Bundeswehr successfully fires Iris-T missile at 14:16.
The Defense Ministry disputes a media article that a German-made Iris-T missile is absent from the Bundeswehr. "We are not missing any guided missiles," a ministry spokesperson insists, adding, "At no time has a weapon gone missing." Iris-T is a German air defense system also exported to Ukraine. Business Insider reported that the Bundeswehr had misplaced a missile of this variety.
1:05pm: Russia and Ukraine exchange 150 prisoners
Russia and Ukraine have swapped 150 inmates for the first time since public inactivity. According to Russia's Ministry of Defense, 75 Russian soldiers, whose lives were deemed in imminent risk, were brought back. In exchange, Ukraine delivered 75 detainees. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky verified the exchange on his Telegram channel. In addition to regular soldiers, National Guard and Border Guard members, as well as four civilians, were given to Ukraine. The most recent sizable prisoner exchange occurred in February.
12:56pm: China declines attendance in Ukraine peace conference
China won't attend the Switzerland-organized Ukraine peace conference since it perceives the conditions aren't met. Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman in Beijing, stated: "There is a clear separation between the conference's design and China's demands and general community expectations, making China's participation difficult." These concerns have been communicated to the concerned parties. Diplomatic circles confirmed their acquaintance with a withdrawal. Mao clarified that "based on all parties' comments and the conference's announced setup, it seems that the three components suggested by China are difficult to implement." China's three requirements are the acceptance of the conference by both Russia and Ukraine, equal participation of all parties, and a "fair discussion of all peace options."
12:31pm: Scholz advises caution: "Avoid a sizable conflict"
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz justified his decision to authorize the deployment of German weapons against Russian targets after the decision to authorize the utilization of German weapons against Russian targets. "We must avoid a significant conflict - a war between Russia and NATO," he stated at the Catholic Day in Erfurt. "We must also ensure that Ukraine can defend its sovereignty and independence." He cautioned that an escalation "cannot be averted without caution." Scholz also highlighted the significance of "working collaboratively with those we are allied with."
12:07pm: Russia prolongs Kurmasheva's detention until August
A Russian court has extended the pre-trial detention for American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva until early August. Kurmasheva's lawyers sought her release on house arrest, but the Kazan district court denied their request, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a US-based network headquartered in Prague. Since October, Kurmasheva has been incarcerated. RFE/RL laments her detainment, asserting it's retaliation for her journalistic work.
11:43am: Medvedev warns West: Potential use of nuclear weapons isn't a bluff
Russia threatens, amid alterations in restrictions on the use of Western weapons in the Ukraine war, to utilize nuclear weapons again. Former President Dmitry Medvedev cautioned the West about tactical nuclear weapons, which are made for battlefield use and not designed to annihilate foes. The conflict may escalate into a total war, the Putin confidant warned. A leading Russian legislator also menaced the West with an asymmetrical war. Medvedev's statements follow a Western policy change regarding conditions under which Ukraine could use Western weapons. Previously, it was assumed that they couldn't be employed against targets in Russia. According to reports from US diplomatic sources, President Joe Biden has now approved the use of US weapons against Russian targets linked to the offensive on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. These targets might include, for example, aircraft launching rockets on Kharkiv from Russian territory. The German government permits the Ukraine unrestricted use of the Taurus missiles to defend Kharkiv.
11:18am: Sharma on US weapons in Ukraine: Targets in Russian hinterland
The United States allows Ukraine to use American weapons, subject to specific circumstances, against targets on Russian soil. NATO countries are debating this policy change. NTV reporter Kavita Sharma reports from Kharkiv on the Ukrainian reaction to this decision.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius defends the German government's move to permit the utilization of German weaponry to target military objectives in Russia as a necessary "tactical adjustment in response to transforming scenarios." Pistorius, a member of the SPD party, made this statement during a gathering with Moldovan Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii in Chisinau's capital. In light of this, he emphasized that the long-standing policy of supplying Ukraine with long-range German Taurus-type missiles would not be resumed by the government. He further elaborated, "We're still talking about long-range weapons that can cover a few hundred kilometers, and the border remains unchanged, even after our partners' and our own pronouncements."
