Julian Borger provides this latest update from Kyiv for the Guardian:
Russia has claimed to have repelled a “major offensive” in the Donetsk region and to have killed hundreds of Ukrainian troops, but the claims could not be independently verified.
Ukrainian officials made no comment, and have emphasised the need for secrecy about operations in recent days as anticipation grows for a major counteroffensive. Ukrainian military officers have predicted that any such counteroffensive would be preceded and accompanied by feints and diversionary attacks to “shape the battlefield” and cause as much confusion as possible in Russian ranks.
The defence ministry in Moscow said Ukraine had attacked with six mechanised and two tank battalions.
“On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the South Donetsk direction,” the ministry said in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app at 1:30 am Moscow time.
“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defences in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front,” it said. “The enemy did not achieve its tasks, it had no success.”
The ministry claimed that 250 Ukrainian troops had been killed, and 16 tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armoured personnel carriers destroyed.
Videos of combat posted online showed what were purported to be Ukrainian armoured cars blowing up in fields near Velyka Novosilka, 60 miles west of Donetsk city, but it was impossible to tell from the videos when they were taken and what the outcome of the battle was.
The daily update from the Ukrainian general staff on Sunday made no mention of a major offensive in Donetsk but did report 29 clashes in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and 15 airstrikes on enemy troops across the country.
Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksiy Reznikov posted a message on Twitter on Sunday, quoting from a song by Depeche Mode, Enjoy the Silence.
“Words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm,” the tweet said.
Read more of Julian Borger’s report here: Russia claims to have fought off ‘major Ukrainian offensive’ in Donetsk
Reuters has a quick snap that Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had retaken part of the settlement of Berkhivka, north of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, calling it a “disgrace”.
Tass reports that at his daily press call, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on any questions about a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
It quotes him saying:
This is connected with the course of the “special military operation”. Therefore, the ministry of defence has the absolute prerogative here. You saw today’s statement that was made by the department.
“Special military operation” is the preferred term by Russian authorities for the full scale invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has posted to his official Telegram channel a message of encouragement for his nation, without specifically referencing the increase in fighting on the ground that is being observed in some quarters today. Ukraine’s president wrote:
Russian terror must be defeated every day and every night, in every region of Ukraine, in the skies of every Ukrainian city and village. When any attack by Russian terrorists ends in failure for the terrorists, their defeats will become a source of our long-term security.
Julian Borger and Dan Sabbagh in Kyiv have this updated news story on what we know so far about developments today:
A significant escalation in fighting along the frontlines in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions has been reported overnight, but there was no confirmation from Ukrainian officials that it marked the started of their long-planned counteroffensive.
Russia claimed to have repelled a “major offensive” in the Donetsk region and to have killed hundreds of Ukrainian troops, but the claims could not be independently verified. A Moscow-backed militia leader and Russian military bloggers admitted that Ukrainian forces had achieved a breakthrough in at least one point in south-western Donetsk.
Ukrainian officials made no comment, and emphasised the need for secrecy about operations in recent days as anticipation grows for a major counteroffensive. Ukrainian military officers have predicted that any such counteroffensive would be preceded and accompanied by feints and diversionary attacks to “shape the battlefield” and cause as much confusion as possible in Russian ranks.
Russian military bloggers also said Ukraine had breached Russian lines in Velykonovosilkivskyi. The blogger Wargonzo said: “This time the news is much more disturbing.”
The head of Russia’s puppet administration in Zaporizhzhia region, Vladimir Rogov, said there had also been a significant attack there.
“The enemy threw even greater forces into the attack than yesterday, attempting a larger-scale breakthrough in an organised manner,” Rogov reported on his Telegram channel. “The fight is on.”
“It is clear, however, that the enemy has not yet made full use of his main forces,” Igor Girkin, a Russian nationalist critic of the Kremlin and former “defence minister” in the Russian-installed authority in Donetsk. “If the enemy’s offensive has really begun, and is not a ‘test of strength’, the intensity of the battles will only increase in the coming days. The outcome of the battle is not yet completely predetermined – it is just beginning.”
You can read more of Julian Borger and Dan Sabbagh’s report here: Ukraine – significant escalation in fighting reported in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia
Poland’s agriculture minister has received a draft regulation from the European Commission extending a ban on Ukrainian grain imports until 15 September, he said on Monday.
