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<p><strong><em>Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.&nbsp;</em></strong></p>

<p>Russia claimed on Thursday (June 2) that its military had downed a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet in the Mykolaiv region, news agency Reuters reported citing the defence ministry.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The report also added that in a brief, the official also stated that Moscow had struck command points of Ukrainian forces near Kharkiv. However, this news hasn't been confirmed independently by the news agency.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-controls-about-20-per-cent-of-ukraine-says-president-volodymyr-zelensky-484449">Russia controls 'about 20 per cent' of Ukraine, says president Volodymyr Zelensky</a></strong></p>

<p>Russian defence ministry spokesperson, Igor Konashenkov, as quoted by Reuters, said: "A Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force was downed in the Kobzartsi area of Mykolaiv Region."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Operational-tactical, army and unmanned aviation have hit three command posts, 69 staging areas where military personnel and equipment are concentrated, one radar station and two ammunition depots of the Ukrainian armed forces near Raihorodok and Mykolaivka in the (self-proclaimed) Donetsk people's republic," he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Reports: Oil group OPEC+ mulls excluding Russia from production deal</strong></p>

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<p>The ministry also issued a video in which a fighter jet can be taken off from an unidentified location. In the clip, there's no mention of the date and place where the video was taken.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the latest development, Russian forces on Thursday (June 2) hammered the last Ukrainian defences holding a strategic city in the Donbas region.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops have set their sights on capturing eastern Ukraine since Ukrainian forces repelled them from seizing Kyiv after the Russian invasion began on February 24.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. Russia claimed on Thursday (June 2) that its military had downed a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet in the Mykolaiv region, news agency Reuters reported citing the defence ministry. The report also added that in a brief, the official also stated that Moscow had struck command points of Ukrainian forces near Kharkiv. However, this news hasn't been confirmed independently by the news agency. ALSO READ | Russia controls 'about 20 per cent' of Ukraine, says president Volodymyr Zelensky Russian defence ministry spokesperson, Igor Konashenkov, as quoted by Reuters, said: "A Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force was downed in the Kobzartsi area of Mykolaiv Region." "Operational-tactical, army and unmanned aviation have hit three command posts, 69 staging areas where military personnel and equipment are concentrated, one radar station and two ammunition depots of the Ukrainian armed forces near Raihorodok and Mykolaivka in the (self-proclaimed) Donetsk people's republic," he added. ALSO READ | China 'firmly opposes' US-Taiwan trade initiative WATCH | Reports: Oil group OPEC+ mulls excluding Russia from production deal × The ministry also issued a video in which a fighter jet can be taken off from an unidentified location. In the clip, there's no mention of the date and place where the video was taken. In the latest development, Russian forces on Thursday (June 2) hammered the last Ukrainian defences holding a strategic city in the Donbas region. Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops have set their sights on capturing eastern Ukraine since Ukrainian forces repelled them from seizing Kyiv after the Russian invasion began on February 24. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Ukraine war: Russia reportedly downed Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet in Mykolaiv region

German Ambassador Walter Lindner spoke exclusively to WION's Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Siddhant Sibbal about his 3.5 year tenure in India and about India's position on the Russia-Ukraine war.

WION Exclusive: India must have a permanent seat at UNSC, says German Ambassador Walter Lindner

<p>Scotland fell short in their quest to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as goals from Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk gave Ukraine the win in the Play-off semi-final clash at Hampden Park on Wednesday. With this win, Ukraine have set up the Play-off final against Wales. For Scotland, Callum McGregor`s second-half strike went in vain as they lost 3-1.</p>

<p>The anthems got proceedings underway at Hampden Park - as the Ukraine players each stood draped in their country`s flag for their anthem on an emotional night in their first competitive match since the ongoing conflict began in Ukraine in February. As the game got underway, it was the away side who created the first opening in the 8th minute as Viktor Tsyhankov latched onto a cut-back but his crisp first-time effort was tipped over by Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon.</p>

<p>The Scots grew into the game though and Hickey headed wide before Grant Hanley also missed with a header from a Robertson corner. Ukraine then almost took the lead in the 15th minute, but Gordon once again produced a brilliant save, this time down low to deny Andriy Yarmolenko. It was an open first half and the hosts were the next to pour forward, with Robertson seeing his shot blocked before John McGinn fired over. It was the away side who crafted the next opening in the 33rd minute though and this time Gordon could not repeat his heroics. The dangerous Yarmolenko made a great run to get on the end of a ball over the top, before taking a touch and cutely dinking the ball over the Scottish goalkeeper.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-stars-in-argentinas-3-0-dominance-over-italy-to-win-finalissima-2022-484357"><strong>Lionel Messi stars in Argentina's 3-0 dominance over Italy to win Finalissima 2022</strong></a></p>

<p>Just that goal separated the sides at the break but it was soon to get worse for Scotland as the visitors doubled their lead on 49 minutes as Roman Yaremchuk rose to head in at the far post. Scotland attempted to rally and McGregor was inches away from pulling a goal back as he charged down a clearance, before substitute Ryan Christie produced a save from Heorhiy Bushchan with a low strike.McGinn then narrowly missed the target with a glorious-headed opportunity as the hosts began to pile on the pressure. It was Scotland`s best period of the game and Che Adams was next to come close with a low drive before McGinn`s follow-up was excellently blocked. The pressure soon told and it was McGregor who got the Scots on the scoresheet in the 79th minute.</p>

<p>Stuart Armstrong`s lofted cross was only parried by Bushchan and the midfielder followed up to strike on the half-volley, with hawk-eye ruling that the ball had just carried over the line after a touch from the Ukrainian goalkeeper. The home support roared on their side and they continued to press for an equaliser but Hanley`s missed header was the closest they came to a leveller. There was to be a cruel end for Scotland as Ukraine broke forward in the 95th minute and substitute Artem Dovbyk scored a third with the last kick of the game after a counterattack.</p>


Scotland fell short in their quest to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as goals from Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk gave Ukraine the win in the Play-off semi-final clash at Hampden Park on Wednesday.

