Day 464 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Russia faces a Dilemma whether to Protect its Border or the Occupied Territories

World » UKRAINE | June 2, 2023, Friday // 11:05
Bulgaria: Day 464 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Russia faces a Dilemma whether to Protect its Border or the Occupied Territories @novinite.com

Day 464 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

  • Russia says two people have been killed after Ukraine shelled border areas
  • Armenia: We are not Russia's allies, the war worries us
  • 8 countries give F-16 to Ukraine, soon there will be Eurofighters and Gripen
  • Ukrainian Air Defense shot down more than 30 missiles and drones launched by Russia
  • Macron wants clear security guarantees for Kyiv, Scholz - to be different from the status of a NATO member
  • More than 50 militants were killed in the attacks on the Belgorod region, according to Russia
  • US to stop providing data on nuclear weapons to Russia
  • British intelligence: Russia is faced with a dilemma - to strengthen its positions along the border or in the occupied territories


Russia says two people have been killed after Ukraine shelled border areas

The governor of Russia's Belgorod region said two people were killed and two others wounded on Friday after Ukraine shelled a town near the border, and officials in nearby regions reported drone attacks overnight, Reuters reported.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote оn Telegram that shelling hit a stretch of road in the town of Maslova Pristan, about 15 kilometers from northern Ukraine's Kharkiv region, and that shrapnel struck passing cars.

"Two women were traveling in one of them. They died on the spot from their wounds," he pointed out.

The governor of Bryansk region, north of Belgorod, said four houses were damaged by shelling, while the head of neighboring Kursk region said some buildings were damaged in an overnight drone attack.

Long-range drones struck two towns in Smolensk region overnight, the local governor said, while the head of Russia's Kaluga region said an explosion had been reported in a forest.

Reuters notes that it could not verify the reported attacks.

In recent days, Russian officials have reported increased attacks from northern Ukraine. The Defense Ministry said its forces on Thursday repelled three cross-border attacks by what it said were Ukrainian "terrorist formations" in the Belgorod region. Ukraine denies that its military was involved and claims that the attacks were carried out by Russian volunteer fighters.

Gladkov said on Friday that at least one shelling incident was reported overnight in the Shebekinsky district and more than 2,500 people were evacuated from there.

Armenia: We are not Russia's allies, the war worries us

Armenia is not an ally of Russia in the war in Ukraine. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this in an interview with Czech TV, News.am reported.

"You have said that we are allies of Russia. Of course, this has never been spoken, but I think it is visible. We are not allies of Russia in the war with Ukraine. And we perceive this war as worrisome because it directly affects our relations", Pashinyan said.

According to him, whatever they say in the West, Russia clearly sees that Yerevan does not support the war. "It turns out that we are nobody's allies in this situation, we are vulnerable." According to him, the room for maneuvering narrows the more the situation worsens.

The interview is from May, when Pashinyan was in the Czech Republic. Earlier this year, the country withdrew from joint exercises with Russia due to tensions over the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and Moscow's decision not to intervene on the side of an ally in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

In May, the Armenian Prime Minister stated that he was under the impression that the CSTO was withdrawing from his country.

8 countries give F-16 to Ukraine, soon there will be Eurofighters and Gripen

The "fighter coalition" for Ukraine now consists of eight countries. This was announced by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the President of Ukraine Igor Zhovkva.

According to him, others may join them later.

The senior official noted that one of the results of Volodymyr Zelensky's trip to Moldova for the summit of the European political community was to clearly outline the contours of the "fighter coalition". In addition, real steps have been taken to accelerate the training of pilots to operate fourth-generation fighters, as well as the training of combat aviation support personnel.

Zhovkva noted that F-16s will be represented among the aircraft, but the assistance will not be limited to fighters of this type. This confirms the words of the Minister of Defense in Kyiv, Oleksii Reznikov, a few days ago, when he said that Ukraine hopes to receive Eurofighter and Gripen aircraft as well.

"The basis of the European part of the coalition was formed with the participation of eight countries (soon there will be more): Great Britain, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal and France. With the President of France, there was even a separate joint statement on this matter," said Deputy Chief of Staff of President Zelensky to "European Justice".

According to Zhovkva, the current arrangements allow Kyiv to rely on specific decisions regarding the plan and volume of training of pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, as well as provision of appropriate infrastructure. These decisions can be taken already during the next meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine (Ramstein format).

Ukrainian Air Defense shot down more than 30 missiles and drones launched by Russia

Last night, an air alert was declared throughout Ukraine. Officials in the capital Kyiv said air defenses had shot down more than 30 missiles and drones fired by Russia.

