Freedom of Information

[DaffyVina]

'I watched from afar Russia’s latest merciless assault on Severodonetsk'
By Quentin Sommerville
BBC News, Lysychansk, Ukraine
Published18 hours ago

View of Severodonetsk from Lysychansk
IMAGE SOURCE,QUENTIN SOMMERVILLE / BBC
Image caption,From Lysychansk, smoke could be seen rising above Severodonetsk

Russian forces have entered the city of Severodonetsk, as they continue their attempts to capture the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. One of the region's governors says that the bombardment of the industrial centre is so intense that they have given up counting the casualties.

Just days ago, I watched from a rooftop in Lysychansk as, on the horizon, its twin city of Severodonetsk was being bombed indiscriminately. Shells were landing every minute on its length and breath. Severodonetsk was burning.

Lysychansk itself has been drained of life. A few people still go out on the streets, but they are mostly deserted. Artillery fire is a regular threat. The air carried on the summer breeze is gritty with dust from smoke and pulverised buildings.

Having failed to conquer all of Ukraine, Russian forces are now targeting Donbas - made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. If Severodonetsk and Lysychansk fall, the whole of Luhansk would be occupied.

Here, Russia isn't fighting a campaign of attrition, it's waging a war of oblivion. And, for the moment on this front, it is winning.

Smoke rises from a bombed oil refinery in Lysychansk, 27 May
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption, Smoke rises from a bombed oil refinery in Lysychansk, 27 May

Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk, now says that all critical infrastructure in Severodonetsk has been destroyed. Previously, he suggested that Ukrainian forces may have to withdraw from the city and Lysychansk.

The scene of devastation in a third city, Rubizhne - in peacetime just a short drive to the north - shows what Russia's unrelenting artillery fire is capable of. Looking from Lysychansk into the distance, there is now a blot on the emerald green landscape. The small city is gone - scoured from the earth.

The way it fell some two weeks ago, marks an important shift in how Vladimir Putin's forces are now fighting the war. Gone are long armoured columns and tank and infantry attacks seen in the first months, in favour of large-scale artillery barrages - as many as 1500 shells a day in Rubizhne - to wipe out resistance before any ground advance.

Map of the region around Severodonetsk and the Russian military control area as of 29 May 2022


Overwhelming Russian firepower - particularly artillery - underlines the urgent need, say Ukrainian field commanders, for more advanced weapons from the West to halt the enemy advance.

The great sweep of Donbas runs along Ukraine's eastern flank from Severodonetsk in the north, ending at the southern coast around the city of Mariupol - the hard-fought over city recently captured by Russia in one of its biggest gains in the war.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that Ukraine was losing 50-100 troops a day in the region. In Lysychansk, I meet private first class, Vladimir, serving with a reconnaissance unit in the country's National Guard. Russian forces are adapting, he says, first they came in "bold and got hit hard", now the enemy flattens what it can't capture with infantry.

He tells me of his month in Rubizhne. "It wasn't Mariupol, but it was pretty close. It was very hard. There were a lot of losses - a lot of fighting across streets. There was also artillery, just removing those houses very fast. People were trying to hide in the basement so they had no view, no assessment of the current situation. So there were a lot of losses during that time."

The men and women fighting in Donbas for Ukraine are not inexperienced. Many have fought against Russian-backed separatists who, since 2014, have been trying to secede from Ukraine. But, in this new battle for the region, they face a national army - one that has large resources of men and equipment. Even for experienced fighters, the volume and nature of Russian weaponry being used in Donbas is overwhelming.

I speak to another guardsman who doesn't want to give his name. "It's not my first war," he says, "I mean that one was a trench warfare, so it's a bit different [this time]. When I went to Rubizhne I saw the whole picture. It was tough. Shots with high-explosive fragmentation grenades, 82 mm calibre weapons," he says, stopping to draw on a cigarette.

Vladimir - the Ukrainian soldier - says the local population are "30% pro-Ukrainian, 30% pro-Russian and 40% don't care". Of course, many pro-Ukrainian residents have now fled.

Since the start of the war, military analysts have made much of Russia's rising casualty numbers and the weakness of morale among its soldiers. Casualty numbers are still rising, but Russia isn't running out of men in Donbas. Nor is the Kremlin running short of artillery shells. The explosives which are hammering Lysychansk and Severodonetsk seem in plentiful supply. The surrounding countryside too is marked like a pox with black artillery craters spreading for miles along fields and roadways.

"There's a lot of artillery," says Vladimir. "Bombardments are like a nightmare, we shoot one round, they shoot 10. When our sniper is shooting, they send in a full packet of Grads on his position. So it's basically a sniper with one bullet and they send like $1,000 of artillery rounds. They really don't care how much ammunition they use."

Like Vladimir, many of the men I met in Lysychansk were previously the defenders of Rubizhne. Having been through hell once, they say they prepared to endure it a second time.

Media caption, Rubizhne destroyed and Russian soldiers carry the body of a dead comrade - view from a Ukrainian drone

Footage given to the BBC by a unit of the National Guard shows a landscape there which could be a recreation of World War Two devastation - lines of shelled-out houses, empty streets with only corpses and dead animals along the pathways. And there's another reminder too from that war - shellshock. Men left the town with shaking hands and limbs - and constant headaches. "Cigarettes and coffee are all that keep them away," said one young lieutenant called Pasha.

Ukrainian officer Pasha
IMAGE SOURCE,QUENTIN SOMMERVILLE / BBC

On the outskirts of Lysychansk, bigger guns have arrived on the Ukrainian front line. Another unit of the National Guard are working on an M777 howitzer, newly received from the Australian government. It has two kangaroos painted on the barrel.

The gun is welcome but, as almost everyone I meet tells me, they need more. They specifically asked for longer range weapons. The US has agreed to send them far more powerful multiple launch rocket systems. They could be a game-changer in Donbas, if they arrive in time.

M777 howitzer from the Australian government
IMAGE SOURCE,QUENTIN SOMMERVILLE / BBC

Some Western commentators believe Ukraine should submit to end the destruction and cede its territory. But, for the weary Ukrainian defenders facing the Russian onslaught, that is unthinkable. In fact, the losses they have suffered have only galvanised their belief that the enemy must be stopped and pushed back.

Vladimir Putin gambled big - and lost - on taking all of Ukraine, so perhaps that explains the enormous resources he is throwing at achieving a tactical win in Donbas. But a Kremlin victory here won't mean defeat for Ukraine.

I ask the unnamed guardsman, tired after months of battle, but still here at front, what it will take to win?

"There is a sky, and the sky is ours. Drones are helping a lot. Weapons have arrived and multiple rocket launchers. America, lend-lease…" he tells me. "The only question is time. It's time and that's it. And then everything will be Ukraine."

Follow Quentin on Twitter @sommervilletv

[DaffyVina]

Russian oil: EU agrees compromise deal on banning imports
Published12 minutes ago

European Union leaders have agreed on a plan to block more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports.

The ban will only affect oil that arrives by sea but not pipeline oil, following opposition from Hungary.

European Council chief Charles Michel said the deal cut off a huge source of financing for the Russian war machine.

It is part of a sixth package of sanctions approved at a summit in Brussels, which all 27 member states have had to agree on.

Russia currently supplies 27% of the EU's imported oil and 40% of its gas. The EU pays Russia around €400bn ($430bn, £341bn) a year in return.

So far, no sanctions on Russian gas exports to the EU have been put in place, although plans to open a new gas pipeline from Russia to Germany have been frozen.

EU members spent hours struggling to resolve their differences over the ban on Russian oil imports, with Hungary its main opponent.

The compromise followed weeks of wrangling until it was agreed there would be "a temporary exemption for oil that comes through pipelines to the EU", Mr Michel told reporters.

Because of this, the immediate sanctions will affect only Russian oil being transported into the EU over sea - two-thirds of the total imported from Russia.

But in practice, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the scope of the ban would be wider, because Germany and Poland have volunteered to wind down their own pipeline imports by the end of this year.

"Left over is around 10-11% that is covered by the southern Druzhba," Ms Von der Leyen said, referring to the Russian pipeline supplying oil to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The European Council will revisit this exemption "as soon as possible", she added.

Image shows oil pipelines

The ban on Russian oil imports was initially proposed by the European Commission - which develops laws for member states - a month ago.

But resistance, notably from Hungary, which imports 65% of its oil from Russia through pipelines, held up the EU's troubled latest round of sanctions.

Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban declared the agreement a victory for his country.

"We succeeded in defeating the proposal of the European Council which would have forbidden Hungary from using Russian oil," he said in a Facebook video.

Other landlocked countries, such as Slovakia and the Czech Republic, also asked for more time due to their dependence on Russian oil. Bulgaria, already cut off from Russian gas by Gazprom, had likewise sought opt-outs.

The cost of living crisis being felt across Europe has not helped either. Sky-rocketing energy prices - among other things - have curtailed some EU countries' appetite for sanctions which could also hurt their own economies.

Putin will try to exploit EU's differences
Analysis box by Steve Rosenberg, Russia editor
The EU's oil agreement is a compromise deal - but it's also an important one.
Moscow is heavily reliant on its energy exports, and the EU says this deal will cut more than 90% of Russian oil imports by the end of the year.

