Russia-Ukraine war LIVE | Ukraine says conducting 'offensive actions' at the front

Zelensky receives the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Kyiv, saying he is thankful for the UK's decision to open training missions for Ukrainian figher jet pilots.

The two parties discussed the Ukrainian Peace Formula and the London International Conference on Ukraine's Reconstruction, according to the Ukrainian Presidency.

Ukraine said Monday it was conducting "offensive actions" on the front line and noted some progress in Bakhmut, though it downplayed the scale of the moves.

"In some sectors we are conducting offensive actions," Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar said, adding that "the Bakhmut sector remains the epicentre of the hostilities. We are advancing there on a rather wide front. We are having some success." 

The Kremlin has clarified that a fake address attributed to Russian leader Vladimir Putin was broadcasted on radio stations in regions bordering Ukraine while stating that it was the result of a hack. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian media as saying, "All of these messages are an utter fake." The fake address was carried by radio stations in regions including Rostov, Belgorod and Voronezh.

Russia has said it sees no prospect of an extension of the grain deal set to expire in mid-July. However, Russia has said it will continue to have consultations with the United Nations, amid reports that a fresh round of talks could take place between Russia and the UN on June 9.

As per some sources linked to US intelligence quoted by CNN, Ukraine is working on arming its 'agents and sympathisers' inside Russia with drones to undertake sabotage operations against the Russian establishment. The sources also attributed the recent drone attack on the Kremlin to these agents, who launched the drones from inside Russia rather than flying them from Ukrainian territory far away. 

Several other drone attacks have taken place in Russia over the last few days, including one on a residential neighbourhood near Moscow and another on an oil refinery in southern Russia. However, it was not clear whether those strikes were carried out by Ukrainian agents operating within Russian territory.

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Russian defence ministry has claimed it repelled an attempt by Ukrainian forces to cross into its Belgorod region on Sunday. It also claimed more than 10 Ukrainian fighters were killed by air and artillery strikes. Previously on Sunday, Governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, also reported fighting with “Ukrainian saboteurs” in the town of Novaya Tavolzhanka.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, claimed Monday that Kyiv’s troops were “moving forward” near Bakhmut. He also claimed that they were successful in destroying a Russian position in the area. This comes after Ukraine's ground forces claimed Sunday that clashes were continuing near Bakhmut, and Russia was sustaining significant troop losses even as combat operations ease over the last few days.

Russian mercenary Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday said that Ukrainian forces had retaken part of the settlement of Berkhivka, north of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, calling it a "disgrace".

Prigozhin's private Wagner militia captured Bakhmut last month after the longest battle of the war and handed its positions there to regular Russian troops.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has posted to his official Telegram channel a message of encouragement for his nation, without specifically referencing the increase in fighting on the ground that is being observed in some quarters today. Ukraine’s president wrote:

"Russian terror must be defeated every day and every night, in every region of Ukraine, in the skies of every Ukrainian city and village. When any attack by Russian terrorists ends in failure for the terrorists, their defeats will become a source of our long-term security."

“Our defence ministry and its intelligence agencies have started an investigation and are asking for information to determine what has happened exactly,” Reuters report De Croo said on Belgium’s Radio 1.

Russia’s Baltic Fleet has started naval exercises in the Baltic Sea on Monday, the Russian military’s press service said.

About 3,500 soldiers and up to 40 ships and boats will take part in the drills, which are scheduled to last until 15 June, Reuters reports the military said.

The governor of the Russian region of Belgorod has said an energy facility is on fire in region, blaming a bomb dropped by a drone. Vyacheslav Gladkov said there were no casualties and that services had not been affected.

US President Joe Biden welcomes the prime ministers of Britain and Denmark to Washington DC this week for meetings that will include the mission to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.

Britain and Denmark are playing a pivotal role in the nascent joint international plan that Biden recently endorsed after months of resisting calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for US aircraft, Associated Press reported.

Russia said on Monday (June 5) that its forces managed to thwart a major Ukrainian offensive at five points along the Donetsk region and killed hundreds of pro-Kyiv troops. Russia's defence in the Donetsk region at the time of this Ukrainian attack was led by Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov himself.

Russian defence ministry claimed 250 Ukrainian troops killed in attack in Donetsk.

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