Monday 5 June 2023 09:21 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia said on Monday it began holding naval drills in the Baltic Sea, one day after NATO member states kicked off their annual Baltic drills.

On the NATO side, 6,000 personnel, 50 ships and more than 45 aircraft are taking part, with Finland participating for the first time as an alliance member, the United States Navy said.

The Russian military said up to 40 ships and boats, 25 aircraft and around 3,500 personnel will take part in its exercises, which are scheduled to last until June 15.

Moscow also began drills in the Sea of Japan and far eastern Sea of Okhotsk on Monday, which will involve over 60 warships and support vessels from its Pacific Fleet.

He fled Ukraine under the barrel of a gun. Now his invention could turn the tide of Putin’s war

Monday 5 June 2023 09:15 , Eleanor Noyce

An aerospace engineer and entrepreneur who left the USSR as a child has created “robot” planes that he says could “change the world” and hopes they’ll be used in the war to help his birthplace.

Gene Avakyan knows what it’s like to grow up during times of tension, having been born in Kyiv, Ukraine, before leaving the country when he was just nine years old – fleeing in the middle of the night and made to walk a gauntlet of “soldiers with AK-47s” just to get on a train.

Gene Avakyan knows what it’s like to grow up during times of tension, Robert Waugh writes:

He fled Ukraine under the barrel of a gun. Now his invention could derail Putin’s war

Papal peace envoy Zuppi to visit Kyiv on June 5-6, Vatican says

Monday 5 June 2023 09:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, tasked by Pope Francis to carry out a peace mission to try to help end the war in Ukraine, will visit Kyiv on Monday and Tuesday, the Vatican said in a statement.

“This is an initiative whose main purpose is to listen in depth to the Ukrainian authorities on the possible ways to reach a just peace and support gestures of humanity that may help ease tensions,” it said.

Since the war started in February 2022, Francis and the Vatican have tried to offer themselves as a possible peace brokers, but to date, their efforts have not been successful.

Zuppi hails from the Sant’ Egidio Community, a Rome-based peace and justice group, which in 1992 brokered a deal that ended the civil war in Mozambique that had killed about a million people and displaced about four million.

The pope made him a cardinal in 2019 and he was elected head of the Italian Episcopal Conference last year.

Biden set for critical talks on Ukraine this week with Denmark's Frederiksen, UK's Sunak

Monday 5 June 2023 08:45 , Eleanor Noyce

President Joe Biden is welcoming Denmark and Britain’s prime ministers this week to Washington for talks that will focus heavily on what lays ahead in the war in Ukraine —including the recently-launched effort to train, and eventually equip, Ukraine with American-made F-16s fighter jets

Britain and Denmark are playing a pivotal role in the nascent joint international plan that Biden recently endorsed after months of resisting calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for U.S. aircraft

Biden’s separate meetings with the leaders of two key NATO allies — he’ll huddle with Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen on Monday and the UK’s Rishi Sunak on Thursday — come at a crucial period in the 15-month war as Ukraine readies to launch a counteroffensive. It’s also a moment when the U.S. and Europe are looking to demonstrate to Moscow that the Western-alliance remains strong and focused on cementing a longer-term commitment to Ukraine with no end to the conflict in sight.

Aamer Madhani writes:

Biden set for critical talks on Ukraine this week with Denmark's Frederiksen, UK's Sunak

Two drones fall on highway in Russia's Kaluga region - governor

Monday 5 June 2023 08:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Two drones fell on a highway in Russia‘s Kaluga region that borders with the Moscow region to its north, with the local governor saying on Monday there was no detonation of explosives.

“The area has been cordoned off,” the governor of the region, Vladislav Shapsha, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Based on the information provided by Shapsha, the drones fell some 280km-300km (174 miles-186 miles) from Moscow.

Last week, Russia said Ukrainian drones struck wealthy districts of Moscow, which Kyiv denied.

Russia’s Baltic Fleet starts naval drills in Baltic Sea

Monday 5 June 2023 08:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia‘s Baltic Fleet started naval exercises in the Baltic Sea on Monday, the Russian military’s press service said.

Around 3,500 soldiers and up to 40 ships and boats will take part in the drills, which are scheduled to last until June 15, the military said.

US defense secretary discusses upgrading ties with India to counter China

Monday 5 June 2023 08:16 , Eleanor Noyce

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday discussed upgrading partnership with India, a major arms buyer, as both countries grapple with China’s economic rise and increased belligerence, officials said.

Austin met with India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, with both sides emphasizing technology partnerships including defense, clean energy and space. India is working to promote its domestic defense industry by acquiring technology and reducing reliance on imports, particularly from Russia, its largest supplier of military hardware despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“I’m returning to India to meet with key leaders for discussions about strengthening our Major Defense Partnership. Together, we’re advancing a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Austin tweeted after his arrival in New Delhi on Sunday.

Ashok Sharma reports:

US defense secretary discusses upgrading ties with India to counter China

Heavy fighting reported in battlefield areas controlled by Russia

Monday 5 June 2023 07:52 , Arpan Rai

Heavy fighting has been reported this morning by some prominent Russian military bloggers, including Semyon Pegov, who blogs under the name War Gonzo.

Ukrainian forces are attacking near Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region, the military blogger said, adding that “there is a tough fight going on”.

Other Russian military bloggers reported also heavy fighting today morning near Bakhmut, nearby Soledar and Vuhledar in the Donetsk region.

Russia buying back military supplies from Myanmar and India – report

Monday 5 June 2023 07:21 , Arpan Rai

Russia is likely buying back military supplies previously exported to Myanmar and India, customs clearance data assessed by Nikkei analysis shows.

The report cites records of Russian repurchases of parts for tanks and missiles exported previously to Myanmar and India, likely in a bid to reimport the components to improve older weapons expected to be used in Ukraine.

From India, Russia’s Machine-Building Design Bureau (NPK KBM) looking after the country’s missile production purchased six components for night-vision sight for ground-to-air missiles for $150,000 (£120,757) in August and November last year, the report shows.

The order was placed with the Indian Ministry of Defence.

While Russia likely reimported the parts for repairs, no records have been found of the items being sent back to India this year till March, the report added.

Russia possesses around 5,000 tanks, as per the annual report by the British think tank The International Institute for Strategic Studies in its 2023 edition of “The Military Balance”.

Russia firing Iranian Shaheds to exhaust valuable air defence missiles, says UK MoD

Monday 5 June 2023 07:02 , Arpan Rai

Russia is likely launching hundreds of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) like Iranian Shahed drones in an attempt to force Ukraine to fire stocks of valuable, advanced air defence missiles, the British defence ministry said today.

In just the month of May, Russia launched over 300 Iranian Shahed series one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA-UAVs) against Ukraine, marking “its most intense use of this weapon system to date”, the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that Russia is unlikely to have been notably successful. “Ukraine has neutralised at least 90 per cent of the incoming OWA-UAVs mostly using its older and cheaper air defence weapons and with electronic jamming,” the ministry said.

“Russia has also likely been attempting to locate and strike Ukrainian forces well behind the front line. However, Russia remains very ineffective at hitting such dynamic targets at range because of its poor targeting processes,” it added.