Russia-Ukraine war – live: Kremlin claims militants have struck border with heavy shelling

Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor and France’s Emmanuel Macron both emphasised the necessity of security guarantees for Ukraine over Nato membership status.

Speaking at the second European Political Community Summit [EPC] in Moldova yesterday, Mr Scholz said that Ukraine and its allies are still “very far away” from any kind of peace agreement and added that the security guarantees for Ukraine should take precedence over Nato membership, Reuters reported.

“Given the current situation, it is not about establishing membership … We all have to focus on how we as individuals can support Ukraine,” he said.

“They must be designed in such a way that they give Ukraine the security it needs against the danger of being attacked, that they also stabilise Ukraine at the same time, … and of course, it is always part of the security guarantee that it is taken seriously.”

Mr Macron also said that he favoured “stronger, concrete very clear security guarantees” for Ukraine by Nato members.“We have to give a long-term perspective to Ukraine.”

Russia’s defence ministry claimed that it thwarted three cross-border attacks near the town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region.

“Overall, the attack involved up to 70 militants, five tanks, four armoured vehicles, seven pick-up trucks and a Kamaz truck,” the Russian defence ministry said yesterday evening.

The ministry claimed to have killed more than 50 Ukrainian soldiers.

Russia has lost about 208,000 troops since the beginning of the invasion, according to Ukraine.

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that this was more than the 170,000 Russian forces he says were involved in the initial invasion in 2022.

Meanwhile, Sky News reported that Russia has suffered over 60,000 casualties as of 1 June in its assault on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Last month, Russia declared its success in capturing Bakhmut after approximately a year-long battle.“We judge that capturing Bakhmut has likely cost Russia at least 60,000 casualties in that Bakhmut-Popasna sector over the course of the year-long battle,” it reported citing a Western official.

Yesterday, Russia shelled Ukraine’s position in Bakhmut at least 476 times, according to Mr Cherevatyi.“We are doing everything to exhaust their logistics — we are hitting the accumulation of equipment and personnel, headquarters.”

The United States has decided to stop providing Russia with some notifications required under the New START arms control treaty — including updates on its missile and launcher locations.

In a fact sheet on its website, the State Department said it would also stop giving Russia telemetry information — remotely gathered data about a missile’s flight — on launches of US intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

The move is aimed to reiterate Moscow’s “ongoing violations” of the accord, Reuters reported.

The New START treaty was signed in 2010 by then-presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev and limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. The agreement envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance.

“Beginning 1 June 2023, the United States is withholding from Russia notifications required under the treaty, including updates on the status or location of treaty-accountable items such as missiles and launchers,” the State Department factsheet said.

Authorities in Ukraine today lifted air raid alerts across most of the country, it was reported.

Officials in Kyiv said defences downed more than 30 missiles and drones fired by Russia.

“According to preliminary information, more than 30 air targets of various types were detected and destroyed in the airspace over and around Kyiv by air defence forces,” military officials said in a statement shared on Telegram.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, who earlier reported two separate waves of attacks, wrote on Telegram that there had been no calls for rescue services.

Russian forces began June with a fresh aerial bombardment of Kyiv on Tuesday, killing at least three people and wounding others, authorities said.

Two of the dead were children, according to city officials:

For decades, Lefortovo prison, where American journalist Evan Gershkovich is being held, has been a symbol of oppression and control in Russia.

Testimony from inmates, lawyers and prison monitors say it is designed to instil fear, isolation and despair, with psychological pressure that defines the torment of prisoners:

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has reiterated his country’s criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but said he has been trying to remain neutral so he could broker potential peace talks.

After a meeting with Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto in Brasilia, Mr Lula said he was looking to create conditions for both countries to engage in peace negotiations to “stop the war when they are ready”.

“Brazil is working with other countries to achieve peace but nothing will happen until Ukraine and Russia want to,” Mr Lula said, adding that he had recently discussed the theme with other leaders including Chinese president Xi Jinping.

The United Nations is concerned about the continuous slowdown of the implementation of a Black Sea grain export deal between Russia and Ukraine, a spokesman said.

Only 33 vessels left Ukrainian ports in May, less than half the number seen last month.

He said the UN would engage with the parties toward full resumption of the deal.

Ukraine says the export deal has been halted again because Russia blocked registration of ships to all Ukrainian ports.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said he received “powerful support” from allies at a summit of more than 40 European leaders, but he ratcheted up the pressure on Western allies to provide weapons: