Stoltenberg urges relaxation of restrictions on Western weapon supply.

Stoltenberg advocates for loosening limitations on Western-origin weaponry.

NATO Commander Jens Stoltenberg weighed in on the debate over the West's use of weapons against Russian military targets. During a "The Economist" interview, he recommended that NATO allies reconsider the restrictions they've implemented on the distribution of weapons to Ukraine, given that intense fighting is taking place in Kharkiv near the border. Stoltenberg emphasized that self-defense is a right protected by the UN Charter, legal, and acceptable. He added that Ukraine should be able to repel attacks originating from the Russian side.

09:24: Ukraine Utilizes Drones to Strike Russian Radar Station in Krasnodar Region

It's been reported that Ukrainian drones have attacked an important Russian radar system in the Krasnodar region. This radar station is significant as it's part of the Russian system monitoring ballistic missile launches and launches involving nuclear weapons. OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) experts estimate that this radar station has a range of up to 6000 kilometers in control.

08:42: Potential Risks of Russian Ceasefire

While President Putin has proposed a truce, if accepted, it would be dangerous and possibly negative for Ukraine. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) points out that such a ceasefire could allow Russia to regroup, aiming for further regime change, demilitarization of Ukraine, and the conquest of the country. Additionally, it may lead Russia to believe that Western support for Ukraine is less urgent, potentially reducing aid in the long run.

08:11: Kiesewetter Encourages Ending the Debt Brake to Aid Ukraine

CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter proposed to the German government that a budget emergency be declared in response to the war in Ukraine. He advocated for funding Ukraine's defense against the invasion with unprecedented debt. Due to the government's earlier classification of the coronavirus pandemic as an emergency to permit €200 billion in funding, Kiesewetter found it inexplicable that the war wouldn't meet the same criteria. Questioning the focus on pandemic relief, he suggested that suspending the debt brake could make up for this. However, the FDP, another German coalition member, has not shown support for this move.

07:53: Ukrainian General Staff: Russia Loses 500,008 Soldiers Since Invasion

Based on data accumulated by the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia has lost 500,008 soldiers since the full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. This number means an additional 1,140 Russian soldiers were lost in the last 24 hours. The Ukrainian resistance continues to come under heavy pressure from the Russians, resulting in ongoing heavy casualties on their side. According to the General Staff, the Ukrainians have destroyed 15 Russian tanks, 27 artillery systems, an air defense system, and two multiple rocket launchers.

07:07: Ukrainian F-16 Pilots Nearly Ready to Join the Battle against Russia

The initial group of Ukrainian F-16 pilots has completed their USA training and will soon be ready to take on combat missions against Russian air forces. They've spent nearly a year in training, including both flying and maintaining the aircraft. The Ukrainian air force is scheduled to receive more than 60 F-16s from Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium. These countries, alongside the US, UK, Romania, France, and Bulgaria, have coordinated personnel, aircraft, and infrastructure to train the Ukrainians in using and maintaining the F-16s for combat action.

06:33: Excalibur Shells Deemed Unreliable Due to Russian Jamming

According to a "Washington Post" report, the Ukrainians have halted using certain American weapons because of reduced accuracy due to Russian jamming interference. This affects various GPS-controlled weapons, including Excalibur artillery shells and HIMARS systems. Previously, Excalibur's success rate in hitting its target fell to less than 10%, prompting the US to halt Excalibur deliveries. To enhance the success rate of HIMARS attacks, enemy jammers must be countered by employing other measures, such as attacking with cluster munitions.

04:34: Stoltenberg: China's Aid for Russia Crucial in Ukraine Conflict

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that China's support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine is important. Speaking to Welt am Sonntag, he mentioned that while China claims it wants positive connections with the West, its actions have been "decisive" in the war unfolding in Europe. Although China doesn't appear to supply any weapons or ammunition to Russia, they have seen a surge in the sale of machine parts, microelectronics, and other technologies being used by Russia to produce arms for use against Ukraine.

3:06 Hofreiter: Ukraine ought to be allowed to utilize Western weapons against Russian territory

German Green Party political expert Anton Hofreiter supports no longer impeding Ukraine's utilization of Western weapons against Russian territory. "This is about safeguarding the Ukrainian population. Therefore, we shouldn't hinder Ukraine from using the provided weapons to counteract Russian fighter jets in Russian airspace," the chairperson of the Bundestag's Europe Committee told Funke Mediengruppe's newspapers. "International law allows an assaulted state to strike back at military targets in the aggressor's own nation."