But considering all the sabre-rattling and anti-Western rhetoric we've been hearing from Vladimir Putin in recent weeks, I suspect the Russian leader is more likely to say to Europe: "Get ready for some more economic pain because of this embargo. Let's see how long your support for Ukraine lasts."
The Kremlin is aware of the differences of opinion within the EU over what to do about Russia - and you can be sure that Putin is going to try to exploit them.

Russia will look for new markets, but in terms of oil that's not a quick fix. The infrastructure isn't in place to reorient oil exports from Europe to Asia, for example. And if it does sell to Asia - it will have to do so at a discounted price.
There's also the question of Russian gas - an embargo on that could be discussed next.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who dialled into the summit, urged EU countries to stop their internal "quarrels," stating that they only helped Moscow.

"All quarrels in Europe must end, internal disputes that only encourage Russia to put more and more pressure on you," Mr Zelensky said via video-link.

"It is time for you to be not separate, not fragments, but one whole," he said.

Latvia's Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said member countries should not get "bogged down" in their own personal interests.

"It's going to cost us more. But it's only money. The Ukrainians are paying with their lives," he said.

[DaffyVina]

10:45
EU sanctions deal - reasonable for some, too slow for others
The European Union has defended its latest round of sanctions against Russia.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says the bloc has reached a reasonable solution with its agreement to cut almost 90% of oil imports from Russia by the end of the year.

Quote Message: We are the most important client for Russia. They will have to look for another one and certainly they will have to decrease the price.
We are the most important client for Russia. They will have to look for another one and certainly they will have to decrease the price.

But not everyone agrees with his assessment. Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office, says:

Quote Message: If you ask me, I would say far too slow, far too late and definitely not enough
If you ask me, I would say far too slow, far too late and definitely not enough

The talks are now in their second day - and some say the EU should go even further and discuss a seventh package of Russia sanctions that would include steps against gas imports.

11:00
Russian soldiers jailed for war crimes
Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivano
Copyright: Suspilne Poltava

Two Russian soldiers have been jailed for 11 and a half years for war crimes by a Ukrainian court.

Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov pleaded guilty to the charges. Both men were members of an artillery unit that had, among other targets, shelled a school in the north-eastern Kharkiv region from Russia.

The soldiers, who were later captured by the Ukrainian military, listened to the verdict from a reinforced glass box in the court in central Ukraine.

Their lawyers argued that the servicemen were fulfilling orders and were forced to commit the crime, but the court rejected that argument.

The war crimes trial was the second Ukraine has held since the Russian invasion. At the first, captured soldier Sgt Vadim Shishimarin was jailed for life for killing a civilian.

1111:11
First cargo ship leaves Russian-occupied Ukrainian port
Steel rolls are stacked on board the RM 3 cargo ship at the Port of Mariupol, during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern city of Mariupol, Ukraine May 30, 2022.
Copyright: Reuters

A cargo ship carrying metal has left the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol and headed to Russia, a pro-Moscow separatist leader has said.

It is the first time a vessel has sailed from the Russian-occupied port since it fell to Russian forces earlier this month.

"Today 2,500 tonnes of sheet metal rolls left the port of Mariupol, the ship is heading to Rostov," Denis Pushilin, the pro-Kremlin separatist leader in Donetsk, said on messaging app Telegram.

On 27 May, the same ship became the first one to enter the port since the end of hostilities, Russian news agency Tass reports.

12:09
Thousands of civilians trapped in Severodonetsk
As we've been reporting, local officials say the evacuation of civilians out of Severodonetsk has been stopped due to Russian shelling.

The regional governor, Serhiy Haidai, told the BBC earlier that up to 15,000 civilians may still be trapped in the city.

And Jan Egeland, the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council aid agency which has long operated out of the city, told Reuters that he was "horrified" by its destruction.

"[Thousands of civilians] remain caught in the crossfire in the city, without sufficient access to water, food, medicine or electricity," he said.

"The near-constant bombardment is forcing civilians to seek refuge in bomb shelters and basements, with only few precious opportunities for those trying to escape."

12:23
In pictures: Life in Russian-occupied Mariupol
As you may well know, the city of Mariupol fell to opposition forces earlier this month.
The news agency Reuters has today filed a set of pictures showing how residents have been adapting to life under Russian occupation.

People charge their electronic devices in front of a theatre destroyed during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the port city of Mariupol
Copyright: Reuters
Image caption: Resources like electricity are scarce - and a charging point has been set up outside Mariupol's destroyed theatre

A street vendor sells shoes in the city of Mariupol
Copyright: Reuters
Image caption: There are makeshift market stalls, selling everything from fruit and vegetables, to footwear

Mariupol residents sit next to their belongings stacked in front of an apartment building before their departure
Copyright: Reuters
Image caption: Some residents are still looking to leave the city, and have rescued what belongings they can before they go

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on a big screen broadcasting Russian TV at a humanitarian aid distribution point
Copyright: Reuters
And at an empty bus station - now a humanitarian aid distribution point - a big screen TV brought in by officials broadcasts Russian news

12:42
Bodies found at Azovstal steelworks 'to be handed over to Ukraine'
Russia has said bodies found "inside a cooling unit" in tunnels underneath the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol will be handed over to Ukraine.

Russia's defence ministry said its troops found "152 bodies of dead militants and servicemen of Ukraine's armed forces" at the steelworks - adding that "four mines" were found underneath the bodies, the AFP news agency reports.

Russian forces took control of the port city in April, but thousands of Ukrainian defenders remained at the steel plant, protecting Ukraine's last foothold in Mariupol.

They finally surrended earlier this month and have been taken to Russian-occupied territory, where they remain. Russia has indicated that they will be put on trial.

[DaffyVina]

Ukraine round-up: City divided and refugee spots her looted goods
Published2 days ago


Smoke over Severodonetsk, 30 May
IMAGE SOURCE,AFP

The 97th day of the war saw Ukrainian and Russian forces battling for control of the eastern city of Severodonetsk, which is said to be divided between the two sides.

Up to 15,000 people may still be trapped there, Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai said.

Both sides are suffering heavy casualties and the Ukrainian command may decide a tactical retreat would better serve their medium-term interests.

"As soon as we can get more weapons, particularly those artillery weapons which are being shipped right now from the West, we can go to counter-offensive," Ukrainian former Defence Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk told the BBC.

Russia now occupies almost all of Luhansk, as it focuses on seizing it and neighbouring Donetsk. At least 3,052 of its soldiers have been killed since the invasion began on 24 February, according to a list of names compiled by BBC News Russian.

Surviving Russian captivity

Hlib Stryzhko in a hospital bed
Image caption, Hlib Stryzhko suffered a broken pelvis and jaw when he came under attack from a Russian tank

There can be few stories more harrowing than that of Hlib Stryzhko, an injured Ukrainian prisoner-of-war who somehow survived his ordeal, released in a prisoner exchange.

While defending the port of Mariupol, he was fired at by a tank and fell three floors.

As the BBC's James Waterhouse reports, after his capture he endured psychological torture and was denied medical treatment for a broken pelvis and jaw.

He said he could not believe he was back in Ukraine, "a place where you can breathe freely".

'That's my boiler!'
A Ukrainian refugee in the UK says she got a surprise when her husband showed her a photo of a Russian tank - with some of her household items sitting on top.

Alina Koreniuk says the box in the photo contains a new boiler she planned to install before the war started - along with some new sheets.

Russian tank in Popasna carrying boxes - 26 May
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS
Image caption, Ms Koreniuk said the boxed boiler, bed linen and tablecloth were hers

She and her children left Ukraine on 8 April and are staying with a British couple in Nottinghamshire.

The picture, taken in late May, shows the tank moving past bombed residential buildings in the town of Popasna.

Many residents of occupied areas of Ukraine have complained of looting by Russian troops and, as the BBC's Robert Greenall reports, the prospect of looting was not unexpected for Ms Koreniuk.

Hungary resists ban on Russian oil
Gazprom tower, St Petersburg
IMAGE SOURCE,EPA
Image caption, The tower containing Gazprom headquarters in St Petersburg

The European Union agreed a deal to block all Russian oil imports arriving by sea, and cut overall imports by 90% by the end of the year.

Weeks of wrangling failed to get that number to 100%, with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban holding out against a complete ban - because Hungary still relies on Russian pipelines for its oil.

Oil prices hit fresh highs in response, with Brent crude rising above $123 a barrel, the highest it had been for two months.

And, as the BBC's Reality Check points out, the EU will still use Russian gas (rather than oil) because other countries like Germany depend on it. Read their piece on the world's reliance on Russian oil and gas here.

And to cap off the day, energy giant Shell has reassured customers it will keep gas flowing after Russian energy frim Gazprom said it would cut supplies.

Students accuse lecturer of sharing Russian war lies
Kvitka Perehinets
IMAGE SOURCE,KVITKA PEREHINETS
Image caption, Kvitka Perehinets has been following the conflict in Ukraine from afar

Kvitka Perehinets, a Ukrainian student at the University of Edinburgh, has been anxiously following the war in her home country from a distance.

Most of her family are there - some of them fighting - and she told the BBC she was distressed by recent tweets by a politics professor, which appeared to cast doubt on the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol by the Russians.

The professor, though, argues that the pursuit of knowledge involves hearing both sides.

