Live blog: Ukraine controls 'half' of key eastern city Sievierodonetsk

Sunday, June 5, 2022

Ukraine says it controls 'half' of Sievierodonetsk

Ukraine has said its forces control half of Sievierodonetsk, as Kiev's military pushes back Russia's attempt to take the eastern city, key to the battle for the Donbass region.

But Luhansk's regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said they expected a major counter-attack from Russian forces in the coming days.

Sievierodonetsk is the largest city still in Ukrainian hands in the Luhansk region.

Ukraine needs 'constant' Western aid until Russia defeated: Kiev

Ukraine's deputy defence minister has stressed that the country needs continuous military support from Western countries until it defeats Moscow's forces, as the conflict continues.

"We have already entered into a protracted war and we will need constant support," Ganna Malyar told local media.

The US and European countries are attempting to help Kiev while not entering as direct belligerents. They have supplied Ukraine with millions of dollars worth of modern weaponry.

NATO holds Baltic Sea naval exercises with Finland, Sweden

NATO has kicked off a nearly two-week US-led naval exercise on the Baltic Sea with more than 7,000 sailors, airmen and marines from 16 nations, including two aspiring to join the military alliance, Finland and Sweden.

The annual BALTOPS naval exercise, initiated in 1972, is not held in response to any specific threat. 

But the military alliance said that “with both Sweden and Finland participating, NATO is seizing the chance in an unpredictable world to enhance its joint force resilience and strength” together with two Nordic aspirant nations.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visits front-line troops

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited front-line troops in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, his office said, a week after a similar trip to the northeastern Kharkiv region.

"I want to thank you for your great work, for your service, for protecting all of us, our state," the statement quoted Zelenskyy as saying, adding that he held a minute of silence for fallen troops.

Russian general killed in eastern Ukraine: Russian state media

A Russian general has been killed in eastern Ukraine, a Russian state media journalist has said, adding to the string of high-ranking military casualties sustained by Moscow.

The report, published on the Telegram messaging app by state television reporter Alexander Sladkov, did not say precisely when and where Major General Roman Kutuzov was killed.

There was no immediate comment from the Russian defence ministry.

Tanks supplied by eastern European countries destroyed in Kiev: Moscow

Russia has said that it has destroyed tanks supplied to Ukraine by eastern European countries during strikes on Kiev.

"High-precision, long-range missiles fired by the Russian Aerospace Forces on the outskirts of Kiev destroyed T-72 tanks supplied by eastern European countries and other armoured vehicles that were in hangars," Russian defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said.

Earlier on Sunday, Kiev's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, had said that the Ukrainian capital had been hit by "several explosions in Darnytsky and Dniprovsky districts of city", the first such strikes on the capital since April 28.

Austrian Chancellor calls for intermediate EU membership for Ukraine

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has called for an intermediate stage between co-operation and full membership of the European Union for countries like Ukraine and Moldova.

The so-called "preparatory space" would allow countries to reach the standards of the European Union, similar to the European Economic Area (EEA) or the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA), Nehammer said.

"We are united by the same goal, we all want a strong, independent and economically successful Ukraine," Nehammer said in a statement issued by the chancellor's office.

Pope calls for 'real negotiations' in Ukraine conflict

Pope Francis has renewed calls for "real negotiations" to end what he called the "increasingly dangerous escalation" of the conflict in Ukraine.

"As the fury of destruction and death rages and clashes flare, fuelling an escalation that is increasingly dangerous for all, I renew my appeal to the leaders of nations: Please do not lead humanity to destruction," the pontiff said from the window of the apostolic palace in St Peter's Square.

More than a hundred days since the start of the conflict, the pope called for "real negotiations for a ceasefire and a solution" to end it .

Russia will strike harder if longer-range missiles supplied: Putin

President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that Russia would strike new targets if the United States started supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles.

If such missiles are supplied, "we will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting," Putin was quoted as saying in an excerpt of an interview with Rossiya-1 state television channel.  

