Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:35 Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo again stated that his country will not allow the use of its weapons, including the F-16, outside the territory of Ukraine.
22:24 German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius considers the correct decision to allow Ukraine to carry out strikes with German weapons on individual military targets on Russian territory: “This is what we have always done since the beginning of the war that Putin is waging against Ukraine. We adapted to the situation, adapted our strategy in each specific case."
21:06 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Ankara does not want NATO “participation” in the war in Ukraine, but supports the provision of military assistance to Kiev. According to him, Türkiye “supports continued assistance to Ukraine and Ukraine’s ability to contain” Russia.
19:49 The Ministry of Defense called on people's deputies to identify bill No. 6569-d on the creation of the Military Police on the basis of the Military Law Enforcement Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a priority. It will have the right to search, detain military personnel, record crimes and protect their rights. The ministry emphasizes the need for investigative powers for the Military Police and plans to work with MPs to improve the bill.
19:22 The Russians shelled Drobyshevo, Donetsk region - at least one person was killed and three were wounded, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin. Four private houses were completely destroyed, another five were damaged.
19:16 Ukrenergo stated that it is returning to planned restrictions on electricity consumption. On Saturday, June 1, consumption limits will be in effect throughout Ukraine from 18:00 to 23:00. The reason is massive enemy attacks on Ukrainian power plants, as well as planned maintenance of power plants. The company recalled that from March 22 to May 8, the Russians deliberately attacked all large thermal and hydroelectric power plants five times.
18:54 The Polish agency PAP twice published news about mobilization in Poland for the war in Ukraine. The publication claims that it was hacked. The news said that the mobilization of 200 thousand citizens would allegedly begin in Poland, who “will be called up for compulsory military service and sent to Ukraine.” Minister of Digitalization Krzysztof Gawkowski announced a Russian cyber attack, the purpose of which is “disinformation before the elections and to paralyze the public.”
18:35 Poland is studying the possibility of preparing a unit of Ukrainians living in the country and subject to mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, writes Rzeczpospolita. “Poland has considered Ukraine’s request for training, but we have come to the conclusion that it would be safer and more effective to train a Ukrainian unit from Ukrainians in Poland subject to conscription into the Ukrainian army, and that this would be a more effective way to help Ukraine,” Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.
18:17 Zelensky said in an interview with The Guardian that he asked former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to talk to Trump so that he could convince Republicans in Congress to allocate $61 billion for Ukraine. Johnson spoke with the former head of the White House; Zelensky called the conversation “productive” and noted that Johnson “really helped Ukraine.”
17:46 Zelensky said that Ukraine did not receive “100% permission” from Britain to use Storm Shadow on Russian territory. At the same time, he suggested that the final decision of London, as well as Kyiv’s other allies, would depend on “consensus,” although the final word belongs to the United States.
17:30 The German Foreign Ministry officially announced the transfer to Ukraine of an assistance package worth 500 million euros and another Patriot system.
16:57 Blinken confirmed that Ukraine has received permission to carry out strikes on Russian territory: “Over the past several weeks, Ukraine has approached us and asked for permission to use the weapons that we provide to defend against this aggression, including Russian troops that are massing on the Russian side borders, and then attack Ukraine. This is the right of the president, and, as you heard, he approved the use of our weapons for these purposes."
The Secretary of State also added that the United States “will continue to adapt and adjust, we will provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs.” Blinken does not believe the policy change will lead to escalation.
16:14 Stoltenberg proposed to allocate 40 billion euros to help Ukraine annually and make the allocation of these funds mandatory. “We have already provided Ukraine with 40 billion euros of assistance per year, and I ask that we take exactly the same commitment for the next years,” the secretary general said.
16:03 The United States allowed to hit Russian territory with HIMARS systems and artillery, but without using ATACMS, writes The Wall Street Journal.
15:36 The number of deaths in Kharkov as a result of the overnight Russian strike has increased to six, the regional prosecutor's office reported.
15:30 Mobilization in Ukraine increased after the new law came into force, Zelensky said: “Mobilization went on and on. To be honest, after the law it, to be honest, increased.” The president also said that only today he received a message from the military about US permission to strike Russian territory with American weapons. “We had a message from the American side. Early this morning I received this message from my military. I cannot tell you details about this,” the head of state noted. He called this resolution "a step forward."
15:23 A “very powerful package” of assistance to Ukraine will be announced at the summit in Washington, Blinken said before the start of an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague.
14:59 Germany allowed Ukraine to launch strikes on Russian territory for a maximum of 40 km and only in the Kharkov region, writes Bild. According to the publication, two German weapons systems are being considered for attacks on Russian territory - the Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer and the Mars II armored multiple launch rocket system.
14:28 Ukraine signed an agreement on security cooperation and long-term support with Norway. According to the document, this year Norway will provide Ukraine with at least 13.5 billion Norwegian kroner (about 1.2 billion euros) of military assistance. In total, Norway has included almost 6.4 billion euros in the long-term program for 2023-2027. Norway will transfer F-16 fighters to Ukraine, and will also make a significant contribution to the development of maritime capabilities in the Black and Azov Seas, will continue to provide NASAMS systems and equipment for them, and will train specialists. Also, Ukraine and Norway will work to deepen defense-industrial cooperation.
