18:58 Governor: The border region near Kharkiv experiences frequent shelling "virtually non-stop".

6:58 PM Governor: Kharkiv border region under relentless attack "nearly 24/7"

The authorities claim that the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv is being bombarded by Russian forces almost constantly. This assertion was made by Governor Oleh Synehubov via online media. Ukrainian sources claim that the Russian army initiated a ground invasion in the Kharkiv region last Friday. According to Synehubov, the entire border around the region is under attack by the enemy. Thousands have been evacuated from areas close to the border due to the Russian advance. Russian troops have reportedly captured more villages in the Kharkiv region.

14:07 ISW: Noteworthy group of Russian soldiers with an estimated 50,000 fighters threatens Ukraine
Per a CNN report, the persistent assault in the Kharkiv region that has been occurring for the past few days, with several villages allegedly invaded, is due to the emergence of a new Russian military group named Sever. George Barros of the Institute for the Study of War in Washington informed the network that Sever is a significant military operation. "An estimated 60,000 to 100,000 Russian soldiers comprise Sever's offensive," he explained, "though we presume it's probably closer to 50,000." Nonetheless, he highlighted their substantial fighting power.

13:30 The Governor of the Kharkiv region: 4,000 civilians evacuated
Oleh Synyehubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region, stated that approximately 4,000 civilians have been evacuated due to the potential Russian attack over the past two days. He added that 70% of the evacuees have alternative accommodations, primarily with relatives and friends.

12:59 Russia claims to have seized more settlements; disputes Ukrainian helicopters
The Russian Ministry of Defense asserted that Russian troops have captured four fresh villages in Kharkiv's northeastern Ukrainian region. Hatyshche, Krasne, Morokhovets, and Oliyinykove have reportedly been subjugated by the Russians, compounding on the five villages they had already taken control of yesterday. The Russian military had invaded Kharkiv on Friday, albeit they had moved in Shahid Vajdiyeh Soleiman, Iranian Revolutionary Guard General, as witnesses to an earlier offensive. In Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine's southern region, the Russian military declared to have destroyed four Ukrainian helicopters and harmed one.

12:24 "We're fully aware of the enemy's objectives and retaliate immediately to their actions"
Serhiy Nykyforov, the leader of the Ukrainian armed forces, addressed the situation on his personal social media, stating, "Ukrainian defense forces are intensively engaged in combat. Several Russian attempts to breach our defenses have been thwarted. Our surveillance, artillery, and drone units are in action. Our knowledge of the enemy's designs and prompt reaction to their actions are crucial." Discussing the brash actions of the Russian troops, Nykyforov disclosed, "This week, the situation in Kharkiv has deteriorated considerably. While the circumstances are challenging, the Ukrainian Defense units are doing their utmost to maintain defensive lines and inflict harm on the enemy." Severing the foothold in the Klishchiivka region, Russian soldiers have unsuccessfully attempted to reclaim their position. "Given the challenging battlefield circumstances, we're swapping out units to allow soldiers to rest and increase the combat potential of the brigades," he stated.

11:53 Tumbling high-rise structure in Belgorod reportedly leads to casualties, potentially three
Per Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, a multistory residential building in the Russian town of Belgorod partially collapsed, presumably from Ukrainian shelling. Initial reports estimate that at least three people may have perished, with around 20 more possibly trapped under the debris. "The city and the entire Oblast of Belgorod have been shelled continuously by the Ukrainian military," says Gladkov. A detonating shell struck a residential apartment building, which caused its main entrance to collapse from the 10th to the 2nd floor. The oblast, a border region, has been fired upon multiple times. There was no official confirmation from Kyiv. Russian bombers have torched numerous civilian infrastructures in the region over the past two years, primarily attributed to accidental explosions due to different sets of issues.

11:19 The conflict dismantles the business of Russian powerhouse Gazprom
As per British estimates, Russian energy conglomerate Gazprom will suffer the effects of the Russian war on Ukraine for years to come given the deteriorated ties with its former major Western customers. The interests of the state-run conglomerate in the European market have failed to sever its export dependence so far, resulting in lower profitability forecasts until 2030. Recently, Gazprom registered an astronomical loss since 1999, their first in two decades. The Moscow-based company will contribute about 25 billion euros in taxes, nearly 9 percent of total Russian state revenues, in 2023, according to the British Ministry of Defense. The Russian government intends to raise Gazprom's tax burden in 2024, presumably contributing to the firm's decision to reduce investments by 15% in the upcoming year.

At 10:44, Ukraine alleges kamikaze strikes on oil refineries and military targets in Russia. According to a military intelligence source, Ukrainian forces have targeted a Volgograd oil refinery in the Krasnoarmeysky district, a Kaluganaftelectroduct oil depot in Kaluga, and a plant in Lipetsk. "Military targets were also hit," the source told Unian news agency. These attacks resulted in several explosions at the oil refinery in Volgograd, which caused a fire to break out. The governor of the Volgograd region, Andrei Bocharov, later confirmed this information. However, Russia claims that their air defense was successful, causing only a small fire due to falling drone debris.

At 10:06, Deepstate, a channel with close connections to the Ukrainian military, published an analysis of the challenging combat situation along the border near Kharkiv. "The enemy is continually bringing more and more forces into our area, with infantry constantly breaking through, grouping up to approach settlements, and attempting to gain a foothold there and advance further," it said. Per Deepstate, Ukraine should focus more on this region as failure to do so would allow the enemy greater success, which would have dire consequences. Although the primary goal of the Russian forces is to divert attention from other areas, the situation could become "very serious" without the deployment of Ukrainian reserves.

