Saturday, June 1

Russia’s war against Ukraine

First responders work through the debris with construction vehicles at damaged residential area after Russian attack with S-300 missiles hit Kharkiv on May 31, 2024. The targeted ‘double-tap’ attack on civilian infrastructure claimed the lives of five people, while 25 others sustained injuries. (Kharkiv Regional Military Administration via Getty Images)

Presidential Office confirms Washington allowed Kyiv to strike inside Russia with US arms near Kharkiv. The U.S. gave Ukraine permission to strike Russian territory with American-supplied weapons, but only near Kharkiv city, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, confirmed for the Kyiv Independent on May 31.

Ukraine can strike inside Russia with American arms near entire northern border, US official says. “The recommendations apply to the northern border in Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts, where Russian forces are firing on Ukraine,” said Michael Carpenter, senior director for Europe at the U.S. National Security Council.

Berlin says Ukraine can strike military targets inside Russia with German arms. Ukraine can use German-supplied weapons to strike legitimate military targets inside Russia, Deutsche Welle reported on May 31, citing a German government spokesperson.

Ukraine, Sweden sign long-term security agreement. President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Stockholm earlier in the day for the third Nordic-Ukrainian summit where he met Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Ukraine, Norway sign long-term security agreement. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere signed a bilateral security agreement between the two countries in Stockholm on May 31.

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Ukraine to receive 1st tranche of frozen Russian assets revenue this summer, EU official says. The legal framework within which the funds will be transferred is still in progress, according to David O’Sullivan. The EU sanctions envoy hopes that the decision will be made in “a few weeks.”

Ukraine can use Netherlands’ F-16s to strike inside Russia as self-defense, Dutch minister says. The comments come a day after Denmark said Ukraine may use Danish-supplied F-16 jets to strike military targets in Russian territory, as this would be “within the rules of war.”

SBU drones destroyed Russia’s long-range radar in Crimea, sources say. Sources from Ukrainian intelligence services told the Kyiv Independent that the system was worth around $100 million.

Ukraine strikes ferry crossing, oil depots in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, General Staff says. Ukrainian forces struck a ferry crossing and an oil depot at Port Kavkaz in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai overnight on May 31, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported.

75 Ukrainian prisoners brought back from Russian captivity. The number includes service personnel of the Armed Forces and the National Guard, border guards, and four civilians.

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Ukraine war latest: Russian ferry crossing, 4 patrol boats struck in Crimea, military says

The U.S. gave Ukraine permission to use American-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia located near the border with Kharkiv Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, confirmed for the Kyiv Independent on May 31.

Photo: Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

‘We took out so many of them:’ Ukraine stabilizes Kharkiv front after brutal Russian offensive

After making quick early gains across Ukraine’s northern border, Russia’s May offensive on Kharkiv Oblast has run out of steam.

Photo: Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast village kill 1, injure 3. The village reportedly came under Russian attacks four times in the morning. Five houses, an administrative building, and other facilities were damaged, while four more houses and four cars were “completely destroyed,” Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

2 injured in Russian missile attack on Odesa port infrastructure. A 28-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man suffered shrapnel injuries and were hospitalized in moderate condition, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said.

International response

Ukraine, Iceland sign long-term security agreement. Ukraine’s President Volodoymyr Zelensky and Iceland’s Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson signed a long-term bilateral agreement between the two countries in Stockholm on May 31.

Ukraine to receive $2.2 billion from IMF’s Extended Fund Facility. Ukraine is set to receive $2.2 billion from the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on social media on May 31.

China won’t attend Ukraine’s global peace summit, Reuters reports. One source said China had insisted the summit should be recognised by both Russia and Ukraine and both countries should participate.

China denies supplying Russia with weapons for use in Ukraine. The denial comes after the U.S. earlier this week accused China of giving Russia “every support behind the scenes” towards its war in Ukraine, describing its actions as “destabilizing in the heart of Europe.”

US Deputy Treasury Secretary Adeyemo warns China over support for Russia. “We must make the choice stark for China: Chinese firms can either do business in our economies or they can equip Russia’s war machine with dual-use goods. They cannot do both,” said U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo.

Lithuania open to training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine, Lithuanian PM says. “This is a long-standing exercise in which we train Ukrainian soldiers. We trained them before this invasion, and this is a long-lasting cooperation between our military forces and the Ukrainian military forces,” Ingrida Simonyte said/

Moldovan Parliament declares Russia’s policies toward Ukraine as genocide. Sixty members of parliament, including 59 from the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), voted in favor of the declaration. Parties with close ties with Moscow refused to participate in the vote.

Warsaw considers forming unit of draft-aged Ukrainians living in Poland, FM says. “Poland considered Ukraine’s request for training, but we came to the conclusion that it would be both safer and more effective to train a Ukrainian unit formed of Ukrainians in Poland who are subject to conscription into the Ukrainian army,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.

EU imposes sanctions on Iranian individuals, entities involved in transfer of drones to Russia. The European Council adopted new sanctions on May 31 targeting six individual and three entities from Iran who are involved in the transfer of drones to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

Chechen man arrested in France for plotting terrorist attack on Olympics, authorities say. The French Interior Ministry did not provide any more details but said it was the first terrorist plot targeting the Olympics that had been foiled.

With Ukrainian forces halting Russia’s Kharkiv offensive

In other news

Ukraine brings back 212 bodies of fallen soldiers. The bodies were retrieved from the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kharkiv sectors of the front line, as well as from the Russian-occupied territories.

Russia blackmailing some leaders ahead of Ukraine’s peace summit, Zelensky says. “At this moment, we already have about a hundred states and international organizations that will participate in the summit, but Russia is blackmailing some leaders and trying to block the participation of some countries,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Kremlin troops were ‘laughing’ at Ukraine’s inability to strike inside Russia, Zelensky says. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he thinks Moscow’s troops were “laughing” at Ukraine and were able to “hunt” its soldiers because of a ban on using Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia.

Mobilization in Ukraine ramps up as new law comes into effect, Zelensky says. Speaking to a press conference in Stockholm, Zelensky said that the country has “never stopped mobilizing” since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, but that mobilization “has increased” after the new law came into effect.

US philanthropist to fund the restoration of Kharkiv’s printing house, destroyed by Russia. Under favorable conditions, the printing house is expected to be restored in four or five months, said Serhii Polituchyi, the Faktor Druk printing plant owner.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dmytro Basmat, Lili Bivings, Chris York, Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Hodunova, Kateryna Denisova, and Nate Ostiller.

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