Ukraine-Russia war – live: Kyiv fires US weapon inside Russia as Zelensky accuses China of ‘sabotage’

Russian sources claim Ukraine has fired US-made weapons inside Russia’s Belgorod for the first time as Washington lifted the ban on using its ammunition on Moscow.

Ukrainian forces reportedly used the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars), which is a light multiple rocket launcher, to hit bordering Belgorod city, claimed Russian defence ministry and Russian military bloggers.

Last week, the US allowed Ukraine a limited right to use US-made weapons at military targets inside Russia as Russian forces intensified their offensive on Ukrainian cities and villages.

This comes as 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.

Key Points

Ukraine president accuses China of pressuring other countries not to attend Switzerland talks
Zelensky meets heads of state in Singapore, seeks support for security summit
Trump can be ‘loser president’ with bad peace deal plan, says Zelensky
Russia says its forces take over village in Ukraine’s Donetsk region
At least 19 injured in attacks on energy infrastructure

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

13:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

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:

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

Civilian dies in Russian attack on Ukraine’s Kharkiv, official says

13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

One person died and two were injured in an overnight Russian attack on Kharkiv, the governor of the eastern Ukrainian region said on Monday.

The civilian was killed and the two people were injured when a recreation complex was hit in the Zmiiv district, Oleh Synehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians in the war that Moscow launched against its smaller neighbour in 2022 and which has no end in sight.

The Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, and the Kharkiv city which is administrative centre of the region, have been battered nearly daily, with attacks intensifying in recent weeks after Russian forces launched a new offensive in the area.

Kharkiv has been under relentless attack by Russian strikes (Reuters)

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

12:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

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:

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

Ukraine plans record power imports on Monday after weekend infrastructure damage

12:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine plans record electricity imports from European countries on Monday after reporting significant energy infrastructure damage from Russian strikes this weekend, the energy ministry said.

Imports are expected to rise to 27,178 megawatt hours (Mwh), beating the weekend records after another wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine‘s energy sector.

Russia’s Kazan airport briefly curbs flights for safety reasons

11:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Russian city of Kazan’s airport imposed temporary flight restrictions for safety reasons on Monday, which were lifted about an hour later, Russia‘s aviation watchdog said.

Such a decision is often made because of expected or actual Ukrainian drone attacks.

In pictures: Ukraine’s Zelensky in the Philippines to meet with Marcos

10:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Manila for a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Manila’s press pool said on Monday.

Zelensky travelled to Manila from Singapore, where he made an unscheduled appearance at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference, his second visit to Asia since Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

(EPA)

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

(EPA)

Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure

10:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine imposed emergency power shutdowns in most of the country on Sunday, a day after Russia unleashed large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure and claimed it made gains in the eastern Donetsk province.

The shutdowns were in place in all but three regions of Ukraine following Saturday’s drone and missile attack on energy targets that injured at least 19 people.

Ukraine’s state-owned power grid operator Ukrenergo said the shutdowns affected both industrial and household consumers.

Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure

Russia warns US against ‘fatal’ miscalculation in Ukraine

09:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday the United States could face “fatal consequences” if it ignored Moscow’s warnings not to let Ukraine use weapons provided by Washington to strike targets inside Russia.

Ryabkov was commenting on President Joe Biden’s decision last week to approve the use of U.S.-supplied weapons to hit targets inside Russia that were involved in attacks on Ukraine‘s Kharkiv region.

“I would like to warn American leaders against miscalculations that could have fatal consequences. For unknown reasons, they underestimate the seriousness of the rebuff they may receive,” state news agency RIA quoted Ryabkov as saying.

He referred to comments last week by President Vladimir Putin, who said NATO countries were playing with fire and risking a deeper global conflict — one of a series of warnings from Moscow about the risk of a serious escalation.

“I urge these figures (in the U.S.) … to spend some of their time, which they apparently spend on some kind of video games, judging by the lightness of their approach, on studying what was said in detail by Putin,” Ryabkov said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov (AP)

China says all efforts should be recognised in Russia-Ukraine peace measures

09:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

China believes all efforts should be recognised in supporting peace measures around the Russia-Ukraine war, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday.

