Ukraine-Russia war – live: Zelensky accuses China of sabotaging peace summit as Putin’s forces ‘take village’

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused China of helping Russia to disrupt an upcoming Swiss-organised peace conference on the war in Ukraine.

Speaking at Asia’s premier security conference, Mr Zelensky said that China is pressuring other countries and their leaders not to attend the upcoming talks. He did not say which ones.

“Regrettably this is unfortunate that such a big independent powerful country as China is an instrument in the hands of (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin,” he said at a news conference at the Shangri-La Dialogue defence forum.

The Swiss had been hoping China would attend the peace conference in mid-June, but Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning signalled on Friday that that was unlikely. China has been calling for a peace conference with equal participation of all sides, including Russia, which has not been invited.

Meanwhile, Russia has claimed new gains in the eastern Donetsk province, one day after unleashing large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure across Ukraine.

Key Points

• Zelensky meets heads of state in Singapore, seeks support for security summit

• Zelensky accuses China of pressuring other countries not to attend Switzerland talks

• Russia says its forces take over village in Ukraine's Donetsk region

• At least 19 injured in attacks on energy infrastructure

• DTEK says two power plants seriously damaged

The war against rabies in Ukraine and the race to stop it crossing borders

16:00 , Tom Watling

The war against rabies in Ukraine and the race against time to stop it spreading

Here we have some photos from the frontline

15:00 , Tom Watling

We have some of the latest photos from the frontline of the war in Ukraine.

Putin’s forces killed his brother. He takes revenge using hundreds of suicide drones to blow Russian troops up

14:00 , Tom Watling

The Ukraine politician avenging his brother’s death with hi-tech ‘suicide drones’

Ukraine says it downs 24 Russia-launched attack drones

13:00 , Namita Singh

Ukraine’s air defence systems destroyed 24 of the 25 attack drones that Russia launched overnight, Ukraine’s air force said this morning.

Russia also launched an Iskander-K cruise missile towards Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and an anti-aircraft guided missile, the air force said on the Telegram messaging app.

It did not say what happened to the missiles.

Russia says its forces take over village in Ukraine's Donetsk region

12:21 , Namita Singh

Russian forces have taken over the village of Umanske in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the Russian defence ministry said today.

The claims could not be independently verified.

It came a day after Russia unleashed large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure that left 19 people injured.

Zelensky urges top defence officials to attend summit on ending Russian invasion

12:00 , Namita Singh

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged a group of top defence officials at Asia’s premier security conference to attend an upcoming conference on ending the Russian war on Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky told the group of more than 500 delegates from about 40 countries that he was “disappointed” some world leaders had not yet confirmed attendance at the conference in Switzerland in about two weeks.

He did not specify any country by name, but the possible participation of China, Russia’s most important ally, has been seen as a key issue.

Chinese defence minister Dong Jun spoke earlier in the day at the Shangri-La conference but he did not appear to be in the room when Mr Zelensky made his appeal.

In his own address to the forum, Mr Dong did not specifically mention the Switzerland meetings but did say: “On the Ukraine crisis, China has been promoting peace talks with a responsible attitude.”

He added that China had not provided weapons to either side of the conflict.

“We have never done anything to fan the flames,” he said. “We stand firmly on the side of peace and dialogue.”

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin also attended the conference and sat in the front row as Mr Zelensky talked.

Zelensky accuses China of pressuring other countries not to attend Switzerland talks

11:57 , Namita Singh

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused China of helping Russia to disrupt an upcoming Swiss-organised peace conference on the war in Ukraine.

Speaking at Asia’s premier security conference, Mr Zelensky said that China is pressuring other countries and their leaders not to attend the upcoming talks. He did not say which ones.

“Russia, using Chinese influence in the region, using Chinese diplomats also, does everything to disrupt the peace summit,” he said at a news conference at the Shangri-La Dialogue defence forum.

“Regrettably this is unfortunate, that such a big independent powerful country as China is an instrument in the hands of (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin.”

Ukraine and allies push for more defence aid

11:00 , Namita Singh

Ukraine’s allies will step up to provide military assistance as the country weathers attacks by Russia, officials said at the Shangri-La Dialogue global defence forum in Singapore, where Ukrainian president Volodmyr Zelensky was a surprise visitor.

More than two years after Russia invaded, Kyiv faces renewed assaults on its territory, particularly in the region around the northeastern city of Kharkiv.

A greater flow of artillery ammunition has strengthened defences there, but more is needed - particularly surface-to-air missiles, said Germany’s chief of defence, General Carsten Breuer.

“What we see is that Ukraine needs air defences... and of course, artillery ammunition and weapon systems to fight against Russia and this present attack,” General Breuer said in an interview on the sidelines of the conference.

Experts and defence officials from three other Western countries said air defence systems are particularly critical for Ukraine.

Stepped up missile and air attacks by Russia mean Kyiv must work harder to defend not just its military units near the front lines, but cities and critical infrastructure - straining its existing defences.