11:46 - Strack-Zimmermann remains hopeful for Taurus deployment
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the outgoing chair of the Bundestag Defense Committee and a member of the FDP, preserves her optimistic stance on the potential deployment of Taurus missiles to Ukraine. While moderating her expectations, she acknowledges the rapidly-evolving situation surrounding Russian aggression against Kharkiv. "The support for Ukraine from the West has been relatively predictable until now," Strack-Zimmermann said, "but in times like these, predictability is not so essential."
11:32 Munz: Kremlin in a standstill - "Only one option left"
Russian President Putin has repeatedly conveyed threats against Europe and NATO throughout the course of this war. In the ongoing discussion about the supply of German weapons to Ukraine, the Kremlin leader also expresses warnings. Despite these warnings, Western nations continue providing aid to the Ukraine. Rainer Munz, an NTV correspondent, offers his perspective, saying, "Putin is left with only one option, which is not really an option."
11:19 Zelenskyy: Delayed Western arms assistance encourages Russian aggression
The delay in United States President Joe Biden's decision to permit the use of Western weaponry against Russian targets has emboldened Russian forces, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In a conversation with the British newspaper "Guardian," Zelenskyy claimed that the stagnant circumstances at the White House have cost numerous lives. "I consider it completely illogical that we have these weapons and the aggressors, the terrorists who are eliminating us, are stationed on the Russian side," noted Zelenskyy. "It's as though they're chasing people and make jokes about the situation. They know we can see them, but we can't touch them."
11:08 Orban: NATO heads towards war weekly
According to Viktor Orban's observations, NATO is one step closer to war every week. As Hungarian Prime Minister, Orban expressed these sentiments. In addition, his comments seem to allude to the military alliance's heightened involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, likening the situation to a firefighter attempting to combat a fire using a flamethrower. "A NATO mission in Ukraine threatens world peace, rather than securing the safety of NATO member states," he affirmed.
10:51 German government approves use of German weapons in Russian targets
Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesperson for the German government, affirmed that Ukraine is authorized to utilize weaponry provided by Germany against Russian military objectives.
10:46 Sources: Zelenskyy to attend security conference in Singapore this weekend
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, is anticipated to join a security summit in Singapore over the weekend. As per reports by Reuters, this conference will focus mainly on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with the United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in attendance. Ukraine is currently seeking to engage in an international conference at Switzerland for finding potential solutions to this war, but has been hampered by Russian resistance in attaining participation from other countries.
10:16 China demands neutral, balanced peace conference
China promotes the organization of a peace conference encompassing both Russia and Ukraine. In a public statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning describes this request as "fair and impartial", insinuating no favoritism toward any political entity. Additionally, it was revealed that China will not be participating in the Ukraine peace summit scheduled for June in Switzerland. The Swiss government is hosting this conference with the intention of initiating discussions about a peaceful ending to the war. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously suggested that China could potentially host this conference.
10:04 Russian Defense Minister Belousov: Ukrainian troops withdraw from Kharkiv region
In a separate report, an unidentified Russian Defense Ministry official confirmed the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Kharkiv region. However, no further details are provided on the specifics or the reasons behind this development.
Ukrainian troops have withdrawn up to 9 kilometers in crucial sectors in the Kharkiv area, says Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. In May, Russian military forces seized over 28 settlements in Ukraine, as per Interfax state news agency. This year, Russian forces have taken a total area of 880 square kilometers.
09:52 Energy infrastructure in Kieve is damaged after Russian rocket assault:
Numerous energy facilities in the Ukrainian capital Kieve have been targeted in a Russian rocket bombardment. DTEK, a power company, indicates that a power plant is in ruins and the grid in the Holosiivskyi district has been compromised. Some private homes are still without electricity. The Russian military mounted their attack employing drones and Iskander ballistic short range missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force informed.
