[Korrespondent] 23:04 The lists of Ukrainian pilots for training on modern fighters have long been formed, but so far not a single Ukrainian pilot has gone to study abroad, Yuriy Ignat, the speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said: “So far, we are not talking about pilot training. The first groups of aviation specialists have gone who are studying the possibility of further deployment of training for Ukrainian pilots.
22:45 It is not yet known whether the expected large-scale counteroffensive of Ukraine has begun, or only, as the military says, reconnaissance in force. However, it is clear that for the first time in several months, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have significantly increased the intensity of their attacks. More details in the material Attack on a wide front .
22:16 Zelensky, in an evening video message, thanked all the defenders, "who gave this day exactly the news that we are waiting for." In particular, the president noted the Bakhmut direction. "We see how hysterically Russia perceives our every step there, all our positions taken. The enemy knows that Ukraine will win. They see it. They feel it thanks to your strikes, warriors, and in particular in the Donetsk region," he added.
Zelensky also said that Ukraine is preparing new steps to further limit the Russian military potential. This applies to everyone who in one way or another helps the Russian Federation to circumvent sanctions and whom Russia uses to supply weapons, components or equipment. In addition, the head of state held a meeting today on the transformation of the country now and after the victory.
21:54 In the Kupyansky district of the Kharkiv region, as a result of Russian strikes, a pipeline with ammonia was damaged, it was depressurized, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said. The Headquarters for the Elimination of the Consequences of the Situation has been deployed in the region, all specialized services are working.
21:30 Raids by Russian anti-Putin volunteer battalions in the Belgorod region have gained unexpected international resonance. In Belgium, it was established that the fighters of the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Legion of Freedom of Russia allegedly used rifles that Brussels handed over to Ukraine. The Belgians plan to investigate. About what consequences this may have for Kiev - in the material Scandal with Belgium .
20:52 Kuleba said in an interview with Reuters that Ukraine has enough weapons for a counteroffensive. However, he did not answer the question of whether the counteroffensive had begun. According to the minister, the main thing is not when it starts, but that it ends with a victory for Ukraine, which will make Kyiv's membership in NATO possible. "NATO membership cannot stop this war, but NATO membership will stop further wars. That is why the best way to ensure security in the region is to come to a point where Ukraine becomes a member of NATO," the Foreign Minister stressed.
Kuleba also noted that NATO membership is the next big goal on the agenda after Ukraine has secured F-16 fighter jets in the future.
20:14 The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said that about 100 residents remained in Novaya Tavolzhanka, but because of the shelling, "there is no way to go there and clarify the data."
19:40 Prigozhin continues his war with the Russian Defense Ministry. The day before, he said that the regular Russian army had mined the escape routes of his mercenaries from Bakhmut. Moreover, the Russian military opened fire on the militants, as a result, a battle broke out between the Kremlin army and the Wagnerites. It seems that Prigozhin's enmity with the Russian Defense Ministry is already teetering on the brink of transition from an information war to a real one. About what to expect next - in the material The first battle of the Wagnerites with the Russian army .
19:19 Soldiers of the Russian Volunteer Corps said that they have been controlling Novaya Tavolzhanka near Belgorod for several days. According to them, the abandoned village is of no interest to either the regional or federal authorities. "Since Gladkov cannot control his sponsored territory, we will only talk with his Moscow leaders," RDK representatives said.
19:11 On the night of June 5, in the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, Belgorod Region, a senior Belgorod operational group, Colonel Andrey Stesev, was killed, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported. Previously, he served as commander of the 104th Airborne Assault Regiment of the Russian Airborne Forces.
18:55 The Russians hit Balakleya in the Kharkiv region, as of the moment, it is known about one dead and eight wounded, the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov said.
18:23 The visit of African leaders to Russia and Ukraine as part of the "peace initiative" is planned until the end of June, the non-governmental organization Brazzaville Foundation said.
18:15 Troops of the Operational-Strategic Group of Forces of Khortytsya are carrying out offensive operations on the eastern front , said Anna Malyar, Deputy Minister of Defense. According to her, the Ukrainian units advanced 200-1600 meters in the direction of Orekhovo-Vasilyevka, Praskoveevka and 100-700 meters in the direction of Ivanovskoye, Klescheevka.
17:24 Zelensky announced that he had met with British Foreign Minister James Claverley. discussed Ukraine's expectations from the Vilnius NATO Summit, the promotion of the Ukrainian formula for peace and the preparation of the Global Summit for its implementation, the London International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine.
17:11 Hearings will be held at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Russia's violation of its obligations under two conventions - on combating the financing of terrorism and the prohibition of all forms of racial discrimination, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. In particular, there will be two rounds of speeches by the parties: on June 6 and 12, the legal team of Ukraine will perform, on June 8 and 14 - Russia.
During the hearing, the parties will present in concentrated form their position, which was set out during the long stage of the exchange of written documents, which began in June 2018. The Foreign Ministry emphasizes that at this stage the court will only hear the parties and may ask additional questions. A final decision in the case is expected at a later date.