Scotland fell short in their quest to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as goals from Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk gave Ukraine the win in the Play-off semi-final clash at Hampden Park on Wednesday. With this win, Ukraine have set up the Play-off final against Wales. For Scotland, Callum McGregor`s second-half strike went in vain as they lost 3-1. The anthems got proceedings underway at Hampden Park - as the Ukraine players each stood draped in their country`s flag for their anthem on an emotional night in their first competitive match since the ongoing conflict began in Ukraine in February. As the game got underway, it was the away side who created the first opening in the 8th minute as Viktor Tsyhankov latched onto a cut-back but his crisp first-time effort was tipped over by Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon. The Scots grew into the game though and Hickey headed wide before Grant Hanley also missed with a header from a Robertson corner. Ukraine then almost took the lead in the 15th minute, but Gordon once again produced a brilliant save, this time down low to deny Andriy Yarmolenko. It was an open first half and the hosts were the next to pour forward, with Robertson seeing his shot blocked before John McGinn fired over. It was the away side who crafted the next opening in the 33rd minute though and this time Gordon could not repeat his heroics. The dangerous Yarmolenko made a great run to get on the end of a ball over the top, before taking a touch and cutely dinking the ball over the Scottish goalkeeper. ALSO READ | Lionel Messi stars in Argentina's 3-0 dominance over Italy to win Finalissima 2022 Just that goal separated the sides at the break but it was soon to get worse for Scotland as the visitors doubled their lead on 49 minutes as Roman Yaremchuk rose to head in at the far post. Scotland attempted to rally and McGregor was inches away from pulling a goal back as he charged down a clearance, before substitute Ryan Christie produced a save from Heorhiy Bushchan with a low strike.McGinn then narrowly missed the target with a glorious-headed opportunity as the hosts began to pile on the pressure. It was Scotland`s best period of the game and Che Adams was next to come close with a low drive before McGinn`s follow-up was excellently blocked. The pressure soon told and it was McGregor who got the Scots on the scoresheet in the 79th minute. Stuart Armstrong`s lofted cross was only parried by Bushchan and the midfielder followed up to strike on the half-volley, with hawk-eye ruling that the ball had just carried over the line after a touch from the Ukrainian goalkeeper. The home support roared on their side and they continued to press for an equaliser but Hanley`s missed header was the closest they came to a leveller. There was to be a cruel end for Scotland as Ukraine broke forward in the 95th minute and substitute Artem Dovbyk scored a third with the last kick of the game after a counterattack.

Ukraine defeat Scotland in first competitive match since war, keep World Cup dream alive

War in Ukraine enters its fourth month, US President Joe Biden has announced a U-Turn on fresh weapons supplies to Kyiv. According to reports, President Biden announced that he has decided that he will send a long-range weapons system to Ukraine despite saying on Monday that he wouldn't Kyiv.

'Weapon to help Ukraine to target sites with precision,' major U-Turn by US on weapon decision

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. Many historic buildings have been damaged. Buildings in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, & other cities have been destroyed. But cultural experts have found a way to map already destroyed buildings. Experts are using cutting-edge technology and 3D scans to map buildings.

Ukraine: Historic buildings can be mapped using this tech

<p>In the Paris daily Le Figaro this month, Henri Guaino, a top adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy when he was president of France, warned that Europe’s countries, under the shortsighted leadership of the United States, were “sleepwalking” into war with Russia. Mr. Guaino was borrowing a metaphor that the historian Christopher Clark used to describe the origins of World War I.</p>

<p>Naturally, Mr. Guaino understands that Russia is most directly to blame for the present conflict in Ukraine. It was Russia that massed its troops on the frontier last fall and winter and — having demanded from NATO a number of Ukraine-related security guarantees that NATO rejected — began the shelling and killing on Feb. 24.</p>

<p>But the United States has helped turn this tragic, local and ambiguous conflict into a potential world conflagration. By misunderstanding the war’s logic, Mr. Guaino argues, the West, led by the Biden administration, is giving the conflict a momentum that may be impossible to stop.</p>

<p>He is right.</p>

<p>In 2014 the United States backed an uprising — in its final stages a violent uprising — against the legitimately elected Ukrainian government of Viktor Yanukovych, which was pro-Russian. (The corruption of Mr. Yanukovych’s government has been much adduced by the rebellion’s defenders, but corruption is a perennial Ukrainian problem, even today.) Russia, in turn, annexed Crimea, a historically Russian-speaking part of Ukraine that since the 18th century had been home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.</p>

<p>One can argue about Russian claims to Crimea, but Russians take them seriously. Hundreds of thousands of Russian and Soviet fighters died defending the Crimean city of Sevastopol from European forces during two sieges — one during the Crimean War and one during World War II. In recent years, Russian control of Crimea has seemed to provide a stable regional arrangement: Russia’s European neighbors, at least, have let sleeping dogs lie.</p>

<p>But the United States never accepted the arrangement. On Nov. 10, 2021, the United States and Ukraine signed a “charter on strategic partnership” that called for Ukraine to join NATO, condemned “ongoing Russian aggression” and affirmed an “unwavering commitment” to the reintegration of Crimea into Ukraine.</p>

<p>That charter “convinced Russia that it must attack or be attacked,” Mr. Guaino wrote. “It is the ineluctable process of 1914 in all its terrifying purity.”</p>

<p>This is a faithful account of the war that President Vladimir Putin has claimed to be fighting. “There were constant supplies of the most modern military equipment,” Mr. Putin said at Russia’s annual Victory Parade on May 9, referring to the foreign arming of Ukraine. “The danger was growing every day.”</p>

<p>Whether he was right to worry about Russia’s security depends on one’s perspective. Western news reports tend to belittle him.</p>

<p>The rocky course of the war in Ukraine thus far has vindicated Mr. Putin’s diagnosis, if not his conduct. Though Ukraine’s military industry was important in Soviet times, by 2014 the country barely had a modern military at all. Oligarchs, not the state, armed and funded some of the militias sent to fight Russian-supported separatists in the east. The United States started arming and training Ukraine’s military, hesitantly at first under President Barack Obama. Modern hardware began flowing during the Trump administration, though, and today the country is armed to the teeth.</p>

<p>Since 2018, Ukraine has received U.S.-built Javelin antitank missiles, Czech artillery and Turkish Bayraktar drones and other NATO-interoperable weaponry. The United States and Canada have lately sent up-to-date British-designed M777 howitzers that fire GPS-guided Excalibur shells. President Biden just signed into law a $40 billion military aid package.</p>

<p>In this light, mockery of Russia’s battlefield performance is misplaced. Russia is not being stymied by a plucky agricultural country a third its size; it is holding its own, at least for now, against NATO’s advanced economic, cyber and battlefield weapons.</p>

