Ukraine stated Sunday its forces now management half of Sievierodonetsk in east Ukraine, however anticipate a Russian counter-attack in coming days because the battle for Donbas continues. On Sunday morning, Russia launched missiles in direction of Kyiv by way of Tu-95 strategic bombers, stated the Ukrainian authorities. In the meantime, Russia stated it struck tanks equipped by Western nations within the metropolis. Comply with our liveblog to see the day’s occasions unfold. All instances are Paris time (GMT+2).
22:01pm: Ukrainian railways says Russian assaults goal to hurt financial system and stop grain exports
Ukrainian authorities have allowed journalists to go to a railway restore works close to Kyiv that have been hit by Russian misslies early on Sunday morning.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed the strikes destroyed tanks and different armoured autos supplied to Ukraine by European nations.
“There are apparently no tanks right here”, stated France 24’s Gulliver Cragg, reporting from the situation on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital.
20:05pm: Ukraine expects ‘main counter-attack’ from Russia in Sievierodonetsk
Ukraine stated Sunday its forces managed half of Sievierodonetsk, however it expects a significant main counter-attack from Russian forces within the coming days.
Lugansk’s regional governor, Sergiy Gaiday, stated that Russian forces had been tasked with gaining management of town by Friday, in addition to a key transport artery connecting two different close by cities, Lysychansk and Bakhmut.
“We anticipate within the close to future that every one the reserves that they now have entry to — all of the reserves, all of the personnel that they’ve — they’ll throw to carry out these two duties,” Gaiday stated.
“Within the subsequent 5 days, there will likely be a big improve within the variety of shellings from heavy artillery,” from the Russian facet.
Sievierodonetsk is the most important metropolis nonetheless in Ukrainian arms within the Lugansk area, which is a part of Donbas. Russian forces have been steadily advancing there in current weeks after having retreated or been pushed again from different areas, together with across the capital Kyiv.
19:44pm: Ukraine says it controls ‘half’ of Sievierodonetsk
Ukraine stated Sunday its forces managed half of Sievierodonetsk, as Kyiv’s army pushes again Russia’s try to take the jap metropolis, key to the battle for the Donbas area.
“Our armed forces have cleaned half” of the commercial hub of Russian troops, Lugansk’s regional governor Sergiy Gaiday stated in an interview posted on his official social media channels. “Half of town is definitely managed by our forces.”
19:31pm: Ukraine in want of ‘fixed’ army assist from West till finish of conflict, says defence minister
Ukraine’s deputy defence minister confused Sunday that the nation wanted steady army assist from Western nations till it defeated Moscow’s forces, because the conflict continues.
“We’ve got already entered right into a protracted conflict and we are going to want fixed assist,” Ganna Malyar instructed native media.
“The West should perceive that its assist can’t be a one-time factor, however one thing that continues till our victory,” she added.
The US and European nations are trying to assist Kyiv’s conflict effort whereas not getting into as direct belligerents. They’ve equipped Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of {dollars} price of contemporary weaponry.
The US introduced this week that long-range weapons have been being despatched to Ukraine as a part of a $700-million bundle that features air-surveillance radar, extra Javelin short-range anti-tank rockets, artillery ammunition and helicopters.
15:55pm: Russian strikes in Kyiv are first assaults on metropolis in a single month
Russian missile strikes focused the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Sunday, as preventing continues in Donbas. No casualties have been reported from the assault within the capital. Nonetheless, this marks the primary Russian strike on town in additional than a month.
France 24’s Gulliver Cragg experiences from Kyiv.
11:14am: Russia says it destroyed tanks in Kyiv despatched by European nations
Russian strikes destroyed tanks and different armoured autos on the outskirts of Kyiv that had been supplied to Ukraine by European nations, Russia’s defence ministry stated on Sunday.
The ministry’s assertion got here after the Ukrainian capital was rocked by a number of explosions early on Sunday.
11:12am: Russian warplanes hit Kyiv with missiles
Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers launched missiles at Kyiv from the Caspian Sea early on Sunday and two of the Ukrainian capital’s jap districts have been rocked by explosions, Ukraine’s air power and town’s mayor stated.