“It has always been a high-priority requirement for a lot of different reasons,” said Mick Ryan, a retired major general in the Australian Army. “One, to protect critical infrastructure; two, to protect civilians, who have been targets of attacks all the way through the war; three, to protect critical military capabilities; and four, so Ukraine can use its air capabilities to attack Russian systems.”

No country could handle Russian assault alone, says Zelensky

10:00 , Namita Singh

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked countries, including the United States, Germany and the Netherlands, for their military assistance, particularly with air defence systems. He cited a Russian attack on Sunday with nearly 100 missiles - something he said had happened hundreds of times - and noted “no country could handle this alone”.

He later said that although he was grateful to the US for allowing Kyiv to use its High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) to fire across the Russian border in the Kharkiv region, it was not enough.

He said Russia was using many airfields to launch attacks on Ukraine “knowing that Ukraine will not fire back because it has no responding systems and no permissions”.

Local official dies in Russia’s Belgorod as ammunition detonates, governor says

09:15 , Namita Singh

A local official in Belgorod died when some ammunition detonated, while six people were injured in Ukrainian shelling of the southern Russian region, Belgorod’s governor.

Igor Nechiporenko, deputy head of Korochansky district administration in Belgorod, was killed as a result of ammunition detonating, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram.

“I offer my most sincere and deepest condolences to the family and loved ones,” Mr Gladkov said.

He also said that six civilians received shrapnel injuries during Ukraine’s shelling of the town of Shebekino and were taken to hospital. The reports could not be independently verified.

Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians in the war, which Moscow launched against its smaller neighbour in 2022.

Belgorod region is adjacent to Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, where Russian forces launched a new offensive in May. Kyiv has said it is attacking only military targets in Russia supporting the Russian offensive.

The Russian defence ministry said on Sunday that its air defence systems destroyed three Ukraine-launched drones early on Sunday over the territory of the Belgorod region.

Parts of Russia’s weaponry still come from other countries despite sanctions, says Zelensky

08:49 , Adam Withnall

Countries worldwide still supply parts of Russia’s weaponry, Volodymyr Zelensky has told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

This is allowing Moscow to circumvent sanctions, he said.

Watch his full comments below:

Zelensky: Parts of Russia’s weaponry still come from other countries

Kyiv urges more air defence assistance as Russia pounds energy grids

08:00 , Namita Singh

Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones on Saturday that damaged energy facilities and critical infrastructure across Ukraine, injuring at least four people, and prompting president Volodymyr Zelensky to issue a fresh plea for more air defence assistance.

Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 35 of 53 Russian missiles and 46 of 47 attack drones used for the strikes, which pile more pressure on Ukraine’s hobbled energy system as the war with Russia is in its third year.

“Russia’s main goal is to normalise terror, to use the lack of sufficient air defence and determination of Ukraine’s partners,” Mr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app.

“Partners know exactly what is needed. Additional ‘Patriots’ and other modern air defence systems for Ukraine. To accelerate and expand F-16 deliveries to Ukraine. To provide our soldiers with all the necessary capabilities.”

Moldovan opposition leader calls for better ties with Russia, China

07:30 , Namita Singh

The pro-Russian leader of Moldova’s largest opposition party has called for better relations with Russia and China and urged other groups to join forces in fielding a single challenger to pro-European president Maia Sandu in an October election.

Ms Sandu views Russia as one of the biggest threats facing Moldova, which is located between Ukraine and Romania, and has led the effort to join the European Union. A referendum on EU membership will take place alongside the presidential election.

Igor Dodon, the leader of the leftist Socialist party and a former president who was defeated by Ms Sandu in 2020, said Moldova was ignoring its traditional allies, and its pro-European stance ran the risk of dragging the country into conflict.

“Let us return to a normal dialogue with our partners - Russia, China and other countries. This is what we should be doing,” Mr Dodon said in a weekly online broadcast. “There is a lot of work to be done.”

Moldova, he said, should take no further part in military exercises with foreign partners - as have been conducted with US and Romanian forces - or maintain large numbers of reservists.

“Everyone should understand that Moldova stands for peace and will not allow itself to be dragged into geopolitical quarrels as Ukraine has been dragged,” he said.

Ms Sandu sees EU membership for Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries, as the best way to safeguard its sovereignty in the face of what she sees as Russian threats.

A poll published this week put support for Ms Sandu at 30 per cent versus 18 per cent for Mr Dodon. Recent surveys suggest Moldovans will back EU membership, with about 60 per cent in favour of joining the bloc.

Putin’s forces killed his brother. He takes revenge using hundreds of suicide drones to blow Russian troops up

07:00 , Matt Mathers

Askold Krushelnycky visits the concealed base of the ‘Barney Unit’ in eastern Ukraine. Created by Stepan Barna in the wake of the death on the front line of his older brother Oleh, its drone operators claim to have achieved more than 100 kills

Full report:

The Ukraine politician avenging his brother’s death with hi-tech ‘suicide drones’

Zelensky to discuss battlefield situation with Lloyd Austin on Shangri-La Dialogue sidelines

06:29 , Namita Singh

Volodymyr Zelensky and his defence minister, Rustem Umerov, will meet US defence secretary Lloyd Austin today on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

They will discuss the current battlefield situation in Ukraine and Mr Austin will “underscore US commitment to ensuring Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression,” the official said.