<p>And this is where Mr. Guaino is correct to accuse the West of sleepwalking. The United States is trying to maintain the fiction that arming one’s allies is not the same thing as participating in combat.</p>

<p>In the information age, this distinction is growing more and more artificial. The United States has provided intelligence used to kill Russian generals. It obtained targeting information that helped to sink the Russian Black Sea missile cruiser the Moskva, an incident in which about 40 seamen were killed.</p>

<p>And the United States may be playing an even more direct role. There are thousands of foreign fighters in Ukraine. One volunteer spoke to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation this month of fighting alongside “friends” who “come from the Marines, from the States.” Just as it is easy to cross the line between being a weapons supplier and being a combatant, it is easy to cross the line from waging a proxy war to waging a secret war.</p>

<p>In a subtler way, a country trying to fight such a war risks being drawn from partial into full involvement by force of moral reasoning. Perhaps American officials justify exporting weaponry the way they justify budgeting it: It is so powerful that it is dissuasive. The money is well spent because it buys peace. Should bigger guns fail to dissuade, however, they lead to bigger wars.</p>

<p>A handful of people died in the Russian takeover of Crimea in 2014. But this time around, matched in weaponry — and even outmatched in some cases — Russia has reverted to a war of bombardment that looks more like World War II.</p>

<p>Even if we don’t accept Mr. Putin’s claim that America’s arming of Ukraine is the reason the war happened in the first place, it is certainly the reason the war has taken the kinetic, explosive, deadly form it has. Our role in this is not passive or incidental. We have given Ukrainians cause to believe they can prevail in a war of escalation.</p>

<p>Thousands of Ukrainians have died who likely would not have if the United States had stood aside. That naturally may create among American policymakers a sense of moral and political obligation — to stay the course, to escalate the conflict, to match any excess.</p>

<p>The United States has shown itself not just liable to escalate but also inclined to. In March, Mr. Biden invoked God before insisting that Mr. Putin “cannot remain in power.” In April, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s explained that the United States seeks to “see Russia weakened.”</p>

<p>Noam Chomsky warned against the paradoxical incentives of such “heroic pronouncements” in an April interview. “It may feel like Winston Churchill impersonations, very exciting,” he said. “But what they translate into is: Destroy Ukraine.”</p>

<p>For similar reasons Mr. Biden’s suggestion that Mr. Putin be tried for war crimes is an act of consummate irresponsibility. The charge is so serious that, once leveled, it discourages restraint; after all, a leader who commits one atrocity is no less a war criminal than one who commits a thousand. The effect, intended or not, is to foreclose any recourse to peace negotiations.</p>

<p>The situation on the battlefield in Ukraine has evolved to an awkward stage. Both Russia and Ukraine have suffered heavy losses. But each has made gains, too. Russia has a land bridge to Crimea and control of some of Ukraine’s most fertile agricultural lands and energy deposits, and in recent days has held the battlefield momentum. Ukraine, after a robust defense of its cities, can expect further NATO support, know-how and weaponry — a powerful incentive not to end the war anytime soon.</p>

<p>But if the war does not end soon, its dangers will increase. “Negotiations need to begin in the next two months,” the former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned last week, “before it creates upheavals and tensions that will not be easily overcome.” Calling for a return to the status quo ante bellum, he added, “Pursuing the war beyond that point would not be about the freedom of Ukraine but a new war against Russia itself.”</p>

<p>In this, Mr. Kissinger is on the same page as Mr. Guaino. “To make concessions to Russia would be submitting to aggression,” Mr. Guaino warned. “To make none would be submitting to insanity.”</p>

<p>The United States is making no concessions. That would be to lose face. There’s an election coming. So the administration is closing off avenues of negotiation and working to intensify the war. We’re in it to win it. With time, the huge import of deadly weaponry, including that from the newly authorized $40 billion allocation, could take the war to a different level. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine warned in an address to students this month that the bloodiest days of the war were coming.</p>


In the Paris daily Le Figaro this month, Henri Guaino, a top adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy when he was president of France, warned that Europe’s countries, under the shortsighted leadership of the United States, were “sleepwalking” into war with Russia.

