At least three people were killed, including two children, and several others were injured in a series of strikes in Kyiv early Thursday, the mayor said.
Russia pledged to continue to improve its air defense system in the wake of the Tuesday drone attack on Moscow. Ukraine denied any direct involvement.
The Kremlin said the “situation is rather alarming” in the Belgorod region. At least one person was killed and several were injured in strikes on Wednesday and early Thursday, officials said.
The US will send $300 million worth of additional weaponry and equipment to Ukraine, focusing the latest military aid package on air defense systems to help Kyiv fend off Russian aerial attacks.
Kyiv targeted with ground-launched missiles overnight, Ukrainian military says
From CNN's Josh Pennington
Russian forces used ground-based tactical missile systems to target Kyiv in early Thursday morning strikes, according to a Ukrainian military official.
Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, said the missiles were not fired from planes. Preliminary information showed cruise and ballistic missiles were used, he added.
All identified air targets were shot down by Ukrainian forces, but falling debris resulted in casualties and damage, according to Popko, with three people — including two children — killed and at least 10 people injured.
Earlier, Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 14 people were injured in the strikes.
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Early morning airstrikes in Kyiv leave 3 dead, including 2 children, and 14 injured, mayor says
From Josh Pennington and Olga Voitovych
Emergency services responds after an early morning airstrike in Kyiv's Desnianskyi district. Portions of this image were obscured before they were provided to CNN.
Kyiv city military administration
At least three people, including two children, have died, and at least 14 people were injured in Kyiv’s Desnianskyi and Dniprovskyi districts as air strikes hit the city early Thursday morning local time, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.
Nine people were hospitalized and five were treated on site, he said.
Debris from the strikes hit a healthcare clinic in the Desnianskyi district and the windows of a multi-story residential building were also blown out, according to the Kyiv city military administration.
Debris also fell onto the roadway of Kyiv’s Dniprovskyi district and a car was burning on one of Desnianskyi’s streets, Klitschko said.
A damaged building in Kyiv's Dniprovskyi district.
Kyiv city military administration
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At least 2 people injured in early morning strikes in Russia’s Belgorod region, governor says
From CNN's Josh Pennington
At least two people were injured early Thursday in the town of Shebekino in Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, a top official said.
Shelling by Ukrainian forces lasted an hour, according to Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.
One of the injured men is in critical condition after having his left arm amputated. The other suffered a concussion and went to the hospital and is in stable condition, according to the governor.
Some background: On Wednesday, there was a “massive” shelling attack that injured four people in Shebekino, Russian officials said.
Eight apartment buildings, four homes, a school and two administrative buildings were damaged during the shelling, they said.
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Wagner Group boss wants prosecutors to investigate Russia's military leadership
From CNN's Katharina Krebs
The chief of the Wagner mercenary force said on Wednesday he is requesting that Russia’s Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor’s Office investigate top officials at the Ministry of Defense for “committing a crime during the preparation and during the conduct of the special military operation.”
“These letters will not be published, due to the fact that this will be dealt with by the investigating authorities,” said Prigozhin, who has been a persistent critic of the Russian military’s handling of the war in Ukraine, which Moscow refers to as a “special military operation.”
Earlier this month he blamed Russian defense chiefs for “tens of thousands” of Wagner casualties because they didn’t have enough ammunition.
There was no immediate reaction from the Ministry of Defense. CNN is reaching out to the ministry for a response.
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Russian children evacuate as shelling increases in several areas along border. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
Several countries are reacting to Tuesday’s drone attacks in Moscow that injured two people and damaged several buildings, according to Russian state media.
Ukraine has denied involvement, even as one top official made it clear that Russia was getting a taste of its own medicine after months of bombarding Ukrainian cities.
Here’s what to know:
Countries react to attacks in Russia: The Biden administration has “been clear, privately and publicly, with the Ukrainians that we don’t support attacks on Russian soil,” the White House said, adding that Ukrainian officials have assured the US they will not use equipment from the United States to strike inside Russia. German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said Ukraine has a “legitimate” right to defend itself against Russian attacks under international law. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also acknowledged that Ukraine has the right to “project force” beyond its own borders for self-defense.
Russia’s air defense and weapons: Russia has pledged to continue to improve its air defense system after the drone attack on Moscow. President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday the city’s air defenses worked normally, but there was still “work to be done to make it better.” Russia is also ramping up the production of weapons and other military equipment, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Wednesday, according to state news agency TASS.
Other strikes on the border: Several areas in Russia near the border with Ukraine have come under more persistent mortar and artillery fire in recent days. Russian children were evacuated from areas of the Belgorod region, according to Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov
Fighting in Bakhmut: There has been a significant drop in hostilities on the ground around the city of Bakhmut as Russian forces rotate in and out of the area, but shelling continues incessantly, Ukrainian officials say. Wagner units are still being replaced with Russian regular forces, a spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian military said.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant: The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said he believes Russia and Ukraine are “committing” to the organization’s five principles for averting a nuclear accident at the ZaporizhzhiaPower Plant. The principles include “no attacks of any kind from or against the plant,” and a commitment against using it as a storage base for heavy weaponry, Rafael Grossi said.