Mr Zelensky is also scheduled to speak at the security summit’s final discussion session on Sunday on “Re-Imagining Solutions for Global Peace and Regional Stability.”

Ukraine is facing a renewed assault from Russian forces, particularly around the northeastern city of Kharkiv. The United States recently relaxed restrictions on the use of US-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia, which experts say will help Ukraine blunt attacks before they gather momentum.

ICYMI: Sri Lanka says 455 citizens duped into fighting for Russia in Ukraine as 16 go missing in action

06:00 , Matt Mathers

Sri Lanka and Russia are starting talks to resolve the issue of Sri Lankans fighting alongside Russians in the war against Ukraine, after at least 16 people were reported missing in action.

On Thursday, Junior Foreign Minister Tharaka Balasuriya said that the Sri Lankans, mostly retired soldiers, had been duped into traveling to Russia with promises of good salaries and privileges including Russian citizenship.

Full report:

Sri Lanka reports 455 men duped into fighting for Russia as 16 go missing

Russia threatens former chess champion Kasparov with criminal charges

05:43 , Namita Singh

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who fled Russia a decade ago for fear of persecution, may face a criminal case in Moscow for violating the Kremlin’s “foreign agent” law, TASS news agency reported.

Russian law enforcement officials, the state news agency reported, said there is “every reason” to charge Kasparov, without providing further details. The fierce Kremlin critic could face up to two years in prison or a fine if a case is initiated, the unnamed officials said.

Russia added Kasparov to the list of individuals acting as foreign agents, which includes dozens of critics of Vladimir Putin, soon after the Russian president launched his full-scale invasion on Ukraine in 2022.

Kasparov’s media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the law, a foreign agent is a person who receives support from foreign states or is under foreign influence and is engaged in political activities in Russia.

The foreign agent law, broadly condemned by the European Union and Washington, requires anyone identified as having foreign support or influence to register with the justice ministry and declare themselves foreign agents.

The law also subjects those registered to onerous bureaucracy and disclosures.

Russian missile injures 13 near Ukraine's Kharkiv, prosecutors say

05:30 , Namita Singh

A Russian missile hit residences in Balakliia in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region yesterday, injuring 13 people including eight children, prosecutors said.

Pictures posted online showed homes in the town southeast of Kharkiv reduced to rubble.

The accounts from either side could not be independently verified.

Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians. Thousands have been killed and injured since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The city of Kharkiv and the surrounding region has been a focal point of Russian attacks in recent weeks.

Russian forces last month pushed their way across the border into northern districts of Kharkiv region and officials say they have seized about a dozen villages.

A military spokesperson, Nazar Voloshin, told national television on Saturday that Ukrainian forces controlled 70 per cent of Vovchansk, a town 5km inside the border which Russian troops have been trying to capture.

Prosecutors also announced that recovery operations had concluded at the site of three missile strikes early on Friday in the city of Kharkiv, with a death toll of nine, most in a badly damaged apartment building.

ICYMI: Russian court extends the detention of a Russian-US journalist

05:00 , Matt Mathers

A court in Russia on Friday ordered a detained Russian American journalist to be held until at least Aug. 5, pending investigation and trial, a further step in the Kremlin’s crackdown on dissent and free speech.

Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tatar-Bashkir service, was taken into custody on Oct. 18 and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent while collecting information about the Russian military. Later, she was also charged with spreading “false information” about the military.

Full report:

Russian court extends the detention of a Russian-US journalist

China denies providing weapons to Russia

04:30 , Namita Singh

In an address to delegates on Sunday at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit, Chinese defence minister Dong Jun said his country had been careful not to support either Russia or Ukraine.

“On the Ukraine crisis, China has been promoting peace talks with a responsible attitude,” he said. “We have never provided weapons to either party of the conflict. We have put strict controls on exports of dual-use items, and have never done anything to fan the flames. We stand firmly on the side of peace and dialogue.”

Earlier, the UK defence secretary suggested British and US intelligence contradicts Beijing’s previous attempts to present itself as a moderating influence on Moscow and president Xi Jinping’s government is instead helping to arm Russia.

“I can reveal that we have evidence that Russia and China are collaborating on combat equipment for use in Ukraine,” Grant Shapps said on 23 May.

ICYMI: EU slaps new sanctions on North Korea in response to its missile program and support for Russia

04:00 , Matt Mathers

The European Union has slapped more sanctions on North Korea over its continued efforts to develop ballistic and nuclear missiles and its support for Russia.

The EU Council said Friday that nine additional individuals and entities will be hit by asset freezes and travel bans. No names were provided.

Full report:

EU slaps new sanctions on North Korea in response to its missile program and support for Russia

Zelensky meets heads of state in Singapore, seeks support for security summit

03:57 , Namita Singh

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met heads of state and legislators in Singapore, seeking security assistance and support for a peace summit after arriving for a surprise visit to the Shangri-La Dialogue.

On the social media platform X, Mr Zelensky said he had met Indonesia’s president-elect, Prabowo Subianto; a delegation from the US Congress; and the president of Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos-Horta.