Kyiv military authorities wrote on Telegram that Russia launched drones and cruise missiles at the same time.

The capital's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, who earlier reported two separate waves of attacks, said there had been no calls to emergency services.

Russia has officially confirmed that its military has killed more than 50 pro-Ukrainian fighters in attacks from Ukrainian territory in Russia's border Belgorod region. Military equipment and armored vehicles were also destroyed, according to official information from Moscow.

Last night, several Ukrainian drones were shot down near the Russian city of Kursk. In local channels on Telegram shortly before that, information appeared about explosions near the railway line and in the area of the nearby airport.

Meanwhile, in his late video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the death of two women and a 9-year-old child during Russian shelling in Kyiv. They tried to hide in a bomb shelter, but the door was closed.

Zelensky was adamant that if local authorities do not fulfill their obligations to provide people with access to shelters, those responsible must be brought to justice.

The Ukrainian head of state also commented on the meeting of the European political community in Moldova, with the participation of over 40 European leaders, at which he asked his Western allies for clarity on the future of his country in NATO and the European Union.

"We are preparing new defense solutions for Ukraine. This applies both to air defense, and to aviation, and to our movement on the ground. We are preparing real political content for the NATO meeting in Vilnius, as well as a package of security guarantees for our country along the way to NATO. We are preparing a summit meeting to achieve peace based on the Ukrainian formula."

Macron wants clear security guarantees for Kyiv, Scholz - to be different from the status of a NATO member

French President Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine should receive clear and strong guarantees for its security at the NATO summit in Lithuania in July, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.

"Vilnius must send a clear message to Ukraine and Ukrainians. I support stronger, concrete and very clear security guarantees," Macron told reporters after the second European Political Community (EPC) summit in Moldova.

The French president added that he will hold talks on this issue with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the German city of Potsdam on June 7.

German Chancellor Scholz said Ukraine and its allies were still "very far" from being able to secure peace in the country, but added that any future Western guarantees for Ukraine's security must be different from the status of European member states NATO.

"Given the current situation, it's not about membership. We all have to focus on how we as individuals can support Ukraine," Scholz said at a press conference during the EPO summit in Moldova, quoted by Reuters.

These guarantees must be developed in such a way as to provide Ukraine with the necessary security against the danger of being attacked and at the same time stabilize the country. And, of course, it's always part of a security guarantee to take it seriously, Scholz added. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó, on the other hand, insisted that Ukraine's admission to NATO cannot be on the agenda of the pact's July summit in Vilnius.

"We must be extremely clear on this matter: the admission of a belligerent country to NATO cannot be included in the agenda," wrote Szijjártó on Facebook. He added that a possible timetable for Ukraine's admission to NATO should also not be discussed.

Zelensky wants a clear decision

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that Kyiv wants to get a "clear decision" on its future in the NATO military alliance at the summit of the bloc's leaders in Vilnius in July, Reuters reported.

At a summit of more than 40 European leaders in Moldova, he said he also wanted progress on Ukraine's path to the European Union, which Kyiv applied to join last year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. "This year is about decisions. At the NATO summit in the summer in Vilnius, a clear invitation from the member states to Ukraine is needed, as well as security guarantees on the way to NATO membership," Zelensky said. "In (autumn) a clear, positive decision must also be reached on our accession to the EU. We are also preparing for a peace meeting that will guide the world towards a joint implementation of the peace formula," he said.

Ukraine has proposed holding a peace summit this summer to reinforce its view of peace as the only way to end the war with Russia. They did not say where the event would be held.

Zelensky, whose 10-point peace formula includes a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, also called on a coalition of forces to deliver Patriot air defense systems and help Ukraine repel Russian forces.

Zelensky also said he had received strong support from allies attending the summit in Moldova to supply fighter jets to Kyiv to help repel Russian forces, Reuters reported. However, the Ukrainian president did not go into detail to explain what exactly this support was expressed in.

"The vicious cycle of aggression"

Ukraine's security must be guaranteed after the end of the war, but NATO allies are still working to specify the details of how to do it, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in the meantime, quoted by Reuters. "We need to make sure that when the war is over, we have a framework ready to ensure that there is no pause in Russian actions against Ukraine," Stoltenberg said after an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo. "We must stop the vicious cycle of aggression against Ukraine. The details of how this can be done are yet to be specified," the NATO Secretary General said.