US aid for Ukraine: The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will send an estimated $300 million worth of additional weaponry and equipment to Ukraine, focusing the latest military aid package on air defense systems to help Kyiv fend off Russian aerial attacks. Radar-guided, air-to-air AIM-7 missiles are included in the package for the first time along with additional missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
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Heavy artillery fire continues around Bakhmut as on-the-ground clashes ease, Ukrainian officials say
From CNN's Julia Kesaieva
A Ukrainian soldier scouts the area with binoculars on the frontline in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on May 29.
Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
There has been a significant drop in hostilities on the ground around the city of Bakhmut as Russian forces rotate in and out of the area, but shelling continues incessantly, Ukrainian officials say.
Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian military, said Wednesday there had been only two or three clashes in the area over the last two days. But he said the Russians were covering their rotation of forces with artillery fire, and Ukrainian positions had been shelled 343 times Wednesday. In turn, Ukrainian fire killed 78 Russians and destroyed a variety of weapons and ammunition dumps, he said.
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar told Ukrainian television the south-western outskirts of Bakhmut remain under the control of the Ukrainians.
“In fact, the enemy’s offensive activity in the Bakhmut sector has been stopped. [But] the enemy has increased the number of artillery attacks … The number of attacks today is equal to the times of the heaviest battles for Bakhmut,” Maliar said.
Maliar said Ukrainian troops, for now, were not trying to advance on the Russians’ flanks but said “the fight for this direction continues.”
One soldier in the Bakhmut area, Yurii Syrotiuk of the 5th separate assault brigade, said that heavy thunderstorms had interrupted air strikes but that “enemy artillery is actively working,” as were mortars and rockets.
Syrotiuk said Russian forces tried to counterattack in the past days, but not successfully.
“The famous Donbas mud does not allow the movement of people nor equipment,” he said, adding that this was impeding the Ukrainians’ own efforts to push forward.
He also drew a distinction between the Wagner fighters and Russian regular units, which he said “do not fight like Wagnerites, as they are not being sent as cannon fodder under the threat of execution. So they make very languid attempts of attacks, which we repel and then the enemy artillery starts working.”
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More evacuations from Russian border to take place this week, governor says
From CNN's Josh Pennington
More evacuations of women and children are set to take place this week as the Russian border experiences shelling, Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, some 300 children were already evacuated from Belgorod to the Voronezh area.
Gladkov added that 200 people, including mothers with small children and grandmothers, would be evacuated to Penza on Thursday.
On Saturday, 300 children will be sent from the Grayvoron district to Yaroslavl and 300 from Shebekino district will be sent to Kaluga, Gladkov said.
Gladkov also said he spoke with the governors of the Lipetsk and Tomsk oblasts who agreed to take 200 evacuees each, consisting of families with small children.
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Video shows Patriot missiles were used against recent Russian missile attacks in Kyiv
From CNN's Vasco Cotovio and Tim Lister
Video shot earlier this week in Kyiv shows the remnants of a US-made Patriot PAC-3 missile, indicating that the air defense system was in use Monday when Russian forces fired 11 cruise and ballistic missiles at the Ukrainian capital.
Weapons experts contacted by CNN confirmed that the wreckage — minus a warhead — appeared to be that of the missile type supplied to Ukraine for the recently donated Patriot batteries.
Earlier this month, Russia claimed to have destroyed a Patriot battery in the Kyiv area. US officials said the complex’s launcher had suffered minor damage.
The arrival of the Patriot batteries has enabled Ukraine to intercept ballistic missiles and faster cruise missiles.
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Biden administration announces new $300 million security package for Ukraine
From CNN's Natasha Bertrand, Yulia Kesaieva and Oren Liebermann
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will send an estimated $300 million worth of additional weaponry and equipment to Ukraine, focusing the latest military aid package on air defense systems to help Kyiv fend off Russian aerial attacks.
As part of the package, the US will be providing Ukraine with radar-guided, air-to-air AIM-7 missiles for the first time. It’s unclear if the older air-to-air missiles have been adapted to Ukraine’s Soviet-era fighter jets or if they will be used in conjunction with a ground-based system.
The package will also include munitions for unmanned aerial systems, which a US official described as mortar-like ammunition that can be dropped from drones. Ukraine has used smaller commercial drones to drop grenades and mortar rounds on Russian troops and positions from above, often posting videos of such jerry-rigged attacks on social media.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the US in a tweet and said the newest assistance is “extremely important and timely” and the latest example of “unflagging American support.”
The latest package will protect Ukraine’s skies “from Russian missile and drone terror, as well as to bolster the capabilities of the Ukrainian Defense Forces,” the tweet said.
The additional drone ammunition comes amid a spate of drone attacks on Russian targets in recent days, including against residential buildings in Moscow and two Russian oil refineries in southern Russia. US officials have not determined who launched those attacks, but US intelligence officials believe Ukrainians were behind a drone attack on the Kremlin earlier this month, CNN has reported.
