Munz on Kremlin's idle threats: "Putin's sole choice left is employing nuclear arms"
Starting from the beginning of the war, Putin has constantly issued threats against Europe and NATO. In the discussion about the use of Western weapons, the leader of the Kremlin also advises the West. However, despite all the warnings, the countries continue to provide assistance to Ukraine. With this, Putin's only remaining option, according to ntv correspondent Rainer Munz.
11:08 Orban: NATO is heading towards war every weekHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban believes that NATO is moving closer to war every week. The plans of the military alliance to get more involved in the war in Ukraine remind him of a firefighter trying to extinguish a fire with a flamethrower. It's ridiculous. If NATO intervenes in Ukraine, it could cause a global war rather than protecting the allied nations, suggests Orban. Orban has good relations with the Russian government and has been at odds with the Western states since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022 over support for Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg mentioned yesterday at a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers in Prague that it may be time for members to consider some restrictions on the use of weapons they provided to Ukraine.
10:51 Berlin allows Ukraine to use German weapons against targets in RussiaThe German government approves Ukraine to use weapons from Germany against military targets in Russia. Spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit confirmed this in Berlin.
10:46 Off-the-record: Zelensky is reportedly attending a security conference in Singapore this weekendUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend a security conference in Singapore this weekend. Six individuals familiar with the matter told Reuters that support for Ukraine will be one of the main topics of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a widely recognized yearly security forum in Asia. US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin and his counterpart from China, Dong Jun, are also participating. Zelenskyy seeks to get involved in Ukraine's Switzerland-organized international conference on developing solutions to end the war. He claims that Russia is trying to discourage other countries from participating.
10:16 China - Fair demands for a peace conference involving both Russia and UkraineChina calls for a peace conference where both Russia and Ukraine take part. These requests are fair and neutral, states Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. They are not directed against any party. Reuters reported recently that China will not participate in the Ukraine peace conference scheduled for the middle of June in Switzerland. This conference is organized by Switzerland at Ukraine's request, and Russia does not wish to participate and has not been invited. "China places great importance on the fact that Switzerland is hosting the first Ukraine peace summit and has been working with the Swiss side and all the involved parties since the start of the year," Mao said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that China could organize a peace conference.
10:04 Russian Defense Minister Belousov: Ukrainian troops are retreating in Kharkiv
Ukrainian troops have retreated an estimated nine kilometers in critical areas of the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, according to Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. In May, the Russian forces have seized control of more than 28 towns in Ukraine, as reported by state news agency Interfax, citing the minister. This year, they have seized a total area of 880 square kilometers.
09:52 Energy facilities in Kyiv destroyed by Russian missile attackNumerous energy facilities in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv have been damaged by a Russian missile attack. The energy company DTEK confirms that a power plant has been leveled and the grid in the Holosiyivskyi district has been damaged. Some private homes are still without electricity. The Russian forces attacked using drones and short-range ballistic missiles of the Iskander type, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
09:28 Ukrainian General Staff: Oil depot in Russian Black Sea port of Kavkaz targeted
The Ukrainian Army attacked an oil depot in the Russian Black Sea port of Kavkaz last night. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said this. Witnesses reported explosions and a large fire in the port of Kavkaz and shared several videos showing the assault on social media. The depot was allegedly damaged by multiple Neptune missiles of Ukrainian origin. Details on the damage's degree are unavailable. In addition to this, the Ukrainian forces also targeted two ferries near the Kerch Bridge. The port of Kavkaz is located on the island of Tuzla, in the Ukrainian-controlled Crimean peninsula, which Russia has seized.
08:54 NATO General Secretary Stoltenberg sees no risk of escalation with US weapons against Russian targetsThe use of US weapons against Russian targets isn't likely to escalate the situation, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. He spoke yesterday during a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers in Prague.
NATO's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, doesn't view the decision of the United States to allow Ukraine to strike Russian targets as escalatory. He stated at the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Prague that Russia is escalating the situation themselves by assaulting a different nation. The same applies to the violence in the Kharkiv area, according to Stoltenberg.
Stoltenberg is increasing the pressure on Germany and other countries to permit assaults on Russian targets with weapons supplied by them. Ukraine is allowed to defend itself, which includes attacking legitimate military targets in Russia, the Secretary General affirmed. This becomes more critical due to the fighting in the Kharkiv region near the Russian border.
8:41 Ukrainian Defense: Four Shahed drones and an Iskander cruise missile have been taken down
Ukrainian air defense units have shot down four Russian Shahed attack drones and one Iskander cruise missile during the night. Mykola Oleschtschuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, reported it through Telegram. The Ukrainian air defense units and mobile artillery took off four Shahed drones in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk, as well as one Iskander cruise missile in Kyiv.
8:09 After missile strike on a house in Kharkiv: A fourth victim found in the rubble
In a Russian missile assault on Kharkiv, the total number of civilian fatalities has increased to four, while 25 more people sustained injuries. The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, revealed this through Telegram, as reported by the state news agency Ukrinform. "Unfortunately, another body was discovered in the destroyed building. At this moment, there are four fatalities," he said.