China has never “fanned fire or fuelled the flames”, said Mao Ning, addressing a question on a peace summit.

China attaches great importance to its relations with Ukraine and remains its largest trading partner, Mao said, adding that China’s position on the peace conference is very “open and transparent”.

“We believe that we can get the understanding and support of all parties.”

Russia and China proclaimed a “no limits” relationship just days before Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but Beijing has so far avoided providing actual weapons and ammunition for Russia‘s war effort.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Zelensky accuses China of helping Russia sabotage Ukraine peace summit

09:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

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

Speaking at Asia’s premier security conference in Singapore, Mr Zelensky alleged Russia had been using Chinese diplomats in the wider Asian region to influence and dissuade countries from attending the peace summit, due to be held in Burgenstock Resort, central Switzerland, on 15 and 16 June.

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

Zelensky accuses China of helping Russia sabotage Ukraine peace summit

Russia warns US against ‘fatal’ mistakes in Ukraine

08:44 , Alexander Butler

Russia’s foreign ministry warned the United States against “mistakes that may have fatal consequences” with regards to allowing Ukraine to strike targets on Russian territory.

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said attempts by Kyiv to attack Russian early-warning radar systems would be thwarted and Moscow may respond asymmetrically to such steps.

Ukrainian general claims Russia is killing civilians

08:05 , Barney Davis

Russian forces injured five residents in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region on Sunday, June 2.

Vadym Filashkin, head of the region’s military administration, announced on Facebook, “Russia is killing civilians!

“On June 2, the Russians injured five residents of the Donetsk region: two each in Bilozerske and Zalizne and one in Vovche,” he said.

He added the total number of victims of the Russian army in the Donetsk region (1,985 killed and 4,974 wounded) does not take into account casualties in Mariupol and Volnovakha.

Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians in the war that Moscow launched against its smaller neighbour in 2022 and which has no end in sight.

Russian glide bombs successfully disabled by experts

07:46 , Barney Davis

Bomb disposal experts have defused two powerful guided aerial bombs that fell on a field near Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, but did not explode.

The Ukrainian State Emergency Service’s directorate in the Donetsk region announced the update on Facebook.

Russia has been dropping hundreds, likely thousands, of the weapons in recent weeks. Moscow dropped 700 glide bombs in six days at the end of March, the Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Ukraine also uses guided bombs similar to the FABs, known as the joint direct attack munition system (JDAM), but the US-made weapons are in much shorter supply.

(Facebook)

Zelensky told Western allies will help critical air defences

07:29 , Barney Davis

Ukraine’s allies in the West will provide boosted military assistance as the country weathers attacks by Russia, officials said.

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,” Breuer said in an interview on the sidelines of the conference.

“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.”

EU warns of Russia spreading disinformation during vital election

07:15 , Barney Davis

European governments say Russia is spreading disinformation before the European Union holds an election to the European Parliament form June 6-9.

They say the actions of Moscow and pro-Kremlin actors are part of a wider campaign of interference designed to discredit European governments and destabilise the EU.

Moscow rejects the allegations which include:

Disinformation, with alleged manipulation of the truth ranging from amplifying already-existing conspiracy theories to deepfake videos and the publication of falsehoods on ‘doppelganger’ sites created to look identical to bona fide sites.

The Czech Republic said news website voiceofeurope.com had been leading a pro-Russian influence operation in Europe. A pro-Russian Ukrainian politician and businessman, Viktor Medvedchuk, covertly financed the Voice of Europe’s influence operations, it said.

At least 1,270 Russian soldiers killed in past 24 hours in Ukraine, says official

07:10 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces have lost 1,270 soldiers, 14 tanks, 22 armoured combat vehicles and 47 artillery systems over the past 24 hours, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

Last evening, the military officials said Russian and Ukrainian forces clashed 55 times over the course of the day. Russian forces undertook an unsuccessful assault near the village of Starytsia in Kharkiv oblast and carried out 10 airstrikes on the Kharkiv front.

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

07:00 , 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.”