“It is very important for us to begin the process of establishing a just peace,” Mr Zelensky said. “Russia does not want to end the war. Therefore, we must work together with the entire world to bring peace closer.”

He said Mr Ramos-Horta had agreed to attend the summit, scheduled for mid-June in Switzerland. At last year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, Mr Prabowo had proposed an Indonesian plan for ending the war in Ukraine.

Zelensky - pause in war would benefit Russia

03:00 , Matt Mathers

A pause in Russia’s war against Ukraine would benefit the Kremlin, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

"Russia needs a break to stabilize its position on the battlefield," Zelensky said in an interview with The Guardian.

"Russia has more equipment that we do," he added. “but it also has a deficit. It lacks experienced soldiers, artillery shells, and missiles.”

Putin’s forces killed his brother. He takes revenge using hundreds of suicide drones to blow Russian troops up

02:00 , Matt Mathers

Askold Krushelnycky visits the concealed base of the ‘Barney Unit’ in eastern Ukraine.

Created by Stepan Barna in the wake of the death on the front line of his older brother Oleh, its drone operators claim to have achieved more than 100 kills.

Read Askold’s piece in full here:

The Ukraine politician avenging his brother’s death with hi-tech ‘suicide drones’

Thousands rally to back Hungary’s Orban ahead of EU vote

01:00 , Matt Mathers

Tens of thousands of Hungarians marched through downtown Budapest on Saturday in support of nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban, who faces an unexpected challenge from a political newcomer ahead of next week’s European Parliament election.

Orban, in power since 2010, hopes his Fidesz party, which is not affiliated with any grouping in the European Parliament (EP), will benefit from a rise in far-right support across Europe as he prepares to take over the European Union’s rotating presidency in the second half of the year.

Orban has long been at odds with fellow EU members over a range of issues, including refusing to send weapons to Ukraine and maintaining economic ties with Moscow after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The flag-waving crowd, chanting "Hungary-Hungary" and holding banners saying "Give us peace, Lord", marched from Budapest’s Chain Bridge alongside the parliament building to Margaret Island, where Orban addressed supporters.

ICYMI: Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones on Saturday

Sunday 2 June 2024 00:01 , Matt Mathers

Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones on Saturday, damaging energy facilities in five regions across Ukraine, officials said.

Ukraine’s national grid operator Ukrenergo said the attack damaged energy facilities in the eastern Donetsk, southeastern Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, central Kyrovohrad region, and Ivano-Frankivsk region in the west.

"Today morning the Russians launched another strike on Ukrainian energy facilities. Since March it is already the sixth massive, complex, missile and drone attack against the civilian energy infrastructure," Ukrenergo said.

Ukrainian air defence shot down 35 of 53 Russian missiles and 46 of 47 Russian drones, the air force commander said.

Since March, Russia has stepped up its bombardments of the Ukrainian power infrastructure, knocking out the bulk of the thermal and hydropower generation, causing blackouts, and pushing electricity imports to record highs.

Ukraine can use German weapons to defend Kharkiv border region, Berlin says

Saturday 1 June 2024 23:57 , Matt Mathers

Germany said on Friday that Ukraine could use weapons supplied by Berlin to defend itself against attacks launched from just inside Russia against the Kharkiv region, insisting this did not make it a party to the conflict.

Germany agreed with its allies that Kyiv may use the weapons to defend itself against strikes from positions in the immediately adjacent Russian border area, a government spokesperson said.

"We are jointly convinced that Ukraine has the right, guaranteed under international law, to defend itself against these attacks," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"To do so, it can also use the weapons supplied for this purpose in accordance with its international legal obligations; including those supplied by us."

ICYMI: Russian strikes spark forest fires in Kharkiv region

Saturday 1 June 2024 23:00 , Matt Mathers

Forest fires have engulfed more than 3,700 hectares (9,140 acres) of forest in Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv region, the country’s State Emergency Service has said.

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.

ICYMI: Another Russian strike

Saturday 1 June 2024 22:00 , Matt Mathers

Russian forces attacked the city of Myrnohrad in eastern Ukraine, with two glide bombs overnight, injuring at least five people, the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office said.

The 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.

Myrnohrad, which is located around 40 miles from the Russian-occupied regional capital of Donetsk, is regularly targeted in Russian attacks.

ICYMI: Evidence suggests weapons used by Russia in Ukraine illegally imported from North Korea - South Korea

Saturday 1 June 2024 21:00 , Matt Mathers

South Korean defence minister Shin Won-sik has said that more evidence suggests weapons used by Russia in the war in Ukraine were illegally imported from North Korea.

“Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea” is escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and “also affecting the battlefield in Europe”, Mr Shin said.

If North Korea continues to receive military technology transfers from Russia in return, a significant improvement in North Korea’s conventional military capability is an imminent risk, Mr Shin said.

Mr Shin was speaking during the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s biggest defence forum, under way in Singapore.

Russia and Ukraine exchange POWs for the first time in three months

Saturday 1 June 2024 20:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners of war on Friday, each sending back 75 POWs in the first such swap in the past three months, officials said.

