NTV journalist Sharma on weapon deployment: "There are valid military targets in the interior regions of Russia."
The US permits Ukraine to deploy American arsenal against chosen goals on Russian soil provided certain circumstances. This development generates debate within NATO nations. Kavita Sharma, a reporter for NTV, shares reports from Kharkiv, Ukraine.
12:01 Pistorius on Taurus rockets: No fresh discourseLast week, Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius justified his government's decision to permit German weapons to be used against military targets in Russia as an "adaptation to the evolving situation." Pistorius expressed this view during a meeting with his Moldovan counterpart Anatolie Nosatii in the capital Chisinau. Pistorius also declared that a debate surrounding the provision of long-range German missiles of the Taurus variety to Ukraine will not resurface amongst the German authorities, rejecting a query from a journalist. He explained that debating such long-range weapons that could travel several hundred kilometers would once more focus on borders, which remain unchanged despite recent declarations by both the United States and their coalition.
11:46 -Strack-Zimmermann regards Taurus as a possibilityThe soon-to-be-departed chairwoman of the Bundestag Defense Committee, FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, maintains hope for revisiting the talk of granting Ukraine Taurus missiles. Her optimism on this matter, however, is restricted. A revitalization of the conversation on providing Taurus missiles to Ukraine is possible, Strack-Zimmermann believes. She also stresses the quickly changing scenario, referring to the Russian strikes on Kharkiv. Western support for Ukraine seems predictable, but "in these times, one cannot be predictable," according to Strack-Zimmermann.
11:32 Munz doubts Russian threatsRussian President Vladimir Putin has asserted threats against Europe and NATO since the start of the war in Ukraine. Additionally, he has issued warnings regarding the use of Western weaponry. Despite all these warnings, countries continue to provide assistance to Ukraine. In response to the dilemma, NTV correspondent Rainer Munz suggests that Putin's final option is the use of atomic weapons.
11:19 Zelenskyy perceives Russian troops as huntersIn an interview with the British newspaper "Guardian," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the delay in US President Joe Biden's decision to employ Western weapons against Russian targets has enabled Russian forces to ridicule the Ukrainians and "hunt" them. Zelenskyy commented that the White House's hesitation has claimed lives. "What I find illogical," Zelenskyy said, "is that we have these weapons; the murderers, the terrorists murdering us, are on the Russian side. I believe that sometimes they merely laugh at the situation." He further compared the feeling to a group of people being hunted, "They see us, yet we can't reach them."
11:08 Orban warns NATO is approaching war every weekAccording to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, NATO inches ever closer to war. The alliance's aspirations to better engage in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine remind him of a firefighter attempting to quench a blaze with a blowtorch. He considers it absurd. An impending NATO intervention in Ukraine heightens the risk of global conflict, rather than safeguarding the alliance's members, asserts Orban. The Hungarian prime minister maintains somewhat favorable ties with the Russian government and has been at odds with European states concerning Ukrainian support since Russia's initial invasion in February 2022. Yesterday, in a gathering of NATO's foreign ministers in Prague, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for the reexamination of the use restrictions for weapons supplied to Ukraine.
10:51 Germany sanctions Ukraine to strike Russian targetsBerlin's authorities permit Ukraine to utilize German-supplied armaments against Russian military targets. This information was shared by Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesperson in Berlin.
10:46 Insider: Zelenskyy to appear in Singaporean security conference this weekendUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is most likely attending a security conference in Singapore this weekend. Authorities with knowledge of the situation have informed Reuters that aid for Ukraine will be discussed at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security gathering. US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun will also feature at the event. Ukraine is currently making appeals for participation in its planned peace conference, organized by Switzerland. Zelenskyy accuses Russia of hampering other countries' participation in this peace initiative.
10:16 China's fair demands for a peace conference involving Russia and Ukraine
China is urging for a peace conference, where Russia and Ukraine both participate. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mao Ning, claims these demands are just and impartial, without targeting any specific party. Reuters revealed that China would stay out of the Ukraine peace conference happening in Switzerland in the middle of June. The conference was organized upon Ukraine's request, and Russia is not participating or even invited. Mao mentioned that China is highly concerned about Switzerland organizing the first peace conference for Ukraine. They've been actively collaborating with the Swiss side and all attending parties since the start of this year.