In the Paris daily Le Figaro this month, Henri Guaino, a top adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy when he was president of France, warned that Europe’s countries, under the shortsighted leadership of the United States, were “sleepwalking” into war with Russia. Mr. Guaino was borrowing a metaphor that the historian Christopher Clark used to describe the origins of World War I. Naturally, Mr. Guaino understands that Russia is most directly to blame for the present conflict in Ukraine. It was Russia that massed its troops on the frontier last fall and winter and — having demanded from NATO a number of Ukraine-related security guarantees that NATO rejected — began the shelling and killing on Feb. 24. But the United States has helped turn this tragic, local and ambiguous conflict into a potential world conflagration. By misunderstanding the war’s logic, Mr. Guaino argues, the West, led by the Biden administration, is giving the conflict a momentum that may be impossible to stop. He is right. In 2014 the United States backed an uprising — in its final stages a violent uprising — against the legitimately elected Ukrainian government of Viktor Yanukovych, which was pro-Russian. (The corruption of Mr. Yanukovych’s government has been much adduced by the rebellion’s defenders, but corruption is a perennial Ukrainian problem, even today.) Russia, in turn, annexed Crimea, a historically Russian-speaking part of Ukraine that since the 18th century had been home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. One can argue about Russian claims to Crimea, but Russians take them seriously. Hundreds of thousands of Russian and Soviet fighters died defending the Crimean city of Sevastopol from European forces during two sieges — one during the Crimean War and one during World War II. In recent years, Russian control of Crimea has seemed to provide a stable regional arrangement: Russia’s European neighbors, at least, have let sleeping dogs lie. But the United States never accepted the arrangement. On Nov. 10, 2021, the United States and Ukraine signed a “charter on strategic partnership” that called for Ukraine to join NATO, condemned “ongoing Russian aggression” and affirmed an “unwavering commitment” to the reintegration of Crimea into Ukraine. That charter “convinced Russia that it must attack or be attacked,” Mr. Guaino wrote. “It is the ineluctable process of 1914 in all its terrifying purity.” This is a faithful account of the war that President Vladimir Putin has claimed to be fighting. “There were constant supplies of the most modern military equipment,” Mr. Putin said at Russia’s annual Victory Parade on May 9, referring to the foreign arming of Ukraine. “The danger was growing every day.” Whether he was right to worry about Russia’s security depends on one’s perspective. Western news reports tend to belittle him. The rocky course of the war in Ukraine thus far has vindicated Mr. Putin’s diagnosis, if not his conduct. Though Ukraine’s military industry was important in Soviet times, by 2014 the country barely had a modern military at all. Oligarchs, not the state, armed and funded some of the militias sent to fight Russian-supported separatists in the east. The United States started arming and training Ukraine’s military, hesitantly at first under President Barack Obama. Modern hardware began flowing during the Trump administration, though, and today the country is armed to the teeth. Since 2018, Ukraine has received U.S.-built Javelin antitank missiles, Czech artillery and Turkish Bayraktar drones and other NATO-interoperable weaponry. The United States and Canada have lately sent up-to-date British-designed M777 howitzers that fire GPS-guided Excalibur shells. President Biden just signed into law a $40 billion military aid package. In this light, mockery of Russia’s battlefield performance is misplaced. Russia is not being stymied by a plucky agricultural country a third its size; it is holding its own, at least for now, against NATO’s advanced economic, cyber and battlefield weapons. And this is where Mr. Guaino is correct to accuse the West of sleepwalking. The United States is trying to maintain the fiction that arming one’s allies is not the same thing as participating in combat. In the information age, this distinction is growing more and more artificial. The United States has provided intelligence used to kill Russian generals. It obtained targeting information that helped to sink the Russian Black Sea missile cruiser the Moskva, an incident in which about 40 seamen were killed. And the United States may be playing an even more direct role. There are thousands of foreign fighters in Ukraine. One volunteer spoke to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation this month of fighting alongside “friends” who “come from the Marines, from the States.” Just as it is easy to cross the line between being a weapons supplier and being a combatant, it is easy to cross the line from waging a proxy war to waging a secret war. In a subtler way, a country trying to fight such a war risks being drawn from partial into full involvement by force of moral reasoning. Perhaps American officials justify exporting weaponry the way they justify budgeting it: It is so powerful that it is dissuasive. The money is well spent because it buys peace. Should bigger guns fail to dissuade, however, they lead to bigger wars. A handful of people died in the Russian takeover of Crimea in 2014. But this time around, matched in weaponry — and even outmatched in some cases — Russia has reverted to a war of bombardment that looks more like World War II. Even if we don’t accept Mr. Putin’s claim that America’s arming of Ukraine is the reason the war happened in the first place, it is certainly the reason the war has taken the kinetic, explosive, deadly form it has. Our role in this is not passive or incidental. We have given Ukrainians cause to believe they can prevail in a war of escalation. Thousands of Ukrainians have died who likely would not have if the United States had stood aside. That naturally may create among American policymakers a sense of moral and political obligation — to stay the course, to escalate the conflict, to match any excess. The United States has shown itself not just liable to escalate but also inclined to. In March, Mr. Biden invoked God before insisting that Mr. Putin “cannot remain in power.” In April, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s explained that the United States seeks to “see Russia weakened.” Noam Chomsky warned against the paradoxical incentives of such “heroic pronouncements” in an April interview. “It may feel like Winston Churchill impersonations, very exciting,” he said. “But what they translate into is: Destroy Ukraine.” For similar reasons Mr. Biden’s suggestion that Mr. Putin be tried for war crimes is an act of consummate irresponsibility. The charge is so serious that, once leveled, it discourages restraint; after all, a leader who commits one atrocity is no less a war criminal than one who commits a thousand. The effect, intended or not, is to foreclose any recourse to peace negotiations. The situation on the battlefield in Ukraine has evolved to an awkward stage. Both Russia and Ukraine have suffered heavy losses. But each has made gains, too. Russia has a land bridge to Crimea and control of some of Ukraine’s most fertile agricultural lands and energy deposits, and in recent days has held the battlefield momentum. Ukraine, after a robust defense of its cities, can expect further NATO support, know-how and weaponry — a powerful incentive not to end the war anytime soon. But if the war does not end soon, its dangers will increase. “Negotiations need to begin in the next two months,” the former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned last week, “before it creates upheavals and tensions that will not be easily overcome.” Calling for a return to the status quo ante bellum, he added, “Pursuing the war beyond that point would not be about the freedom of Ukraine but a new war against Russia itself.” In this, Mr. Kissinger is on the same page as Mr. Guaino. “To make concessions to Russia would be submitting to aggression,” Mr. Guaino warned. “To make none would be submitting to insanity.” The United States is making no concessions. That would be to lose face. There’s an election coming. So the administration is closing off avenues of negotiation and working to intensify the war. We’re in it to win it. With time, the huge import of deadly weaponry, including that from the newly authorized $40 billion allocation, could take the war to a different level. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine warned in an address to students this month that the bloodiest days of the war were coming.

The war in Ukraine may be impossible to stop. And the US deserves much of the blame

<p>US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that US will provide more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine to strike "key targets" of Russian forces invading the country. He made the confirmation in an opinion piece in the New York Times on Tuesday.</p>

<p>"We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table," he wrote.</p>

<p>"We will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine,"</p>

<p>Though he mentioned provision of more advanced rocket systems, he did not exactly say which rocket systems will be provided.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Can EU find alternative to Russian oil and gas?</strong></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>AFP reported quoting a US official that Himar multiple rocket systems will be provided to Ukraine. This, said the news agency,&nbsp;<br />
as ended days of speculation over the latest upgrade of military aid to Kyiv in its fight against Russia.</p>

<p>The Himars use precision-guided munitions, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. The range is about 50 miles (80 kilometers), with Washington deciding against sending munitions with a far longer range.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-struck-nitric-acid-tank-in-ukraines-severodonetsk-governor-483956">Russia struck 'nitric acid tank' in Ukraine's Severodonetsk: Governor</a></strong></p>

<p>"These systems will be used by the Ukrainians to repel Russian advances on Ukrainian territory but they will not be used against Russia," the official said, as quoted by AFP.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><em>You can now <strong>write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form"><strong>here</strong></a>.</em></p>

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US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that US will provide more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine to strike "key targets" of Russian forces invading the country.

