Ukraine’s attacks on Russian airfields hosting nuclear-capable aircraft have increased the risk of escalation, says Keith Kellogg. “When you attack part of an adversary’s national survival system, which is their triad… it means that the level of risk increases because you don’t know what the other side is going to do. You’re not sure, and that’s what they (Ukraine) have done in fact… I think that’s what we’re trying to avoid… We don’t want to get to that point,” the US special representative for Ukraine said.
Trump maintains a positive attitude towards progress in resolving the conflict in Ukraine, the White House said. The president does not want the conflict to drag on for a long time and is focused on its diplomatic resolution. Trump has asked the Senate not to consider the bill on tightening sanctions against the Russian Federation for now, the chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, Wicker, said.
The Rammstein meeting in Brussels began yesterday. NATO Secretary General Rutte confirmed that US Defense Secretary Hegseth will not attend the Rammstein summit. This is the first time that the Pentagon chief has missed a meeting of the contact group on Ukraine’s armaments, and he was not even present via video conference.
The United Kingdom plans to increase investment in drones with the aim of providing Ukraine with 100,000 drones in 2025. This is ten times more than in 2024, the British Ministry of Defense said.
Poland’s president-elect spoke to Zelensky about the need to solve “long-overdue” and “unresolved” historical problems. This is how Navrotsky responded to Zelensky’s congratulations on his election victory on the social media X. The amount of Poland’s support to Ukraine is close to 5 billion euros, Dariusz Lukowski, head of the Office of National Security (BBN), told Rzeczpospolita. “According to our estimates, we have provided Ukraine with support, including military support, in the amount of almost 5 billion euros,” the head of the BBN said.
The French and Belgian authorities refuse to support the ban on Russian gas imports to the European Union, demanding more precise information on the economic and legal consequences of its possible adoption, Politico reports. France will provide Ukraine with financial guarantees in the amount of 1.5 billion euros for purchases of defense products from French companies and for joint military production Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of François Bayrou. It also turns out that the first long-range weapon, “produced in Ukraine” with the help of Berlin, will enter service in the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a few weeks, source German Defense Minister Pistorius.
Ukraine threatens an attack with Oreshnik infrared ballistic missiles. Satellite images of the Russian Belaya air base in the Irkutsk region went online today, showing destroyed and damaged Russian strategic bombers following a Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday. There appear to be five of them.
A new report from the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Mykhailo Drapaty: “I told the president everything that is known about the tragedy at the training camp. We need to change the culture within the troops. I received an assignment from the president. I remain in the ranks. On the front line. Where I should be.” Zelensky appointed Drapaty as Commander of the Joint Forces, “so that he can be 100% committed to the front.”
The prime minister also appointed Oleh Apostol as Commander of the Airborne Assault Troops of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in place of Igor Skibyuk. Vadym Olehovych Sukharevskyi resigns as commander of the Force for Remotely Piloted Systems: his views “differ from those of the leadership” He announced this in an official statement. According to Defense Minister Umerov, Sukharevsky will now be deputy commander of the operational command “East”.
Regarding the Istanbul agreements, both sides remain on their positions, therefore very distant from each other. Volodymyr Zelensky is ready for a three-way meeting, with Putin and Trump, but Vladimir Putin has sent the request back to the sender as there is nothing to discuss at the moment. Zelensky called the ceasefire document from Russia an “ultimatum”, which neither the Ukrainian side nor its partners “will take seriously”. The Ukrainian president believes it is useless to continue the Istanbul meetings at a level that does not lead to decisions.
Andrij Jermak said he flew to the United States with the Minister of Economy, a team of officials from the Ministry of Defense and the Office of the President. He intends to “actively promote issues important to Ukraine”, discuss sanctions and military aid, including with representatives of the Trump team.
Zelensky called the attack on Russian military airfields “a brilliant implementation of Ukraine’s right to self-defense.” The SBU published a video of the preparation of Operation “Web.” Its execution was controlled by a large group of agents and employees of the special services.
In contrast, according to analyses of geolocations interpolated with OSINT, the Russian Armed Forces occupied 449 km² of Ukrainian territory. The dynamics of losses for the first time since February exceeded 200 km² per month.
The Maxar company published satellite images of several Russian air bases, taken on May 20, where long-range bombers are based. Elements of passive protection and false alarms are visible.
It seems that Moscow is preparing to include Ukraine in the terrorist countries. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Kremlin, explained that: “It would be wrong to expect immediate breakthroughs in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul,” “some agreements have been reached between the parties: they are important and will be implemented.” A new contact between Russian and US presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump can be organized quickly, if necessary, said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian leader, who also noted that there are no agreements on the next contact yet.