“We have received from the EC a draft of a new regulation banning the import of four products to the five countries,” Robert Telus wrote on Twitter. “The effective date provided for in the draft is 15 September this year.”
The agricultural sector in several countries bordering Ukraine has been vocal in protesting that Ukrainian products are under-cutting local producers by being imported into the EU, when they would normally be exported out of Europe via the Black Sea.
With Ukraine frequently imposing an information blackout when it is carrying out military operations, and Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksiy Reznikov quoting Depeche Mode’s Enjoy The Silence, information on the situation on the ground in Donetsk is sparse.
My colleague Dan Sabbagh points out that one of Russia’s military bloggers, Igor Girkin, has suggested that Ukraine has successfully “cut into our position” on southern front.
Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster, reports that a 55-year-old security guard has been killed by a Russian attack on a business in Kherson, citing the head of the region, Oleksandr Prokudin.
Belgium will ask Ukraine for clarification on reports that rifles made in Belgium had been used by pro-Ukrainian forces to fight Russian troops inside Russia’s western border, Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo said on Monday.
“Our defence ministry and its intelligence agencies have started an investigation and are asking for information to determine what has happened exactly,” Reuters report De Croo said on Belgium’s Radio 1.
“European weapons are delivered to Ukraine under the condition that they are used on Ukrainian territory with the purpose of defending that territory. And we have strict controls in place to see that this is the case,” he said.
De Croo declined to comment on possible consequences if the reports were confirmed.
“We must not get ahead of ourselves here,” the prime minister said. “But we are analysing the situation and we would take this very seriously.”
The Washington Post on Saturday reported that anti-Kremlin fighters who launched a cross-border attack from Ukraine into the Russian Belgorod region last month used tactical vehicles originally given to Ukraine by the US and Poland and carried rifles made in Belgium and the Czech Republic.
Tobias Ellwood, chair of UK parliament’s defence select committee, has said “it is worth pausing to reflect gravity of this movement – Ukraine launching its own counterattack to liberate its own territory after halting the advance of the third largest army in the world. That is quite an incredible movement moving from defence to attack.”
“We should really manage expectations. While Ukraine has been preparing for this moment, Russia has been busy building its own significant defences, pouring concrete anti tank obstacles hoping to stall this offensive.
“They want this offensive to be frozen so that support dries up, and talks can then begin. Ukraine needs to demonstrate progress to ensure western support continues with those tanks, long range missiles, and F-16s.
“This may take a series of waves for this to conclude. This won’t happen overnight.”
My colleague Dan Sabbagh reports that at least one Russian military blogger on Telegram is concerned about developments in Donetsk, writing that the situation grows “more alarming by the hour”.
Russia’s Baltic fleet started naval exercises in the Baltic Sea on Monday, the Russian military’s press service said.
About 3,500 soldiers and up to 40 ships and boats will take part in the drills, which are scheduled to last until 15 June, Reuters reports the military said.
Suspilne, Ukraine’s state broadcaster, has this update on overnight casualties, writing on its official Telegram channel:
There were no casualties due to a rocket attack on Chuhuiv in Kharkiv oblast last night, the head of the region Synyehubov reported. Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Region was also hit twice at night – no one was hurt. During the past day, two people were injured in Kherson oblast as a result of Russian strikes, and three people were injured in Donetsk oblast.
The claims have not been independently verified.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who has been tasked by Pope Francis to carry out a peace mission to try to help end the war in Ukraine, will visit Kyiv on 5-6 June, Reuters reports the Vatican said in a statement on Monday.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, Ukraine’s governor of Donetsk, has given a standard operational update on Telegram this morning. As is his custom, he has listed places under Ukrainian control in the region which have been shelled by Russian forces, with casualty figures and a list of damages to property.
Among his claims are that “a high-rise building and three private houses were damaged in the Chasiv Yar” and that “a person was injured in Toretsk – the city was bombarded by air”. He stated that three residents have been injured overall in the previous 24 hours.
Kyrylenko makes no mention of any offensive manoeuvres by Ukrainian forces.
Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian regions that the Russian Federation claimed to annex in 2022.
Julian Borger reports for the Guardian from Kyiv:
Alexander Khodakovsky, the head of the pro-Moscow Vostok Battalion in the Donbas, said there had been Ukrainian military gains in the Velykonovosilkivskyi area of western Donetsk.
