Photo : The Guardian
Photo : The Guardian
By Fleur Elizabeth Philip
WAR ON THE GROUND
On 05 June, Euronews reported that one of the drone attacks occurred in Pryluky, Ukraine. Six drones hit the area, killing five people and damaging several buildings. Pryluky has a population of 50,000 and is 100 kms away from Kyiv. This region has no military presence to date. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a total of 103 drones, a ballistic missile targeted multiple regions, which include Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odessa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro, and Kherson. He added that this attack is another reason for imposing the strongest possible sanctions and applying pressure collectively.
On 06 May, The Kyiv Independent reported on the drone attack on Russian oil refineries in Engels, Saratov Oblast. Previously, Ukraine targeted the Kristal Plant oil refinery, which is one of the plants that supply fuel to the military. Astra, an independent Russian Telegram channel, released footage of the drone attack that destroyed the refinery plant and the nearby residential buildings.
On 06 June, Ukrinform reported that at midnight, Russian attacks landed on Kyiv and resulted in the death of one and 20 injured. Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said that the fires broke out, damaging several districts in Kyiv, and the debris from the drones has destroyed the infrastructure. Kyiv Military Administration (KMA) Head Tymur Tkachenko said that the drone attack has destroyed the metro lines in Darnytsia and Livoberezhna.
On 05 June, Ukrinform reported that Russia launched a total of 639 airstrikes on 12 regions. 438 drones of various types, mainly the FPV, targeted Stepnohirsk, Kamianske, Huliaipole, Shcherbaky, Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka, Charivne, and Novodarivka. Five MLRS attacks hit Kamianske and Huliaipole, 230 artillery strikes in Kamianske, Huliaipole, Shcherbaky, Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka, Charivne, and Novodarivka. Authorities have not reported any casualties, but severe damage to infrastructure.
THE MOSCOW VIEW
Claims by Russia
On 05 June, The Moscow Times reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to help resolve the issue between Iran and the US over Tehran’s nuclear program. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia has a close relationship with Tehran and would utilize its partnership to resolve the nuclear issue. This comes after the phone call between Putin and US President Donald Trump, who offered to participate in the Tehran nuclear program, as Trump accuses Iran of “slow walking” the proposal made by Washington. Since April, both regions have had five rounds of talks to replace the nuclear deal that was abolished in Trump’s first term in 2018. Trump said that his administration will not allow any sort of enrichment in uranium, despite emphasizing that they have every right as per the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Kremlin said that Tehran had every right to run a peaceful nuclear program.
THE WEST VIEW
Responses from the US and Europe
On 06 June, The Kyiv Independent reported that the EU is set to restore the tariffs imposed on Ukrainian agricultural exports. This is the first time since the beginning of the war, the EU will renew its agreement on suspending trade barriers between Ukraine and Europe. This comes after the mounting opposition to Ukrainian exports and their candidacy for the EU. The transitional agreement that governs the trade will continue until the end of 2025, and the tariffs are to be imposed in 2026, unless the negotiations between Brussels and Ukraine succeed in upgrading their pre-war framework. These negotiations will test the EU's ability to balance the concerns of the member states and Ukraine's integration with the bloc.
On 06 June, Ukrinform reported that Zelenskyy reported on the attack on Chernihiv and Pryluky, and said that Russia has mastered the ability to kill, and it is the only skill. He added that the drone shower in various regions has killed the family of one of the rescue workers, and commented that this is the reality of Russia, and the world allows it. He added that any proposal of peace made was unacceptable to Russia. He expressed his gratitude and spoke about the Ukrainian delegation in Washington, and said that he is grateful for all the support and their efforts to help Ukraine.
On 05 June, France 24 reported that, during Trump’s meeting with Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the reporters had asked Trump whether he would impose further sanctions on Russia, and he responded by saying that both Russia and Ukraine are “fighting like children,” and have to negotiate their way to peace before the arms are laid down, he added that sanctions woud be imposed on both the regions. Merz, on that note, said that other countries must put in more efforts to end the war, and added that Trump is the most important figure in the world who can use his influence to end the war, and can put more pressure on Russia. He has also called for more sanctions to be imposed on the Kremlin.