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that US will provide more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine to strike "key targets" of Russian forces invading the country. He made the confirmation in an opinion piece in the New York Times on Tuesday. "We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table," he wrote. "We will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine," Though he mentioned provision of more advanced rocket systems, he did not exactly say which rocket systems will be provided. Watch | Can EU find alternative to Russian oil and gas? × AFP reported quoting a US official that Himar multiple rocket systems will be provided to Ukraine. This, said the news agency, as ended days of speculation over the latest upgrade of military aid to Kyiv in its fight against Russia. The Himars use precision-guided munitions, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. The range is about 50 miles (80 kilometers), with Washington deciding against sending munitions with a far longer range. Also Read | Russia struck 'nitric acid tank' in Ukraine's Severodonetsk: Governor "These systems will be used by the Ukrainians to repel Russian advances on Ukrainian territory but they will not be used against Russia," the official said, as quoted by AFP. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

US to provide more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine, says Biden

<p>Russia reacted to the planned delivery of new advanced missile systems and high precision US weapons to Ukraine, as Kremlin on Wednesday (June 1) accused Washington of "adding fuel to the fire". Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, this is the 11th package of security assistance to Ukraine by the US. Senior US administration officials confirmed that US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, will be delivered to Ukraine.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the aftermath, Russia on Wednesday issued a veiled warning as it stated that such deliveries of weapons to Ukraine increase the risk of drawing the US into direct conflict with Russia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sergei Ryabkov, who is Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, told the RIA Novosti news agency that "any arms supplies that continue, are on the rise, increase the risks of such a development'". &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-germany-to-ship-iris-t-air-defence-system-to-ukraine-says-chancellor-scholz-484103">Now, Germany to ship IRIS-T air defence system to Ukraine, says Chancellor Scholz</a></strong></p>

<p>Ryabkov was responding to a question about the possibility of a direct confrontation between Moscow and Washington. He also said the US is determined to "wage war (on Moscow) to the last Ukrainian in order to inflict, as they say, a strategic defeat on Russia. This is unprecedented, this is dangerous".&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Ukraine war crime trials: 2 captured Russian soldiers sentenced</strong></p>

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<p>Washington said it will be supplying Ukraine with advanced missile systems, including the HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system. It can simultaneously launch multiple precision-guided missiles. The officials said the HIMARS will be equipped with munitions that will allow Ukraine to launch rockets about 80 kilometres.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Besides Ryabkov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also criticised the move as he told reporters: "We believe that the United States is adding fuel to the fire deliberately and on purpose."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Such supplies" do not encourage Kyiv to resume peace talks, Peskov said, adding that Washington wanted to "fight Russia to the last Ukrainian."&nbsp;</p>

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Russia reacted to the planned delivery of new advanced missile systems and high precision US weapons to Ukraine, as Kremlin on Wednesday (June 1) accused Washington of "adding fuel to the fire".

Russia reacted to the planned delivery of new advanced missile systems and high precision US weapons to Ukraine, as Kremlin on Wednesday (June 1) accused Washington of "adding fuel to the fire". Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, this is the 11th package of security assistance to Ukraine by the US. Senior US administration officials confirmed that US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, will be delivered to Ukraine. In the aftermath, Russia on Wednesday issued a veiled warning as it stated that such deliveries of weapons to Ukraine increase the risk of drawing the US into direct conflict with Russia. Sergei Ryabkov, who is Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, told the RIA Novosti news agency that "any arms supplies that continue, are on the rise, increase the risks of such a development'". ALSO READ | Now, Germany to ship IRIS-T air defence system to Ukraine, says Chancellor Scholz Ryabkov was responding to a question about the possibility of a direct confrontation between Moscow and Washington. He also said the US is determined to "wage war (on Moscow) to the last Ukrainian in order to inflict, as they say, a strategic defeat on Russia. This is unprecedented, this is dangerous". WATCH | Ukraine war crime trials: 2 captured Russian soldiers sentenced × ALSO READ | Sabotage or accident? Chinese space center finds mysterious jammer ahead of launch Washington said it will be supplying Ukraine with advanced missile systems, including the HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system. It can simultaneously launch multiple precision-guided missiles. The officials said the HIMARS will be equipped with munitions that will allow Ukraine to launch rockets about 80 kilometres. Besides Ryabkov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also criticised the move as he told reporters: "We believe that the United States is adding fuel to the fire deliberately and on purpose." "Such supplies" do not encourage Kyiv to resume peace talks, Peskov said, adding that Washington wanted to "fight Russia to the last Ukrainian." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Russia says US 'adding fuel to fire'; claims new arms supplies to Ukraine increase risk of confrontation

Amid the raging war between Russian and Ukraine, Denmark voted on whether to scrap a 30-year-old opt-out to take part in European Union's defense policy.

Denmark holds referendum on EU defence amid Russia-Ukraine war

<p>IRIS-T air defence system will be supplied to Ukraine by Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. The move has been taken after requests were made by Kyiv and opposition parties of Germany to hike the deliveries of heavy weapons. Germany had been "delivering continuously since the beginning of the war", Scholz added. Since the beginning of the invasion, Germany has already sent over 15 million rounds of ammunition, 100,000 grenades and over 5,000 anti-tank mines to Ukraine. In Bundestag, Scholz told lawmakers, "Most recently, the government has decided that we will deliver the most modern air defence system that Germany has in the form of the IRIS-T." &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>IRIS-T SLM is a medium-range surface-to-air defence system. Scholz, while responding to critics in his speech in parliament, said that his government responded to the Russian invasion with a "massive change of policy in Germany" by sending heavy weapons into a war zone. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-provide-more-advanced-rocket-systems-to-ukraine-says-biden-483962" hreflang="en">US to provide more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine, says Biden</a></strong></p>

<p>To deliver arms to Ukraine, Germany is holding talks with partners, the chancellor said. Germany will deliver infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) to Greece so that it can handover Soviet-style weapons to Ukraine, Scholz announced on Tuesday. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;US President Joe Biden agrees to provide Ukraine with longer range missiles</strong></p>

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<p>In recent weeks, the requests for heavy weapons by Ukraine has intensified as Russia has escalated its military campaign after failing to capture the capital, Kyiv. &nbsp;</p>

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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>

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IRIS-T air defence system will be supplied to Ukraine by Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. The move has been taken after requests were made by Kyiv and opposition parties of Germany to hike the deliveries of heavy weapons.