The White House reiterated Wednesday that US officials have told Ukraine that the US does not support attacks on Russian territory, especially with US-provided equipment. Two US officials said there is no evidence right now, though, that the drones were provided by the US.
The US will also be providing Ukraine with additional missiles for Patriot air defense systems, one of which was damaged by a Russian hypersonic missile earlier this month, as well as Avenger air defense systems and additional stinger anti-aircraft systems.
The new package marks the 39th time since August 2021 that the administration has taken equipment directly from DoD inventories to provide to Ukraine, the Pentagon said in a press release. To date, the US has provided more than $37.6 billion in military aid since the start of the war in Ukraine.
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White House says it supports Ukraine peace summit — even without Russia
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby speaks during a White House press briefing in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, May 31.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
The White House voiced support Wednesday for a proposed summit to work toward peace in Ukraine, even if Russia is not involved.
“We’ve been talking to the Ukrainians for many, many months now,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said. “President Zelensky has a 10-point proposal for what he calls a just peace – and we’re helping trying to work with his team to help actualize that.”
The United States supports “moves toward peace,” but any proposal must have the support of the Ukrainian president to be “credible and sustainable,” he said. Russia’s current assault on Ukraine was “not the act of the nation that has any serious design on diplomacy right now,” he added.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Ukraine and its allies were planning a peace summit for global leaders without Russian involvement. Asked what the value was in a summit like that without Russia’s participation, Kirby responded that “you’ve got to work with Ukrainians” before anything else.
“But where and when, or even if the Russians can be brought to the table, that’s got to be President Zelensky, his decision,” Kirby said.
He added that Putin “has shown absolutely zero inclination” for peace, calling whether Russia should be at the table a “great academic question.”
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Russian children evacuated from shelled border areas arrive at holiday camps
From CNN's Josh Pennington and Tim Lister
The first groups of children to be evacuated from border areas of the Belgorod region have arrived in the Voronezh area, according to Russian state media and other outlets.
“The first groups of children from Shebekino, Belgorod Oblast, which is being shelled by Ukraine, arrived at a recreation camp near Voronezh,” state news agency RIA Novosti said.
The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said there was renewed shelling of border areas late Wednesday by Ukrainian forces. He said an industrial plant close to the city of Shebekino had been struck.
Gladkov said that some 300 children from the Shebekino and Grayvoron districts would be evacuated to Voronezh.
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Ukraine says Russia has stepped up shelling in front lines in Kharkiv region
From CNN's Julia Kesaieva in Kyiv and Tim Lister
Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have stepped up shelling in the Kupyansk area of Kharkiv, where the front lines have moved little since last autumn.
Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, said Russian strikes had damaged civilian infrastructure and civilian settlements rather than military positions. He said nine people were injured in missile strikes on the settlement of Kivsharivka on Tuesday, and the area had been struck again Wednesday.
“Today the north and north-east direction were fired upon again. 15 settlements have been fired upon,” Syniehubov said on Ukrainian television. Northern Kharkiv borders the Russian region of Belgorod, which has come under fire from the Ukrainian side of the frontier.
Syniehubov also claimed that a Russian sabotage group had made an unsuccessful attempt to cross the border in northern Kharkiv.
He said they had been forced to retreat and had suffered losses.
Russian shelling had also spread to the border town of Vovchansk on Wednesday, Syniehubov said. One man was killed and another person was injured. Vovchansk has regularly come under cross-border fire, while Ukrainian mortar and artillery fire in the other direction has recently increased, according to Russian authorities.
The area on the east bank of the Oskil River, near Kupyansk, has seen considerable combat in recent weeks, but Russian efforts to establish a bridgehead west of the river appear to have failed, Ukrainian officials said.
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UN nuclear watchdog chief believes Russia and Ukraine are committing to protecting Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
From CNN’s Eleni Giokos and Amy Cassidy
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi told CNN on Wednesday that he believes Russia and Ukraine are “committing” to the organization’s five principles for averting a nuclear accident at the ZaporizhzhiaPower Plant.
Grossi laid out the “five concrete principles” to ensure the plant’s safety and security on Tuesday at the UN Security Council in New York. They include “no attacks of any kind from or against the plant”, and a commitment against using it as a storage base for heavy weaponry.
“They [Moscow and Kyiv] haven’t opposed what I said as an indispensable thing, and I am monitoring it,” Grossi told CNN’s Eleni Giokos on Wednesday.
“So I believe that they are committing to it indeed, yes.”
Some background: The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine is Europe’s largest nuclear power station and has seen frequent military activity in and around the area, sparking concerns of a possible nuclear catastrophe.
From weaponized consumer quadcopters to loitering munitions that can cause devastation from nearly a thousand miles away, UN, NATO and UK Parliament drone adviser Dr James Rogers breaks down the role drones are playing in the war in Ukraine.
There were a series of explosions in Russian-held town in southern Ukraine, local official says
From CNN's Julia Kesaieva and Tim Lister
A senior Russian-appointed official in occupied southern Ukraine says there has been a series of explosions in the town of Polohy close to the front lines.
Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Russian-formed council of the civil-military administration of Zaporizhzhia, said on Telegram: “It’s loud in Polohy. A series of explosions is heard in town.”