More than 50 militants were killed in the attacks on the Belgorod region, according to Russia

Russia has officially confirmed that its military has killed more than 50 pro-Ukrainian fighters in attacks from Ukrainian territory in the bordering Russian Belgorod region, DPA reported.

Military equipment and armored vehicles were also destroyed, according to official information from Moscow.

The Ministry of Defense of Russia earlier announced that, in its words, the "Kyiv regime" shelled the town of Shebekino, where there is also a road border crossing point. In the afternoon yesterday, the Russian ministry said it had prevented a breakthrough by pro-Ukrainian fighters.

Local residents fleeing the area spoke of "devastating destruction" in the city, only a small part of which was shown on Russian state television. For several days, Belgorod region has been covered by more attacks, in which deaths and injuries have been reported.

Once again, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) and the Freedom of Russia Legion (LSR) claimed responsibility for the attacks. They want to bring freedom, peace and tranquility to Russia, announced the pro-Ukrainian fighters.

US to stop providing data on nuclear weapons to Russia

The US State Department said on Thursday that Washington would stop providing Russia with certain notifications required under the New START nuclear arms control treaty, including data on the location of missiles and launchers.

This was reported by the "Reuters" agency, referring to an information bulletin on the website of the US State Department.

The agency notes that, according to Washington, this is in response to Moscow's "continued violations" of the agreement.

The State Department said the US will also stop providing Russia with remotely collected telemetry data on the launch of US intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

British intelligence: Russia is faced with a dilemma - to strengthen its positions along the border or in the occupied territories

The Ukrainian incursions present Russia with the dilemma of whether to strengthen its positions in Russia or in the occupied territories, British military intelligence said in its analysis of the events and the attempt by subversive groups to infiltrate the Belgorod region.

In addition to the raids, the authors of the report point out, there were also drone strikes on Belgorod, the authorities were forced to begin evacuating residents of the border town of Shebekino after Ukrainian shelling. According to British intelligence, cited by the BBC, the Russian military and internal forces (border guards and FSB) probably managed to control the situation more successfully than in previous cases.

At the same time, according to a press release from the Russian Ministry of Defense, the military had to resort to deploying a full range of combat equipment on Russian territory, including combat helicopters and the TOS-1A heavy flamethrower system.

According to British intelligence, the Russian command now faces a sharp dilemma - to strengthen its defenses in the border regions of Russia or to strengthen its positions in the occupied regions of Ukraine.

Against the background of another massive rocket attack against Kyiv, the governors of Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions announced night and morning attacks on the territory of their regions. For the first time, they were joined by the head of the Smolensk region, which borders Belarus.

"Today at around 3:00 a.m. in the village of Peresna, Pochinkovsky district, and in the village of Divasi, Smolensk region, two long-range unmanned aerial vehicles attacked objects of the fuel and energy complex. There were no casualties or injuries. There were no critical damages or fires", the Acting Governor of the Smolensk Region, Vasily Anokhin, announced on his Telegram channel.

The head of the Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, confirmed the reports of explosions.

"Tonight several Ukrainian drones were shot down by an air defense system near Kursk," he wrote after midnight on Telegram.

In the Bryansk region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled two villages - Lomakovka in the Starodubsky municipal district and Nova Pogoshch in the Suzemsky district, announced the governor Alexander Bogomaz. No one was injured, a house caught fire in the second village. The Ukrainian military has not commented on this claim.

The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, wrote in the morning that the night in the region "passed relatively calmly". "Yesterday around 2 a.m. I heard in the Shebekinsky district that the shelling of the territory by the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues," he said.

A day earlier, Belgorod Oblast came under massive shelling, with authorities evacuating residents of the border town of Shebekino and other border towns. This follows not only from the statements of the authorities, but also from the published photos and videos.

The governor reported that more than 2,500 people were accommodated in temporary accommodation centers in the Belgorod region.

"Of course, the conditions are quite difficult. These are huge sports facilities, in which there are hundreds of beds, where both adults and children sleep. There are many questions that the residents of Shebekino and the border villages ask themselves, starting with who will pays the utilities, what happens to our property, who guards it, what happens to the jobs, what happens to my mortgage...", Gladkov wrote.

The fifth Russian governor to announce the attack is the head of the Kaluga region, where a downed drone was found yesterday. According to his data, at 6:45 a.m. in the Kirovsky district an "unidentified object" fell into the forest, as a result of which there was an explosion, "business locations and residential buildings were not injured", neither were the residents.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian media published photos of Kyiv residents who decided to spend the night in the subway, fearing new airstrikes. A day earlier, three people, including a child, were victims of another attack.


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