16:53 The Russians are actively launching information about the counteroffensive, because they need to divert attention from the defeat in the Bakhmut direction , Anna Malyar, Deputy Defense Minister, said. According to her, the Bakhmut direction remains the epicenter of hostilities - there the Defense Forces are moving "on a fairly wide front", are successful, occupying dominant heights. The enemy is on the defensive, he wants to hold his position. In the south, the enemy is also on the defensive, there are battles of local importance.
16:22 The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, told CNN that Ukraine is very well prepared for a counteroffensive, but it is too early to talk about its possible consequences.
16:17 During May, Russia fired 169 drones, 65 cruise missiles (X-101/555, Caliber), 13 Iskander ballistic missiles and seven Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles at Kiev, the capital's military administration said.
16:05 The head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Sinegubov, did not rule out the announcement of the forced evacuation of children and pensioners from border settlements due to increased Russian shelling.
15:53 ​​Prigozhin said last night that his mercenaries had captured Roman Vinivitin, Lieutenant Colonel of the Russian Army, who had fired at their car while withdrawing from Bakhmut. Today, the Legion of Freedom of Russia turned to Prigozhin with a proposal to exchange a lieutenant colonel of the RF Armed Forces for several Russian fighters taken prisoner during the battles in the Belgorod region.
15:19 Russian propaganda, which recently reported on the alleged "heavy injury" of Zaluzhny, is now spreading the "news" about Budanov's death. According to these reports, the head of Ukrainian intelligence was allegedly killed in a recent missile attack on a "decision center". The Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council emphasizes that this is another informational stuffing of the enemy.
14:54 The Russians fired at Toretsk, Donetsk region: according to preliminary data, the Russian army launched two attacks on the city center using the FAB-250. Six people were injured, an educational institution, residential multi-storey buildings, civil infrastructure, an administrative building and a bank building were damaged, the Office of the Prosecutor General said.
14:41 Lithuania is preparing a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, which will include, in particular, millions of ammunition and means of combating drones, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said. "In two weeks, after the Ramstein meeting, we will announce more information about the support," he added.
14:35 The German authorities are considering possible deliveries of fighter jets to Ukraine and may reconsider their position, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in an interview with DW: "Now we are in a rethinking phase and we are checking what is possible and what we want and can do. And I think we We'll decide in the next two weeks." At the same time, he added that Berlin is not yet thinking about supplying Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles.
14:30 The General Staff has no information about the "big offensive" in the Donetsk region and will not comment on fakes, a representative of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a commentary to Reuters.
14:24 In Russia, Putin allegedly sounded on the radio, in which he stated that today at four in the morning "Ukrainian troops, armed with the NATO bloc with the West and with the support of Washington, invaded the territory of the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions." Peskov said that it was a hacking of radio stations, now control has been restored.
14:05 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said that Russia "sees no prospects" for extending the grain deal. At the same time, he added that inspections of ships within the framework of the grain corridor have been resumed.
13:28 Ukraine has a network of agents in Russia and provides them with drones for attacks, CNN reports, citing US intelligence sources. U.S. officials believe that pro-Ukrainian agents inside Russia launched a drone attack on the Kremlin in early May, launching them from Russian territory rather than delivering them from Ukraine. According to CNN, sabotage cells in the Russian Federation consist, in particular, of operatives well trained in conducting this kind of war.
12:56 Russian aviation attacked Berislav, Kherson region, hitting a residential area of ​​the city with guided bombs. The premises of a private enterprise and about 20 residential buildings were damaged, two people were injured, the IVA said.
12:52 The FSB has brought squads of trained spies to Melitopol, who are looking for patriotic citizens, the mayor of the city Ivan Fedorov said.
12:33 Peskov said that Putin, along with official reports, regularly makes calls and receives "information from the ground" about the progress of the "special operation."
12:22 According to the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, as of May 2023, the permanent population of Ukraine is 29 million people. In particular, 8.6 million Ukrainians have not returned home since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. Of the 29 million, only 9.1-9.5 million Ukrainians work, and if we take away the state employees, about 6-7 million people remain.
At the same time, the fertility rate has already fallen below 1, while for population growth it should be more than 2. “If nothing is changed, in the next few years there will be twice as many working pensioners in Ukraine. That is why the issue of demography should be voiced by the President of Ukraine as priority for today and requiring urgent measures," the Institute notes.
12:14 Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced that he had ordered an investigation into the possible use of Belgian-made weapons transferred to Ukraine by participants in a raid in the Belgorod region, as previously reported by The Washington Post. He stressed that European weapons are supplied to Ukraine "on the condition that they will be used on Ukrainian territory to protect this territory."
11:39 As a result of the morning shelling of Kherson, a civilian was killed - a security guard of one of the enterprises that was hit by a Russian shell, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin.