Some context: Polohy has been regularly struck by Ukrainian fire. Last week it lost electrical power, according to Rogov, after Ukrainian shelling targeted the power substation.
Ukrainian officials have claimed that Russian infrastructure and concentrations of troops in the area have been repeatedly struck.
Polohy is in a part of Zaporizhzhia that many observers expect to be a focus of a Ukrainian counter-offensive.
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Ukraine has "legitimate" right to defend itself against Russian attacks under international law, Germany says
From Chris Stern in Berlin
Police work at the site of a drone attack in Moscow, Russia, on May 30.
Bai Xueqi/Xinhua/Getty Images
Under international law Ukraine has a “legitimate” right to defend itself against Russian attacks, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said.
His comments come in reference to Tuesday’s drone attacks that took place in Moscow that injured two people and damaged several buildings, according to Russian state media. Ukraine has denied any involvement.
The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call on Tuesday, Hebestreit added. “The air defense worked well there and reacted well, but there was also damage, he said at a news conference in Berlin.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also acknowledged Tuesday Ukraine has the right to “project force” beyond its own borders for self-defense. “Legitimate military targets beyond its own border are part of Ukraine’s self-defense. And we should recognise that,” he had said.
What the US says: Earlier Wednesday, John Kirby, the White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, reiterated that the Biden administration has “been clear, privately and publicly, with the Ukrainians that we don’t support attacks on Russian soil.”
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US has been clear with the Ukrainians it doesn't support attacks on Russian soil, White House official says
From CNN's DJ Judd
The Biden administration has “been clear, privately and publicly, with the Ukrainians that we don’t support attacks on Russian soil,” White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told CNN Wednesday following a spate of drone attacks in the Moscow region.
Kirby would not say, however, if the US had concluded that Ukraine was behind the drone incursions, telling CNN’s Poppy Harlow, “We’re still trying to get information here and develop some sort of sense of what happened… but I can’t tell you that we have any definitive information at this point.”
Ukraine has denied involvement in Tuesday’s attack in Moscow, even as one top official made it clear that Russia was getting a taste of its own medicine after months of bombarding Ukrainian cities.
“Of course, we enjoy watching and predicting an increase in attacks,” said Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. “But of course, we have nothing to do directly with it.”
But Kirby reiterated Wednesday that Ukrainian officials have assured the United States they will not use equipment contributed from the United States to strike inside Russia.
“I think we can all understand that if we give Putin what he’s claiming, this is a war against the West, a war against the United States, a war against NATO, there’s going to be a whole lot more suffering across the European continent, so we don’t want to see this war escalate,” he said. “Now, look, once we provide systems to the Ukrainians, and this is an important point, they get to decide what they’re going to do with them. They have given us assurances that they won’t use our equipment to strike inside Russia. But once it goes to them, it belongs to them.”
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It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Shelling has continued to spill over into Russian territory, with four people injured in a “massive strike” in the town of Shebekino in the southwestern Belgorod region.
It follows a series of rare drone attacks on Moscow early Tuesday which reportedly left two injured and several buildings damaged.
Here are the latest developments:
Air defense: Russia has pledged to continue to improve its air defense system in the wake of the Tuesday drone attack on Moscow. President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday the city’s air defenses worked normally but there was still “work to be done to make it better.” Asked to clarify the Russian President’s remarks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “The system worked effectively, but there is room for improvement. Work will continue to improve the air defense system.”
Weapons production: Russia is also ramping up the production of weapons and other military equipment, Prime Minister MikhailMishustin said Wednesday, according to state news agency TASS. “The defense-industrial complex is now operating under maximum pressure,” Mishustin said in a video address to the participants of a board meeting of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. “In parallel with meeting the production targets, weapons and equipment continue to be improved nonstop,” Mishustin added.
Bryansk drone attack: Multiple drones have been shot down in Russia’s Bryansk region, state news agency RIA Novosti reported. About 10 drones tried to attack the Klimovsky district overnight, RIA reported, citing emergency services. RIA did not report any damage and said some of the drones were shot down, while others were intercepted by electronic warfare.
Tripoint border explosion: Ukrainian officials said an explosion near the Three Sisters monument at the border with Belarus, Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday was due to Russian forces blowing up the Chernihiv-Bryansk road. Russian war bloggers shared a video of the explosion online Tuesday saying the explosion happened at the junction of the borders of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, “in a tank-hazardous direction.”
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Shelling injures 4 in "massive strike" in Russia's Belgorod region, governor says
From CNN's Clare Sebastian and Irene Nasser
This picture shows a road damaged following a massive strike in Russia's Belgorod region on Wednesday.
Governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast/Telegram
Four people were injured in a “massive strike” on the town of Shebekino in Russia’s southwestern Belgorod region, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram.
Gladkov earlier reported that one woman was injured in shelling of the region, which borders northeastern Ukraine
Eight apartment buildings, four homes, a school and two administrative buildings were damaged in the shelling, Gladkov said.
Children will be evacuated from Shebekino and the border town of Grayvoron, with the first 300 taken on Wednesday further east to the town of Voronezh, he added.