Read our in-depth story about the row here.

Football excitement
Andriy Smondulak
IMAGE SOURCE,ANDRIY SMONDULAK
Image caption, Andriy Smondulak, who is travelling from London for the match, will wear his Ukrainian embroidered shirt

Wednesday night sees the Ukrainian national football team take its latest step on the road to the World Cup in Qatar.

They go to Glasgow to play Scotland, and the winners will face Wales next Sunday for a place in the finals.

Andriy Smondulak will be among those Ukrainians supporting their national side. He expects an "extremely emotional" occasion.

"I think goose bumps will be felt around the world," he told BBC.

Fellow fan Martyn Chymera, who was travelling from Manchester for the match, suggested football fans across the globe would be backing the away team.

"I am sure everyone, apart from Scotland, will be behind Ukraine on Wednesday," he said.

[DaffyVina]

Ukraine war: Stories of torture emerging out of Kherson
By Caroline Davies
BBC News, Odesa
Published2 days ago

Olexander Guz being interviewed in a room
Image caption, Olexander Guz says Russian soldiers tortured him for information

While his homemade borsch bubbles on the hob, Olexander Guz shows me pictures of his bruised body on his phone.

The injuries, he says, were inflicted by the Russian authorities. "They put a bag on my head," Olexander tells me. "The Russians threatened that I would not have kidneys left."

The BBC has gathered several graphic testimonies of residents in Kherson who say they were tortured.

Warning: this report contains some graphic content that readers may find distressing.

Olexander used to live in Bilozerka, a small village in the Kherson region. He was one of the village's deputies. As a young man he was a conscript in the army, but now runs his own business.

He and his wife were publicly anti-Russia: she attended pro-Ukrainian rallies, he tried to stop Russian troops entering their village.

It wasn't long after Russia took over that soldiers came looking for him.

"They tied a rope around my neck and another around my wrists," he recalls. He says they told him to stand with his legs wide apart while they questioned him.

"When I didn't answer them, they hit me between my legs. When I fell, I started to suffocate. As you try to get up, they beat you. Then they ask again."

Two photos of Olexander showing bruises on his face and chest
IMAGE SOURCE,OLEXANDER GUZ
Image caption, Olexander took pictures of his bruises after being released by Russian authorities


Russian troops took control of Kherson, in southern Ukraine, early in the war. Ukrainian TV stations were quickly replaced with Russian state broadcasts. Western products were changed for Russian alternatives.

According to multiple first-hand testimonies, people also began to disappear.

Piecing together what is happening inside Kherson is difficult. As Russia has tightened its grip on the region, people have become increasingly frightened to speak out.

Those who manage to leave often delete all the photos and videos from their phones for fear of being stopped and detained at Russian checkpoints. Olexander sent images of his injuries to his son, who was abroad, for safe keeping before wiping his phone.

It means to corroborate testimonies, it is necessary to speak to multiple people who say they have been victims of torture.

Broken ribs
Oleh Baturin is one of them. He was a journalist for an independent newspaper in the Kherson region. Within days of Russia's invasion, he says he was kidnapped.

"They shouted, 'On your knees'," he says. "They covered my face... and put my hands behind my back. They beat me on the back, ribs and legs... and hit me with the butt of a machine gun."

It was only later, when he went to see a doctor, that Oleh realised they had broken four of his ribs. He says he was imprisoned for eight days. In that time, he heard others being tortured and witnessed a young man's mock execution.

Oleh Baturin being interviewed on a balcony
Image caption, Oleh Baturin says he witnessed several people being tortured while he was imprisoned

Both Olexander and Oleh are now in Ukrainian-held territory. They provided the BBC with photos of what they said were police reports of the abuse.

Some allegations of torture are particularly graphic. I spoke to one doctor who worked in a hospital in Kherson. He asked to remain anonymous, but provided me with a picture of his hospital ID.

"There were signs of bodily mutilation," he says, listing haematomas (localised bleeding outside blood vessels that appears as a bad bruise), abrasions, cut marks, signs of electrocution, traces of binding on the hands and strangulation marks on the neck.

He says he also saw burns on people's feet and hands, and that one patient told him he was beaten with a hose filled with sand.

"Some of the worst were burn marks on genitals, a gunshot wound to the head of a girl who was raped and burns from an iron on a patient's back and stomach. The patient told me two wires from a car battery were attached to his groin and he was told to stand on a wet rag", the doctor adds.

He believes there were many others severely injured who did not receive treatment.

Some stay at home because they are too intimidated to go outside. And some, he says, are "psychologically pressured" by the Russians. "They threaten that their families will be killed, and they intimidate them in every possible way."

He says he asked the patients why they had been picked by the Russian authorities.

"They were tortured if they did not want to go over to the Russian side, for being at rallies, for being in the territorial defence, for the fact that one of the family members fought against the separatists, some got there randomly."


Two boys walking on a road with armed soldiers behind them, and an armoured vehicle marked with 'Z' in the background
IMAGE SOURCE,SERGEI ILNITSKY
Image caption, Russian troops have occupied Kherson since the beginning of the war

Some people are afraid their loved ones could be next.

Victoria (not her real name) fears for her parents, who are still in Kherson. Her father used to be in the Ukrainian territorial defence and has already been kidnapped and beaten once, she tells me.

"They dropped him in the middle of a field. When he got home, after a few minutes he burst into tears, even though he is not a sentimental person. I'm trying to help, but it all made me feel like a little girl."

Now Victoria worries it could happen again.

The BBC is not the only one investigating what is going on in Kherson. Both the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and Human Rights Watch have told us they are also concerned about the allegations of torture and enforced disappearances.

Belkis Wille, from Human Rights Watch, says the testimony gathered by the BBC is consistent with what they are hearing.

She says the concern is that Russian forces, in areas they are occupying, are continuing to a certain extent to "terrorise the local civilian population and use abusive practices like arbitrary detention and forced disappearance and torture".

"These are potential war crimes we're looking at," she adds.

The Russian Ministry of Defence did not respond to the BBC's request for comment. Previously, the Kremlin spokesperson said allegations of war crimes in Bucha were "obvious fakes and the most egregious ones are staged, as has been convincingly proved by our experts."

Exactly what is happening in Kherson is near impossible to establish from the outside, but as more testimonies are gathered, many paint a picture of fear, intimidation, violence and repression.

Victoria is trying to get her parents out.

"In Kherson, now people go missing all the time," she tells me. "There is a war going on, only this part is without bombs."

[DaffyVina]

6:50 1 Jun
What's been happening in Ukraine?
Welcome to our live coverage of the conflict in Ukraine - we’ll be bringing you updates and analysis here throughout the day. Here’s the latest:

‘Madness’: That’s how Ukraine’s president described the Russian bombing of the key eastern city of Severodonetsk in his nightly address. Referring to the situation in the east as “very difficult”, Volodymyr Zelensky said the presence of chemical production facilities in Severodonetsk made “blind air bombing… just madness”

The frontline: Both sides have said more than half of Severodonetsk is now under Russian control. Heavy street fighting is continuing there as Russia's focus remains on the east. "The city is essentially being destroyed ruthlessly block by block,” one official there said. If Russia were to seize Severodonetsk and another nearby city it would control all of the Luhansk region

Ukrainian success: Despite difficulties in the east, President Zelensky has been upbeat about his troops' advances in both Kherson in the south and around Kharkiv in the north-east. He praised his military's "utmost courage" but said Russia has a "significant advantage" in terms of equipment and numbers

Biden delivers: We've long been hearing about Ukraine's plea for more long-range weaponry to help counter Russia's consistent use of artillery. Now, US President Biden has agreed to send Ukraine more advanced rocket systems to help it strike enemy forces more precisely from a longer distance

7:04 1 Jun
Russian bombing of chemical plant is madness - Zelensky
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of "madness" after Russian troops hit a chemical plant in their bid to complete the capture of a key eastern city.

Russian forces struck the nitric acid tank in Severodonetsk, prompting the local governor to warn people to stay indoors.

In his overnight address, Zelensky said: "Given the presence of large-scale chemical production in Severodonetsk, the Russian army's strikes there, including blind air bombing, are just madness."

The battle for Severodonetsk has become more intense in recent days, with heavy casualties on both the Ukrainian and Russian sides.

7:46 1 Jun
Russian operations tightly focused - UK intelligence
The UK Ministry of Defence has just released its daily intelligence briefing on the war. "Russian ground operations remain tightly focused, with the weight of fire power concentrated within a small sector of Luhansk," it says.

It echoes the assessment from both sides, suggesting Russia now controls more than half of Severodonetsk as fighting becomes more intense. It adds that Russian forces are pushing towards the centre.

"Beyond the Donbas, Russia continues to conduct long-range missile strikes against infrastructure across Ukraine," it adds.

8:01 1 Jun
Russian focus on east creating vulnerabilities - think tank
Russia's focus on eastern Ukraine has created vulnerabilities in other parts of the country that can be exploited, a leading think tank says.

"Putin has chosen... to concentrate all the forces and resources that can be scraped together in a desperate and bloody push to seize areas of eastern Ukraine that will give him largely symbolic gains," an analysis from the Institute for the Study of War said.

"Ukrainian counter-offensives in Kherson indicate that Ukraine’s commanders recognize these realities and are taking advantage of the vulnerabilities."