11:22 Reznikov said in an interview with the Japanese edition of NHK that Ukraine will be ready to deploy F-16s on its territory in autumn or winter. According to him, modern fighters will not change the situation this summer, and it will take time to train pilots. Also, Kyiv still has to agree with partners on the provision of engineers and technical personnel for the maintenance and repair of aircraft.
11:18 Sky News has gained access to a plausible contract for the supply of Iranian weapons to Russia, which may be the first hard evidence that Tehran sold ammunition to Moscow for its war in Ukraine. The document, whose authenticity was confirmed to the publication by a source in the UK security agencies, refers to the supply of artillery and tank shells and missiles for a total amount of just over $1 million. The document is dated September 14, 2022.
11:13 Minister for Strategic Industries Alexander Kamyshin called the situation with shelters in Kiev critical. According to the results of two days of the commission's work, a third of the city's shelters were checked, and half of them are not ready for use.
10:57 At night and in the morning, the Russians massively shelled the residential areas of Kherson, previously from multiple launch rocket systems. The shelling was also carried out with prohibited incendiary munitions, which led to a large number of fires, the IVA said. Damaged about 20 residential buildings, garages, cars, two educational institutions. One person is injured.
The invaders also fired at one of the medical institutions, in which at the time of the attack there were 135 patients and 44 doctors. Windows and doors were shattered in the hospital, but no one was injured.
10:34 The Vatican's special envoy for Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, will arrive in Kiev on a two-day visit today to discuss "possible ways to achieve a just peace," the Vatican's press service said.
10:09 The secret Black Box project has caused more than $700 million in damage to Russia over the past month alone, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported. They clarified that the results of the work of the Black Box can be seen at many objects of the occupiers, located both in the temporarily occupied and in enemy territory.
In particular, according to the GUR, during April-May, the results of the project can be observed in logistics centers, transport hubs, in places of accumulation of military equipment and manpower, and for other purposes. Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, noted that this is only part of the information about the Black Box that can be made public.
Since the beginning of 2023, within the framework of the project, together with the Turn Back Alive Foundation, more than 270 million hryvnias have already been accumulated - this made it possible to cause significant damage to the enemy’s defense sector and reduce the number of his troops that were supposed to replenish the occupying contingent, added to the Main Intelligence Directorate.
09:35 British intelligence writes that Russia launched a record number of Iranian kamikaze drones in Ukraine in May - more than 300 pieces - in an attempt to force the Armed Forces to spend expensive missiles, but did not succeed. Analysts note that Ukraine has neutralized at least 90% of the UAVs, mostly using older and cheaper air defenses, as well as electronic jamming.
According to intelligence, Russia is also likely trying to locate and strike Ukrainian forces far behind the front lines. However, RF remains very ineffective at hitting such dynamic targets at long range due to poor targeting processes, the intelligence added.
09:07 The Center for Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has warned that Russia will step up its information and psychological operations. In particular, it is planned to disseminate unreliable information about hostilities on Russian Telegram channels and social networks. In order to demoralize Ukrainians and mislead the public, including their own population, Russian propagandists will spread fakes about the counteroffensive, its directions, and Ukraine's losses. For this, old videos and photos with damaged equipment, dead and prisoners, as well as other fake materials have been prepared.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that on the morning of June 4, the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly launched a "large-scale offensive" in five sectors of the front in the Yuzhno-Donetsk direction, all Ukrainian attacks were allegedly repulsed. Also, the RF Ministry of Defense stated that the Chief of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces Gerasimov during this period allegedly was "at one of the advanced command posts in this direction."
08:56 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, three people were injured, in Kharkiv - also three wounded, in Kherson - two, according to the OVA.
08:44 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) states that the Russian leadership does not yet have a unified position on how to respond to raids in the Belgorod region. This is evidenced, in particular, by conflicting information from official Russian sources about the situation in the region and the "apparently personal" decision of Governor Gladkov to respond to the saboteurs. The Russian leadership's comments are focused primarily on informational influence, and there are no signs that the authorities have developed a policy to prevent further raids in the border areas of the Russian Federation, analysts say.
08:16 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of June 5.
- personnel - about 210,350 (+410) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3848 (+11),
- armored combat vehicles - 7523 (+11),
- artillery systems - 3567 (+12),
- MLRS - 584 (+1),
- air defense systems - 349 (+5),
- aircraft - 313 (+0),
- helicopters - 298 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 3189 (+14),
- cruise missiles - 1136 (+4),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 6312 (+7),
- special equipment - 484 (+5).
08:10 The Russian army continues to focus its main efforts on attempts to completely occupy the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Over the past day, there have been 29 clashes, the General Staff said in the morning summary .
02:08 An energy facility is on fire in the Belgorod region, the preliminary reason is an explosive device dropped from a drone, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. According to him, there were no victims, there were no power cuts.
00:11 Military assistance to Ukraine from the EU countries amounted to 12 billion euros, said the head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas. He clarified that it includes weapons and training. The EU will train 30,000 Ukrainian troops by the end of this year, and plans to purchase 1 million artillery shells within one year.