10:04 Russian Defense Chief Beloussov: Withdrawal of Ukrainian troops in Kharkiv region
Russian Defense Minister Andrej Beloussov stated that Ukrainian troops have retreated up to nine kilometers in key areas of the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine. In May, the Russian military seized control of over 28 settlements in Ukraine as per Interfax, citing the minister. This year, they've occupied an area of 880 square kilometers.
09:52 Energy Plants Damaged in Kiev: Russian Missile Attack
Energy plants in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, have been damaged by a Russian missile attack. DTEK energy company reported that a power plant has been destroyed, and the power grid in the Holosiyivskyi district is affected. Some houses are still without electricity. The Russian forces used drones and ballistic short-range missiles of the Iskander type, as per the Ukrainian Air Force.
09:28 Ukrainian General Staff: Explosion in Russian Black Sea Port of Kavkaz
The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked an oil depot in the Russian Black Sea port of Kavkaz during the night. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed this. Previously, people on social media shared images and videos of explosions and fires in the port of Kavkaz. The depot was severely damaged by multiple Neptune missiles from Ukrainian origin, according to reports. There's currently no information on the extent of the damage. Two ferries near the Kerch Bridge were also assaulted. Kavkaz port is on Tuzla Island, near Kerch city on the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula, which has been occupied by Russia.
08:54 NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg: US Allowing Ukraine to Attack Russian Targets Posed No Escalation Risk
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that there's no escalation risk resulting from the US decision to permit the Ukrainian military to target Russian assets. "Russia itself is escalating by assaulting another country," Stoltenberg said at the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Prague. He also raised the pressure on Germany and other nations to sanction Russian targets with their provided weapons. "Ukraine has the right for self-defense, which includes attacking lawful military targets in Russia," affirmed Stoltenberg.
08:41 Ukrainian Air Force: Four Shahed Drones, One Iskander Cruise Missile Downed
Ukrainian air defense units shot down four Russian Shahed drones and one Iskander cruise missile overnight. Mykola Oleschtschuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, shared this on Telegram. The Ukrainian air defense systems and mobile artillery units took out four Shahed drones in the regions of Kiev, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk, while the Iskander cruise missile was intercepted in the Kiev region.
08:09 Killed in Kharkiv: Fourth Victim Discovered in the Rubble
The toll of civilian casualties in a Russian missile strike on Kharkiv has risen to four, with 25 additional victims wounded. The Kharkiv region's governor, Oleh Syniehubov, reported this on Telegram, as shared by the state news agency Ukrinform. Recently, another body was found in the remnants of the destroyed building. The death toll now stands at four.
07:31 Kyiv: 1390 Russian Soldiers Eliminated Inside a Day
Losses on the Russian side continue to be high, based on official figures provided by Kyiv. In one day alone, 1390 Russian soldiers are said to have been killed or can no longer engage in combat. Since the start of the war in February 2022, Ukraine claims to have eliminated 507,650 Russian soldiers. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's daily statements reveal 18 more tanks have been taken out (7,728 in total). Ukraine now records nearly 15,000 armored vehicles and approximately 10,500 drones captured or destroyed by the Ukrainian army. These numbers are inaccessible to independent verification. Moscow refuses to disclose information about its own losses in Ukraine.
07:14 Russia: Two Injured in Ukrainian Air Raid at Krasnodar Oil Facilities
An air raid by Ukraine has resulted in two individuals getting hurt in Krasnodar's southern Russian Black Sea region. Local authorities revealed that an oil depot's infrastructure was damaged in the Temryuk district, as reported by Governor of the Region Krasnodar, Veniamin Kondratyev, via Telegram. Falling debris from shot-down drones set off a fire, which was subsequently extinguished. The Russian Defense Ministry declared that it had shot down five rockets and 29 drones launched by Ukraine in the Krasnodar region earlier that morning. Additionally, drones were reportedly taken down in the Voronezh, Belgorod, and Tambov regions.