On Severodonetsk, the think tank says Russian forces now control up to 70% of the eastern city with its forces making gains towards the centre.

You can read their latest assessment of the conflict here. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgr ... ent-may-31

8:23 1 Jun
Europe supplying weapons at pace - EU official
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has been speaking to BBC Radio 4 this morning.

Asked about fears expressed by some Ukrainians that European support had slowed in recent weeks, he said: "We have banned imports of Russian oil. More than 90% will be stopped. And we will continue providing military support."

"Don't decrease the fact that we have reduced 90% of [Russia's] oil revenue," he added.

On the supply of weapons, he said: "The flow of arms going to Ukraine continues at a high pace. We can increase this - everything can be increased - but I don't see any problem with the supply of arms to Ukraine."

8:43 1 Jun
Ukraine has no intention of attacking Russia - Zelensky
As we have been reporting, US President Joe Biden has agreed to send Ukraine more advanced rocket systems, in the hope that more artillery power will level the playing field between the two sides and make a diplomatic solution to bring the war to an end more likely.

But the US has agreed to provide the precision-guided missiles, which can reach targets as far as 70km (45 miles), only after gaining assurances that the weapons would not be used to attack targets inside Russia.

Ukraine's President Zelensky has said his country has "no intention of attacking Russia".

In an interview with conservative US TV channel Newsmax, the Ukrainian leader insisted the artillery would be used solely for self-defence.

"We are not interested in the Russian Federation. We are not fighting on their territory like they do with us," Zelensky told Newsmax's Rob Schmitt.

9:10 1 Jun
US decision to send rockets 'risks direct confrontation with Russia'
Russia has said the US decision to supply advanced rocket systems and munitions to Ukraine would increase the risk of a direct confrontation between Moscow and Nato.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that Moscow views the US military aid package - which will include the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) - "extremely negatively".

The weapons, long requested by Ukraine, are intended to help it strike enemy forces more precisely from a longer distance.
Until now, the US had refused to supply the long-range artillery amid fears could be used against targets in Russia.
But, Mr Biden said the lethal aid would strengthen Kyiv's negotiating position against Russia and make a diplomatic solution more likely.
Ukraine's President Zelensky has said his country has "no intention of attacking Russia".


9:23 1 Jun
We will not try to oust Putin - Biden
President Joe Biden made the announcement about the US sending Ukraine longer-range rocket systems in a guest essay published in the New York Times.

But beyond weapons, the president touched on other key issues in the conflict. He stated outright, for example, that the US would not seek to remove Vladimir Putin from power. He wrote:

As much as I disagree with Mr Putin... the United States will not try to bring about his ouster. So long as the United States or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict

The president then added that the US would not seek to prolong the conflict solely to inflict pain on Russia. He also stressed that the US did not want war between Nato and Russia, and sought to reassure Moscow that he would not encourage Ukraine to strike outside of its territory.

His comment about the removal of Putin from power appears to clarify earlier, unscripted, comments he made during a speech in Poland in March. At the end of that speech, Biden said of the Russian president:

For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power

Analysts suggested that comment risked escalating the war. A spokesman for the Russian government described it as "astounding", and White House officials quickly attempted to row back.
"The president's point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbours or the region," a Biden administration official said shortly after.

9:42 1 Jun
New weapons will help Ukraine make precision strikes
Chris Partridge
BBC News

The new weapon being sent to Ukraine is the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) - a mobile unit that can simultaneously launch multiple GPS-guided rockets.

Both Russia and Ukraine are using similar systems in the war, but HIMARS has better range and better precision.

US President Joe Biden says that this new system would help the Ukrainians "to more precisely strike key targets."

But there has been some concern in Washington about sending HIMARS. There were fears that its greater range might lead to targets being hit inside Russia itself, which would be a serious escalation with US-supplied weaponry.

These rockets have a range of about 50 miles (80km) - about double the range of the M777 Howitzer heavy artillery that the US has already supplied.

9:57 1 Jun
Germany commits to new weapons for Ukraine
Germany has committed to sending a range of weapons to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Speaking to German parliament on Wednesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany would deliver medium-range surface-to-air defence systems - the most modern in its armament - which would allow Ukraine "to protect an entire major city from Russian air attacks".

Scholz also promised to give Ukraine a tracking radar which is capable of detecting enemy howitzers, mortars and rocket artillery - as well as multiple rocket launchers, in step with those being sent by the US.

The Chancellor reiterated that the rocket launchers would not be able to target Russian territory.

It follows pleas from Kyiv, as well as German opposition parties, to step up heavy weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

More than 15 million round of ammunition, 100,000 hand grenades and more than 5,000 anti-tank mines have been delivered to Ukraine by Germany since the outbreak of war in February.

10:36 1 Jun
I will not pressure Ukraine to give up territory - Biden
More now from the US president's guest essay in the New York Times.

The wide-ranging piece covered various issues from the conflict - including how it could end.

President Biden, however, insisted he would not suggest to Kyiv that it surrender territory - likely in the east - in order to bring about an end to the war. He wrote:

I will not pressure the Ukrainian government — in private or public — to make any territorial concessions. It would be wrong and contrary to well-settled principles to do so

European leaders have been divided on how to engage with President Putin. France and Germany, for example, held an 80-minute phone call with the Russian leader prompting criticism from eastern European countries.

It has also led to suspicions that some countries are pushing for Ukraine to cede territory, analysts say.

10:52 1 Jun
Russia controls majority of Severodonetsk - governor
Joe Inwood
Reporting from Kyiv

Russia is now in control of around 70% of the key eastern city of Severodonetsk, according to the governor of the Luhansk region.

Serhiy Haidai said Ukrainian troops were now making a tactical withdrawal to defensive positions further to the west.

Taking the city is a key aim of Russia’s invasion. It would mean they controlled almost all of the Luhansk region, one of two areas that make up the Donbas.

It seems they are getting close to achieving that goal. Haidai wrote on social media that Ukrainian troops had “retreated to more advantageous, pre-prepared positions".

It comes as the US announces a delivery of new, high-tech rocket artillery. They are GPS guided and have a much longer range than the Russian equivalents. While they could be a game changer it seems it will be too late to save Severodonetsk.

11:07 1 Jun
Russia's hypersonic Zircon missile ready for use - military official
Russia has completed testing of its hypersonic Zircon cruise missile, a senior military official told the Russian news agency TASS.

It comes after Russia's defence ministry said last week it had successfullytest-fired the cruise missile from a vessel in the BarentsSea to a target some 1,000 km (625 miles) away in the White Sea.

Despite heavy losses in its battle with Ukraine, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has continued to champion the Zircon missile, part of a new generation of weapons systems, which he boasts can travel at nine times the speed of sound.

Speaking on Wednesday, Alexander Moiseyev, commander of the Northern Fleet, said the missile would be deployed full-time on board Russia's Admiral Golovko frigate before the end of the year.

11:26 1 Jun
Wheat 'should not be a weapon of war' - Pope Francis
The Pope has called for blockades on grain exports to be lifted, saying wheat should not be used as a "weapon of war".

Speaking in his weekly address to those gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope France said many millions of the world's poorest people depended on wheat from Ukraine, which produces approximately 12% of the globe's wheat.

“I earnestly appeal for every effort to be made to resolve this issue and to guarantee the universal human right to food," he said.

Amid a deepening food crisis, the United Nations is trying to broker a deal to allow the export of Ukrainian grain currently held up in Black Sea ports by Russian military.

Before the war, 90% of Ukraine's exports left via deep ports in the Black Sea, but all are now closed. Russia has seized most of Ukraine's coastline and blockaded the rest.

Ukraine continues to try to export its stores of grain by road, river and rail - but without access to the Black Sea ports it has little chance of meeting its targets, an official at Ukraine's Agriculture Ministry told Reuters last week.

The West has accused Russia of holding the world to ransom; President Vladimir Putin has said he will only allow grain ships to leave the port of Odesa in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

[DaffyVina]

your questions answered
Posted at 13:44 1 Jun
Why doesn't Nato protect Odesa?

Paul Adams
BBC Diplomatic correspondent

Philip Withers asks: Why has Nato not moved to protect the Black Sea port of Odesa, given that the Black Sea is international waters?

There are lots of complicated reasons for this.

Firstly, Nato is not directly involved in the conflict and wants to keep it that way.

Second, the Montreux Convention, which regulates maritime access to the Black Sea, gives Turkey a say over which non-Black Sea states are allowed to pass in and out through the Bosphorus.

Turkey has much closer relations with Moscow than almost all other Nato members (with the exception of Hungary) and wants to be seen as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine. Any move to forcibly break Russia’s blockade of Odesa would inevitably be seen by Moscow as a hostile move.

Britain and Lithuania recently indicated that they wanted to see a “coalition of the willing” to protect commercial shipping in and out of Odesa, in an effort to allow Ukraine to export its badly needed agricultural products, especially grain, around the world.

But plans have yet to take shape. In the meantime a Danish decision to supply Ukraine with American-made Harpoon missiles, combined with Ukraine’s own Neptune system (which was responsible for sinking the Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet) mean that, for now, Odesa is not likely to be attacked from the sea.

your questions answered
Posted at 14:10 1 Jun14:10 1 Jun
How does aid reach Ukraine?