Full report:

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

Russian attack on Kharkiv kills civilian, official says

06:41 , Arpan Rai

At least one person was killed and two others were injured in an overnight Russian attack on Kharkiv, the governor of the eastern Ukrainian region said today.

The civilian was killed and the two people were injured when a recreation complex was hit in the Zmiiv district, Oleh Synehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region, said on Telegram.

Trump can be ‘loser president’ with bad peace deal plan, says Zelensky

06:12 , Arpan Rai

Donald Trump can become “loser president” if he imposes a bad peace deal on Ukraine and sides with his ally Vladimir Putin’s ceasefire plans, Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Mr Zelensky said the former US president can force a crushing military defeat on Ukraine, end “support, weapons and money” Kyiv is getting to fight back the Russian invasion. Trump can also ‘make deals’ with Kyiv’s partners to stop deliveries of vital arms, he told The Guardian.

“Ukraine, barehanded, without weapons, will not be able to fight a multimillion [Russian] army,” he said.

“Does he want to become a loser president? Do you understand what can happen?” the Ukrainian president said.

Calling the ceasefire “a trap”, he added that the Russian president would violate any peace deal brokered by Mr Trump.

He added that the Russian president would “go further”, humiliating Mr Trump and make him look “very weak” on the global stage.

ICYMI: Ukraine says it downs 24 Russia-launched attack drones

06:00 , Matt Mathers

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.

Zelensky thanks Philippines for backing Kyiv’s ‘sovereignty and territorial integrity’

05:42 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the Philippines president for backing Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as he reached Manila for a bilateral visit.

“I am grateful to the Philippines for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, for its clear position on Russia’s aggression against our country, and for supporting important UN resolutions,” he said on X, sharing photos from his visit.

Mr Zelensky said Ukraine intends to open an embassy in Manila this year “to strengthen bilateral cooperation”. “We discussed the inaugural Global Peace Summit and the importance of Southeast Asian countries being represented there,” he said.

“I am pleased that the Philippines will participate in the Summit. We also talked about bilateral cooperation, particularly Ukrainian agricultural exports to the Philippines,” Mr Zelensky said.

Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure

05:03 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine imposed emergency power shutdowns in most of the country yesterday, a day after Russia unleashed large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure and claimed it made gains in the eastern Donetsk province.

The shutdowns were in place in all but three regions of Ukraine following Saturday’s drone and missile attack on energy targets that injured at least 19 people.

Ukraine’s state-owned power grid operator Ukrenergo said the shutdowns affected both industrial and household consumers.

Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks have forced the government to institute nationwide rolling blackouts. Without adequate air defences to counter assaults and allow for repairs, though, the shortages could still worsen as need spikes in late summer and the bitter-cold winter.

Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure

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

05:00 , 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’

Zelensky thanks Philippine leader for participation in peace talks

04:26 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his Philippine counterpart president Ferdinand Marcos Jr for Manila’s participation in an upcoming peace summit in Switzerland later this month.

Mr Zelensky made the remarks during his bilateral meeting with the Philippine leader. It was not immediately clear who would be in the Philippine delegation that attends the summit.

The Ukrainian war-time leader is in the Philippines today marking a rare Asian trip to urge regional leaders to attend a Swiss-organized global peace summit on the war in Ukraine that he accuses Russia, with China’s help, of trying to undermine.

He arrived unannounced and under heavy security in Manila late yesterday after speaking over the weekend at the Shangri-La defense forum in Singapore.

ICYMI: Zelensky accuses China of helping Russia sabotage Ukraine peace summit

04:00 , Matt Mathers

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

Full report:

Zelensky accuses China of helping Russia sabotage Ukraine peace summit

03:49 , Arpan Rai

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

He added that such actions were “not only support to Russia… that is support of war”.

Zelensky accuses China of helping Russia sabotage Ukraine peace summit

Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure

03:00 , Matt Mathers

The shutdowns were in place in all but three regions of Ukraine following Saturday’s drone and missile attack on energy targets that injured at least 19 people.

Ukraine’s state-owned power grid operator Ukrenergo said the shutdowns affected both industrial and household consumers.

Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks have forced the government to institute nationwide rolling blackouts.

