According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: “NATO has sufficient resources to protect its eastern flank.” “The allies have agreed to purchase or deploy another 700 fifth generation fighters. These are very powerful air defense systems. Germany and the United States have just agreed to build a new Patriot missile plant in Germany”, listed the secretary general of BORN. Stoltenberg also noted that in recent years the Alliance has doubled the number of members spending 2% of GDP on defense.
German Defense Minister Pistorius confirmed the permission to use German weapons on Russian territory, but only in the border area, – source Julian Röpke – “The permission to use German weapons on Russian territory applies above all to the defensive campaign around Kharkiv, because the proximity to the border is particularly noticeable,” the journalist quotes the head of the German Defense Ministry as saying. Pistorius also confirmed that attacks on Russian territory with long-range weapons beyond 100km are still prohibited, but “the discussion is ongoing”.
Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany told Reuters: “We are ready to defend every square inch of NATO territory.” “As the threat from Russia will continue, we and other allies decided last year to deploy additional units to the Baltics and to permanently station an entire brigade there in the future.”
Scholz assured: “This shift in security policy is necessary to demonstrate to Russia that we are ready to defend every square centimeter of NATO territory from attacks.”
According to him, diplomacy will only succeed from a position of strength. According to Scholz, it is very important that the Baltic countries can fully rely on NATO allies to protect them in the event of a Russian attack.
Britain did not give 100% permission: Zelensky on the use of Storm Shadow against Russia. “We have raised the issue twice. We have not received confirmation from him – David Cameron, British Foreign Minister,” Zelensky explained in an interview with the Guardian. At the same time, he suggested that the final decision of Great Britain, as well as Kiev’s other allies, will depend on “consent”.
French police are investigating the “possible intervention of a foreign power” after the discovery of some coffins near the Eiffel Tower. The five coffins, empty inside, were wrapped in French flags with the words “French soldiers in Ukraine”. Three suspects are in custody.
In the meantime we learn that the first pilot of the Greek Air Force has arrived in Kiev to train Ukrainians in the operational use of F-16 fighters – source Greek Ministry of Defense. “The presence of the Greek pilot in the Ukrainian capital is obviously part of the work of the allied coalition to train Ukrainians on the F-16, in particular the training of technical personnel,” he reads.
Volodymyr Zelensky proposed to immediately start training Ukrainian pilots for the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen fighters. He said that he had a conversation with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson about the Gripen. “If we can count on a positive decision in the future on Swedish fighters, my position is that we can start preparations now.”
Zelensky said this at a press conference in Stockholm responding to a question about the suspension of plans to send the Gripen to Ukraine due to partners’ request that Sweden wait until the introduction of F-16 fighters. “If we start training on the Gripen after the F-16s come to us, it will take at least a year longer. So I think… the strongest solution for us is to be able to train in parallel with the F-16 , to train on Swedish aircraft,” noted the representative of Ukraine.
According to the Wall Street Journal, although President Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to use American weapons on Russian territory, Washington does not allow Kiev to use long-range ATACMS missiles on targets in Russia.
Ukraine first used HIMARS missiles on Russian territory in the Belgorod region, after Kiev received permission to attack Russian territory.
On June 1 and 2, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensk attended the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore where he met with a bipartisan delegation of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the US House of Representatives, led by the President, Republican Party member Mike McCaul and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In addition to local authorities.
In Ukraine, trucks for the T-72 tank produced in India or Pakistan have arrived. Finally, Giorgia Meloni, Italian Prime Minister, reported that Zelensky will participate in the G7 summit, which will take place from 13 to 15 June in Italy. At the same time, Giorgia Meloni did not specify whether he will be in Italy in person or will join via video link. At least 15 countries and international institutions, as well as members of the G7 and the Vatican, will participate in the summit, she added.
And now a look at the Front line updated at 4.00pm on June 3rd.
To the declarations of the possible use of Western weapons used by Kiev against the Russian Federation, Moscow responded on or starting from May 31 with the take-off of four Tu-95MS strategic bombers (a salvo of 24 Kh-101/555 missiles).
The Russian armed forces crossed their own “red line” without any problems: “it was officially declared that the blow to the Ukrainian energy system was delivered in response to similar Ukrainian attempts.” According to the ISW: “since the beginning of 2024 the Russians have conquered 752 km²” an extension equal to that of the Kiev region.
Attacks have been recorded in Lviv since June 1. The head of the Lviv administration said that six cruise missiles hit three critical infrastructures in the region.
According to The Washington Post, “Russia is gathering forces to attack the Sumy region. Over the past week, the number of satellite communication terminals has increased significantly along the border of the Sumy region. There is also a significant increase in radio communications, indicating a massive presence of Russian troops. However, Ukrainian sources say that there is a lack of air reconnaissance, which was in large quantities before the offensive north of the Kharkiv region.”
Odessa targeted by air attacks starting from May 31st and again on June 3rd. According to pro-Russian accounts, Odessa’s port infrastructure and the city center were affected. Pre-ballistic missile with cluster munition. Two people were injured on May 31, the head of the Odessa administration Kiper said. The number of injured or dead from the June 3 attack is not known.