The Ukrainian POWs, including four civilians, were returned on several buses that drove into the northern Sumy region. As they disembarked, they shouted joyfully and called their families to tell them they were home. Some knelt and kissed the ground, while many wrapped themselves in yellow-blue flags.

Full report:

Russia and Ukraine exchange POWs for the first time in three months

ICYMI: Poland says a fake news report on mobilizing 200,000 men was likely the work of Russia

Saturday 1 June 2024 19:00 , Matt Mathers

A fake news report that appeared on Poland’s national news agency saying that Prime Minister Donald Tusk was mobilizing 200,000 men starting on July 1 was probably the work of Russia-sponsored hackers and was designed to interfere with the upcoming European Parliament election, authorities said.

“Everything indicates that we are dealing with a cyberattack directed from the Russian side," said Krzysztof Gawkowski, a deputy prime minister who also holds the digital affairs portfolio. “The goal is disinformation ahead of (European Parliament) elections and a paralysis of the society."

Poland says a fake news report on mobilizing 200,000 men was likely the work of Russia

Zelensky meets with US politicians in Singapore

Saturday 1 June 2024 17:59 , Matt Mathers

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US politicians at a defence conference in Singapore on Saturday to discuss further assistance for Ukraine.

He said: “We talked about the frontline situation and military assistance, particularly additional systems and missiles to strengthen our air defense. We paid special attention to increasing sanctions against Russia.

“I thank the United States for its support and important decisions. I appreciate the significant bicameral and bipartisan support of Congress, President Joe Biden, and the American people.”

Putin’s forces killed his brother. He takes revenge using hundreds of suicide drones to blow Russian troops up

Saturday 1 June 2024 17:02 , Matt Mathers

Askold Krushelnycky visits the concealed base of the ‘Barney Unit’ in eastern Ukraine.

Created by Stepan Barna in the wake of the death on the front line of his older brother Oleh, its drone operators claim to have achieved more than 100 kills.

Read Askold’s piece in full here:

The Ukraine politician avenging his brother’s death with hi-tech ‘suicide drones’

Zelensky arrives in Singapore for defence conference

Saturday 1 June 2024 15:49 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky arrived in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue conference earlier on Saturday, where he planned to meet US defence secretary Lloyd Austin and discuss support for his embattled country in an address to delegates.

After arriving at the conference venue in a motorcade amid heavy security, Zelensky said in a statement on the social media platform X that he had come to gather support from the Asia-Pacific region for a peace summit planned for June 15-16 in Switzerland.

"Global security is impossible when the world’s largest country disregards recognised borders, international law, and the UN Charter, resorts to hunger, darkness, and nuclear blackmail," the statement said, referring to Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The statement said Zelensky planned to hold several meetings, including with Singapore’s president Tharman Shanmugaratnam and prime ninister Lawrence Wong, Timor-Leste president Jose Ramos-Horta, Austin, and Singaporean investors.

A US official said Zelensky and Ukrainian defence minster Rustem Umerov would meet Austin "to discuss the current battlefield situation in Ukraine and to underscore the US commitment to ensuring Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression".

DTEK says two power plants seriously damaged

Saturday 1 June 2024 15:35 , Matt Mathers

DTEK, one of Ukraine’s largest energy companies, said two of its power plants were badly damaged in Russia’s attacks,

The firm said was unable to provide more details for security reasons.

DTEK is the largest private investor in the energy industry in Ukraine and it generates electricity at solar, wind and thermal power plants.

At least 19 injured in attacks on energy infrastructure

Saturday 1 June 2024 15:16 , Matt Mathers

At least 19 people have been injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Injuries were reported by officials across the country, including in Ukraine’s western Lviv region and the central Dnipropetrovsk region.

Twelve people, including eight children, were admitted to hospital after a strike close to two houses where they were sheltering in the Kharkiv region, said governor Oleh Syniehubov.

The strikes were part of a series of sustained attacks by Russia against Ukraine’s power grid, which has been ongoing since March.

Shelling deaths

Saturday 1 June 2024 15:11 , Chris Stevenson

Five civilians have died amid Ukrainian shelling in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region, said the area's Moscow-installed leader Denis Pushilin. Another three people were injured, he said.

The Russian Defence Ministry also said that it had shot down two Ukrainian drones on Saturday morning over Russia's Belgorod region. No casualties were reported.

Zelensky’s plea

Saturday 1 June 2024 14:49 , Chris Stevenson

Outgunned and outmanned on the battlefield, Kyiv has been increasing pressure on its Western allies to be able to launch offensive strikes at military targets inside Russia.

“I think that using any weapon, Western kind of weapon, on the territory of Russia is a question of time. Otherwise, it is not about just peace,” President Volodymr Zelensky said on Friday.

Forest fires

Saturday 1 June 2024 14:00 , Chris Stevenson

Forest fires have engulfed more than 3,700 hectares (9,140 acres) of forest in Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv region, the country’s State Emergency Service has said.

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.

