Sunday, June 2

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Rescuers are seen outside a residential building after the Russian missile attack in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on June 1, 2024. (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

‘A ceasefire is a trap:’ Forcing Ukraine to compromise with Russia would weaken US, Zelensky warns Trump. President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Guardian in an interview he believes such an approach would green light further attacks by Russia, “reducing to zero” the U.S.’s global influence.

Biden’s reversal on Ukraine’s weapons restrictions is ‘half-measure,’ US congressmen say. The statement, which was signed by U.S. Congressmen Michael McCaul, Mike Turner, and Mike Rodgers, said that the “decision should have been made before Russia’s recent offensive in Kharkiv, not after.”

Zelensky says Ukraine seeking to develop ties with Southeast Asia’s major bloc. President Volodymyr Zelensky told Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianto on June 1 that Kyiv is interested in developing relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and is seeking formal partner status with the union.

Defense Ministry: Ukraine destroys record number of Russian artillery systems in May. Ukrainian forces destroyed 1,160 Russian artillery systems in May, a record month since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Defense Ministry said on June 1.

Governor: Ukraine’s largest hydroelectric power plant in critical state following Russian strike. Zaporizhzhia’s Dnipro Hydroelectric Station, Ukraine’s largest hydroelectric power plant, is in critical condition after Russian forces struck it overnight on June 1, Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov said on national television.

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Air Force: Ukraine downs 24 drones launched by Russia overnight. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 24 of the 25 attack drones launched by Russia overnight on June 2, the Air Force said in its morning update.

Zelensky arrives in Singapore for security conference. President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Singapore on June 1 for the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference.

More than 9,000 acres of forest engulfed in flames in Kharkiv Oblast, State Emergency Service says. There were at least nine separate fires, most of which were started by Russian strikes, the State Emergency Service said. Six of the fires, encompassing around 2,300 hectares (5,680 acres) were contained.

Defense Ministry: Nearly all of Ukraine’s drones domestically produced. Nearly 100% of drones Ukraine’s Armed Forces use in Russia’s war are developed domestically, Deputy Defense Minister Dmytro Klimenkov said on June 1.

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As their parents refuse to evacuate, these Ukrainian children grow up on the front line

The mandatory evacuation orders apply to several districts in Kharkiv Oblast, which borders Russia and has been heavily bombarded throughout the full-scale invasion, and the entirety of Donetsk Oblast.

Photo: Kostiantyn Huzenko / The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Russian glide bomb strike in Donetsk Oblast injures at least 5. The Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office said that the two bombs hit a residential part of the city, wounding four men between the ages of 22 and 43 and one 40-year-old woman. The injured people received medical attention, the prosecutor’s office said.

Death toll of Russia’s May 31 attack on Kharkiv rises to 9. Russian missiles struck three locations in the city overnight on May 31 – a five-story residential building, a sewing workshop, and a local shop.

International response

Romania considers supplying Ukraine with Patriot system, Romanian PM says. Romania is considering equipping Ukraine with advanced Patriot defense systems to counter Russian attacks. However, President Klaus Iohannis clarified that such a decision would require approval from an autonomous administrative authority responsible for coordinating national defense and security activities.

G7, EU want to target banks helping Russia evade sanctions, Bloomberg reports. In particular, the allies are considering steps against banks using SPFS, Russia’s alternative to the SWIFT messaging system, to circumvent trade restrictions, the outlet said.

German MP urges military to activate 900,000 reservists over Russia’s belligerence. “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is training his people for war and positioning them against the West. We must, therefore, become capable of defense as quickly as possible,” Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, a member of the co-ruling Free Democratic Party (FDP), said in a comment for the Funke media group published on June 1.

The Telegraph: MI5 to shifts focus to counter-espionage amid rising Russia, China threats. The United Kingdom’s domestic counter-intelligence and security agency Mi5 has been ordered to prioritize targeting spies over terrorists due to a significant recruitment drive by Russia, China, and Iran.

With Ukrainian forces halting Russia’s Kharkiv offensive

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Oleg Sukhov, Nate Ostiller, Lili Bivings, Alexander Khrebet, and Olena Goncharova.

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