Sarah Rainsford
BBC Eastern Europe Correspondent

Rashod Mahmood asks: Why is it that Ukraine can’t send any food out, yet it can accept deliveries of weapons and billions of pounds in aid?

It boils down to routes and logistics: military support enters Ukraine over land, not by sea, so it’s still able to get in although Russia is doing its best to stop it reaching where it’s needed.

There’ve been multiple missile strikes on the rail infrastructure and air raid sirens howl across Ukraine multiple times every day.

By the way, as Western pundits talk more about possible ‘endgames’ in all of this - with one eye on rising energy prices back home - it’s important to remember that Russia currently occupies way more land than the Donbas. It’s taken territory far along Ukraine’s south coast and is still fighting there, with big implications for Ukraine’s economy.

As for grain exports: firstly, Russia controls the sea routes; then, lots of Ukrainian grain was simply looted by Russia; some stores are located in occupied areas; and whilst there are efforts to export all this vital food via road and rail, it’s impossible to deliver the same capacity that way to global markets.

15:30 1 Jun
Partner's tribute to French journalist
A undated handout photo made available by French TV channel BMF TV of French cameraman and reporter Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff (issued 30 May 2022)
Copyright: EPA/BFM TV HANDOUT
Image caption: Imhoff was fatally wounded when he was hit on a bus with civilians fleeing Russia's invasion



French journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff was killed by shrapnel on Monday while reporting on civilians being evacuated by bus from Lysychansk and Severodonetsk.

Now his partner Sam has paid a powerful tribute to a man who he said was passionate about his job reporting for news channel BMFTV and passionate and supportive in his private life too.

"When he left for Ukraine we told each other that a month without seeing each other was really too long. One month has become the rest of my life," he said on Instagram. They had been together for a year and "Fred knew me before I came out", he added, beside a picture of the couple kissing.

Imhoff's mother has also spoken out about his death, after Russian-backed forces in Luhansk suggested he was a foreign mercenary "delivering weapons and munitions" to Ukrainian forces.false

"Your press release makes me feel sick," she said. "Everyone here knows his professional and personal commitment to democracy, human respect and especially free, impartial and honest information".

One day, she vowed, those behind this "criminal absurdity" would be held to account.

15:49 1 Jun
Scottish football fans to sing Ukrainian anthem in World Cup qualifier
Scotland fans waving Ukrainian flags
Copyright: Reuters
Image caption: Scotland fans waved flags in support of Ukraine at their recent friendly against Poland

Scottish football fans will be invited to sing the Ukrainian anthem at Glasgow's Hampden Park later today in a show of support for their World Cup play-off opponents.

Leaflets containing a phonetic version of the national song will be handed out and Scotland's Tartan Army will be asked to sing along in solidarity.

It is Ukraine's first competitive football match since the Russian invasion in February.

The ongoing conflict has dominated the build-up to the match, which was postponed in March.

The winners will face Wales in Cardiff on Sunday for a place in the World Cup later this year in Qatar.

Scotland's national pipers have also been learning the Ukrainian national anthem.

16:23 1 Jun
Ukraine will not use weapons on Russian territory - Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has just given a press conference with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington DC.

Blinken said that Ukraine had given assurances that it will not use long-range weapons systems provided by Washington against targets on Russian territory.

He was responding to a question about what could be done to reduce the risks of escalation as the United States provides long-range weapons systems to Ukraine.

16:34 1 Jun
War could be over tomorrow, if Russia ended aggression - US
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated the war in Ukraine "could be over tomorrow" if Russia chose to end its aggression.

"But we don't see any signs of that right now," he added.

Instead, Mr Blinken said it was likely there would still be "many months of conflict" as Russia continues its onslaught in the east of Ukraine.

17:14 1 Jun
Ukraine fiercely defending small part of Severodonetsk - city head
Ukrainian forces are now holding just a fifth of the eastern city of Severodonetsk, but there is still hope that they can prevent Russia taking full control, according to the head of the city administration.

Oleksandr Stryuk told the Reuters news agency that Russian forces now control 60% of the city and Ukraine holds 20% while the rest has become "no-man's land".

"The 20% is being fiercely defended by our armed forces," he said.

"Our troops are holding defensive lines. Attempts are being made to drive out the Russian troops.

"We have hope that despite everything we will free the city and not allow it to be completely occupied," he said.

Stryuk said that around 12-13,000 people remain in the city but that all essential infrastructure had been destroyed and that access to the city to deliver food or other aid was impossible.

"They are living in conditions of constant shelling, and now street battles are going on too, which has heightened the danger to the civilian population."

17:55 1 Jun
Russia announces nuclear missile drills
Will Vernon
Reporting from Moscow

The Russian Defence Ministry has announced the start of military exercises of its so-called Strategic Missile Forces – in other words, its nuclear missile troops.

The drills involve the Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are the new generation of missile first tested in 2007.

The Russian military says the drills, which are taking place in the Ivanovo Region near Moscow, involve about 1,000 service personnel and more than 100 vehicles.

Missiles will not be launched. The exercises consist of patrols, setting up missile systems and protecting them from attacks.

The manoeuvres were announced several hours after the US said it would supply the Ukrainians with advanced rocket systems, although the Russian military’s press release did not refer to the news from Washington.

18:14 1 Jun
Ukraine conflict likely to last at least to end of year - official
Gordon Corera
Security correspondent, BBC News

“We're looking at a conflict which has got the potential to run at least to the end of this year,” a Western official said in a briefing to journalists on the Ukraine war.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it was hard to see any path to a negotiated settlement any time soon and absent one, the conflict would run to "at least" the end of the year and "possibly longer".

“The operation will endure for a long period of time and that means it comes then down to commitment and ensuring we have got the commitment to support the Ukrainians through that very long fight,” the official said.

19:40 1 Jun
Build-up to Scotland v Ukraine football World Cup qualifier
Joe Inwood
Reporting from Lviv

There will be an odd mood tonight in this football mad nation.

People here are undoubtedly excited about the match, but many that we have spoken to aren't in too celebratory a mood, given what their compatriots are going through elsewhere.

Also, with restaurants and bars closed due to the curfew, people will only be able to watch in their homes.

There may also be a reluctance to get too excited, given the difficult build-up the Ukrainian side have faced. Only a few of their players are thought to be fully match fit and they face a Scotland side in fine form.

But, if there is one thing Ukraine has demonstrated over the three months of this war, it's that they should never be written off.

Here are some images from Glasgow, as fans gathered before the match.

[DaffyVina]

19:55 1 Jun
Nobel-winning Russian journalist auctions medal to help Ukrainian children

Nobel peace prize laureate Dmitry Muratov
Copyright: EPA

Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, who was co-awarded the Nobel peace prize last year, will auction off his medal to raise money for Ukrainian children.

"We have understood that in order to help the children of Ukraine you can and you must give away the most precious and important thing you have. And we have decided to auction off the gold Nobel medal," he tweeted.

The editor of the Novaya Gazeta liberal newspaper was awarded the prize jointly with fellow journalist Maria Ressa for "their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace".

Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which is known for being highly critical of the Russian authorities, suspended its print and online operations in March after a warning from Moscow over its Russia-Ukraine war coverage.

The decision to auction his medal comes days after Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra revealed they had auctioned the 2022 trophy to raise funds for the Ukrainian army.

The glass microphone, awarded to the band at the contest in Turin earlier this month, raised $900,000 (£712,000; €838,000), with frontman Oleh Psiuk's iconic pink bucket hat fetching a further $370,000 (£297,000).

20:04 1 Jun
Shelling of Severodonetsk was constant, US medic says

George Wright
BBC News

Dallas Casey
Copyright: Dallas Anthony Casey
Image caption: Casey, centre, has been in Ukraine for two months

More now on Severodonetsk - the strategically vital city in the eastern Donbas region that Russian forces now control large parts of.

Dallas Anthony Casey is an American combat medic who has been volunteering in Ukraine for more than two months. He has been carrying out various roles including giving medical training to Ukrainian forces.
He left Severodonetsk last week, where he had been helping evacuate people remaining in the besieged city.

Shelling of the city is "constant", he told me.
"Never a moment where there wasn’t. We’d be driving down the road to one location and watch a building get hit. We'd stop and run into the building and see if anyone could be saved," Casey said.

"Two days ago one of the volunteer ladies was hit when going door to door. She lost the lower half of her leg and lost a lot of blood before we could get to her. We had to do CPR, but we were unsuccessful," he added.

Despite the constant shelling and complete devastation of the city, many civilians remain.
"When we’d drive through you’d see people on their bikes or on a stroll while the building right next to them gets blown up. No rush or hurry, they’d just carry on with what they were doing."

The people remaining roughly fall into two groups, Casey said.

"Some think the Russians will come and take over and their life will be much better," he says.
"We convinced some people to come with us and they’d be shamed on their way out of the shelter."

"Then the other group of people are in complete shock. You go to their door, ask them if they want to be evacuated and they’d be too scared to leave their homes," he said.
"They’d tell you: 'This is all I have, where am I going to go?'"

20:36 1 Jun
Russia making slow and steady gains in Donbas - Western official
Gordon Corera
Security correspondent, BBC News

A man sits in the debris of a destroyed house in the city of Slovyansk in the Donbas region
Copyright: Getty Images

Russia is making "slow but steady" gains in Donbas, a Western official has said.