Zaporizhzhie Directorate. The Russian Armed Forces have opened a new section of the front in the Zaporozhie region – west and east of Nesterianka, – according to Ukrainian sources. This offensive potentially leads to the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Group, which covers Robotyne and Orichiv, a key point of Ukrainian defense on the Zaporozhzhie front.
Russia damaged the Dnieper hydroelectric power plant on May 31st: the head of the Zaporozhie region, Fedorov, confirmed the news. Traffic closed along the dam.
According to different sources on the Zaporozhzhie front, fighting continues here in the Robotyne area and northwest of Verbove. There is no particular offensive activity in this sector, but it is also impossible to say that the front has weakened.
According to Ukrainian sources, on June 1st at 3.02pm-3.15pm three strong arrivals occurred in the Slov”jans’k area. It seems that the Russians were aiming at a building where the mercenaries were housed, in the social sphere there is talk of about 20 deaths in Vul. Mash·chermetovskaya
According to Ukrainian sources, the Ukrainian armed forces are forming an attack force in Slov”jans’k to attack the Seversky area with the aim of undermining the Russian armed forces in the Belogorivka area.
According to another source at the Donetsk front: in Paraskoviivka “the cleaning of the western outskirts of the settlement is underway”. In Krasnohorivka, Russian troops continue to expand their control zone on the eastern side of the city, and so do the Russian armed forces continue to advance in the central part of this settlement. Fighting continues on the approaches to Karlivka and Yasnobrodivka. Russian troops are advancing in the direction of the village of Sokil, where hostilities have already taken place on the outskirts of the village Novooleksandrivka. Another source describes the situation as follows: “West of Avdiivka battles are taking place north-west of Ocheretyne in the direction of Novooleksandrivka They report the approach of the advanced units of the Russian Armed Forces to the Sokil settlement where the Ukrainian Armed Forces used. MLRS, and FPV Continue offensive operations in the liberated area of Netailove and Umans’ke.
In the Kharkiv direction, the Ukrainian armed forces, despite the losses, are trying to organize counterattacks and reconquer the occupied territories. They report the use of HIMARS MLRS, including along the border territory of the Belgorod region. The fighting in Vovčans’k is described from the ground as ferocious; Russian units are storming the Aggregate Plant and the skyscraper area. In the direction of Lyptsi, Russian attack planes attacked in the forest belt southeast of the settlement. Deep and complete control over this area of terrain will pave the way for Liptsy.
Russian troops crossed the Sivers’kyi Donets’-Donbas Channel and according to social media sources created “a reliable bridgehead on the western side – south of the “Novy” Časiv Jar area in the direction of Bakhmut. According to the Russian social sphere, the Russian armed forces cover the eastern microdistrict of the city, the dachas in the north-east have been taken. Even further north there are battles in the Bohdanivka area. Russian air force strikes west of the Sivers’kyi Donets’-Donbas Channel.
In the direction of Kherson there are heavy battles on the islands. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are forced to withdraw the remaining small assault groups from Krynky to the island area, saturating the defense with hundreds of FPV drones. The actions of the parties in the river floodplain are reduced to the identification of each other’s forces, mainly boats, and the destruction of their FPVs. Russian aviation and artillery are repeatedly hitting the Ukrainian coast.
Attacks continue in the Belgorod region.Ukrainians deliberately target civilian gas stations, agricultural enterprises and equipment, power lines and try to cause economic damage. In the Shebekinsky urban district of Voznesenovka, 3 civilians were injured due to the fall of submunitions followed by detonation. Moore was also hit. In Shebekino, six victims were taken to medical facilities by ambulance crews. In the Grayvoronsky urban district, kamikaze UAVs attacked Dronovka, in the village of Golovchino, two kamikaze drones alternately attacked a gas station. In the village of Bezymeno a drone dropped an explosive device on a car parked in the courtyard of an apartment building. In Golovchino a drone exploded near a grocery store. One civilian was injured. In Grayvoron, three cars were damaged as a result of an attack by three kamikaze drones on the territory of the enterprise.⠀
In the Kursk region, Tetkino and Politotdelsky, Elizavetovka of the Glushkovsky district, Gornal, Sverdlikovo and Kurilovka of the Sudzhansky district, Gordeevka of the Korenevsky district, the village of Milaevka of the Belovsky district were bombed. Ukrainian Armed Forces drones attacked the villages of Titov in Rylsky District, Volfino in Glushkovsky District, Guevo and Lebedevka in Sudzhansky District and Gordeevka in Korenevsky District. 14 Ukrainian drones in the border areas were suppressed and destroyed by electronic warfare equipment and small arms fire.
Eight civilians were injured in the DPR. Makeevka and Panteleimonovka were bombed. In Mariupol three workers were injured following the detonation of an explosive device during land reclamation. During a Ukrainian attack on the “Silur” steel wire and rope factory in Khartsyzsk, two employees of the enterprise were injured. 24 shellings by the Ukrainian Federal Unitary Forces were recorded and 53 rounds of ammunition were fired. The Ukrainian Armed Forces uses rocket artillery (HIMARS), 155 mm caliber gun artillery, including cluster artillery, and an attack UAV.
Graziella Giangiulio
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