IRIS-T air defence system will be supplied to Ukraine by Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. The move has been taken after requests were made by Kyiv and opposition parties of Germany to hike the deliveries of heavy weapons. Germany had been "delivering continuously since the beginning of the war", Scholz added. Since the beginning of the invasion, Germany has already sent over 15 million rounds of ammunition, 100,000 grenades and over 5,000 anti-tank mines to Ukraine. In Bundestag, Scholz told lawmakers, "Most recently, the government has decided that we will deliver the most modern air defence system that Germany has in the form of the IRIS-T." IRIS-T SLM is a medium-range surface-to-air defence system. Scholz, while responding to critics in his speech in parliament, said that his government responded to the Russian invasion with a "massive change of policy in Germany" by sending heavy weapons into a war zone. Also Read: US to provide more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine, says Biden To deliver arms to Ukraine, Germany is holding talks with partners, the chancellor said. Germany will deliver infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) to Greece so that it can handover Soviet-style weapons to Ukraine, Scholz announced on Tuesday. Watch: US President Joe Biden agrees to provide Ukraine with longer range missiles × In recent weeks, the requests for heavy weapons by Ukraine has intensified as Russia has escalated its military campaign after failing to capture the capital, Kyiv. WATCH WION LIVE HERE (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Now, Germany to ship IRIS-T air defence system to Ukraine, says Chancellor Scholz

<p>Russia struck a nitric acid tank at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk, a city in Ukraine's Luhansk region, said local governor. Sergiy Gaiday, the governor urged people to stay inside shelters.</p>

<p>Nitric acid is dangerous if inhaled, swallowed or even if it comes in contact with the skin.</p>

<p>The governor said on Telegram that air strike by Russian forces "hit a tank with nitric acid at a chemical plant".</p>

<p>"Do not come out of shelters!" Gaiday said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Severodonetsk has seen fierce battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces.</p>

<p>The governor has urged people in the city to "prepare protective face masks impregnated with soda solution".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia's air strike at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk was "just crazy".</p>

<p>But it is "no longer surprising that for the Russian military, for Russian commanders, for Russian soldiers, any madness is absolutely acceptable", Zelensky said in an evening video address on Telegram.</p>

<p>AFP quoted pro-Moscow separatists as saying that the tank had "exploded" on territory controlled by Ukrainian forces.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"At the Azot chemical plant, a container with chemicals was blown up. Preliminarily, it is nitric acid," Rodion Mironchik, a representative of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic, said on Telegram. &nbsp;</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>

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Russia struck a nitric acid tank at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk, a city in Ukraine's Luhansk region, said local governor. Sergiy Gaiday, the governor urged people to stay inside shelters.

Russia struck a nitric acid tank at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk, a city in Ukraine's Luhansk region, said local governor. Sergiy Gaiday, the governor urged people to stay inside shelters. Nitric acid is dangerous if inhaled, swallowed or even if it comes in contact with the skin. The governor said on Telegram that air strike by Russian forces "hit a tank with nitric acid at a chemical plant". "Do not come out of shelters!" Gaiday said. Severodonetsk has seen fierce battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces. The governor has urged people in the city to "prepare protective face masks impregnated with soda solution". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia's air strike at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk was "just crazy". But it is "no longer surprising that for the Russian military, for Russian commanders, for Russian soldiers, any madness is absolutely acceptable", Zelensky said in an evening video address on Telegram. AFP quoted pro-Moscow separatists as saying that the tank had "exploded" on territory controlled by Ukrainian forces. "At the Azot chemical plant, a container with chemicals was blown up. Preliminarily, it is nitric acid," Rodion Mironchik, a representative of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic, said on Telegram. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russia struck 'nitric acid tank' in Ukraine's Severodonetsk: Governor

<p>Kyiv's chief prosecutor on Tuesday (May 31) said that Ukraine has identified several thousand suspected war crimes in the eastern Donbas region. In the particular region, Russian forces are pressing their offensive.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by news agency AFP, prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said tha the cases in the industrial region are among some 15,000 across Ukraine. The count is from the day when Russian forces invaded on February 24.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Venediktova told a news conference in The Hague that of course, "we started a few thousand cases" about what we see in Donbas. "If we speak about war crimes, it's about possible transfer of people."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"...we started several cases about possible transfer of children, adult people to different parts of the Russian Federation. Then, of course, we can speak about torturing people, killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure," Venediktova added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH&nbsp;| Toxic smoke and suspicious plastic plant fires in Turkey</strong></p>

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<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation in the Donbas region remained "extremely difficult". Zelensky said that the maximum combat power of the Russian army is now gathered in Donbas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Kurakhove, Slovyansk and some other settlements remain the key targets for the occupiers on this axis. On Sunday (May 29), the "liberation" of the Donbas was an "unconditional priority" by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. &nbsp;</p>

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Kyiv's chief prosecutor on Tuesday (May 31) said that Ukraine has identified several thousand suspected war crimes in the eastern Donbas region. In the particular region, Russian forces are pressing their offensive.

Kyiv's chief prosecutor on Tuesday (May 31) said that Ukraine has identified several thousand suspected war crimes in the eastern Donbas region. In the particular region, Russian forces are pressing their offensive. As quoted by news agency AFP, prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said tha the cases in the industrial region are among some 15,000 across Ukraine. The count is from the day when Russian forces invaded on February 24. Venediktova told a news conference in The Hague that of course, "we started a few thousand cases" about what we see in Donbas. "If we speak about war crimes, it's about possible transfer of people." "...we started several cases about possible transfer of children, adult people to different parts of the Russian Federation. Then, of course, we can speak about torturing people, killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure," Venediktova added. WATCH | Toxic smoke and suspicious plastic plant fires in Turkey × Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation in the Donbas region remained "extremely difficult". Zelensky said that the maximum combat power of the Russian army is now gathered in Donbas. Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Kurakhove, Slovyansk and some other settlements remain the key targets for the occupiers on this axis. On Sunday (May 29), the "liberation" of the Donbas was an "unconditional priority" by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Ukraine identifies 'few thousand' war crimes in Donbas; Zelensky says situation 'extremely difficult'

European Union leaders reached a compromise deal to impose a partial oil embargo on Russia at a summit focused on supporting Ukraine with a long-term delay package of sanctions blocked by Hungary.

EU leaders agree on a partial embargo on Russian oil

US President Joe Biden has agreed to provide Ukraine with advanced rocket systems that can strike with precision at long-range Russian targets as part of a $700 million weapons package expected to be unveiled on Wednesday.