Italy and weapons

Saturday 1 June 2024 13:36 , Chris Stevenson

Italy’s foreign minister has repeated his opposition to Ukraine using weapons supplied by his country inside Russia, warning of a “delicate” situation where “rash” moves must be avoided.

There has been a growing movement to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia, but Italy has been cautious.

“It is a very delicate moment, we must not make false steps” and must avoid “rash steps and declarations”, Antonio Tajani told a meeting in Rapallo, northwest Italy, according to the AGI and ANSA news agencies.

Another Russian strike

Saturday 1 June 2024 13:14 , Chris Stevenson

Russian forces attacked the city of Myrnohrad in eastern Ukraine, with two glide bombs overnight, injuring at least five people, the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office said.

The 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.

Myrnohrad, which is located around 40 miles from the Russian-occupied regional capital of Donetsk, is regularly targeted in Russian attacks.

Russia and North Korea

Saturday 1 June 2024 12:57 , Chris Stevenson

South Korean defence minister Shin Won-sik has said that more evidence suggests weapons used by Russia in the war in Ukraine were illegally imported from North Korea.

"Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea" is escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and "also affecting the battlefield in Europe", Mr Shin said.

If North Korea continues to receive military technology transfers from Russia in return, a significant improvement in North Korea's conventional military capability is an imminent risk, Mr Shin said.

Mr Shin was speaking during the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's biggest defence forum, under way in Singapore.

Ukrainian injures

Saturday 1 June 2024 12:37 , Chris Stevenson

Twelve people, including a number of children, have been taken to hospital after a strike close to two houses where they were sheltering in the Kharkiv region, said the area’s Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Russia has stepped up its attacks around Kharkiv in recent weeks.

Saturday 1 June 2024 12:10 , Chris Stevenson

The UK’s Ministry of Defence, however, has estimated that the number of Russian troops killed or wounded since the war’s outbreak ‘“has now likely reached 500,000”.

In May of this year, it adds, “average personnel casualties were over 1,2200 per day”.

Zelensky in Singapore

Saturday 1 June 2024 11:40 , Chris Stevenson

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky has arrived in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, where he plans to meet the US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, and discuss support for his embattled country in an address to delegates.

The International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), which organises the security conference, said he would participate in a discussion session on Sunday entitled "Re-Imagining Solutions for Global Peace and Regional Stability".

He is expected to ask attendees at the conference to attend and support a "peace summit" this month in Switzerland. Mr Zelensky said on Wednesday that Russia is trying to disrupt the summit, scheduled for June 15-16, which he hopes will generate support for the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine's 1991 borders.

A plea from the president

Saturday 1 June 2024 10:56 , Chris Stevenson

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has hit out at the latest Russian strikes, while making a plea for more Western weapons:"Russia's main goal is to normalize terror, to use the lack of sufficient air defence and determination of Ukraine's partners," Mr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app.

"Partners know exactly what is needed. Additional "Patriots" and other modern air defence systems for Ukraine. To accelerate and expand F-16 deliveries to Ukraine. To provide our soldiers with all the necessary capabilities."

Drone attacks on the frontline:

Saturday 1 June 2024 10:30 , Chris Stevenson

Askold Krushelnycky visits the concealed base of the ‘Barney Unit’ in eastern Ukraine. Created by Stepan Barna in the wake of the death on the front line of his older brother Oleh, its drone operators claim to have achieved more than 100 kills. Read the full story here:

The Ukraine politician avenging his brother’s death with hi-tech ‘suicide drones’

US in Asia

Saturday 1 June 2024 09:35 , Chris Stevenson

The US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, has tried to refocus attention on China's threat in the Asia-Pacific, seeking to alleviate concerns that conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have distracted from America's security commitments in the region.

Mr Austin, who was speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, met his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, on Friday in a bid to cool friction over issues from Taiwan to China's military activity in the South China Sea.

There has been increasing concern that Washington's focus on helping Ukraine counter Russia's invasion and support for Israel's war in Gaza, while trying to ensure that the conflict does not spread, has taken away attention from the Indo-Pacific.

"Despite these historic clashes in Europe and the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific has remained our priority theatre of operations," Mr Austin said in his speech, which appeared aimed at underlining the administration's legacy in the region as President Joe Biden's first term in office nears its end.

Mr Biden is running for re-election in November against former President Donald Trump.

"Let me be clear: The United States can be secure only if Asia is secure," Austin said. "That’s why the United States has long maintained our presence in this region."

Drones downed

Saturday 1 June 2024 09:20 , Chris Stevenson

Ukrainian air defence shot down 35 of 53 Russian missiles and 46 of 47 Russian drones during the latest attacks across the country, the air force commander has said.As air raid alerts were issued across Ukraine, Poland said its own and other allies’ warplanes were scrambled due to “intense long-range aviation activity of the Russian Federation tonight, related to air and missile strikes on objects located in the territory of Ukraine. All necessary procedures to ensure the safety of Polish airspace have been launched.”

Russian attacks on energy facilities

Saturday 1 June 2024 09:09 , Chris Stevenson

Russia has launched a barrage of missiles and drones on Saturday, damaging energy facilities in five regions across Ukraine, officials said.