7:31 Kyiv: 1390 Russian soldiers killed in one day
The Russian side is still suffering significant losses, according to Kyiv’s official figures: 1390 Russian soldiers have been killed or incapacitated in one day. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claims that since the beginning of the war in February 2022, 507,650 Russian soldiers have been "eliminated." The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reports in its daily updates on Russian losses that the adversary has also lost 18 more tanks (7,728). Since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine says it has documented almost 15,000 armored vehicles and above 10,500 drones that are no longer in the possession of the Russian military or have been damaged. These figures cannot be independently confirmed. Russia keeps silent about its own losses in Ukraine.
7:14 Russia: Two people hurt in a Ukrainian air strike in Krasnodar
In an Ukrainian air raid on oil facilities in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, two people were injured, according to the regional authorities. The governor of the area, Veniamin Kondratyev, said through Telegram that the oil depot's infrastructure was damaged in the city of Temryuk. Fallen debris from the shot down drones brought about a fire, which was put out. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that five rockets and 29 drones were destroyed by their air defense, which Ukraine launched at the region of Krasnodar in the early morning. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported drones had been shot down in the regions of Voronezh, Belgorod, and Tambov.
6:48 Crimea: Explosions heard in the night in Russian-occupied Crimea
Several explosions were reported in the night in the Russian-controlled Crimea based on eye-witness reports. This was announced on Telegram by the Crimean Wind channel, according to the state news agency Ukrinform. "There are once again explosions in Port Kavkaz, residents of Kerch have heard eight to ten explosions," the post said. A fire rages at an oil depot in the port. Earlier, there were reports of a sizable fire in the port. The Ukrainian General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces revealed that two ferries from Kerch had been hit by ATACMS rockets.
6:17 United States: Russia uses North Korean rockets in Ukraine
Russia is using North Korean rockets in its battle against Ukraine, based on a shrapnel analysis by the US military. "The analysis confirms that Russia has used ballistic missiles from North Korea in its fight against Ukraine. North Korean missile shrapnel has been discovered all over Ukraine," the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reported in a statement.
4:34 United States: China's support for Russia is a threat to Europe
China's support for Russia, the US government claimed, also endangers European security. The US, its G7 allies, and other EU and NATO nations view China's support for Russia's war in Ukraine as "not only endangering Ukraine, but also European security," said Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, Vedant Patel, at a press conference. Washington held the Chinese leadership responsible for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine and threatened even more Western sanctions the day before. "If China does not limit its support for the Russian weapons industry, the US is ready for further action," said Patel.
Russia launches rockets from Belgorod towards Kharkiv at night. Local authorities report that five rockets struck the city, damaging a five-story residential building and up to 20 other buildings, according to Ukrainska Pravda. The attack claimed three lives and injured 16 people, among them two children.
01:46 SPD politician backs use of Western weapons against Russian targets by Ukraine
Nils Schmid, SPD's foreign policy spokesman, suggests lifting the ban on Western weapons being used against military targets within Russia by Ukraine. He says, "It would make sense to allow attacks on targets on Russian soil." He urges NATO allies to make this decision jointly.
00:06 Scholz rejects deployment of German troops in Ukraine, rules out no-fly zone
Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismisses the idea of deploying German soldiers in Ukraine or participating in a no-fly zone. Speaking to Thüringer Allgemeine, he explains, "We don't want to send our soldiers there." He also expresses concern over the proposal of a no-fly zone, explaining that it would require shooting down aircraft from other countries. "Then you're in a war." He emphasizes the importance of avoiding a war between NATO and Russia, agreeing with the positions of US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
22:25 Informed source: US grants Ukraine permission to use its weapons in Russia, with restrictions
A source confirms that the US now permits Ukraine to use American weapons against Russia, but only in the Kharkiv area. This is a shift in stance from US President Joe Biden, who previously stated that such weapons should not be used for attacks within Russia. The condition of not using these weapons for offensives within Russia still stands, the insider confirms.
22:06 Ukrainian Storm Brigade releases video of street battles in Vovchansk
The Storm Brigade, a police unit of the Ukrainian military, is currently defending the city of Vovchansk near Kharkiv alongside other troops. They have released a video showcasing fighting allegedly taking place in the city. The brigade says the clip depicts soldiers of the Storm Regiment Tsunami preventing Russian soldiers from occupying a building.
To catch up on previous developments, check this link out. https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/russisch-ukraine-konflikt-text-aktuelle-entwicklungen-a-6570d603-9bc7-4a26-acaf-c4ad833645b8
Read also:
- Despite continuing threats from Putin regarding the use of nuclear weapons against Europe and NATO, the countries continue to provide assistance to Ukraine, as advised by the Kremlin leader.
- Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's Secretary General, does not view the decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russian targets using weapons supplied by NATO countries as escalatory, stating that Russia is the one escalating the situation with its attacks on Ukraine.
- The Ukrainian General Staff reported a Ukrainian attack on an oil depot in the Russian Black Sea port of Kavkaz using Neptune missiles of Ukrainian origin, causing damage to the depot and potential further escalation of the conflict.
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning advocates for a peace conference involving both Russia and Ukraine, emphasizing the neutrality of China's demands and the desire for all parties to work towards ending the conflict.