On Tuesday, Gladkov reported dozens of strikes by Ukrainian mortar and artillery fire in several areas of Belgorod. One person was killed and two others were injured in an attack on a temporary accommodation center, he said.
CNN cannot independently verify the governor’s claims.
It comes after a group of anti-Putin Russian nationals, who are aligned with the Ukrainian army, claimed responsibility for an attack in Belgorod last week. The Ukrainian government distanced itself from the Russian fighters, saying: “In Ukraine these units are part of defense and security forces. In Russia they are acting as independent entities.”
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Germany revokes licenses of 4 Russian consulates
From CNN's Chris Stern in Berlin
Berlin is revoking the licenses of four out of five Russian consulates in Germany in response to Moscow’s decision to limit the number of German officials in Russia to 350, according to a spokesperson for the German Foreign Office.
The withdrawal of Russian officials is to be completed by the end of the year, the spokesperson said.
At the same time, the German consulates in Russia’s Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk will be closed, the spokesperson added.
The German embassy in Moscow and the consulate in St. Petersburg will remain in operation.
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Explosion near Russia, Belarus and Ukraine tripoint border monument
From CNN's Olga Voitovych, Sarah Dean and Anna Chernova
A screengrab from a video that has been widely circulated on social media shows a large explosion on the road leading to the Three Sisters monument at the border with Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
From Telegram/RVvoenkor
Ukrainian officials said an explosion near the Three Sisters monument at the border with Belarus, Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday was due to Russian forces blowing up the Chernihiv-Bryansk road.
CNN has geolocated a video that has been widely circulated on social media showing a large explosion on the road leading to the monument. It is unclear what kind of munition was involved.
Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, told CNN: “Yesterday, in the Chernihiv region, border detachments of the State Border Guard Service registered an explosion at noon in the direction of the junction of the three countries.”
Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, posted on Telegram: “Russians blow up the roads on the borders on which they went ‘to take Kyiv in three days’.”
Russian war bloggers shared a video of the explosion online Tuesday saying the explosion happened at the junction of the borders of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, “in a tank-hazardous direction.”
Russian or Belarusian officials have not yet commented.
Some background: The Three Sisters monument, which opened on May 3, 1975, was built to symbolize the friendship of the three countries, which were at the time republics within the Soviet Union.
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Russia will continue improving its air defense system, Kremlin says
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said Wednesday Russia will continue improving its air defense system following the Tuesday drone attack on Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday the city’s air defenses worked normally but there was still “work to be done to make it better.”
Asked to clarify the Russian President’s remarks, Peskov said, “The system worked effectively, but there is room for improvement. Work will continue to improve the air defense system.”
Peskov added the Kremlin had noted the reaction from London and Washington to the Moscow drone attacks but “would prefer to hear at least some words of condemnation.”
Some context: Peskov’s words come after a drone attack was launched on Russia’s Bryansk region, state news agency RIA Novosti said Wednesday.
About 10 drones tried to attack the Klimovsky district overnight, RIA reported, citing emergency services.
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Russia steps up production of weapons and equipment
From CNN's Radina Gigova
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is pictured during the Victory Day events in Moscow, Russia, on May 9.
Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Russian defense enterprises “have multiplied” their production of weapons and other military equipment needed for what Moscow euphemistically calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Wednesday, according to state news agency TASS.
Russia has also introduced a temporary ban on the export of cartridges for civilian and service rifles, as well as cartridge cases and cartridges for rifled firearms of certain calibers, according to a statement released by the Russian government on Wednesday.
The decree, signed by Mishustin, takes effect on May 31 and states that the ban does not apply to the export of cartridges and cartridge cases meant for the activities of Russia’s Armed Forces, “other troops” and “military formations,” according to the statement.
“The decision is aimed at ensuring the protection of the interests of the state,” the statement reads.
The decree was prepared as part of the execution of a Presidential Decree “On the Application of Special Economic Measures in the Sphere of Foreign Economic Activity to Ensure the Security of the Russian Federation,” according to the statement.
The ban will remain in effect until the end of the year.
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"Situation is rather alarming" as shelling continues in Belgorod, Kremlin spokesperson says
From CNN's Anna Chernova
A view shows ammunition casing in a damaged street following purported shelling by Ukrainian forces in the town of Shebekino, Belgorod region, in this image released by the region's governor, on May 31.
Handout/Governor of Russia's Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov via Telegram/Reuters
The Kremlin is concerned about the situation in Belgorod, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN in a regular call with journalists on Wednesday.
Some context: His comments come after the town of Shebekino in Russia’s Belgorod region was hit by a “massive strike,” injuring four people, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram Wednesday.
Eight apartment buildings, four private homes, a school and two administrative buildings were all damaged in the shelling, according to Gladkov.
Gladkov also said that children will be evacuated out of Shebekino and Grayvoron, with the first 300 taken today to Voronezh.
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Multiple drones shot down in Russia's Bryansk region, state media reports
From CNN's Anna Chernova
A drone attack was launched on Russia’s Bryansk region, state news agency RIA Novosti said Wednesday.