Traffic on the Crimean Bridge resumed in the late afternoon of June 4. “A Ukrainian special services agent who built a bomb to commit a terrorist attack was arrested in Crimea, a case of treason has been opened,” FSB source. Peskov confirmed that there was an explosion near the Crimean Bridge, but there was no damage.
The final toll of the railway attacks was 7 killed and 113 injured in Bryansk and Kursk, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation said. “The terrorists who blew up bridges in Bryansk and Kursk regions on Kiev’s orders intended to target hundreds of citizens. Parts of explosive devices were seized from the sites of the explosions,” the department noted.
The explosive devices that blew up the bridge in Bryansk region were filled with foreign explosives and supplied with a Ukrainian-made block, Alexander Bastrykin said at a meeting with Putin. According to him, the explosive devices had a power equal to 15 kg of TNT. In Bryansk, near the village of Mikishevo, 13 kg of plastic explosives and Ukrainian-made control units were seized from a warehouse.
Regarding the negotiations, Peskov said: “The timing of the new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will be agreed upon after reviewing the draft memoranda.” And again, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “Kiev has taken a break to review the memorandum of the Russian Federation. Moscow will also study in detail the provisions of the Ukrainian memorandum.” “Moscow calls on London and Washington to influence Kiev to put an end to the escalation,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. The lack of reaction suggests that, in the worst case, the West could have participated in preparing the provocations, the Deputy Minister stressed.
The Russian delegation in Istanbul conveyed Putin’s position that a meeting at the level of heads of state with Ukraine is possible with proper preparation, said Vladimir Medinsky, and again: “The exchange of prisoners of war will begin on June 7-9.” “Ukraine may have the bodies of dead Russian soldiers, but there are far fewer of them, Russia will be ready to accept them,” Medinsky.
Sergei Lavrov said: “Kiev’s refusal to implement a humanitarian truce in some areas of the front is a grave mistake. It is important not to succumb to Kiev’s latest provocations, aimed at disrupting negotiations.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin also commented on the possibility of direct negotiations with Kiev after the terrorist attacks in the Bryansk and Kursk regions: “The attack was intentionally carried out against the civilian population. And this only confirms our fears that the already illegitimate Kiev regime, which once seized power, is gradually degenerating into a terrorist organization,” Putin said.
“As for the next refusal of a 2-3 day truce on humanitarian grounds, this is not the first time this has happened. This does not surprise us, but only convinces us that the current regime in Kiev does not need peace at all. Peace for it, most likely, means the loss of power. And power for this regime, apparently, is more important than peace and the lives of people who apparently do not consider their own”, added the Russian head of state.
And now a look at the front line updated at 15:30 on June 4. Crimean Bridge hit with underwater and surface drones. According to the Russian social sphere: “Underwater drones have become a new element in the war, which will require our fleet to change the forms and methods of combating this type of threat”.
Russian armed forces hit the regions of Kharkiv, Odessa, Zaporizhia and Sumy with Gerans.
In the Kursk border area, the Ukrainians are transferring new units in the directions of Tëtkino and Popovo-Lezhachi and continue to try to break through to Russian territory, source: Sever Group of Forces. Repelled four strikes by Russian forces
In the direction of Sumy, Ukrainian forces are pushing back a Russian force in the area of the Zolotarevka nature reserve and are storming the northern outskirts of Kindrativka and Andriivka. Fighting is also ongoing in Oleksiivka and in the direction of Yablunivka. Our military reports that Russian marines have broken Ukrainian resistance and liberated Andriivka in the Sumy region, and have advanced to Kindrativka. Paratroopers and motorized riflemen are fighting in Yunakivka and Novomykolaivka.
At least 14 drone strikes on different villages have been reported in the Belgorod region.
North of Chasiv Yar, Russian forces are expanding their control zone. In the south, fighting is reported again for Stupochky.
In the direction of Kostyantynivka, Russian forces are increasingly surrounding Kostyantynivka from the flanks. Fighting is ongoing Fierce fighting near Yablunivka and Russian troops are leveling the front line south of the village.
In the direction of South Donetsk, the Vostok Group of Forces claims to have repelled another Ukrainian counterattack and continued to advance towards the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk region. The control zone in the Komar area has been expanded on both flanks. An offensive is underway west of the village of Vil’ne Pole
In the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, the regions’ energy supply has been restored: the Ukrainian Armed Forces damaged energy infrastructure the day before.
Graziella Giangiulio
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