In some frontline areas, its forces have been advancing on average only between 500 metres and a kilometre a day over the last month when they would hope to be moving much faster, the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told a briefing.

In some other areas like around Kherson, Ukrainian forces have been able to go on the offensive and make gains in areas lightly held by Russia. This highlights the risks for Russia on its flanks, the official said.

Overall, more than 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in action, although they are taking casualties in smaller numbers now than previously, the official said. More than 40,000 have been wounded. The numbers are high partly due to the lack of medical support in the field.

Some units deployed "without anything remotely like adequate medical support", the official said. They said that the Ukrainian figure of taking roughly 60-100 casualties a day seemed "pretty accurate".

Russia continued to have morale problems among its troops, the official said.

“We're seeing sort of disillusionment with the nature of the campaign, not just amongst junior soldiers, but we're seeing reflections amongst senior officers, that they're disillusioned with the campaign as well."

7:42 2 Jun
Welcome back to our live coverage
We are resuming our reporting on the latest updates in Russia's war against Ukraine. Here are the latest developments:

• Street fighting is taking place in Severodonetsk, where 80% of the key industrial city has now fallen to Russian forces, says Luhansk's regional chief

• UK defence intelligence says crossing the river Siverskyi Donets will be vital for the Russian advance to succeed

• Russia has accused the US of "adding fuel to the fire" with a proposed $700m arms package for Ukraine including the advanced HIMARS multiple launch rocket system

• Germany's former chancellor, Angela Merkel, has broken months of silence, condemning Russia's "barbaric war"

• Ukrainians are celebrating a 3-1 victory against Scotland to reach a World Cup play-off final

• President Volodymyr Zelensky has praised the footballers for providing "two hours of happiness" - for Ukraine's soldiers and the entire country.

8:00 2 Jun
Missile strike wounds five near Lviv
An overnight attack on Ukraine's western Lviv region has targeted railway infrastructure, leaving five people hurt.

Regional head Maksym Kozytskyi said the attack late on Wednesday night had significantly damaged railway facilities leaving many trains delayed. Nobody was badly hurt, he said.

Two districts were targeted, including Stryi to the south of Lviv city and Sambir to the south-west. The head of Ukrainian railways Oleksandr Kamyshin has denied reports that the Russian missiles hit a key tunnel and said no railway workers had been hurt.

8:17 2 Jun
Limited Russian success around Lysychansk - US military analysts
Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) says that "Russian forces are attempting to advance towards Lysychansk from the south and west in order to avoid having to fight across the Siverskyi Donets River from Severodonetsk".

But the US think tank adds that "the Russians are having limited successes so far".

Local Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said in the past few days that Lysychansk is firmly in Ukrainian hands.

8:58 2 Jun
In pictures: Ukraine fans celebrate historic win in Glasgow
In the words of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, the national football team provided their soldiers and their country with two hours of happiness and joy last night.

And Hampden Park in Glasgow was a sea of blue and yellow - as Ukrainian fans were out in force to watch their team stun Scotland and earn a World Cup play-off final against Wales.

Ukraine dominated the game and won 3-1.

[DaffyVina]

9:25 2 Jun
Why Severodonetsk and Lysychansk are important
Jaroslav Lukiv

A woman walks past a destroyed building in Lysychansk, eastern Ukraine. Photo: May 2022
Copyright: AFP via Getty Images
Image caption: Ukraine accuses Russia of trying to virtually wipe out Lysychansk (pictured) and Severodonetsk

Severodonetsk and Lysychansk - the twin cities on either side of the Siverskyi Donets river - are the easternmost cities still in Ukrainian hands.
Lysychansk is on the right bank of the river, which serves as a natural barrier so far halting the Russian advance.
Russia already controls most of Severodanetsk, where fierce street fighting has been raging for days. Ukrainian officials have not ruled out withdrawing from the city to the more-strategically positioned Lysychansk.

If Russian forces seize the two cities, they would then control all of the eastern Luhansk region.
After a series of military defeats in the first few weeks of the war around the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and in the north-east, Russia declared it would then focus on capturing Luhansk and the neighbouring Donetsk region - collectively known as Donbas.

9:37 2 Jun
Slovakia to deliver eight howitzers to Ukraine
Zuzana 2 howitzer
Copyright: Slovak defence ministry

Slovakia will deliver eight self-propelled Zuzana 2 Howitzers to Ukraine, the defence ministry in Bratislava has said.

Slovakia has already provided Ukraine with military material worth €153m (£130).

The Zuzana 2 howitzer, a modernised version of an older model, uses 155-mm rounds and has an effective range of 40-50km (25-30 miles) depending on the ammunition type.

The deal is under a commercial contract which a state-controlled producer signed, the ministry said.

9:54 2 Jun
European leaders praise Danish defence vote
French President Emmanuel Macron is one of a number of European leaders who have welcomed a decision by Danish voters to join the EU's defence policy, scrapping a 30-year opt-out. In a referendum yesterday around 67% of voters backed the move.

Denmark was a founder member of Nato but the war in Ukraine has prompted Danes to rethink its overall security policy. Two other Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden, have decided to apply to join Nato in response to the Russian invasion.

Denmark's policy in the EU means it does not participate in EU foreign policy where defence is concerned - and the change will now mean that Copenhagen can take part in missions including in Bosnia and off the coast of Somalia.

President Macron said it was excellent news for Europe and Charles Michel, president of the European Council, also praised the decision.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "I welcome the strong message of commitment to our common security sent by the Danish people today. I am convinced that both Denmark and the EU will benefit from this decision."

10:09 2 Jun
Deadly Russian overnight strikes in north-east, says Ukraine
A destroyed building in Kharkiv, north-eastern Ukraine. Photo: 2 June 2022
Copyright: Kharkiv regional administration

Image caption: This was one of the buildings hit by Russian shelling in Kharkiv overnight

Russian forces overnight shelled the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, killing a woman and wounding a man, regional officials say.

They say a school was also hit in the country's second largest city near the border with Russia.

Separately, Ukraine says at least three people were hurt in the neighbouring Sumy region in Russian airstrikes at about midnight local time. Several houses were destroyed.

Military defeats in both regions in the first few weeks of the war have forced Russian troops to withdraw from a number of towns and villages they initially seized.

Russia has since resorted to shelling key north-eastern Ukrainian cities using its long-range artillery.

10:24 2 Jun
WATCH: Ukraine investigates alleged Russian war crimes
Video content

Video caption: Ukraine war: Investigators look into alleged Russian war crimes

Investigators have been searching for evidence of alleged Russian war crimes, in apartment blocks in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, nearly 15,000 war crimes have been alleged across the country.

War crimes include the use of weapons that cause indiscriminate or appalling suffering, genocide and the abuse of the rights of prisoners of war.

Posted at 10:32 2 Jun10:32 2 Jun
Russia says commander killed in clash involving son of UK MP

Vitaliy Shevchenko
BBC Monitoring

Russia's National Guard says one of its brigade commanders has been killed in a battle against pro-Ukrainian forces in Donbas.

In a rare admission of a casualty sustained in fighting in Ukraine, it said the clash involved Ben Grant, the son of Helen Grant, the Conservative MP for Maidstone and The Weald.

Last week, the Daily Telegraph published footage of what it said was a battle involving Grant reportedly fighting for Ukrainian troops.

The Russian National Guard, also known as Rosgvardia, said Sergeant Adam Bisultanov from its North Caucasus District was killed on 26 May "while saving his comrades performing a fighting task".

In a statement reported by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti it also said: "It later transpired that the National Guard unit was involved in a clash with a group of mercenaries from Great Britain and the US.

"A video of this military clash appeared online on 28 May, and an article was published in The Daily Telegraph. Footage made using a GoPro camera showed the attack and a fighter from the group of mercenaries - the son of a British MP - Ben Grant."

Hundreds of foreign fighters have volunteered to join the International Legion set up by Ukraine, but despite Russia's claims there is no evidence of them doing this for money.

Russian authorities and the media often single the UK out for criticism over its support for Ukraine's military. The Kremlin has also enforced a narrative that Russian forces are not just fighting Ukraine but the West as well.

10:42 2 Jun
Russia trying to break Ukraine's eastern defence lines - governor

The situation in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region "remains difficult because the Russian army is trying to break through our defence line from all directions", regional head Serhiy Haidai has said.

He's told Ukraine's 1+1 TV channel on Thursday morning that the main goal of the Russians was the city of Severodonetsk.

"But they had no success there overnight. They are controlling most of the city – but not the whole of the city” as they claimed earlier, added Haidai.

“Fighting continues, and yesterday our boys carried out counter-attacks, pushing back the enemy on some streets and taking several prisoners.”

Haidai has said Russian troops - who are also trying to push on to Severodonetsk's twin city of Lysychansk - are suffering heavy losses to personnel and armoury losses, but are bringing reinforcements from other battlefields.

He describes the territory still under Ukrainian control – believed to be about 5% of the Luhansk region - as a “fortress”.

10:56 2 Jun
Russia claims to have shot down Ukrainian jet
The Ministry of Defence in Moscow says its air force has shot down a Ukrainian Sukhoi SU-25 ground attack aircraft in the Mykolaiv region.