Without adequate air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs, though, the shortages could still worsen as need spikes in late summer and the bitter-cold winter.

Nearly 1,000 people honor a young Ukrainian journalist and volunteer combat medic killed in action

02:00 , Matt Mathers

Nearly 1,000 people attended a ceremony Sunday honoring the memory of Ukrainian journalist Iryna Tsybukh, who was killed in action while serving as a volunteer combat medic a few days before her 26th birthday.

Tsybukh was killed while on rotation in the Kharkiv area, where Russia started its offensive nearly a month ago.

Full report:

Nearly 1,000 people honor a young Ukrainian journalist and volunteer combat medic killed in action

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

01:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday that diplomacy — in the form of a peace summit later this month — was the best way to end a «cruel war» that has killed thousands in his country since 2022.

In an address at the security conference in Singapore, Zelensky said 106 countries and organisations had signed on for the peace summit in Switzerland, but noted it was disappointing that some world leaders had not yet offered their support. Russia was trying to disrupt the peace efforts, he said.

«We are convinced that our world wants to be united and be capable of acting in complete harmony,» Zelensky said.

He later told a news conference that he was not able to meet the Chinese delegation at the conference and was disappointed that Beijing would not attend the summit.

«China, unfortunately … is working for countries not to come to the peace summit,» he said.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore (AFP via Getty Images)

UN refugee chief says 114 million have fled homes because nations fail to tackle causes of conflict

Monday 3 June 2024 00:00 , Tom Watling

UN refugee chief says 114 million have fled homes because nations fail to tackle causes of conflict

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

Sunday 2 June 2024 23:00 , Tom Watling

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

Here are some of the latest photos from Kyiv

Sunday 2 June 2024 22:00 , Tom Watling

Below are some of the latest photos from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

People walk along Mykhailivska Street during a memorial service for Ukrainian journalist and volunteer combat medic Iryna Tsybukh at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv, (AP)

A flash from the lightning illuminates the sky over the city before a night storm in Kyiv (REUTERS)

A mass parachute jump over Normandy kicks commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day

Sunday 2 June 2024 21:00 , Tom Watling

A mass parachute jump over Normandy kicks commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day

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

Sunday 2 June 2024 20:00 , Tom Watling

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

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

Sunday 2 June 2024 19:00 , Tom Watling

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

Zelenskyy accuses China of pressuring other countries not to attend upcoming Ukraine peace talks

Sunday 2 June 2024 18:00 , Tom Watling

Zelenskyy accuses China of pressuring other countries not to attend upcoming Ukraine peace talks

Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure

Sunday 2 June 2024 17:00 , Tom Watling

Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure

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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 15:00 , Tom Watling

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

Infantry soldier Viktor of Ukraine’s 58th Motorized Brigade scans the sky for enemy drones as he stands in a frontline trench in the Donetsk region (REUTERS)

A infantry soldier of Ukraine’s 58th Motorized Brigade sits in the dugout where he sleeps in a frontline trench in the Donetsk region (REUTERS)

Members of a mortar unit, Roman and Woldemar, of Ukraine’s 58th Motorized Brigade adjust the artillery at their position in the Donetsk region (REUTERS)

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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on 2 June 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky is accompanied by Executive Chairman of IISS John Chipman (R) as he arrive at the Shangri-la Hotel to attend the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) 21th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, 01 June 2024 (EPA)

“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.

No country could handle Russian assault alone, says Zelensky

Sunday 2 June 2024 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.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on 2 June 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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.

An Ukrainian soldier guards his position while trucks with killed Russian soldiers driving to Russian territory, during repatriation in Sumy region, Ukraine, Friday, 31 May 2024 (AP)

“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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

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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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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.

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on 1 June 2024, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky gets off his plane as he arrives to attend Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore (Ukrainian presidential press service)

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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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.

Firefighters work at a site of a residential building hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine 31 May 2024 (Reuters)

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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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

Sunday 2 June 2024 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.”

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on 1 June 2024, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky (R) attends a meeting with Indonesia’s defence minister and president-elected Prabowo Subianto (L) during Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore (AFP)

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.