About 10 drones tried to attack the Klimovsky district overnight, RIA reported, citing emergency services.
RIA did not report any damage and said some of the drones were shot down, while others were intercepted by electronic warfare.
Bryansk is on the border with Ukraine and has seen previous attacks blamed on Kyiv.
Remember: Earlier this month, there were unconfirmed reports that four of Russia’s aircraft were shot down inside Bryansk.
One Russian media outlet says that at least two combat aircraft – an Su-34 and an Su-35 – and two Mi-8 helicopters crashed.
Ukraine did not confirm its air defenses were involved in the reported downing of the Russian aircraft, but said the aircraft “ran into some trouble.”
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Alleged "Russian spy whale" enters Swedish waters
From CNN’s James Frater and Catherine Nicholls
The beluga whale, nicknamed Hvaldimir, is widely speculated to be an alleged Russian “spy.”
Jorgen Ree Wiig/Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries/Sea Surveillance Service
A beluga whale known internationally as an alleged Russian “spy” has entered Swedish waters, an organization set up to track the whale announced Monday.
The whale, nicknamed Hvaldimir, garnered international fame in 2019 after it was spotted wearing a specially made harness with mounts for a camera, leading experts to believe that it may have been trained by the Russian military.
“After four years of swimming south down the coast of Norway, Hvaldimir — known worldwide as the ‘Russian spy’ beluga whale — is now in Swedish waters,” the organization OneWhale said in a statement.
Hvaldimir was recently spotted in Norway’s capital Oslo, prompting concerns for the whale’s safety given the heavy boat traffic in the area.
“But the famous beluga skirted around the dangerous waters of Oslo for Sweden,” OneWhale’s statement said. “We are impressed by Sweden’s show of care for Hvaldimir. They immediately contacted us upon his arrival, and even closed a bridge to protect him.”
President of OneWhale, Rich German, said, “Hvaldimir’s situation remains an extremely vulnerable one as Sweden is a highly populated country, but we are very grateful Swedish authorities have quickly taken action to care for the whale.”
South Africa moves to allow Putin to attend summit despite ICC arrest warrant
From CNN’s Eve Brennan
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a BRICS virtual session from Moscow, Russia, in June 2022.
Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images
South Africa has issued diplomatic immunity to all officials attending a summit in August, meaning Russian President Vladimir Putin might be able to travel to the country despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for his arrest.
South African officials, which announced the controversial decision on Monday in a government gazette notice, insisted that it may not override the ICC arrest warrant. As a signatory to the ICC, South Africa may be legally obligated to arrest Putin. The court issued a warrant for his arrest in March over the alleged deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.
South Africa is hosting a meeting of the BRICS group of developing nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – in August.
The ministry said this was routine protocol to protect the conference and its attendees, not for specific individuals, adding that “these immunities do not override any warrant that may have been issued by any international tribunal against any attendee of the conference.”
South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), said in a statement Tuesday that it had launched a court application to request the government detain Putin and surrender him to the ICC, if he were to visit the country. The DA said their application outlines precise steps to be taken should a request for Putin’s arrest be made by the ICC, so that there is “no legal ambiguity relating to the procedure to be followed, and the obligations placed upon the state.”
While South African leadership has repeatedly stated that they are neutral in the conflict and have frequently called for a negotiated settlement, their actions have come under increasing scrutiny from Western powers. Earlier this month, the US ambassador to South Africa accused the South African government of delivering arms and ammunition to a sanctioned Russian cargo vessel late last year.
Previous reporting from CNN’s David McKenzie
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Drone crashes at oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region, officials say
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
Authorities in southern Russia said a drone crashed at an oil refinery in the Krasnodar region early on Wednesday, an incident that followed reports of a fire due to a possible drone attack at another nearby fuel depot.
In a statement on Telegram, Krasnodar’s operational headquarters said no casualties were reported in the 4 a.m. attack at the Ilsky oil refinery.
In a separate incident Wednesday, reports emerged of a possible drone attack on the Afipsky oil refinery, also located in Krasnodar, that caused a fire but no casualties.
The two facilities are located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) apart.
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Russian dissident fighters launch drone pilot recruitment drive
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Men are seen on the roof of a damaged multi-story apartment block following a drone attack in Moscow on May 30.
Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
Anti-Putin Russians fighting to free Ukraine and topple the Kremlin have launched an “additional” recruitment drive for drone pilots, a day after a drone attack brought the war to the Russian capital.
The post comes after drone attack on Moscow Tuesday that the Kremlin blamed on Ukraine, which denied any direct involvement.
Eight drones were involved in the attack, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the capital’s air defenses worked normally, also suggesting the attacks had been in response to recent Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure.
“Kyiv chose the path of intimidation of Russian citizens and attacks on residential buildings,” Putin said.
Freedom for Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, which both fall under the command of the Ukrainian security forces, last week claimed responsibility for an incursion inside the Russian border region of Belgorod.
A Ukrainian official acknowledged last week that the units had carried out an operation in the area but insisted they were acting independently.