09:28 Ukrainian General Staff: Explosions in Russian Black Sea port of Kavkaz:
Ukrainian soldiers have attacked an oil depot in the Russian Black Sea port of Kavkaz, as per the Ukrainian General Staff. Multiple eyewitness accounts have surfaced with reports of explosions and a major blaze in the port of Kavkaz, and numerous social media videos depicting the strike. The General Staff mitigates that the depot was severely damaged by multiple Neptune missiles of Ukrainian design. At present, details of the magnitude of the damages are not available. Ukrainian soldiers also targeted two ferries near the Kerch Bridge. The port of Kavkaz is situated on Tuzla Island, near the Ukrainian-occupied city of Kerch on the Crimean Peninsula, which has recently been taken over by Russia.
08:54 US Support for Ukrainian Attacks on Russian Targets - No Risk of Escalation According to NATO Chief Stoltenberg:
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg does not view the decision of the US to accept certain Ukrainian counterattacks on Russian targets as a potential escalation. Speaking on the margins of the NATO Foreign Ministers' Conference in Prague, Stoltenberg contends that "Russia itself escalates by assaulting another country." He went on to say that the same applies to the situation in Kharkiv, a region located close to the Russian border. Stoltenberg further exhorted Germany and other countries to sanction attacks on Russian targets using armaments supplied by them.
08:41 Ukrainian Air Defense Forces Intercept 5 Russian Shahed Drone Attacks, One Iskander-K Cruise Missile:
Ukrainian air defense forces reportedly shot down four Russian Shahed drones and one Iskander-K cruise missile throughout the night, as communicated by Mykola Oleschtschuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, via Telegram. Mykola Oleschtschuk reports Ukrainian air defense missile systems and mobile artillery units neutralizing four Shahed drones in the areas of Kiev, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk, and an Iskander-K missile in the Kiev region.
08:09 Kharkiv: Fourth Victim Found Amidst the Debris of a Rocket-hit House:
The tally of civilians killed in a Russian rocket strike on Kharkiv has increased to four, with 25 more wounded, according to the governor of Kharkiv Oblast, Oleh Syniehubov, via Telegram, Ukrinform reports. "Unfortunately, another body was spotted in the wreckage of the collapsed building. There are now four deceased," said Syniehubov.
07:31 Kiev: Russian Soldiers: 1390 Killed or Incapacitated in a Single Day:
Russian battlefield casualties remain alarmingly high, as per Ukrainian official figures: In one day, 1,390 Russian troops have either passed away or are now permanently disabled. Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, Ukraine's Defense Ministry has counted 507,650 Russian troops as deceased or inoperable. According to the Ukrainian defense ministry's regular reports on Russian losses, the enemy has also lost 18 more tanks (7,728). Since the initiation of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine estimates nearly 15,000 armored vehicles and around 10,500 drones that have either been confiscated or rendered useless by Russian forces. These numbers are not independently verifiable. Moscow keeps its information regarding Russian casualties secret.
07:14 Russia: Injured in Kiev's air raid in Krasnodar:
In a Ukrainian air assault on petroleum facilities in the south Russian territory of Krasnodar, two individuals have sustained injuries, according to local officials. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev shared this information via Telegram, stating the infrastructure of an oil depot in Temrijuk District had been damaged. Debris from shot-down drones ignited a fire, which has been controlled. The Russian Defense Ministry affirmed that the air defense has disabled five rockets and 29 drones launched by Ukraine against the Krasnodar region in the morning. Drone strikes have also been reported in Voronezh, Belgorod, and Tambov regions.
In the Russian-occupied Crimea, there were reports of a series of explosions throughout the night. This information was shared by the Telegram channel Crimean Wind and relayed by the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. The channel's post reads, "Once again, there are explosions in Port Kavkaz, and residents of Kerch have heard eight to ten explosions." It's believed that a fire has broken out at an oil depot in the port. Earlier reports had indicated that there was a large fire in the port. The Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that two ships from Kerch have been struck by ATACMS missiles.