Ukraine's national grid operator Ukrenergo said the attack damaged energy facilities in the eastern Donetsk, southeastern Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, central Kyrovohrad region, and Ivano-Frankivsk region in the west.

"The Russians launched another strike on Ukrainian energy facilities. Since March it is already the sixth massive, complex, missile and drone attack against the civilian energy infrastructure," Ukrenergo said.

Since March, Russia has stepped up its bombardments of the Ukrainian power infrastructure, knocking out the bulk of the thermal and hydropower generation, causing blackouts, and pushing electricity imports to record highs.

EU slaps new sanctions on North Korea

Saturday 1 June 2024 08:00 , Namita Singh

The European Union has slapped more sanctions on North Korea over its continued efforts to develop ballistic and nuclear missiles and its support for Russia.

The EU Council yesterday said that nine additional individuals and entities will be hit by asset freezes and travel bans. No names were provided.

The move brings the number of North Koreans hit by EU sanctions to 77 and the number of entities, which are often companies or organisations, to 20.

Report:

EU slaps new sanctions on North Korea in response to its missile program and support for Russia

China says ‘hard to meet’ discussions on Russia-Ukraine war

Saturday 1 June 2024 07:30 , Namita Singh

China said it would be “’hard to meet” calls for discussions on the Russia-Ukraine war, citing problems with arrangements that appear to point to Beijing’s strongly pro-Moscow stance.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that “China’s hopes appear to be hard to meet at the meeting.

“There is still a clear gap between the arrangements for the meeting and the demands of the Chinese side, as well as the general expectations of the international community,” Mr Mao said.

Report:

China says 'hard to meet' discussions on Russia-Ukraine war, citing problems with arrangements

Poland says fake news report on mobilising 200,000 men likely from Russia

Saturday 1 June 2024 07:00 , Namita Singh

A fake news report that appeared on Poland’s national news agency saying that prime minister Donald Tusk was mobilising 200,000 men starting on 1 July was probably the work of Russia-sponsored hackers and was designed to interfere with the upcoming European Parliament election, authorities said.

“Everything indicates that we are dealing with a cyberattack directed from the Russian side,” said Krzysztof Gawkowski, a deputy prime minister who also holds the digital affairs portfolio. “The goal is disinformation ahead of (European Parliament) elections and a paralysis of the society.”

Mr Tusk said on X that it was “Another very dangerous hacker attack which well illustrates Russia’s destabilization strategy on the eve of the European elections. ... It is increasingly clear how important these elections are for us.”

More here:

Poland says a fake news report on mobilizing 200,000 men was likely the work of Russia

Five killed in Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk, says Russian-installed governor

Saturday 1 June 2024 06:45 , Namita Singh

Shelling by the Ukrainian military killed five civilians and wounded several others in different districts of the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine yesterday, the Russia-installed leader of the region said.

Denis Pushilin, leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic, proclaimed long before Moscow’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said on the Telegram messaging app that three people died in the city’s Kirov district.

Two more were killed in the village of Luhanske just outside Donetsk. The assertions could not be independently verified.

We have no plan B if Ukraine falls, says Estonia prime minister

Saturday 1 June 2024 06:32 , Namita Singh

Estonia has called upon fellow Nato members to pledge one per cent of their GDP to supporting Ukraine in its war effort, as it raised concerns of an existential threat from Russia if Kyiv falls.

“If every Nato country did this,” Estonia’s prime minister Kaja Kallas told the BBC, “Ukraine would win.

“We have no Plan B for a Russian victory,” she said, “because then we would stop focussing on Plan A.

“We should not give in to pessimism. Victory in Ukraine is not just about territory. If Ukraine joins Nato, even without some territory, then that’s a victory because it will be placed under the Nato umbrella.”

Russia and Ukraine exchange POWs and bodies of fallen

Saturday 1 June 2024 06:00 , Namita Singh

Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners of war on Friday, each sending back 75 POWs in the first such swap in the past three months, officials said. A few hours earlier and at the same location, the two sides also handed over bodies of their fallen soldiers.

The Ukrainian POWs, including four civilians, were returned on several buses that drove into the northern Sumy region. As they disembarked, they shouted joyfully and called their families to tell them they were home. Some knelt and kissed the ground while many wrapped themselves in yellow-blue flags and hugged one another, breaking into tears. Many appeared emaciated and poorly dressed.

The exchange of the 150 POWs in all was the fourth swap this year and the 52nd since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The United Arab Emirates said it helped negotiate this latest exchange.

The two sides have traded blame for what they say is a slowdown in the swaps.

Report:

Russia and Ukraine exchange POWs for the first time in three months

US defence chief refocuses attention on China security risks

Saturday 1 June 2024 05:30 , Namita Singh

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin tried to refocus attention on China’s threat in the Pacific, seeking to alleviate concerns that conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have distracted from America’s security commitments in Asia.

Mr Austin, who was speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, met his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, yesterday in a bid to cool friction over issues from Taiwan to China’s military activity in the South China Sea.

