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4:40 PM

Switzerland blocks shipment of armored vehicles to Ukraine.

The Swiss government has rejected Denmark's request to send 20 Piranha III infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, Swiss broadcaster SRF reported. Denmark needs Switzerland's agreement because they were produced there, and Switzerland bans the export of Swiss-made weapons to conflict zones due to its neutral status. Earlier Switzerland also rejected the supplies of weapons from Germany and Poland to Ukraine.
3:36 PM

Estonian PM says EU officials debate whether to call Putin.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that a "heated debate" took place between EU leaders on May 31 on whether to continue phone talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine. She said that, despite the good intentions of the EU, Putin does not want to take any steps towards peace.
2:36 PM

SBU suspects local official in Chernivtsi of humanitarian aid fraud.

Artem Dekhtiarenko, a spokesman for the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said that a deputy head of the Chernivtsi regional military administration had allegedly participated in the commercial use of ambulances that were sent to Ukraine from Italy as humanitarian aid. Other officials involved in the crime are being identified, he added.
1:08 PM

Pope Francis urges Russia not to use grain supplies as weapon.

Pope Francis indirectly urged Russia, without naming the country, to not use Ukrainian grain as a weapon in the war. “The blockage of grain exports from Ukraine, on which the lives of millions of people depend, is especially alarming,” he said. Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s ports prevents the export of about 22 million tons of grain, creating a threat of famine in countries dependent on the grain, according to Ukrainian officials.
11:20 AM

Russian nuclear forces hold maneuver drills.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its nuclear forces had started maneuver drills in Ivanovo Oblast in western Russia, Russian news agency Interfax reported. Some 1,000 service members participate in exercises using over 100 vehicles, including Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers.
8:45 AM

Institute for the Study of War: Russia's focus on seizing Sievierodonetsk creates vulnerabilities for its forces in Kherson Oblast.

The U.S. think tank reports that Russian forces in Kherson Oblast are likely feeling the pressure of the limited Ukrainian counteroffensive in the northwestern part of the region, especially as much of the Russian operational focus is currently on the capture of Sievierodonetsk. Experts say that Kherson is "critical terrain because it is the only area of Ukraine in which Russian forces hold ground on the west bank of the Dnipro River." If Russia is able to retain a strong lodgement in Kherson, it will be a very strong position from which to launch future invasion sorties.
7:39 AM

Biden: US doesn't seek war between NATO and Russia.

Writing in a New York Times op-ed published on May 31, Biden said: "As much as I disagree with Mr. Putin, and find his actions an outrage, the U.S. will not try to bring about his ouster in Moscow. So long as the U.S. or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict, either by sending American troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces." Biden also said that Ukraine will receive more advanced rocket systems and munitions that "will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine."
7:10 AM

Zelensky: 'Ukraine losing 60-100 soldiers per day in combat'.

In an interview with Newsmax TV Channel, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation "is very difficult." "We're losing 60-100 soldiers per day killed in action and around 500 people wounded in action. So we are holding our defensive perimeters." He added that Ukraine and its people are the "defensive perimeter" for the world.
6:48 AM

Official: Russian soldiers build fortification near Kryvyi Rih.

Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city’s military administration, said the Ukrainian military is conducting successful combat operations south of the city, and the Russian forces are being forced to strengthen their defenses. "(Russian soldiers) are forced to strengthen their defensive positions, they even tear down slabs from roads to build fortifications," Vilkul said, adding that they are also mining the coast of the Inhulets River.
5:51 AM

UN: Russia's war has killed 4,113 civilians, injured 4,916 in Ukraine.

According to the UN's human rights agency a total of 9,029 civilian casualties have been recorded since Russia's invasion began, although it believes the figures to be considerably higher including in Mariupol, Izium, and Popasna. Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area.
5:12 AM

WSJ: OPEC considers suspending Russia from oil deal.

Some OPEC members are mulling over the possibility of suspending Russia’s participation in an oil-production deal that limits the amount of crude oil each member can produce, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing OPEC delegates. This move could potentially allow for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other producers in the OPEC to pump more crude oil.
3:42 AM

Reuters: Genetic code for nearly 2,000 crops at risk due to Russia’s war.