US President Joe Biden agrees to provide Ukraine with longer range missiles

Russian forces have seized control of half of eastern Ukraine’s key city of Severodonetsk. Russian troops have been fighting to make the new advances in Severodonetsk for days. Severodonetsk is one of the industrial hubs that lie on Russia’s path to capturing the Donbas’s Lugansk region.

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Moscow captures about half of Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk

Before pandemic, 135 million people were food insecure but now, 276 million people across the globe have no food security. WION tells you how war in Ukraine has fuelled global food crisis.

War in Ukraine fuels a global food crisis

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is currently in its fourth month. Residents in Ukraine are in great distress. An Ukrainian family living in dire conditions shares their story. Take a look.

Ukrainian family cook out in the open due to lack of resources

A court in the central Ukraine city of Poltava has sentenced two captured Russian soldiers to 11 years and six months in prison for their roles in shelling civilian areas near Kharkiv. It was the second war crimes trial since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Ukraine war crime trials: 2 captured Russian soldiers sentenced

<p>Kremlin said on Monday (May 30) indicated that Russia was ready to ensure 'unhindered' supply of food grains from Ukrainian ports. Kremlin quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.</p>

<p>One of the effects Ukraine conflict has had on the world is food crisis. Ukraine exports foodgrains. But the export has been interrupted due Russian invasion. The conflict has resulted in prices of grain, cooking oil, fertiliser and energy soaring, hurting global growth.</p>

<p>The United Nations, which says a global food crisis is deepening, is trying to broker a deal to unblock Ukraine's grain exports though Western leaders have blamed Russia for holding the world to ransom by blockading Ukrainian ports.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Ukrainian president Zelensky visits frontline soldiers in Kharkiv region</strong></p>

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<p>"During the discussion of the situation in Ukraine, emphasis was placed on ensuring safe navigation in the Black and Azov seas and eliminating the mine threat in their waters," the Kremlin said of Putin's call with Erdogan.</p>

<p>"Vladimir Putin noted the readiness of the Russian side to facilitate the unhindered sea transit of goods in coordination with Turkish partners. This also applies to the export of grain from Ukrainian ports."</p>

<p>Putin, according to the Kremlin, added that if sanctions were lifted, then Russia could "export significant volumes of fertilizers and agricultural products."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-says-will-not-send-ukraine-rocket-systems-that-can-reach-russia-483621">Joe Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia</a></strong></p>

<p>It was not clear which Ukrainian ports Putin was referring to. Grain export from Ukraine mainly takes place from Chornomorsk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson and Yuzhny.</p>

<p>During his conversation with Vladimir Putin, Erdogan said that Turkey was willing to take on a role in an "observation mechanism" between Moscow, Kyiv and the United Nations, if an agreement is reached.</p>

<p>He later told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he "especially valued the project to create a secure sea route for exporting Ukrainian agricultural products," his office said, adding he welcomed, in principle, the idea of making Istanbul a headquarters for the "observation mechanism".</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Kremlin said on Monday (May 30) indicated that Russia was ready to ensure 'unhindered' supply of food grains from Ukrainian ports. Kremlin quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Kremlin said on Monday (May 30) indicated that Russia was ready to ensure 'unhindered' supply of food grains from Ukrainian ports. Kremlin quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. One of the effects Ukraine conflict has had on the world is food crisis. Ukraine exports foodgrains. But the export has been interrupted due Russian invasion. The conflict has resulted in prices of grain, cooking oil, fertiliser and energy soaring, hurting global growth. The United Nations, which says a global food crisis is deepening, is trying to broker a deal to unblock Ukraine's grain exports though Western leaders have blamed Russia for holding the world to ransom by blockading Ukrainian ports. Watch | Ukrainian president Zelensky visits frontline soldiers in Kharkiv region × "During the discussion of the situation in Ukraine, emphasis was placed on ensuring safe navigation in the Black and Azov seas and eliminating the mine threat in their waters," the Kremlin said of Putin's call with Erdogan. "Vladimir Putin noted the readiness of the Russian side to facilitate the unhindered sea transit of goods in coordination with Turkish partners. This also applies to the export of grain from Ukrainian ports." Putin, according to the Kremlin, added that if sanctions were lifted, then Russia could "export significant volumes of fertilizers and agricultural products." Also Read | Joe Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia It was not clear which Ukrainian ports Putin was referring to. Grain export from Ukraine mainly takes place from Chornomorsk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson and Yuzhny. During his conversation with Vladimir Putin, Erdogan said that Turkey was willing to take on a role in an "observation mechanism" between Moscow, Kyiv and the United Nations, if an agreement is reached. He later told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he "especially valued the project to create a secure sea route for exporting Ukrainian agricultural products," his office said, adding he welcomed, in principle, the idea of making Istanbul a headquarters for the "observation mechanism". (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russia ready for 'unhindered' grain exports from Ukraine ports: Kremlin

Reports of the Russian President being sick have emerged. Reports suggest that Putin has three years to live and he is losing his eyesight.

Is Vladimir Putin sick? Reports say Putin has three years to live & he is losing his eyesight

Paris is demanding an immediate probe into the killing of a French journalist in Ukraine. Reports suggest that he was killed by shrapnel from a Russian shell.

French journalist killed in Ukraine, Paris demands an immediate probe

Supply disruption has sent global food prices soaring. Russia has now decided to free up the maritime blockade as the global food security crisis looms.

World's food supplies in peril, Ukraine war leads to food crisis

President Joe Biden said Monday that the US won't supply Ukraine with long-range rocket systems that can hit Russian territory. Biden did not elaborate on which specific long-range rocket systems the US had ruled out sending.

US President Joe Biden says 'won't send rockets that could reach Russia'

EU leaders on Monday backed a ban on more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports, in a compromise deal with Hungary to punish Russia for the war in Ukraine.

EU leaders to ban over two-third of oil imports from Russia

A wire harness, used in combustion cars, is a component that may fasten the killing of fuel-based vehicles. The production of the wire harnesses has been affected due to the war in Ukraine and now experts believe that this may lead to a faster shift from combustion cars.

How war in Ukraine may have hastened downfall of combustion cars

European union leaders have agreed to ban 90% of Russian oil imports by the end of this year, it's a part of a sixth package of sanctions approved at a summit in Brussels.