The assault focused railway infrastructure in Kyiv, stated Serhiy Leshchenko, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of employees. Not less than one particular person was hospitalised although no deaths have been instantly reported, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko stated.
10:21am: Putin warns Russia will strike more durable if longer-range missiles equipped
President Vladimir Putin warned the West that Russia would strike new targets if the USA began supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles, the TASS information company reported on Sunday.
If such missiles are equipped, “we are going to strike at these targets which we’ve got not but been hitting,” Putin was quoted as saying in an interview Rossiya-1 state tv channel.
10:17am: France in talks with UAE to switch Russian oil provides
France is in talks with the United Arab Emirates to switch Russian oil purchases, which can cease after the imposition of a European Union ban on Russian crude, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire stated on Sunday.
“There are discussions with the United Arab Emirates. We’ve got to search out a substitute for Russian oil,” Le Maire instructed Europe 1 radio.
9:41am: Spain to ship anti-aircraft missiles and tanks to Ukraine
Spain is to provide Ukraine with anti-aircraft missiles and Leopard battle tanks in a stepping up of its army assist to the nation, in keeping with authorities sources cited by newspaper El Pais on Sunday.
Spain can even present important coaching to the Ukrainian army in how you can use the tanks. It might happen in Latvia, the place the Spanish Army has deployed 500 troopers throughout the framework of NATO’s Enhanced Superior Presence operation. A second section of coaching might happen in Spain, in keeping with the sources cited by El Pais.
9:09am: Ukraine energy operator says Russian missile flew ‘critically low’ over nuclear plant
Ukraine’s state-run nuclear energy operator Energoatom stated a Russian cruise missile few “critically low” on Sunday morning over a significant nuclear energy plant.
“It is possible that was the missile that was fired within the course of Kyiv,” the operator of the Pivdennoukrainska plant, additionally known as the South Ukraine Nuclear Plant, stated in a submit on the Telegram messaging app.
8:35am: Ukraine’s Sievierodonetsk cut up between Ukrainian and Russian forces, says regional governor
Management of Ukraine’s metropolis of Sievierodonetsk is cut up in half between Ukrainian and Russian forces, Serhiy Gaidai, governor or the Luhansk area the place the jap metropolis is situated, stated on Sunday. “It had been a tough state of affairs, the Russians managed 70% of town, however over the previous two days they’ve been pushed again,” Gaidai stated on Ukrainian tv. “The town is now, roughly, divided in half.”
7:32am: Ukraine counterattacks contested metropolis of Sievierodonetsk says Britain
Ukrainian forces have counterattacked within the contested metropolis of Sievierodonetsk in jap Ukraine, Britain’s defence ministry stated on Sunday. This transfer will probably blunt the operational momentum Russian forces beforehand gained via concentrating fight items and firepower, the ministry stated in a tweet.
“The usage of proxy infantry forces for city clearance operations is a Russian tactic beforehand noticed in Syria, the place Russia employed V Corps of the Syrian Army to assault city areas,” it stated, including that the method probably signifies a need to restrict casualties suffered by common Russian forces.
(1/4) Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces have counterattacked within the contested metropolis of Sieverodonetsk in jap Ukraine, probably blunting the operational momentum Russian forces beforehand gained via concentrating fight items and firepower.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) June 5, 2022
7:07am: Russian forces management jap a part of Ukraine’s Sievierodonetsk
Russian forces proceed to storm Sievierodonetsk, controlling jap a part of town, Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the Luhansk area the place Sievierodonetsk is situated, stated on Sunday. Gaidai stated that there components of the Azot chemical plant have been broken in Saturday’s assaults.
5:29am: Highly effective explosions heard in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv
Highly effective explosions have been heard early on Sunday in Ukraine’s capital metropolis of Kyiv, a Reuters witness stated. Smoke was seen within the metropolis following the explosions. Earlier, air raid sirens have been going off throughout a lot of Ukraine, together with within the Kyiv area.
(FRANCE24 with REUTERS, AP and AFP)
