Thursday, June 1

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A man looks at a crater next to burned cars at the site where Russia’s intercepted drone debris fell, on May 31, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey via Getty Images)

Governor claims Russia’s Belgorod Oblast attacked overnight. Governor of Russia’s Belgorod Oblast Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram overnight on June 1 that the city of Shebekino had been attacked. Two civilians sustained injuries and have been treated at a local hospital.

Defense Ministry: Southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut remain in Ukrainian control. The southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut and the entrance to the city remain in control of Ukrainian forces, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on May 31.

Two Russian ships spotted loading Ukrainian grain, metal at port in occupied Berdiansk. Two Russian ships were spotted at the Port of Berdiansk on May 31 loading Ukrainian grain and metal, according to the exiled Berdiansk City Administration.

Court seizes $13.6 million of assets from former Kherson Oblast official suspected of treason. A Ukrainian court has seized Hr 500 million ($13.6 million) of assets of a former Kherson Oblast Council deputy who is suspected of treason and collaboration with Russia, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on May 31.

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Ombudsman: Ukrainian POWs, abducted children transferred through Belarus.

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets confirmed during a press briefing that some Ukrainian prisoners of war and abducted children were transferred through the territory of Belarus, Ukrinform reported on May 31.

Russia sentences 4 Crimean Tatars to lengthy prison terms.

A Russian military court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced four Crimean Tatars to lengthy prison terms on “terrorism” charges, the human rights group Crimean Solidarity announced on May 31.

Military intelligence: Russia building new facilities for sorting, storing bodies of its dead soldiers. Russia is building facilities for sorting and storing corpses of its soldiers killed during Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) claimed on May 31.

Border Guard Service: Russian forces blow up road linking Ukraine’s Chernihiv and Russia’s Bryansk. According to the State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko, cited by Ukrainska Pravda news outlet, the explosion occurred on May 30 on the road linking Ukraine’s northern city of Chernihiv and Russia’s Bryansk.

ISW: Putin downplayed Moscow drone attack due to limited options to retaliate.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin attempted to downplay the recent drone attack on Moscow in order to “avoid exposing the limited options he has to retaliate against Ukraine,” the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest update on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

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Ukraine’s judicial reform has mixed reviews as it nears key point

As Ukraine is fighting Russia on the front lines, a much quieter battle is happening in the government offices in Kyiv: the fight to bring the long-suffering judicial reform to life.

Photo: Supreme Court press service

Female commander near Bakhmut fights Russia, gender stereotypes on the battlefield

While Yuliia Mykytenko says gender discrimination in the Ukrainian military has abated somewhat over the years, a traditional male-centric mentality persists in the army, with some soldiers judging fighting ability based on gender.

Photo: Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Mayor: 204 Bakhmut residents killed, 505 injured since start of full-scale invasion. Bakhmut Mayor Oleksiy Reva revealed in an interview on May 31 that 204 residents of the once-prosperous industrial city have been killed and 505 others have been injured since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

Russian forces shell Kharkiv Oblast, killing 1 person, injuring another. Russian forces shelled the city of Vovchansk on May 31, killing one man and injuring another, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 31.

Russian forces shell Kherson Oblast, injuring 3 people, including 2 children. Three people, including one child, were injured by Russian shelling of Kherson Oblast on May 31, according to reports from local officials.

Ukraine war latest: US provides more air defense following upsurge in Russian attacks.

U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby announced that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with more air defense in response to upsurge in Russian attacks.

Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

International response

Czech Senate adopts resolution backing Ukraine’s fast-track accession to NATO. The Czech Senate on May 31 passed a resolution expressing its support for Ukraine’s expedited accession to NATO, Verkhovna Rada Chairperson Ruslan Stefanchuk announced on his Facebook page.

EU Council sanctions 7 individuals accused of attempting to destabilize Moldova, Ukraine. The EU Council announced on May 30 that it had imposed sanctions on seven individuals for attempting to undermine the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Moldova and Ukraine.

EU Parliament President: Drone attacks on Moscow don’t change EU support for Ukraine. Drone attacks on Moscow shouldn’t have any impact on the EU’s support for Ukraine, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola told Deutsche Welle on May 31.

Ukraine receives $1.25 billion in budget support from US. The U.S. has provided Ukraine with another $1.25 billion in budget support under the World Bank’s PEACE project, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on May 31.

IAEA chief presents deal to protect Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi presented an updated agreement to protect the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant at a May 30 meeting of the UN Security Council.

In other news

Military intelligence helped deputy suspected of bribery to leave country ‘at request of another structure.’ Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) confirmed that it helped the Kyiv City Council deputy Vladyslav Trubitsyn, who is suspected of taking bribes, to leave the country, the investigative project Schemes reported on May 31.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Toma Istomina, Martin Fornusek, Kate Tsurkan, Teah Pelechaty, Dinara Khalilova, Olena Goncharova, and Anastasiia Malenko.

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