EU leaders agree to cut 90% of oil imports by year end

The ongoing Russian invasion has not only brought in the horrors of civilian casualties, it has also triggered fresh concerns regarding the safety of journalists and reporters covering the developments from the frontline. In the latest, latest France has now called for an immediate investigation to probe the killing of a French journalist who died during a Russian bombardment.

French journalist killed in attack on humanitarian convoy in Ukraine

<p>Belarus' state news agency BelTA reported on Monday (May 30) that the country will soon conduct mobilisation exercise in Gomel region. This region borders Ukraine which is currently being invaded by Russia. Belarus and Russia are allies. Gomel region borders Russia as well.</p>

<p>On June 22-July 1, planned exercises with military commissariats - military administrative agencies - and armed forces will be conducted, BelTA reported, citing Andrey Krivonosov, military commissar of the Gomel region.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Ukrainian president Zelensky visits frontline soldiers in Kharkiv region</strong></p>

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<p>"Events of this kind are traditionally held to increase the combat and mobilization readiness of military commissariats, and improve military knowledge and practical skills of those liable for military service," BelTA quoted Krivonosov as saying.</p>

<p>Krivonosov said that between June 28 and July 16, military training will take place with those liable for militaery service for territorial defence formations.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-says-will-not-send-ukraine-rocket-systems-that-can-reach-russia-483621">Joe Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia</a></strong></p>

<p>A close ally of Russia, Belarus said in March that its armed forces were not taking part in what Moscow calls its "special operation" in Ukraine, but it did serve as a launchpad for Russia to send thousands of troops across the border on Feb. 24.</p>

<p>On May 26, Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko ordered the creation of a new military command for the south of country bordering Ukraine.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Belarus' state news agency BelTA reported on Monday (May 30) that the country will soon conduct mobilisation exercise in Gomel region. This region borders Ukraine which is currently being invaded by Russia.

Belarus' state news agency BelTA reported on Monday (May 30) that the country will soon conduct mobilisation exercise in Gomel region. This region borders Ukraine which is currently being invaded by Russia. Belarus and Russia are allies. Gomel region borders Russia as well. On June 22-July 1, planned exercises with military commissariats - military administrative agencies - and armed forces will be conducted, BelTA reported, citing Andrey Krivonosov, military commissar of the Gomel region. Watch | Ukrainian president Zelensky visits frontline soldiers in Kharkiv region × "Events of this kind are traditionally held to increase the combat and mobilization readiness of military commissariats, and improve military knowledge and practical skills of those liable for military service," BelTA quoted Krivonosov as saying. Krivonosov said that between June 28 and July 16, military training will take place with those liable for militaery service for territorial defence formations. Also Read | Joe Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia A close ally of Russia, Belarus said in March that its armed forces were not taking part in what Moscow calls its "special operation" in Ukraine, but it did serve as a launchpad for Russia to send thousands of troops across the border on Feb. 24. On May 26, Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko ordered the creation of a new military command for the south of country bordering Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Belarus soon to hold military exercises near Ukraine border: Report

The battle for Eastern Ukraine is hitting up, Russian forces are trying to surround the towns under Ukrainian control. The ground troops are outnumbered and outgunned and the US has backed off from helping Ukraine with rocket systems

US dismisses Ukraine's demand for long-range weapons

<p>Fight between Russian and Ukrainian forces has reached outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, the last city in Luhansk under Ukrainian control. Much of the city has been reduced to ruins but defence by Ukrainian forces has slowed Russian campaign in the Donbas region.</p>

<p>Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. After its initial attempts to seize Ukrainian capital Kyiv failed, Russia has focussed its firepower in Donbas region.</p>

<p>Governor of Luhansk Serhiy Gaidai was quoted by Reuters as saying that Russian troops had advanced into Sievierodonetsk's southeastern and northeastern fringes.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Ukrainian president Zelensky visits frontline soldiers in Kharkiv region</strong></p>

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<p>"They use the same tactics over and over again. They shell for several hours - for three, four, five hours - in a row and then attack," Gaidai said. "Those who attack die. Then shelling and attack follow again, and so on until they break through somewhere."</p>

<p>He said that with temperatures rising, there was a "terrible smell of death" on the city outskirts.</p>

<p>But Ukrainian forces had driven the Russians out of the village of Toshkivka to the south, he said, potentially frustrating Moscow's push to encircle the area.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-says-will-not-send-ukraine-rocket-systems-that-can-reach-russia-483621">Joe Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia</a></strong></p>

<p>Meanwhile, countries of the European Union (EU) have not yet been able to agree on a ban on Russian oil imports.</p>

<p>The EU has rolled out five packages of sanctions against Russia since its troops invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 but an agreement on oil sanctions has proved elusive because so many countries depend on Russian crude.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>

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Fight between Russian and Ukrainian forces has reached outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, the last city in Luhansk under Ukrainian control. Much of the city has been reduced to ruins but defence by Ukrainian forces has slowed Russian campaign in the Donbas region.

Fight between Russian and Ukrainian forces has reached outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, the last city in Luhansk under Ukrainian control. Much of the city has been reduced to ruins but defence by Ukrainian forces has slowed Russian campaign in the Donbas region. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. After its initial attempts to seize Ukrainian capital Kyiv failed, Russia has focussed its firepower in Donbas region. Governor of Luhansk Serhiy Gaidai was quoted by Reuters as saying that Russian troops had advanced into Sievierodonetsk's southeastern and northeastern fringes. Watch | Ukrainian president Zelensky visits frontline soldiers in Kharkiv region × "They use the same tactics over and over again. They shell for several hours - for three, four, five hours - in a row and then attack," Gaidai said. "Those who attack die. Then shelling and attack follow again, and so on until they break through somewhere." He said that with temperatures rising, there was a "terrible smell of death" on the city outskirts. But Ukrainian forces had driven the Russians out of the village of Toshkivka to the south, he said, potentially frustrating Moscow's push to encircle the area. Also Read | Joe Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia Meanwhile, countries of the European Union (EU) have not yet been able to agree on a ban on Russian oil imports. The EU has rolled out five packages of sanctions against Russia since its troops invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 but an agreement on oil sanctions has proved elusive because so many countries depend on Russian crude. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Fighting on the outskirts of last Ukrainian city in Luhansk

The “liberation” of Ukraine’s Donbas region is an “unconditional priority” for Moscow, while other Ukrainian territories should decide their future on their own, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview on Sunday.

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Russian FM Lavrov calls Ukraine's Donbas an 'unconditional priority'

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