Norway is the 15th country with which a bilateral security agreement has been concluded. Previously, Ukraine signed similar documents with the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, Latvia, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden and Iceland.
13:57 Ukraine and Iceland signed a security agreement. According to the document, during 2024-2028 Iceland will annually allocate at least 4 billion ISK (about $30 million) to Ukraine. Iceland will also finance, purchase and supply defense materials and equipment, and cooperate with Ukraine to develop its defense industry. In addition, Iceland commits to continue transporting military supplies and equipment from NATO allies to Ukraine via chartered cargo planes. Iceland will also pay special attention to supporting and equipping Ukrainian women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
13:49 Zelensky confirmed that 75 Ukrainians returned from captivity, including soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard, border guards, and four civilians.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War clarified that among those released were 70 men and five women, six officers and 65 representatives of privates and sergeants. At least a third of those rescued are injured, seriously ill or disabled.
In particular, 37 representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were released from captivity, including 13 Navy soldiers and two representatives of the Air Force. Also released from captivity were 21 national guardsmen, seven border guards, six terrorist fighters and four Ukrainian civilians. 19 defenders of Zmeiny Island, 14 military personnel guarding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, as well as ten defenders of Mariupol were returned to Ukraine. Today's exchange is the 52nd since the start of the full-scale invasion. To date, 3,210 Ukrainians have been released from captivity.
13:13 Zelensky will take part in the security conference Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend, writes Reuters. Among the conference participants are US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun. Two sources of the publication reported that Zelensky will speak to delegates on Saturday, June 1.
13:09 The Russian Ministry of Defense announced an exchange of prisoners with Ukraine according to the 75-75 formula through the mediation of the UAE.
12:50 Ukraine and Sweden signed a security agreement. According to the document, during 2024-2026 Sweden will provide Ukraine with military assistance worth 75 billion Swedish kronor (about 6.5 billion euros). The amount of assistance will increase over the ten-year validity period of the document. Military support includes aviation and air defense, armored vehicles, artillery, enhanced maritime security, UAVs, and mine clearance.
A unique part of the agreement with Sweden is the provision of specialized ASC 890 aircraft, as well as the prospect of transferring JAS 39 Gripen aircraft to Ukraine, including related training. Sweden will also support the development of Ukraine's modern defense industrial potential and develop bilateral cooperation on the localization, repair, maintenance and production of Swedish defense products in Ukraine.
12:41 American officials expect that the first attacks on Russian territory using American weapons could begin within a few hours or days, writes The New York Times.
12:35 On the night of May 30, SBU military counterintelligence drones struck the Russian Nebo-SVU radar located near Armyansk in the northern part of Crimea, Ukrainian media write, citing sources in the intelligence service. The radar station, costing $100 million, monitored a 380-kilometer-long section of the front.
12:32 Germany has officially allowed Ukraine to attack targets in Russia using German weapons to protect against Russian attacks in the border region around Kharkov, said German government spokesman Steffen Gebestreit.
12:17 Ukraine has returned the bodies of 212 dead soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
11:51 Ukraine has received permission from the United States to use American weapons to strike Russian territory, but with restrictions, Zelensky’s press secretary Sergei Nikiforov told The Guardian. This decision allows Ukraine to use HIMARS missile systems to strike Russian troops and command and control centers near the border with the Kharkov region.
11:32 Poland is preparing a new, 45th package of military assistance to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said. According to him, Poland provided Ukraine with support worth 4 billion euros in the form of military assistance alone.
11:20 The Netherlands is not against Ukraine’s future use of F-16s on Russian territory as a means of self-defense, Foreign Minister Hanke Bruyns-Slot said. She added that the use of Western aviation over the territory of the Russian Federation allows Ukraine to be used by Article 51 of the UN Charter, which talks about the right to self-defense.
11:16 The death toll in Kharkov has risen to five - another body was released from the rubble, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OBA. The rubble is being cleared and there may be people under it.
11:11 Zelensky said that he is on a visit to Stockholm and will sign three security agreements today. The President will take part in the third Ukraine-Northern Europe summit, and will also hold a number of meetings with the leaders of Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, as well as with King Charles XVI of Sweden and representatives of defense companies. “Our key priorities: air defense for Ukraine - we must provide more systems, joint defense production - and providing our soldiers with weapons, as well as our global work to force Russia to peace,” the head of state said.
10:52 Lithuania is ready to send its military instructors to Ukraine if necessary, said Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.
10:48 This night the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Navy hit the ferry crossing and the oil terminal of the port of Kavkaz in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation, the General Staff reported. The attack on the oil terminal near the port of Kavkaz was carried out by several Ukrainian-made missiles from the Neptune coastal missile system. The results of objective monitoring confirm explosions at target sites, and the accuracy of hitting targets is being further explored. In addition, attack UAVs of the Defense Forces hit another oil terminal in the Krasnodar Territory.