06:48 Crimea: Loud Explosions Reported Overnight
In the Russian-occupied Crimea, residents claim that there were loud explosions overnight, per eyewitness reports. Crimean Wind, a Telegram channel, posted this information, per the state news agency Ukrinform. The channel reported that "there are again explosions in Port Kavkaz, residents of Kerch have heard eight to ten explosions." A fire is known to have broken out at an oil depot in the port area. A similar event was previously reported. The Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine claimed two ferries from Kerch were hit by ATACMS missiles.
06:17 USA: Russia Utilizes North Korean Missiles in Ukraine
The US military's debris analysis has found that Russia is deploying North Korean rockets in Ukraine. According to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), "Russia has used ballistic missiles from North Korea in its war against Ukraine. North Korean missile debris has been found in multiple locations across Ukraine."
04:34 USA: China's Support for Russia Endangers European Security
China's support for Russia, poses a threat to European security, as per the US government. The US, along with its G7 partners, the EU, and NATO partners, believes that China's assistance to Russia "threatens not only Ukraine but also European security." Vedant Patel, the US State Department's deputy spokesperson, explained this at a media conference, accusing the Chinese administration of backing Russia's invasion of Ukraine and potentially facing more Western sanctions. "If China doesn't limit its support for Russia's arms industry, the US is prepared to take more steps," he remarked.
02:50 Three Civilians Die in Kharkiv as Russia Launches Attacks
Kharkiv was hit by rockets from Belgorod, launched by Russia at night. Local authorities confirmed five strikes in the city area, including a five-story residential building. Over 20 infrastructures were reportedly damaged, as per Ukrainska Pravda. Three people lost their lives in the rocket attack, while 16 others sustained injuries. Two children are said to be among the injured.
01:46 SPD Politician Supports Use of Western Weapons Against Russian Targets
SPD foreign policy politician Nils Schmid advocates for permitting the use of Western weapons against military targets in Russia by Ukraine. He told the newspapers of the Funke Media Group, "It makes sense to lift the restriction for targets on Russian territory." The NATO member countries will need to decide this collectively, Schmid added.
00:06 Scholz Rules Out German Troop Deployment in Ukraine and No-Fly Zone Participation
Chancellor Olaf Scholz ruled out the deployment of German soldiers in Ukraine or allowing participation in a no-fly zone, stating, "We don't want to get our soldiers involved." This also encompasses the "reckless" proposal of a no-fly zone, which would necessitate shooting down aircraft of other countries, potentially leading to war, according to Scholz. The German Chancellor believes that preventing war between NATO and Russia is crucial.
22:25 Insider: Biden Permits Use of US Weapons in Russia with Restrictions
US President Joe Biden has given permission for Ukraine to use US weapons against Russia, albeit only in the Kharkiv region. A US government official revealed this information. This comes after Biden initially denied Ukraine's use of US weapons for attacks within Russia. The condition of the US, that Ukraine should not employ the provided weapons for offensive actions within Russia, hasn't changed, sources from US government circles affirm.
22:06 Video Shows Clashes in Vovchansk as Ukrainian Storm Brigade Defends City
The Liut Brigade, a police unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is defending Vovchansk in the Kharkiv border area alongside other forces. The unit recently released a video it asserts depicts fights inside the city. The Brigade claims the clip captures soldiers from the Storm Regiment Tsunami thwarting Russian soldiers from occupying a building.
Read also:
- The NATO nations are debating the US's decision to allow Ukraine to deploy American weapons against Russian targets in the Ukraine conflict.
- Some NATO nations, like Germany, are permitting their weapons to be used against military targets in Russia during the ongoing attack on Ukraine, sparking discussion within the alliance.
- The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the delay in providing Western weapons for use against Russian targets, stating that it allowed Russian forces to "hunt" the Ukrainians with impunity.
- Cyberwarfare has become an integral part of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, with both sides engaging in digital attacks on each other's military infrastructure and communication systems.