According to an update on its Telegram channel, the Russian MoD also claimed to have used "precision air-based missiles" to hit 21 military targets across Ukraine.

Moscow has also claimed to have killed 240 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed 39 items of military equipment.

The BBC cannot independently verify these reports.

11:05 2 Jun
River crossing crucial to Russian advance
Joe Inwood
BBC News, Kyiv

A destroyed railway bridge, over the Siverskyi Donets river, in Raygorodok, eastern Ukraine in April 2022
Copyright: Getty Images
Image caption: Many of the crossings over the Siverskyi Donets river have already been destroyed

In war, terrain matters. High ground offers a better firing position; hills can be used to shield your artillery; rivers offer a natural line of defence – and a point of extreme vulnerability for those trying to cross them.

That last point was demonstrated to dramatic effect a few weeks ago, when Ukrainian artillery wiped out an entire Russian Battalion Tactical Group as it tried to cross the Siverskiy Donets river.

That river, which snakes through the eastern Donbas Region, is now at the centre of events again. It runs just to the west of the city of Severodonetsk, the current focal point of Russia’s offensive.

Ukrainian troops are making what they say is a tactical withdrawal in the direction of the river. Despite the defiant messaging coming from command, it seems unlikely they will be able to hold the city.

If they are to get out as many men and as much equipment as they can, they will need to cross the last remaining bridge over the Siverskiy Donets.

In their daily intelligence update, the British Ministry of Defence, claims “the river line likely still remains controlled by Ukrainian forces, who have destroyed existing bridges”.

For the Ukrainians, getting out of Severodonetsk will present a moment of vulnerability. It will, however, also be an opportunity. Once across, they may try to blow up the bridge, forcing Russian forces into risky pontoon crossings that have proved so costly in the past.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Russians may instead “decide to halt their advance at the river, taking the long route round and buying the Ukrainians time".

With game-changing US rocket artillery on the way, time is of the essence.

11:13 2 Jun
Severodonetsk evacuation 'extremely dangerous'
A volunteer carries an old woman to a vehicle to be evacuated from Severodonetsk, eastern Ukraine. Photo: May 2022
Copyright: Getty Images
Image caption: All evacuation operations from Severodonetsk were halted in late May

More now on our main story that Luhansk's regional head says the Russian army is trying to break through Ukraine's defence line from all directions.

Serhiy Haidai has also said the fierce fighting has brought a halt to evacuation efforts from Severodonetsk, where many civilians are still hiding in shelters, including under the city's big Azot chemical factory.

"It's extremely dangerous" to carry out such operations, he's told Ukrainian TV, urging civilians not to make any attempts whatsoever to leave their shelters.

“All of the Luhansk region [in Ukrainian hands] is being constantly shelled."

On Tuesday, Haidai as many as 15,000 civilians were still in Severodonetsk, which was home to more than 120,000 residents before the war.

12:12 2 Jun
Mayor of shelled city calls for evacuation
BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

A few weeks ago, the city of Slovyansk was a major hub for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion to get to before they fled west.

Now the city's mayor has said a recent bout of Russian shelling has left the town without electricity and he's called on residents to evacuate.

In a Telegram post from the city administration, Vadym Lyakh said Russian shelling had damaged a residential neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city.

"Fortunately, no-one was killed or injured. But because of the broken high-voltage line, there is no electricity in the city. Works to restore power supply are already under way," he was quoted as saying. Currently, there is no tap water supply either. "The best solution in this situation is evacuation. Take care of yourselves. Pack up!" Lyakh said.

12:23 2 Jun
Russia currently controls 20% of Ukraine territory - Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses Luxembourg's parliament. Photo: 2 June 2022
Copyright: Ukrainian presidency
Image caption: Zelensky addressed the Luxembourg parliament on Thursday morning

Russia is now controlling about 20% of Ukraine's territory - this is much more than Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands put together, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

Addressing Luxembourg's parliament, he said almost 125,000 sq km (48,260 sq miles) was now in Moscow's hands. That includes Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine that Russian proxy forces seized in 2014, which made up roughly 7% of Ukraine's territory.

Zelensky said the current frontline extended for more than 1,000km (620 miles).

Nearly 12 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February, and over five million of them - mostly women and children - have gone abroad, he said. The UN puts the total number displaced at almost 15 million.

Zelensky also claimed that Russian military losses now stood at more than 30,000 - more than overall Soviet casualties during the war in Afghanistan in 1979-89, and the two Chechen wars in 1994-2000.

Russia has so far given details of more than 1,300 deaths in Ukraine.

12:31 2 Jun
What's the latest?
A woman looks for belongings in the rubble of her house after in the eastern city of Slovyansk
Copyright: AFP via Getty Images

Just joining us or need a re-cap? Here are the latest developments from Ukraine:

Street fighting is taking place in Severodonetsk, where 80% of the key industrial city has now fallen to Russian forces, says Luhansk's regional chief
The Russian army is trying to break through Ukraine's defence line from all directions in Severodonetsk, the chief says
Many civilians are still hiding in shelters in the city, including under the city's big Azot chemical factory
Taking Severodonetsk would mean Russia controls almost all of Luhansk, in the eastern Donbas region. Many believe President Putin could claim victory in the war if Russian forces take Donbas
President Volodymyr Zelensky has addressed the Luxembourg parliament, stating that Russia controls 20% of Ukraine's territory
Russian forces shelled the city of Kharkiv overnight and carried out a missile strike in Lviv

[DaffyVina]

13:06 2 Jun
Russia will not 'close' relations with West - Kremlin
Russia does not plan to "close the window" to Europe, the Kremlin said.

Despite relations between Moscow and the West hitting new lows following the invasion of Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted: "We are not planning to close anything."

The phrase "window to Europe" harks back to Peter the Great, Russia's first emperor who ruled for more 40 years until 1725. Next week marks the 350th anniversary of his birth.

Peskov said President Putin highly valued Peter the Great's role as he had profound knowledge of history.

Russia has criticised the US decision to arm Ukraine with more advanced artillery systems, accusing Washington of "adding fuel to the fire" - but says it won't change the course of war.

"Pumping (Western) weapons into Ukraine does not change all the parameters of the special operation," Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

"Its goals will be achieved, but this will bring more suffering to Ukraine."

Fierce fighting continues in eastern Ukraine where officials admit as much as 80% of the major industrial city of Severodonetsk is now in Russian hands.

13:40 2 Jun
Ukrainians 'jailed and executed' in Russian-held Mariupol
Heavily damaged buildings in Mariupol
Copyright: Reuters

Ukrainian volunteers and officials who refuse to collaborate with Russian authorities in the occupied city of Mariupol and nearby villages are being imprisoned and executed, BBC Monitoring reports the Mariupol city council saying.

A Telegram post from the authority, which cites mayor Vadym Boychenko, says a "fake DPR [self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic] court" has sentenced the head of one coastal Azov village to 10 years in prison while at least one civil servant has been executed by shooting.

Dozens of volunteers, who helped evacuate residents and tried to deliver food and water to the blockaded city in March and April, are also being held in Olenivka prison, the city council says.

"A Ukrainian judge is also awaiting a verdict from the fake republic. There are reports of her being tortured," it adds.

Meanwhile, Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, has said on Telegram Russian occupying troops have sought to speed up the distribution of Russian passports in Mariupol.

He cited "sources" as saying that the DPR's migration ministry had instructed the Moscow-installed authorities in the city to find premises where paperwork would be submitted by residents to obtain Russian passports.

The BBC cannot independently verify these claims.

14:25 2 Jun
Who has quit working for Putin during the war?
The resignation of Valentin Yumashev, a Kremlin adviser who helped Vladimir Putin to become president, follows some other high-profile resignations.
But none of the really significant figures in Mr Putin’s entourage have quit since he launched the 24 February invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Yumashev is the son-in-law of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and ran his administration in 1997 when ex-KGB spy Vladimir Putin was promoted to the ruling circle.

Who else has quit serving under President Putin since the war erupted?

The most influential was Anatoly Chubais, who was Mr Putin’s envoy to international organisations for sustainable development. He resigned on 23 March, but did not speak out about the war. He is best known in Russia for managing controversial privatisations under Yeltsin, which created super-rich oligarchs but also angered millions of Russians. He was a deputy prime minister and later, under Putin, ran the state electricity monopoly RAO UES.
Arkady Dvorkovich, a former deputy PM and top economic adviser to ex-president Dmitry Medvedev, condemned the war in an interview with Mother Jones magazine in mid-March. He said “wars are the worst things one might face in life… including this war”. “My thoughts are with Ukrainian civilians.” Putin supporters castigated him – and he resigned as head of the state-backed Skolkovo Foundation, which promotes business startups.
On 23 May Boris Bondarev, a veteran Russian diplomat at the UN Office in Geneva, resigned and sent out a scathing letter condemning the war in Ukraine. He called it “bloody, witless and absolutely needless”.
In mid-March three prominent journalists resigned from state-run TV news. Channel One’s Europe correspondent Zhanna Agalakova quit, as did two senior journalists at NTV. Lilia Gildeyeva had worked for the channel as a presenter since 2006 and Vadim Glusker had been at NTV for almost 30 years

14:43 2 Jun
Turkish drone gifted to Lithuania for Ukrainian forces
A file photo of a Bayraktar drone, taken during a rehearsal for the Independence Day military parade in Kyiv in August 2021
Copyright: Reuters
Image caption: The Bayraktar drone is seen as key to destroying Russian tanks and anti-aircraft systems

The Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar has given a Bayraktar TB2 drone to Lithuania, on the understanding it will be donated to Ukraine to help fight Russian forces.