10:35 The Chinese Foreign Ministry officially confirmed that the country will not be represented at the Peace Summit in Switzerland: “The plan for the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland is at odds with the demands of China and the expectations of the world, so it is difficult for Beijing to participate in such a meeting.”
10:29 Germany will discuss the possibility of launching strikes with German weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. “Scholz recently said unequivocally that weapons can be used within the framework of international law. This is what we will consider. Bilateral treaties do not exist to publicly discuss them, whether to draw any red lines, what is tolerable and what is intolerable ", he said.
10:24 Britain has never limited Ukraine’s ability to strike Russian territory with long-range Storm Shadow missiles, Stoltenberg said. According to the Secretary General, “several other countries” have also never introduced such restrictions on their weapons.
10:13 Australia has allocated $20 million to strengthen Ukraine's energy system - instead of coal, which Kiev had previously asked for. The funds will be transferred to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, managed by both Ukraine and the European Commission. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong explained that it was "cheaper and easier" to send funds rather than coal directly. In addition, the Australian government has provided $11 million in additional humanitarian assistance.
09:32 In Volchansk, Kharkov region, on May 30, during the evacuation of animals, a volunteer from Switzerland was injured as a result of enemy shelling of the KAB, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. In addition, in the village. Novoosinovo, Kupyansky district, one person was killed and one was injured as a result of the shelling. Two more people were injured in the village. Russkaya Lozovaya, Kharkov district and one in the village. Yurchenkovo, Chuguevsky district.
09:15 Biden secretly allowed Kiev to launch strikes on Russian territory, but only near the border with the Kharkov region, Reuters writes, citing a source among American officials. “The President has directed his team to ensure that Ukraine can use U.S.-supplied weapons to counter fire activity in the Kharkiv region so that Ukraine can retaliate against Russian forces that are attacking or preparing to attack them,” the official said.
09:08 China confirmed that its representatives will not be at the summit on Ukraine in Switzerland, Reuters writes, citing four sources familiar with the matter. Beijing rejected the invitation because its key condition - the participation of Ukraine and Russia simultaneously in the summit - was not met. China's other conditions included "a fair discussion of all proposals."
09:03 In Kiev, as a result of falling debris from a downed rocket, an electrical substation in the Goloseevsky district was completely destroyed, DTEK reported. As of 8:10, power engineers began restoring power supplies. Currently, about ten private houses and one commercial premises remain without electricity.
08:57 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of May 31:
- personnel - about 507,650 (+1390) people,
- tanks - 7728 (+18),
- armored combat vehicles - 14,935 (+22),
- artillery systems - 13,140 (+39),
- MLRS - 1088 (+0),
- air defense systems - 815 (+0),
- aircraft - 357 (+0),
- helicopters - 326 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 10 587 (+55),
- cruise missiles - 2229 (+7),
- ships/boats - 27 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 17,905 (+56),
- special equipment - 2164 (+11).
08:29 At night, drones attacked an oil depot in the Krasnodar region. The head of the Temryuk district of the Krasnodar Territory, Fedor Babenkov, said that two employees were injured as a result of the fire at the oil depot. Also in the morning, local residents reported seeing drones in Tatarstan - in particular, one of the UAVs was spotted in the village of Voronino near Kazan. In Kazan, employees of a number of enterprises were evacuated.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that on the night of May 31, air defense systems allegedly destroyed and intercepted five Neptune anti-ship missiles and 29 drones over the Krasnodar Territory. Another drone was shot down over the territory of the Voronezh, Belgorod and Tambov regions.
08:22 At night, the Russians shelled Kharkov several times - four people were killed, 25 were wounded, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. In particular, as a result of the enemy attack, a five-story residential building was damaged, the third to fifth floors were partially destroyed, and a fire broke out. Three people died, 25 were injured, including two children aged 12. As a result of repeated shelling, a fire truck and an ambulance were damaged. Another person was killed when a rocket hit the ground on the territory of a civilian enterprise. A hit was also recorded in a three-story administrative building.
08:07 Air defense at night destroyed the Iskander-K cruise missile that Russia fired at Kiev from the Kursk region, the Air Force reported. All four attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type, which Russia attacked from Yeisk, were also destroyed. Drones were destroyed within the Kyiv, Zaporozhye, and Dnepropetrovsk regions. In addition, the enemy attacked Kharkov with five S-300/S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the Belgorod region.
07:53 At night, the enemy launched a missile attack on Kiev, according to preliminary data, with cruise missiles. All targets were destroyed by air defense forces, said the head of the KGVA, Sergei Popko. As a result of falling debris, a fire broke out over an area of approximately 120 square meters. m in the Goloseevsky district, a service station, a car wash, a warehouse, and cars were damaged. No people were hurt.
07:26 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) predicts that the Russian army will begin the second phase of the offensive in the Kharkov region. Analysts say the Russian military's deployment of reinforcements to the Kharkiv region indicates that it continues to prioritize efforts to divert Ukrainian forces from critical sections of the front line in eastern Ukraine and efforts to create a "buffer zone" in the northern Kharkiv region.