Putin did not name the targets Russia planned to pursue if Western countries began supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles. He said the "fuss" around Western weapon supplies to Ukraine was designed to drag out the conflict.

Spain to deliver anti-aircraft missiles and tanks to Ukraine

Spain is to supply Ukraine with anti-aircraft missiles and Leopard battle tanks in a step up of its military support to the country, according to government sources cited by newspaper El Pais.

Spain will also provide essential training to the Ukrainian military in how to use the tanks. It would take place in Latvia, where the Spanish Army has deployed 500 soldiers within the framework of NATO's Enhanced Advanced Presence operation.

A second phase of training could take place in Spain, according to the sources cited by El Pais. The paper said Spain's defence ministry is finalising a delivery to Kiev of low-level Shorad Aspide anti-aircraft missiles, which the Spanish Army has replaced with a more advanced system.

Russian missile flew "critically low" over nuclear plant: operator

Ukraine's state-run nuclear power operator Energoatom has said a Russian cruise missile flew "critically low" on Sunday morning over a major nuclear power plant.

"It's probable that was the missile that was fired in the direction of Kiev," the operator of the Pivdennoukrainska plant, also called the South Ukraine Nuclear Plant, said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian forces control eastern part of Ukraine's Sievierodonetsk - governor

Russian forces continue to storm Sievierodonetsk, controlling eastern part of the city, Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the Luhansk region where Sievierodonetsk is located, has said.

Gaidai said that there parts of the Azot chemical plant were damaged in Saturday's attacks.

Ukraine counterattacks contested city of Sievierodonetsk, Britain says

Ukrainian forces have counterattacked in the contested city of Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, Britain's defence ministry has said.

This move will likely blunt the operational momentum Russian forces previously gained through concentrating combat units and firepower, the ministry said in a tweet.

Explosions rock Ukrainian capital Kiev - mayor

Kiev was rocked by several explosions early on Sunday, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital said, a day after officials said troops had recaptured a swath of the battlefield city of Sievierodonetsk in a counter-offensive against Russia.

"Several explosions in Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts of the capital," Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on the Telegram messaging app. 

"Services are already working on site. More detailed information - later." A Reuters witness saw smoke in the city after the explosions.

Russia using 'all its power' to capture Sievierodonetsk — Ukraine

Ukraine has said its forces were managing to push back against Moscow's troops in fierce fighting in Sievierodonetsk despite Russia "throwing all its power" into capturing the strategic eastern city.

At least 11 civilians were reported killed in the Lugansk region where Sievierodonetsk is located, the nearby Donetsk region, and in the southern city of Mykolaiv.

Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said in an interview posted online that the forces had captured most of Sievierodonetsk, but that Ukraine's forces were pushing them back.

"The Russian army, as we understand, is throwing all its power, all its reserves in this direction," said Gaiday.

Western oil sanctions won't affect Russia — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Western sanctions would have no effect on the country's oil exports and predicted a big jump in profits from energy shipments this year.

"Considering the price level that has been established as a result of the West's policies, we have suffered no budgetary losses," the Foreign Ministry quoted him as telling a Bosnian Serb TV station.

"On the contrary, this year we will significantly increase the profits from the export of our energy resources."

Russian gas sanctions to cost Germans extra $5B — report

Russia's sanctions against Gazprom Germania and its subsidiaries could cost German taxpayers and gas users an extra 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) a year to pay for replacement gas, the Welt am Sonntag weekly reported, citing industry representatives.

In May, Russia decided to stop supplying Gazprom Germania, which had been the German subsidiary of Gazprom, after Berlin put the company under trustee management due to Russia's attacks on Ukraine.

Since then, the Bundesnetzagentur energy regulator, acting as trustee, has had to buy replacement gas on the market to fulfil supply contracts with German municipal utilities and regional suppliers. Welt am Sonntag reported that Economy Minister Robert Habeck estimates an extra 10 million cubic meters per day are required, which would currently cost about 3.5 billion euros a year.

For live updates from Saturday (June 4), click here