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Ukrainian shelling kills 5 in occupied Luhansk, Russia-backed official says
From CNN's Clare Sebastian and Olga Voitovych
Leonid Pasechnik speaks during a forum in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 16, 2022.
Stringer/Getty Images
Five people were killed and 19 others injured in Ukrainian shelling of Luhansk, according to the Moscow-installed head of the occupied region in eastern Ukraine.
Leonid Pasechnik, acting head of the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic, said on Telegram that two of those injured in the shelling of Karpaty village, Perevalsk district, are in serious condition in hospital.
CNN cannot verify the claims.
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Tara Reade defects to Russia, gives hours-long interview on state media
From CNN's Mariya Knight
Tara Reade is pictured during an interview in Nevada City, California, in April 2019.
Donald Thompson/AP
Tra Reade, a former staffer who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault, has defected to Russia and spoke to Russian state media in a press conference that lasted several hours.
Reade drew headlines during the 2020 presidential race, when she accused then candidate Biden of sexually harassing and assaulting her when she worked in his Senate office in 1993.
Biden has strongly denied Reade’s allegations, and no ex-Biden staffer has come forward to say they ever witnessed or heard about any kind of sexual misconduct in his Senate office.
In an interview with MSNBC in 2020, Biden said he is “saying unequivocally, it never, never happened. It didn’t. It never happened.”
Reade later faced credibility questions of her own including about her education and other credentials.
After being out of the headlines for years, Reade turned up in Moscow on Tuesday, where she sat alongside convicted Kremlin spy Maria Butina and answered questions from Russian state media.
Butina was sentenced to 18 months in an American prison in 2019 for conspiring to act as an unregistered foreign agent, and now serves in the Russian Parliament in President Vladimir Putin’s party.
Reade said she decided to come to Russia following death threats she received this year after she reiterated her accusations regarding Biden and announced on Twitter that she was willing “to testify under oath in Congress if asked.”
CNN cannot verify Reade’s claims of receiving threats on her life.
Reade said that “this illusion of Russia as an enemy is propagated by a few Washington elites who are determined to cause problems.”
During the conference, Butina promised to discuss the possibility of granting Russian citizenship to Reade and ask Putin “to fast track her citizenship request.”
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Drones exploded in Moscow after an aerial assault hit Kyiv. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
Vladimir Putin delivers a speech at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia on May 25.
Moscow attacks: Eight drones were involved in an attack in the Moscow region on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Russia blamed Ukraine, which has denied any direct involvement. Putin said the city’s air defenses worked normally, also suggesting the drone attacks had been in response to recent Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure. “Kyiv chose the path of intimidation of Russian citizens and attacks on residential buildings,” Putin said.
Assault on Kyiv:Explosions in Kyiv early Tuesday killed one person and injured at least three others, the Ukrainian military said. It marks the 17th aerial attack on the capital city this month. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said there would’ve been more damage without Ukraine’s modern air defense systems.
Western countries react:British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday that Ukraine has the right to “project force” over its borders for self-defense, following a drone attack in Moscow. A National Security Council spokesperson stressed that the United States does not back attacks in Russia. More generally, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday there is no fatigue among Western countries on providing aid to Ukraine.
Cross-border strikes: The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region said Wednesday that one person was injured in shelling of the town of Shebekino, a day after reporting the death of one person in an alleged Ukrainian attack on a temporary accommodation center. Belgorod is located next to Ukraine and has seen a growing incidence of cross-border fire. Meanwhile, in Russia’s Krasnodar region, the governor said a fire at an oil refinery was extinguished after a possible UAV attack.
Nuclear protection plan: International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi outlined five principles to protect Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and asked that Russia and Ukraine observe them to ensure the plant’s safety and security. Grossi added that he has not yet secured their agreement on protecting the facility.
NATO bid: The US expects Sweden’s accession to NATO to be completed “in the weeks ahead,” according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted non-aligned Finland and Sweden to abandon their neutrality and seek protection within NATO. Finland officially became the 31st member of NATO on April 4.
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Chechen leader says he received order to redeploy forces to self-proclaimed DPR in eastern Ukraine
From CNN's Mariya Knight
Ramzan Kadyrov attends Russian-Saudi talks at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia on October 5, 2017.
Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said in a Telegram post Tuesday that he has received an order to redeploy his forces to the Moscow-backed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine.
According to Kadyrov, “combat units are being prepared for assault activities with the active support of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces.”
Kadyrov said “similar orders to start the offensive” were also received by other units of his Akhmat battalion, that are located on “alternative sections of the line of contact between the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.”
“Tactical training activities were also carried out there, the distribution of tasks between commanders and fighters, the study of the terrain and the disposition of enemy forces,” the Chechen leader added.
Some context: Kadyrov leads sizeable paramilitary forces that, while formally a part of Russian security structures, have personal loyalty to him. During a visit to the Kremlin in March, the Chechen leader told Putin his forces in Ukraine will help Russia “fight to the victorious end.”
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Russian authorities extinguish fire at oil refinery possibly caused by drone attack
From CNN's Josh Pennington
A fire at an oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar territory has been extinguished after a possible unmanned aerial vehicle attack, according to Krasnodar Gov. Veniamin Kondratiev.