02:01 Ukraine reports Russian air assaults and "limited victories" near Kupiansk

As stated by the Ukrainian General Staff, the Russian military has again assaulted the city of Vovchansk from the sky. Eight guided bombs hit the town. Ukrainian forces managed to repel ten Russian assaults on the city and its vicinity. The Russians achieved "limited successes" near Kupiansk farther east in the Kharkiv region and in the Pokrovsk sector in the Donetsk region.

01:30 More evacuations planned in the Kharkiv region

123 children from the northeastern part of the Kharkiv region will be evacuated. This is reported by the "Kyiv Independent." Local authorities are planning to take orphans, among other individuals, first to the city of Kharkiv and then to the Volhynia region to the northwest. More than 11,000 civilians have already been evacuated since the start of the new Russian invasion.

23:23 Zelenskyj: Ukrainian army now has "combat control" in Kharkiv region

According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, the Ukrainian army has regained command of the border region in the eastern Kharkiv region. "Our fighters have successfully taken control of the border region where the Russian occupiers have penetrated," stated Zelensky in his evening video address. He had previously visited Kharkiv. Russian forces had begun a land offensive in the border region two weeks ago and seized several Ukrainian settlements.

22:22 Over 400 Ukrainian women stated to be held captive by Russia

There are currently 403 Ukrainian women held captive by Russia. Many of them are unlawfully held civilians. This was revealed by "Ukrinform," quoting a report by the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The report also states that there are women who disappeared since 2014 and whose fate remains unknown. The Russian side has been disregarding repeated requests for the return of these detained ladies, according to the report.

22:02 Kuleba: Putin petrified of Ukraine peace summit's success

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants the upcoming Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland to fail, in response to reports of Putin's alleged preparedness for peace negotiations (see entries 19:55 and 12:22). According to Kuleba, Putin has no wish to end the war being waged by Moscow entirely. "Putin is desperately attempting to halt the peace talks in Switzerland on June 15 and 16. He is terrified of their success," the minister wrote on X.

21:40 NATO members aspire to construct "drone wall"

According to Lithuania, the six NATO members that border Russia desire to build a "drone wall" to protect against "provocations." The aim of the "wall from Norway to Poland" is to use drones and other technologies to protect their borders, according to Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite following discussions with colleagues from Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Norway, and Poland. Bilotaite explains this project involves more than just countering "provocations from unfriendly countries" but also combating smuggling. Along with drones for border observation, anti-drone systems would also be used. Bilotaite referred to a "completely new thing." She did not specify a timetable for the project. The impetus for border reinforcement stems from security concerns resulting from the Russian war against Ukraine.

21:18 United States declares additional military assistance for Ukraine

The United States is offering Ukraine more military aid to defend against the Russian war of aggression. According to the US State Department, a new package costing 275 million US dollars (approximately 253 million euros) includes ammunition for the Himars multiple rocket launchers and 155 and 105 millimeter caliber artillery ammunition. This is the fifth tranche authorized by US President Joe Biden since the US Congress approved new funds worth around 61 billion US dollars (56.2 billion euros) for Kiev at the end of April. The assistance from previous packages has already arrived on the front lines, according to reports. The new support will be distributed "as promptly as feasible" so that the Ukrainian military can defend its country and shield its people, it added. Since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine more than two years ago, the US has provided more than 50 billion dollars in military help to Kiev, according to the Pentagon.

8:30 PM: Soviet-era practice: Russian teens forced to attend military training
This scholastic year, students and adolescents in Russia are required to take on a new compulsory course: the seemingly innocent "Fundamentals of Life Safety." However, this course encompasses training them on basic military skills, including aiming and dressing wounds.

7:55 PM: "Current Situation": Putin sets the terms for Ukraine settlement
More than two years since his war on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his supposed readiness for negotiations again, yet he won't entertain the return of annexed territories, which broke international law. "People are once more discussing the necessity of returning to negotiations," Putin stated during a visit to allied neighboring state Belarus, based on Interfax news agency. Putin then elaborated, "Let's go back to it. But not in the manner desired by one side, but instead based on the present-day circumstances occurring on the ground" (look up entry from 12:22 PM). Russia has been in armed confrontation with Ukraine since February 2022, and it currently occupies approximately a fifth of the nation. Ukraine makes the removal of Russian troops from its land a prerequisite for everlasting peace.

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