[Korrespondent] 22:42 The West estimates the losses of the Russian Federation in the Bakhmut region at more than 60,000 soldiers killed and wounded, Sky News reports, citing a Western official. At the same time, he noted that this is a "conservative estimate", and at least a third of this figure is the dead. The total number of losses of the Russian Federation in the war with Ukraine, according to the official, exceeds 200 thousand people.
He also confirmed that Wagner PMC forces are in the process of withdrawing from Bakhmut, but replacing these force elements requires significant effort from Russia's already overstretched regular forces.
22:20 Zelensky said in an evening video message that today in Moldova the Ukrainian delegation held very important negotiations: with the presidents of Moldova, France, the European Commission, Romania, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, as well as with the prime ministers of Great Britain, Portugal, Albania, North Macedonia, Spain, the Czech Republic , with the Chancellor of Germany. There was also an extended format with representatives of the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Britain, Poland, Belgium, as well as meetings on the sidelines of the summit and a joint meeting of all summit participants.
The President announced the preparation of new defense solutions for Ukraine: "This applies to air defense, aviation, and our advancement on the ground. We are preparing a real political content for the NATO summit in Vilnius. We are preparing a package of security guarantees for our state on the way to the Alliance. We are doing everything to to bring closer the EU's political decision on membership for Ukraine. We are preparing a peace summit based on the Ukrainian peace formula."
Separately, Zelensky thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for supporting initiatives to protect and return Ukrainian children; the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, who today held a special session on security issues at the summit; Head of the European Parliament Robert Metzola - for the decision on ammunition for Ukraine and the allocation of an additional 500 million euros for this.
22:11 Zelensky said that during the meeting with Macron, the agreement reached during the bilateral meeting in Paris on France's support for the Ukrainian air defense capabilities was confirmed. "We are ready to develop framework conditions for the start of training of Ukrainian pilots of combat aircraft. We instructed the Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and France to work together on the development of an official decision on specific volumes and a mechanism for training pilots, which will be adopted at the next meeting in the Ramstein format by all countries participating in the training initiative fighter aircraft pilots," the Ukrainian president said.
21:46 Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the heads of government of several European countries, during negotiations with Zelensky, promised to provide Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. He also noted that he agreed with the Ukrainian president the schedule of exercises for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
21:39 Throughout the spring, Ukraine and the world have been waiting for the widely announced counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But it never started. About the reasons - in the material Why didn't it start?
21:28 As part of the investigation into the consequences of not allowing citizens to enter the shelter in Kiev, law enforcement officers detained four people: the first deputy head of the Desnyanskaya Regional State Administration, the director of the medical facility and his deputy, as well as a security guard. Three detainees are being prepared for a report on suspicion of official negligence, which entailed grave consequences, a security guard - in leaving in danger, resulting in death, the prosecutor's office said.
21:00 Zelensky said that Ukraine could intervene in the situation in Transnistria, but only if Moldova asks for it: "Ukraine can respond and help only if there is a request from the authorities of the Republic of Moldova." In his opinion, Pridnestrovie should unite with Moldova. The President also recalled how he was driving through Transnistria and was surprised to see the flags of Russia, and not Moldova, there.
20:47 Brazilian President Lula da Silva condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while he had previously taken a neutral position and said that he did not want to take sides. He also reaffirmed his position in favor of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, writes The Guardian.
20:39 Russians during the day fired at settlements of Donetsk region. According to the prosecutor's office, one person died in Avdiivka, four were wounded in the village of Antonovka, Pokrovsky district, and three more - in Krasnogorovka, New York and Lastochkino.
20:28 The Cabinet of Ministers decided to check the operation of all shelters in the country and, in particular, in Kiev. At any time during the air raid, they should be available to everyone, Shmyhal said. Amendments to the legislation will also be developed to strengthen the criminal liability of those who, through their negligence, expose citizens to mortal danger. "The punishment will be severe so that such egregious cases do not happen again," the prime minister stressed.
20:22 The European Parliament supported a bill to increase the European production of ammunition and missiles. It should expedite the delivery of ammunition and missiles to Ukraine and help Member States replenish their arsenals. Christian Bouchoi, head of the EP negotiating team, said that "today's decision marks a significant step forward for the security and defense of our Union, in particular in our unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression."
20:17 The EU is working on a four-year plan to finance Ukraine for "tens of billions" of euros, writes the Financial Times.
19:50 Zelensky, during his visit to Moldova, held an informal meeting with the leaders of European countries as part of a coalition of fighters. The Prime Ministers of Great Britain, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Sweden and Belgium took part in the talks. They discussed practical issues related to the start of training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets and other types of aircraft, and agreed to start this process in the near future.