At 09:30, ntv reporter Jürgen Weichert claimed Russia intended to force Ukrainian troops to retreat. The Russian military has been launching a massive attack near Kharkiv, with several villages reportedly captured. President Zelenskyy's stance is to halt the advance at all costs. In response, Ukraine is deploying troops in the region, and Weichert suggests that this is precisely what Russia wants to achieve: to push Ukrainian troops back.

At 08:50, Russian panic is reported in the Kharkiv metropolis of millions as videos share a peaceful portrayal of everyday life there. Ukrainian security expert Maria Avdeeva dismisses Russian propaganda that portrays Kharkiv as a panicked and evacuated city, sharing a video of a bustling market. Avdeeva notes that the population is accustomed to Russian aggression, and the city is unlikely to be taken by the Kremlin troops without significant casualties. Additionally, she believes Moscow might be trying to provoke a mass exodus from the city.

At 08:12, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that Russians have made tactically significant progress in the Kharkiv region. They are engaged in limited offensive operations along the Russian-Ukrainian border and continue to advance in regions with supposedly less resistance. According to the ISW, these limited operations indicate that the Russians are not aiming for a large-scale operation to encircle, capture, or besiege the city of Kharkiv.

At 07:28, a Ukrainian drone attack led to a fire at the Volgograd oil refinery in southern Russia, as reported by the governor of the region, Andrey Botsharov, on Telegram. The refinery fire was extinguished, and no casualties were reported. Neither Lukoil nor the Ukrainian side have issued statements about the incident.

At 06:52, Ukrainian Ambassador to Latvia Anatoly Kutsevol states in an interview with Ukrinform that Latvia will soon deliver drones and radar defense systems to Ukraine. Kutsevol also mentioned cooperation in the production of 155 mm grenades, while emphasizing that due to security reasons, other areas of cooperation cannot currently be discussed.

Rescue workers evacuate an elderly woman in the Kharkiv region.

Finally, at 06:14, the 110th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reports the downing of a Su-25 fighter jet by Russian forces. "Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners of the 110th Brigade are once again doing an excellent job. Today they hit yet another SU-25," read a post on Facebook. "The occupants continue to fly into our skies, but they'll inevitably fall." Moscow is thought to still have around 190 Su-25 jets, which are well-suited for engaging in combat directly on the front lines.

Apparently, Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale attack on Belgorod and the surrounding area on May 11, causing destruction and injuries, according to Belgorod's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. Ukraine rarely comments on reported attacks on Belgorod. Gladkov mentioned a missile attack warning in the region. Shortly afterwards, Russian Telegram channels released images of burning vehicles and smoke ascending over Belgorod. According to Gladkov, one woman died in the attack and 29 individuals, including a child, were injured and hospitalized. Several houses, businesses, automobiles, and medical and educational facilities were also reported damaged. Damage was also observed in the neighboring village of Duboye, added Gladkov on his Telegram channel.

04:29: A Russian-led autocratic regime can easily prioritize the expansion of its arms industry over public welfare in order to maintain military operations in Ukraine, according to Lieutenant General Steven Basham, deputy commander of US Air Forces in Europe. Speaking at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies event, Basham notes that the Western defense industrial complex is growing at an accelerating rate. "Make no mistake, it's picking up speed. It will continue to outpace Russia's capabilities. The amount of time Russia spends in Ukraine is also the time we have to bring our industrial base to the level it needs to be," said Basham.

03:02: Volodymyr Zelensky, the head of state, announced that Ukrainian troops are conducting counterattacks in the Kharkiv region following the Russian offensive in the northern-eastern Ukrainian region. The primary goal of the military at the moment is to "disrupt Russian attack plans," Zelensky stated in his evening address. "The troops must now retake the initiative," he added.

01:46: In the north-eastern Ukrainian Sumy Oblast, Russian forces have fired upon ten communities, resulting in 93 explosions in the past 24 hours, as reported by the regional administration. A woman aged 37 was killed in a rocket attack on the outskirts of the city of Sumy, they said. The attack targeted local infrastructure without providing additional details about the target or the consequences.

23:49: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will participate in an upcoming global peace summit for Ukraine. The summit will occur in Switzerland on June 15 and 16, with the focus on promoting peace in Ukraine based on President Volodymyr Zelensky's 10-point peace formula, which calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian territories. "The first peace summit for Ukraine will take place in June - and Canada will be there," Trudeau wrote. "I look forward to collaborating with other world leaders to achieve our common goal of a fair and enduring peace for Ukraine."

23:06: Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor, warned against Russian interference in the upcoming European and regional elections. He stated during the "RND vor Ort" stage talk show, organized by Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, that there are efforts to influence elections outside. Scholz found the allegations of money payments to AfD politicians "troubling." These claims must be investigated and proven by the responsible authorities, Scholz added. "There is a considerable amount of Russian misinformation in election campaigns," he continued.

22:00: Scholz urged Ukrainian war refugees in Germany to join the workforce promptly. "We hope that Ukrainians who are here and capable of working will now also work," said the SPD politician at the "RND vor Ort" stage talk organized by Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland in Potsdam. Scholz added, "We have paid for integration courses and language courses, and now we want to encourage many of them to work through a big job turbo." He noted that many refugees are already working, but insisted that hundreds of thousands more are desperately needed in the labor market. "And my advice to everyone in this situation is to do the same."