There has been increasing concern that Washington’s focus on helping Ukraine counter Russia’s invasion and support for Israel’s war in Gaza, while trying to ensure that the conflict does not spread, has taken away attention from the Indo-Pacific.

“Despite these historic clashes in Europe and the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific has remained our priority theatre of operations,” Mr Austin said in his speech, which appeared aimed at making the administration’s legacy in the region clear as president Joe Biden’s first term in office nears its end.

Mr Biden is running for re-election in November against former president Donald Trump.

“Let me be clear: The United States can be secure only if Asia is secure. That’s why the United States has long maintained our presence in this region.”

Mr Austin underscored the importance of alliances in the region.

“And ... peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and not coercion or conflict. And certainly not through so-called punishment,” Mr Austin said, taking a shot at China.

More evidence points to Russia-North Korea military cooperation, South Korea defence minister says

Saturday 1 June 2024 04:56 , Namita Singh

South Korean defence minister Shin Won-sik said that more evidence suggests weapons used by Russia in the war in Ukraine were illegally imported from North Korea.

“Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea” is escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and “also affecting the battlefield in Europe”, Mr Shin said.

If North Korea continues to receive military technology transfers from Russia in return, a significant improvement in North Korea’s conventional military capability is an imminent risk, Mr Shin said.

On questions about whether South Korea may seek nuclear weapons of its own, Mr Shin said that South Korea trusts the global nonproliferation treaty (NPT) regime, and that a stronger US-South Korean alliance is the answer to North Korea’s nuclear development.

Mr Shin was speaking during the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s biggest defence forum, under way in Singapore.

The war against rabies in Ukraine and the race to stop it crossing borders

Saturday 1 June 2024 18:02 , Matt Mathers

A disease which has been largely eradicated from Europe, rabies is suddenly raising its head in Ukraine where millions of abandoned pets are now running wild.

Ahead of a film exposing the public health crisis, Joe Shute talks to Khrystyna Drahomaretska who caught the disease during her work inoculating feral cats and dogs roaming the streets in the wartorn country.

Full report:

The war against rabies in Ukraine and the race against time to stop it spreading

The war against rabies in Ukraine and the race to stop it crossing borders

Saturday 1 June 2024 17:27 , Matt Mathers

A disease which has been largely eradicated from Europe, rabies is suddenly raising its head in Ukraine where millions of abandoned pets are now running wild.

Ahead of a film exposing the public health crisis, Joe Shute talks to Khrystyna Drahomaretska who caught the disease during her work inoculating feral cats and dogs roaming the streets in the wartorn country.

Read Joe’s piece in full here:

The war against rabies in Ukraine and the race against time to stop it spreading

Germany joins US in allowing Kyiv to use its weapons to strike Russia over Kharkiv

Saturday 1 June 2024 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Germany has joined Joe Biden in giving Ukraine the green light to strike back with its weapons at Russian military assets targeting Kharkiv.

Germany discussed with its allies Russian attacks on the Kharkiv region from positions in the immediately adjacent Russian border area, a government spokesperson said.

“We are jointly convinced that Ukraine has the right, guaranteed under international law, to defend itself against these attacks,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“To do so, it can also use the weapons supplied for this purpose in accordance with its international legal obligations; including those supplied by us.”

Hungary’s Orbán pushes back on EU and NATO proposals to further assist Ukraine

Friday 31 May 2024 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday pushed back against some NATO proposals that would allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike targets within Russia, saying that such plans have Europe “inching closer to destruction.”

The nationalist leader has long opposed Western countries supplying Ukraine with military aid, and threatened to derail European Union financial support to Kyiv and the passing of sanctions against Moscow.

He has also maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while ramping up energy deals with Moscow at a time when most EU countries have sought to limit the use of Russian fossil fuel.

Hungary's Orbán pushes back on EU and NATO proposals to further assist Ukraine

Ukraine army head says Russia augmenting its troops in critical Kharkiv region

Friday 31 May 2024 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia conducted an array of aerial attacks on Ukraine with cruise missiles, drones and ballistic missiles, Ukraine’s air force said Thursday, while the chief of the army said Russia is increasing its troop concentration in the Kharkiv region where Moscow‘s forces have made significant advances in a spring offensive.

Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence operation claimed that sea drones destroyed two Russian KS-701 patrol boats in the Black Sea off the Russia-annexed Crimean peninsula. Russian officials did not immediately comment on the claim.

The air force said the overnight attacks included eight S-300 ballistic missiles, 11 cruise missiles and 32 Shahed drones. All the drones and seven of the cruise missiles were shot down, the air force said but did not give other details.

Ukraine army head says Russia augmenting its troops in critical Kharkiv region

Biden secretly told Ukraine they could conduct limited strikes on Russia using US weapons

Friday 31 May 2024 21:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

US President Joe Biden secretly gave Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia’s borders using US weapons.

Mr Biden allowed the use of American weapons to strike Russia specifically and only close to Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city near Ukraine’s northeastern border with its larger neighbor.

“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US weapons for counter-fire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” a US official said, according to Politico. They added that US policy on longer range strikes inside Russia “has not changed.”

Biden secretly told Ukraine they could strike Russia using US weapons