The participants of the meeting also touched upon the issues of future deliveries of aircraft and the creation of the infrastructure necessary for them, agreed to continue, after consultations with the American side, work on an official decision to create a coalition of combat aircraft at the next meeting in the Ramstein format. During the meeting, Zelensky also raised the issue of the need to form a coalition of Patriot air defense systems against the backdrop of increased rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities by the Russian Federation.
19:41 Russia has notified the Joint Coordinating Center in Istanbul to restrict the passage of ships to the Odessa port of Yuzhny as part of the grain agreement until the export of ammonia through the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline begins, the UN reported.
19:27 SpaceX Elon Musk received a contract from the US Department of Defense for the supply of Starlink satellite terminals to Ukraine, the Pentagon said.
19:09 Shelters in Kiev will now be open permanently, said Roman Tkachuk, director of the Department of Municipal Security of the Kyiv City State Administration. According to him, the corresponding decision was made today.
18:12 Forced evacuation of 239 children has been announced in seven settlements of the Donetsk region, the Ministry of Reintegration reported. Mandatory evacuation will be from places "where the situation remains critical": the city of Zaliznoye, the village of New York and Severny, and the villages of Konstantinovka, Ivanopolye, Nikolaevka, Podolsk.
17:53 Presidents of Ukraine and Romania Volodymyr Zelensky and Klaus Iohannis met in Moldova and signed a joint declaration, according to which Bucharest supported Kiev on the path to full membership in NATO.
17:46 Soldiers of the Legion of Freedom of Russia and the Russian Volunteer Corps said that today, June 1, they launched a second raid into the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation. Right now, according to their information, battles with "Putin's troops" are going on in the vicinity of the city of Shebekino. More details - in the material The second raid and Shebekino on fire .
17:10 Austria is preparing for a possible cessation of Russian gas transit through Ukraine, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer said: "We are constantly preparing for serious challenges. Therefore, our storage facilities are already 75% full. And we are also negotiating with those who have new gas volumes . If Russian gas runs out completely, OMV is already working on it."
16:44 The Russians are expanding their intelligence network in the occupied territories of Ukraine, said Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar. In particular, they force local entrepreneurs involved in the provision of transport services to the population, including ordinary carriers and taxi drivers, to report immediately on the discovery of people with pro-Ukrainian sentiments and on any violations of the occupation regime. In case of evasion, the occupiers immediately prohibit the activities of local transport workers.
16:36 The American company Global Military Products received a $118.3 million contract from the Pentagon for the purchase and supply of Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine. Estimated completion date is May 30, 2024.
16:30 Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda offered to provide compensation to Ukraine if the country cannot be admitted to NATO: "We have said many times that empty wording about open doors to NATO cannot be repeated. We must find something to compensate for our inability to provide Ukraine with full membership in NATO at the present time".
16:07 NATO has not yet made decisions on security guarantees for Ukraine and considers Kiev's victory in the war with Russia a priority, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. In turn, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Washington and its allies intend to provide Ukraine with a "solid package of political and material assistance" by the July NATO summit in Vilnius.
15:43 The joint coordination center in Istanbul announced the actual stoppage of the grain corridor. The Russian delegation again refused to register the incoming fleet for participation in the Black Sea Initiative, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure. Thus, within two days, May 30-31, Russia without explanation registered for inspection only one incoming vessel at the port of Chernomorsk, while the other parties of the SKC confirmed ten vessels for participation at three ports. As a result, 50 ships are waiting for inspection in the territorial waters of Turkey.
15:35 The Senate of the Czech Republic adopted a resolution on the need for Ukraine to join NATO as soon as possible. The document says, in particular, that the Czech Republic supports training, providing weapons and other military equipment to Ukraine in coordination with the allies. The Saeima of Latvia also urged NATO to make a decision on inviting Ukraine to the Alliance.
In turn, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that the training of the Ukrainian military under the NATO flag is unacceptable, since the Alliance should avoid a direct clash with Russia.
15:32 Zelensky during a visit to Moldova said that doubts about Ukraine's membership in NATO threaten Europe: "I would like to emphasize that in the summer in Vilnius, at the NATO summit, clear invitations to NATO membership are needed, and security guarantees are needed all the way to NATO membership.
15:27 The Russians hit Kharkov, two hits were recorded on an industrial facility in the Industrial District of the city, one person was injured, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.
15:04 Peskov said that the situation with shelling in the Belgorod region "cannot in any way influence the course of the special operation as a whole." In the meantime, Putin signed a decree awarding Vladimir Zhdanov, head of the Shebekino administration, the Order of Courage "for courage and dedication shown in the performance of civic duty."
14:49 Russian aircraft attacked a bakery in Berislav, Kherson region, two people were injured. Another person was wounded as a result of mortar shelling of the city, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. Also, enemy aircraft attacked the Cossack Novokakhovskaya community, damaged houses.