According to Crop Trust, an international nonprofit focused on crop diversity and food security, Ukraine’s seed banks are in danger of being destroyed amid ongoing hostilities. A research facility near Ukraine’s national seed bank in Kharkiv was damaged earlier in May, of which only 4% of the seeds are backed up. “Seed banks are a kind of life insurance for mankind,” said Executive Director of Crop Trust Stefan Schmitz told Reuters.
3:26 AM

UN: Ombudsman’s dismissal ‘contrary to international standards’.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said on Facebook on May 31 that the Verkhovna Rada’s dismissal of Lyudmyla Denisova “undermines the independence of this important human rights institution in Ukraine.” The institution decried the “unnecessarily speedy procedure” and the lack of explanation for her dismissal.
3:13 AM

Financial Times: EU, UK impose insurance ban on Russian oil cargoes.

Citing unnamed U.K. and European officials, Financial Times reported on May 31 that the two actors have agreed on a concerted ban on insuring ships transporting Russian oil, sharply restricting Russia’s ability to export crude oil. The ban is part of a new EU sanctions package aimed at Russian oil exports.
11:28 PM

US ambassador to UN: White House approves Italian peace plan for Ukraine.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the U.S. supported a peace plan initiated by Italy to end the war in Ukraine. The four-stage plan includes a ceasefire and the demilitarization of the frontline under the United Nations supervision, negotiations on the status of Ukraine vis-a-vis NATO and the European Union, a Ukrainian-Russian agreement on Crimea and the Donbas, and a multilateral agreement on peace and security in Europe, according to earlier media reports.
10:57 PM

US ambassador to UN: White House repeatedly stated it will provide Ukraine with defensive weapons only.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has been “clear from day one” that they would provide Ukraine with defensive weapons, but not the ones that would allow reaching targets inside Russia. “We’re not going to become a party to the war, but we will support Ukraine’s efforts to defend its own sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said.
10:27 PM

Russian forces shell Kharkiv Oblast for 10 hours, 1 person killed.

Local official Viktor Kovalenko told Suspline media outlet that Russian shelling of Zolochiv village in Kharkiv Oblast continued for 10 hours. One person was killed, and one was injured due to the attack. The Russians are shooting at the village with howitzers, the official added.
9:56 PM

Italian PM: Big EU countries except Italy against Ukraine candidate status.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on May 31 that all big European Union countries, apart from Italy, are against giving Ukraine a candidate status. “However, Ukraine’s rapid move towards the EU cannot be ruled out. And it seems to me that the European Commission also agrees with this view,” he said. A decision on Ukraine’s EU candidate status is expected to be raised during the European Council meeting in late June.
9:20 PM

Luhansk Oblast Governor: Russian forces control about 70% of Sievierodonetsk.

Governor Serhiy Haidai told Sky News that Russian troops are now in control of around 70% of Sievierodonetsk, and heavy fighting is ongoing in the city. The governor added that the town is not encircled. However, he said, the city’s critical infrastructure is almost entirely destroyed, with 90% of residential buildings damaged.
8:40 PM

WSJ: US to provide Ukraine with artillery with over 60 kilometers in range.

The Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources in the White House, that the U.S. is planning to provide Ukraine with precision-guided rocket systems that can destroy targets located over 60 kilometers away. The official added that the systems could arrive within weeks, and training on how to use them would take at least 10 days.
8:27 PM

Macron not ruling out seventh package of EU sanctions against Russia.

Following EU's sixth sanctions package, French President Emmanuel Macron said on May 31 that “nothing could be ruled out” in terms of additional sanctions in the coming weeks. He also expressed hope that an agreement with Russia could be reached on allowing grain exports from Ukraine.

News Feed

8:02 PM  (Updated: )

Ukrainian drones strike missile, drone arsenal in Russia's Bryansk Oblast.

Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) struck on June 28 the 1060th Material-Technical Support Center in the city of Bryansk, Ukraine's General Staff said. The facilities store a Russian missile and drone arsenal, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing a source in HUR.
11:06 AM  (Updated: )

Poland's Duda arrives in Kyiv to meet with Zelensky.

"Andrzej has been with Ukraine since the first days of the war, always side by side, a reliable ally and a true friend. This is undoubtedly the level of relations we want to preserve and strengthen with Poland," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
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