6:17 AM ET: Russia employs North Korean rockets in Ukraine
According to a military analysis by the United States, Russia is deploying rockets from North Korea in Ukraine. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) stated in a release, "The analysis verifies that Russia is using ballistic missiles from North Korea as part of its war against Ukraine. Remnants of North Korean missiles have been discovered all throughout Ukraine."
4:34 AM ET: China's assistance to Russia endangers Europe
The U.S. government views China's support for Russia as a threat to European security. The U.S., along with its G7 partners and additional European Union and NATO countries, believes that China's involvement "not only endangers Ukraine but also European security," stated Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department Vedant Patel during a press conference. On the previous day, Washington had accused the Chinese leadership of aiding Russia's war in Ukraine and indicated potential repercussions. Patel commented, "If China doesn't limit its support for the Russian arms industry, the U.S. is prepared to take additional steps."
2:50 AM ET: Rocket slams into residential structure, killing three in Kharkiv
Russia fires rockets at Kharkiv at night from Belgorod. Local authorities reported five hits in the city, including one that struck a five-story residential building. The Ukrainian news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda confirmed that 20 residential buildings were damaged. In the rocket assault, three individuals lost their lives, and 16 other people got hurt. There were also two children among the injured.
1:46 AM ET: SPD politician suggests using Western weapons against targets in Russia
SPD foreign policy spokesperson Nils Schmid endorses allowing Ukraine to attack military targets in Russia with Western weapons. "It makes sense to remove the restriction on targets on Russian territory," says the foreign policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group in an interview with the Funke Media Group newspapers. "We must make this decision in collaboration with our NATO allies."
12:06 AM ET: Scholz rules out deployment of German soldiers in Ukraine or initiating no-fly zone
Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejects the idea of deploying German soldiers in Ukraine or establishing a no-fly zone. He said at a reader gathering with the "Thueringer Allgemeine" in Erfurt, "We don't want to send our soldiers there." This stance equally applies to the "foolish" recommendation of a no-fly zone, which would essentially involve shooting down planes of other countries with your own aircraft, stated Scholz. In order to prevent a war between NATO and Russia, Scholz emphasized that this approach must be prevented. This position was also shared by U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
11:25 PM ET: Insider: Biden permits use of US weapons in Russia - with limitations
The United States are allowing Ukraine to deploy US weapons against Russia, with the caveat that they can only be used in the Kharkiv region, according to an insider. This alteration in policy by U.S. President Joe Biden was shared by a U.S. government rep. Previously, Biden had denied Ukraine permission to use US weapons for operations within Russia. The stipulation of the United States limiting the usage of land-based long-range missiles and other munitions for offensives within Russia has not changed, information from U.S. government circles suggests.
11:06 PM ET: Ukrainian assault brigade displays street fighting in Vovchansk
The Liut Brigade, a police unit of the Ukrainian military, is defending Vovchansk with other troops in the border area of Kharkiv. Now, the unit has released a video that is said to depict street combat within the city. According to the brigade, the video displays soldiers from the Tsunami Storm Regiment preventing Russian soldiers from occupying a building.
Read also:
- The German government's authorization of using German weapons against Russian targets in Ukraine's defense has sparked concerns over potential escalation, with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius maintaining that there has been no change in the policy on supplying long-range Taurus-type missiles to Ukraine.
- In response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has advised caution, emphasizing that Germany and other nations should support Ukraine's defense against Russian targets without risking an escalation to a larger conflict.
- Amidst the ongoing military operations in Ukraine, Russia has targeted cyber infrastructure in Ukraine, with numerous reports of Russian cyber attacks on Ukrainian networks, fueling concerns about the evolving nature of the conflict beyond traditional military operations.
- Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has accused Russia of using cyberwarfare tactics, pointing to the disruption of Ukrainian banking systems and government websites, as part of Russia's broader strategy in the Ukraine conflict.