14:31 The Marine Corps, which is currently being created in Ukraine, will be engaged in complex amphibious naval operations. They will be armed, in particular, with floating armored vehicles, said Naval Forces Commander Alexei Neizhpapa. He stressed that Ukraine is a maritime state, because it has a coastline of more than 2,700 km, of which 1,700 km is a sea border. Therefore, the entire coast, along with rivers, estuaries, bays, ports, requires protection. It is the Marine Corps that is entrusted with the task of ensuring the security or liberation of these territories.
The main tasks of the marines are the protection of naval bases and ports, as well as the capture of bridgeheads held by the enemy. For this, the Marine Corps units must be trained and have the necessary weapons and equipment. The commander of the Navy specified that the number of Marine Corps personnel will be increased through the creation of new brigades and other units - artillery, support, support.
14:06 Zelensky said at the summit of the European political community in Moldova that two coalitions - Patriot missile systems and fighter jets - will help defeat Russian terror. According to him, a decision is needed on the full protection of Ukraine from Russian attacks on the ground and in the sky.
Zelensky also believes that all countries that have common borders with Russia, including Ukraine, should join the EU and NATO as soon as possible, otherwise they will have only two options - open war or occupation. “We see what is happening in Belarus and Georgia. People are being drawn into a state of lawlessness,” the president added.
13:24 Speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Ignat said that Ukraine does not attack targets in Russia, and therefore cannot hit Iskander missile systems in the Russian Federation - this would violate obligations to international partners.
13:05 The Russians have changed the format of the operation in the Bakhmut direction, so there is a temporary lull, said Alexander Syrsky, commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He also confirmed the previously announced information that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had suspended the advance on the flanks in the Bakhmut direction: “Over the past few days, the advance on the flanks has been suspended, since other important tasks were being carried out there. The command of our group is taking appropriate measures aimed at restoring the combat capability of our parts and disruption of hostile intentions".
12:49 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that this morning a new attempt by the "Kyiv regime" to carry out a "terrorist act against the civilian population of the city of Shebekino" was thwarted. According to Moscow, allegedly "Ukrainian formations" with up to two motorized infantry companies, reinforced with tanks, attempted to invade - three attacks were repelled, "the border was not violated."
12:25 SBU detained a Russian agent in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who collected information about Western weapons and the deployment of air defense. It turned out to be a resident of Bakhmut, who, even before the start of a full-scale invasion, was recruited by the GRU, and then instructed to mobilize into the ranks of the Defense Forces. The perpetrator faces life imprisonment.
11:53 The Legion of Freedom of Russia announced that its fighters destroyed one military truck with ammunition and a Tulip self-propelled mortar in the Belgorod region. And the Russian Volunteer Corps said that Grad used rocket systems to cover the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Shebekino when Russian security forces and military gathered there.
11:51 Russians fired at the Dnipro district of Kherson in the morning, two people were injured, the OVA reported. Damaged house, cars.
11:45 Germany handed over to Ukraine two military tractors, seven THeMIS unmanned platforms and ammunition for Leopard 1 tanks. The German government also announced the delivery of 64 Bandvagn all-terrain vehicles and 66 armored personnel carriers.
11:21 Peskov said that Putin, in connection with the situation around Shebekino, "constantly receives reports" from the Ministry of Defense, the border service, the FSB, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and from regional authorities.
11:19 In Kiev, the patrol police will help control the work of shelters at night, Klitschko said. They will go around the curfew during the air raid of the shelters that are on the map of the city, check if they are open, and promptly transmit information to city services.
11:14 The Russians have been shelling the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region since the very morning. In particular, the Marganets community and Nikopol suffered, two people were injured. A five-story building, a private residential building, cars, a power line and a gas pipeline were damaged, said Serhiy Lysak, head of the OVA.
11:10 As a result of the night shelling of the capital, 16 people were injured, three were killed, Klitschko specified. Nine people were hospitalized, one of them in serious condition.
10:56 German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock said that NATO cannot accept new members while they are at war: "NATO's open door policy remains in place, but at the same time it is clear that we cannot talk about accepting new members at the height of the war."
10:31 NATO foreign ministers meet in Oslo today. Stoltenberg said that they will discuss, in particular, the desire of Ukraine to join the Alliance and its further support in the war with Russia.
Stoltenberg also, commenting on the latest series of attacks on Russian territory, said that Ukraine has every right to defend itself. The Secretary General assured that the allies are determined to support Ukraine for as long as necessary, and this does not make NATO a party to the conflict. "NATO in this situation has two tasks: to support Ukraine, which we are doing, and to prevent the aggressive war of the Russian Federation from going beyond Ukraine," he added.
10:25 Prigozhin said that Wagner PMC units are leaving Bakhmut for the rear areas. The main part will be released today, the rest - until June 5th.