“The enemy is trying to break through. Having grouped their forces into a fist, they were able to achieve tactical success,” Khodakovsky said on Telegram. “They took one position from us, but suffered tangible losses. Now the enemy are reinforcing their presence at the point of breakthrough, obviously trying to make further gains.”
Khodakovsky estimated the attacks did not represent the promised counter-offensive, but if Ukraine did achieve a breakthrough, many more troops could pour into the breach.
Sky News is carrying an exclusive this morning which claims the network has seen documents it believes are authentic that show Iran suppling arms to Russia. In its report, security and defence editor Deborah Haynes writes:
A purported arms contract seen by Sky News offers the first hard evidence that Iran has sold ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine, an informed security source has claimed.
If authentic, the 16-page document, dated 14 September 2022, appears to be for samples of varying sizes of artillery and tank shells and rockets worth just over $1m (£800,000).
Sky News has not been able to verify the authenticity of the documents independently.
However, the security source alleged: “This is a contract between the Iranians and the Russians regarding munitions … We believe it is 100% authentic.”
Russia’s embassy and Iran’s embassy to the UK respectively did not respond to a request for comment.
Kyiv and London said they planned to investigate the authenticity of the material and would take action if it was found to be credible.
Julian Borger provides this latest update from Kyiv for the Guardian:
Russia has claimed to have repelled a “major offensive” in the Donetsk region and to have killed hundreds of Ukrainian troops, but the claims could not be independently verified.
Ukrainian officials made no comment, and have emphasised the need for secrecy about operations in recent days as anticipation grows for a major counteroffensive. Ukrainian military officers have predicted that any such counteroffensive would be preceded and accompanied by feints and diversionary attacks to “shape the battlefield” and cause as much confusion as possible in Russian ranks.
The defence ministry in Moscow said Ukraine had attacked with six mechanised and two tank battalions.
“On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the South Donetsk direction,” the ministry said in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app at 1:30 am Moscow time.
“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defences in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front,” it said. “The enemy did not achieve its tasks, it had no success.”
The ministry claimed that 250 Ukrainian troops had been killed, and 16 tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armoured personnel carriers destroyed.
Videos of combat posted online showed what were purported to be Ukrainian armoured cars blowing up in fields near Velyka Novosilka, 60 miles west of Donetsk city, but it was impossible to tell from the videos when they were taken and what the outcome of the battle was.
The daily update from the Ukrainian general staff on Sunday made no mention of a major offensive in Donetsk but did report 29 clashes in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and 15 airstrikes on enemy troops across the country.
Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksiy Reznikov posted a message on Twitter on Sunday, quoting from a song by Depeche Mode, Enjoy the Silence.
“Words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm,” the tweet said.
Read more of Julian Borger’s report here: Russia claims to have fought off ‘major Ukrainian offensive’ in Donetsk
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine appears to have spurred support for Ukraine’s LGBT community and a draft civil union law that would give same-sex partnerships legal status for the first time.
“Anything that our enemy hates … I will support,” said the Ukrainian MP Andrii Kozhemiakin, a wiry, conservative ex-spy who likes to emphasise his Christian faith and large family. “If it will never exist in Russia, it should exist and be supported here, to show them and signal to them that we are different. This law is like a smile towards Europe and a middle finger to Russia. So I support it.”
Inna Sovsun, the MP who drafted the law and is trying to shepherd it through parliament, said Kozhemiakin’s speech was “the most unexpected thing in my political career”.
You read more here on the report by Emma Graham-Harrison and Artem Mazhulin in Kyiv.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20vd29ybGQvbGl2ZS8yMDIzL2p1bi8wNS9ydXNzaWEtdWtyYWluZS13YXItbGl2ZS1tb3Njb3ctY2xhaW1zLXRvLWhhdmUtcmVwZWxsZWQtbWFqb3ItYXR0YWNrLWluLWRvbmV0c2stYmVsZ29yb2QtZW5lcmd5LWZhY2lsaXR5LW9uLWZpcmXSAaIBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL3dvcmxkL2xpdmUvMjAyMy9qdW4vMDUvcnVzc2lhLXVrcmFpbmUtd2FyLWxpdmUtbW9zY293LWNsYWltcy10by1oYXZlLXJlcGVsbGVkLW1ham9yLWF0dGFjay1pbi1kb25ldHNrLWJlbGdvcm9kLWVuZXJneS1mYWNpbGl0eS1vbi1maXJl?oc=5
2023-06-05 09:00:00Z
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