The Istanbul firm said it would gift the TB2, which has a 12-metre wingspan and can reach 25,000ft, after Lithuania approached the company with funds raised specifically to buy a drone for Ukraine.

The manufacturer offered the drone for free on the condition that the funds were given instead to support "humanitarian aid" in Ukraine.

The TB2 drone has proved highly successful at targeting and destroying Russian artillery systems and armoured vehicles over the course of the three-month war in Ukraine.

"It is an illegal invasion so TB2 is helping the honourable people of Ukraine defend their country," Baykar executive Selcuk Bayraktar told Reuters last month.

Bayraktar is married to the daughter of Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan, who continues to offer to act as a mediator in any peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine - although peace talks are currently on hold.

15:14 2 Jun
Ukraine could turn off nuclear plant in Russia-occupied area
Ukraine would consider switching off its Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - which now lies in Russian-occupied territory - if Kyiv loses control of operations at the site, the Interfax news agency reported a prime ministerial aide as saying.

The facility, in south-east Ukraine, is Europe's largest nuclear power plant.

The official is quoted as saying that as long as control commands are executed and the "site maintains the regime" it would not be stopped.

"But the scenario in which the station could move completely out of control and we stop it is also being looked at," the official added.

16:44 2 Jun
UK to send Ukraine powerful new rocket launchers
A top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the UK has agreed to supply the M270 multiple-rocket system (MLRS) to Ukraine, seen as a military game-changer.

"The M270 long-range rocket systems that Ukraine will receive from Britain, together with the American HIMARS, will significantly strengthen our armed forces. We are grateful to the allies for them," presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said.

"We persistently explain to our allies why weapons for Ukraine today can not only help [us] liberate all our territories but also prevent many threats to the West. And it works," he wrote on the Telegram messaging service.

It is not yet clear how many M270 systems the UK will send.

But CNN quoted a UK government statement saying the rockets’ range would be up to 80km (50 miles), offering “a significant boost in capability for the Ukrainian forces”. Ukrainian troops will get training on them in the UK.

The move was “co-ordinated closely” with the US decision to provide Ukraine with HIMARS, a similar system, the statement said.

“The UK stands with Ukraine and has taken a leading role in supplying its heroic troops with the vital weapons they need to defend their country,” it said.

HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a more agile multiple rocket launcher. It fires six guided rockets, but the US-built M270 can fire 12.

The two systems are superior in range and precision to the multiple-rocket systems which Russia is using to pound cities in eastern Ukraine.

The UK has sent large quantities of weapons to Kyiv's forces already, including:

More than 5,000 light anti-tank weapons (Nlaw). They are short-range, easy to position and require little training. Analysts say they have been very effective against Russian tanks
Hundreds of Brimstone missiles for use against tanks, artillery and boats such as landing craft
120 armoured vehicles, including Mastiffs
Heavy-lift drones
Several anti-aircraft systems including Starstreak missiles, and Stormer vehicles to carry Starstreaks.

17:00 2 Jun
Ukraine fighting exclusively defensive war, Kyiv insists
As we reported in the post below, the UK and the US are sending rocket launchers to Ukraine.

Earlier, Ukraine's deputy defence minister insisted his country is still fighting "an exclusively defensive war" - in response to questions about whether US equipment could be used to target Russian territory outside Ukraine.

The four US High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), part of a military package promised by President Biden this week, have a range of 45 miles (70km), double that of the rockets currently in Ukraine's inventory.

Hanna Malyar was clear that Ukraine's position had not changed and the weapons would only be used in self-defence: "We always state this," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Russian forces are continuing their onslaught in the Donbas area, with an assault on the east Ukrainian village of Berestove.

Berestove is located on the main road linking Lysychansk to the rest of Ukraine. Lysychansk and its twin city Severodonetsk are the easternmost cities still in Ukrainian hands and remain key targets for Russia.

If Russian forces seize the two cities, they would then control all of the eastern Luhansk region, which taken together with the neighbouring Donetsk region makes up the area known as Donbas.

17:02 2 Jun
No need to withdraw troops from Severodonetsk - Ukrainian general
Sasha Schlichter
BBC World Service

A top Ukrainian general has insisted there is no need for his troops to withdraw from the eastern city of Severodonetsk, even though Russia is trying to surround them.

Olexiy Gromov, of the Ukrainian General Staff, said the enemy was bent on surrounding Ukrainian troops inside Severodonetsk, throwing all its resources into achieving that single goal.

Fierce street fighting has continued in the eastern city with Russian troops trying to capture it.

In that case - he said - the Ukrainians would mount defence within residential areas and along the Siverskyi Donets river that separates it from Lysychansk.

Contradicting earlier statements from officials, General Gromov said that at this point, there was no need for Ukrainian troops to withdraw.

17:15 2 Jun
In maps: Russia making gradual advances
Ukraine's President Zelensky said today that Russian forces are now in control of 20% of Ukrainian territory.

He said almost 125,000 sq km (48,260 sq miles) was now in Moscow's hands. That includes Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine that Russian proxy forces seized in 2014, which make up roughly 7% of Ukraine's territory.

Map, Copyright: BBC


Russian troops now control most of Severodonetsk. Taking the city would mean Russia controls almost all of Luhansk, part of Moscow's bid to capture the wider Donbas region.

But the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said a possible Ukrainian withdrawal from Severodonetsk would be "strategically sound" as the city's loss would be "largely symbolic".

Map, Copyright: BBC


Further north, Ukraine has successfully pushed Russian forces away from Kharkiv, although the city was shelled last night.

In southern Donetsk, Russia is now fully in control of the port city of Mariupol, after a siege lasting more than two months came to an end on 20 May.

Analysts say the fall of the city may enable Russian units to join the fight in other areas such as Zaporizhzhia, where the shelling of Ukrainian forces is ongoing.

Map, Copyright: BBC



17:22 2 Jun
Ukrainian property to be 'nationalised' in occupied Zaporizhzhia
Russia-imposed authorities in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region have said the Ukrainian state's property and resources will be "nationalised".

Andrei Trofimov, the deputy head of the Moscow-imposed administration, said a decree had been signed for the nationalisation of Ukrainian property, according to the Russian Interfax news agency.

Interfax quoted Trofimov as saying that the nationalisation would affect land, natural resources, facilities in strategic sectors of the economy, as well as property owned by Ukraine as of 24 February - the day when Russia launched its invasion of the country.

"The decree was signed in order to meet state needs related to improving the overall efficiency and social orientation of the economy, as well as to preserve the national heritage for residents of the Zaporizhzhia Region," he said.

Earlier, we reported that Ukrainian authorities could turn off the nuclear plant in the region if Kyiv loses control of operations of the site.

17:32 2 Jun
Moldova formally bans Russian news on TV
The Moldovan parliament has approved a ban on Russian news programmes in a bid to prevent Moscow's propaganda.

Moldova, once a Soviet republic, sits on Ukraine's south-western border. It does not share a border with Russia, but is close to some of the regions currently occupied by Russian forces in Ukraine's south.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has heightened tensions in Moldova, which is seeking EU membership and has a Moscow-backed separatist region, Transnistria.

Russia supports separatists in Transnistria and has around 1,500 troops there.

Televising Russian news broadcasts has been banned since the start if the war but parliament formally approved the legislation on Thursday.

Moldovan TV will now only be allowed to air entertainment programmes from Russia and not political shows. The new legislation also imposes fines and other penalties for broadcasting misinformation.

17:49 2 Jun
Grain vessels can leave Ukraine ports - Russian defence ministry
Russia's defence ministry says that vessels carrying grain can leave Ukraine's ports in the Black Sea via "humanitarian corridors", with Russia ready to guarantee their safety, Reuters quotes the Interfax news agency as saying.

The ports have been largely blocked for exports since the invasion began in February. There have been international diplomatic efforts to restore the routes, including an appeal for action by the UN last month.

Ukraine is a major exporter of grain and its inability to export crops has led to global food prices soaring. But it's not known when - or even if - the corridors will be operational.

Chart showing Ukraine's food exports in 2019


17:54 2 Jun
Sweden to send anti-ship missiles to Ukraine
We reported earlier on the US and UK sending rocket systems to Ukraine.

Now Sweden says it will send extra weapons to Kyiv’s forces, in a new package worth 1bn kronor (£81m; $102m), including coastal anti-ship missiles.

The Swedish-made Robot 17 missiles, plus 5,000 anti-tank launchers and AG 90 assault rifles come on top of arms already sent by Sweden.

Denmark has already sent Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Ukraine, which is beefing up the defence of Odesa, a vital port. Russia captured the port of Mariupol - now in ruins - after months of bitter fighting.

Russia’s invasion prompted Sweden to break a neutrality policy dating back decades – previously Sweden did not send arms to nations at war.

Last month Sweden and neighbour Finland decided to join Nato – a watershed moment in the Nordic countries’ defence stance.