10:16 Zelensky announced that he is on a visit to Moldova , taking part in the summit of the European Political Community. "Many bilateral meetings. We are developing a coalition of fighters and we are proposing a coalition of Patriots. The EU, NATO, the formula for peace. Everything is to protect our future," the president announced.
09:55 British intelligence has noticed that over the past 15 months, restrictions on freedom of speech have been introduced in Russia, unprecedented since Soviet times. However, there is a real possibility that the recent rhetoric of nationalist figures such as Prigozhin is encouraging the opposition to break the taboo.
Thus, on May 27, Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin appeared on the Russian NTV channel and called for the election of a new president in 2024 in order to resume normal relations with Europe. Nadezhdin has been openly critical of the war since the invasion, but this is likely the first call for Putin's replacement on Russian state television since it began, analysts say.
09:48 Three people, including a child, died in the Desnyansky district of the capital near the shelter, which, according to the victims, was closed. Read more about what happened - in the material Tragedy in Kiev .
09:33 As a result of a night rocket attack on Kiev in a clinic in the Desnyansky district, two women and a nine-year-old child of one of them were killed, the National Police said. Another 11 people were injured.
09:22 In Kiev, after today's tragedy, all events planned for Children's Day have been canceled, Klitschko said.
09:19 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, two people were killed (in Udachny and Chasovoy Yar), five more were injured. In the Kharkiv region, one person was killed and one wounded as a result of the shelling of Volchansk, Chuguevsky district. In the Kherson region, one person died and five were injured, including one child, according to the IVA.
09:08 The operational headquarters of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation claims that there was no breakthrough of the "Armed Forces of Ukraine" into the region, the situation in the Shebekinsky urban district is now difficult, shelling is underway, sounds of battle are heard. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov also said that "there was no enemy on the territory of the Belgorod region, but there are constant shelling."
08:53 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of June 1.
- personnel - about 208,370 (+460) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3804 (+2),
- armored combat vehicles - 7478 (+6),
- artillery systems - 3474 (+14),
- MLRS - 575 (+0),
- air defense systems - 333 (+0),
- aircraft - 313 (+0),
- helicopters - 298 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 3131 (+7),
- cruise missiles - 1107 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 6239 (+9),
- special equipment - 458 (+4).
08:42 There was no access to the shelter in the clinic in the Desnyansky district of the capital, because of which people died. Klitschko said that specialists from the municipal security department had already gone there and were investigating why the shelter was closed. "The responsibility for the work of the shelter lies with the head of the medical institution and the head of the district, who must control the work of the shelters that are on the map of the city and must work. All decisions on the actions of responsible persons will be made today and without delay," the mayor stressed.
08:35 At night, the Russians fired ten missiles at Kyiv: seven ballistic Iskander-M and three winged Iskander-K. All of them were shot down , the air force command said. The launch was carried out from the northern direction - from the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation.
08:23 Soldiers of the Legion of Freedom of Russia said that they are now near the Ukrainian-Russian border and are going to again enter the territory of the Russian Federation. "Our struggle continues. Wait for us. Grayvoron is only the beginning. We will liberate all of Russia - from Belgorod to Vladivostok," the statement says. The fighters also claim that during the battles with the Russian side they got a lot of trophies, which will help in the further struggle.
Soldiers of the Russian Volunteer Corps also reported that they were already fighting on the territory of the Russian Federation. "Very soon the outskirts of Shebekino will appear," they said. According to them, Russian troops are shelling the city, which complicates the evacuation of local residents.
Meanwhile, the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reports that Shebekino was under constant fire all night allegedly from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to preliminary data, there are five victims.
07:50 The Russian army continues to focus its main efforts on attempts to completely occupy the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled 21 enemy attacks, the General Staff said in the morning report .
Despite numerous appeals from the IAEA and world leaders, the occupiers continue to turn Energodar in the Zaporozhye region into a military logistics base. For example, the plant of non-standard equipment and pipelines is used by the Russians for the repair of military equipment, and the occupiers turned the plant of special structures and the house-building plant into a warehouse of military equipment, weapons and ammunition.
07:24 The Russians attacked Kiev at night with missiles - preliminary, cruise and ballistic. All of them were shot down, but as a result of falling debris, there are casualties and destruction, said the head of the KGVA, Sergei Popko. According to preliminary data, three people died, including one child, ten were injured, including one child.
In the Desnyansky district, fragments of a rocket fell on a children's clinic, windows and doors were smashed in a residential building. The debris also damaged two schools, a kindergarten, and a police station. In the Dneprovsky district, a residential building, an office building, and cars were damaged. Windows in one of the houses in the Darnytskyi district were shattered, the hot water supply pipeline was damaged.
00:13 Washington supports holding a summit to achieve peace in Ukraine, even if Russia does not participate in it, said White House national security adviser John Kirby.