The fire was reported at the Afipsky Refinery in Seversky district and no casualties were reported, Kondratiev said on Telegram early Wednesday morning. One of the fuel oil distillation units had caught fire, he added.
The governor said “fire brigades, MES, and emergency services” were working to extinguish the fire.
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1 injured in Belgorod shelling, governor says
From CNN's Mariya Knight
This picture shows the aftermath of a strike overnight in Belgorod region, Russia on May 31.
Governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast
One person was injured in shelling of the town of Shebekino, according to Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region.
It comes a day after Gladkov reported dozens of strikes in several areas of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, by Ukrainian mortar and artillery fire. One person was killed and two others were injured in an attack on a temporary accommodation center on Tuesday, he said.
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Ukrainian strike kills 1 in Russia's Belgorod region, governor says
From CNN's Mariya Knight
One person was killed and two others were injured in a Ukrainian attack on a temporary accommodation center, according to Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region.
In a Telegram post Tuesday, Gladkov said “the security guard of this institution died.”
“Two more people were injured. They are in critical condition in intensive care,” he added.
According to Gladkov, cannon artillery was used in the strike.
Some context: There has been increased fighting along the Russia-Ukraine border, specifically in the Belgorod region, officials have reported.
Namely, last week, a group of anti-Putin Russian nationals — who are aligned with the Ukrainian army — claimed responsibility for an attack in Belgorod, leaving Moscow to say it was fighting the group of saboteurs.
In a Telegram post, groups calling themselves the Freedom for Russia Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps said they had “liberated” a settlement in Belgorod.
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US expects Sweden's accession to NATO in weeks ahead, secretary of state says
From CNN's Michael Conte
Antony Blinken speaks during a press meeting in Lulea, Sweden, Tuesday May 30.
Jonas Ekströmer/TT News Agency/AP
The United States expects Sweden’s accession to NATO to be completed “in the weeks ahead,” according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“We have no doubt that it can be, and it should be and we expect it to be,” said Blinken at a news conference in Luleå, Sweden, with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Key context: Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine prompted non-aligned Finland and Sweden to abandon their neutrality and seek protection within NATO. Finland officially became the 31st member of NATO on April 4.
US President Joe Biden said he spoke on Monday with newly reelected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and discussed the potential of approving the sale of new US fighter jets if Turkey drops its objections to Sweden joining NATO.
However, Blinken said the two issues are viewed as separate by the administration.
The secretary of state also said it was “appropriate” that every member have its say on the accession of new members into the alliance.
“Each member is making a solemn commitment to every other member that it will join in coming to their defense if they are the victims of aggression, and so it’s important that every member have its say in this process,” he said.
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Putin says Ukraine chose "path of intimidation" with Moscow drone attacks
From CNN's Katharina Krebs and Tim Lister
Vladimir Putin attends the Eurasian Economic Forum, in Moscow, Russia on May 24.
Stringer/Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine for the drone attack in the Moscow region on Tuesday, calling it a “clear sign of terrorist activity.”
“Kyiv chose the path of intimidation of Russian citizens and attacks on residential buildings,” he said, adding: “We are concerned about attempts to evoke a response from Russia. It seems that is what they [Ukraine] want … Kyiv provokes us to mirror actions. We will see what to do about this.”
The Russian president said the city’s air defenses worked normally.
Putin suggested the drone attacks had been in response to recent Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure.
“The Russian Armed Forces strike exclusively with long-range high-precision weapons and only at military infrastructure facilities,” he said. “Of course, some portion of these strikes is aimed at the military headquarters as well as headquarters of the Ukrainian military intelligence, which was hit two to three days ago.”
Ukraine has not commented on any strike against the headquarters of its military intelligence.
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Analysis: Moscow drone strikes bring Ukraine war to Russia
Analysis from CNN's Nathan Hodge
It’s a familiar routine for Ukrainians: Explosions ring out in the city, then videos emerge of drones overhead. Air defenses spring into action, and the authorities put out preliminary statements confirming a strike.
But this time, the shattered glass and concrete is in the Russian capital, not Kyiv. Russia’s war on Ukraine, it seems, has come home to Moscow.
Here’s what we know so far. On Tuesday morning, a wave of drone strikes hit the Russian capital. According to state news agency RIA-Novosti, one unmanned aerial vehicle struck the upper floors of a residential high-rise in southwestern Moscow, damaging the facade of the building. Another hit a flat on the 14th floor of an apartment building on Leninsky Prospekt, one of the city’s main arteries.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin gave updates on Telegram, telling residents that emergency services were on the scene and that two people were injured, with none hospitalized. A few hours later, Sobyanin said residents evacuated from apartment buildings hit by drones were returning home.
But it’s unlikely that Moscow can return to its uneasy status quo of life during what the Kremlin euphemistically refers to as the “special military operation” in Ukraine. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of last year, most of Russia has been spared the kinds of scenes that Ukrainians routinely endure.
In the months since, regions of Russia bordering Ukraine have come under fire, with local officials reporting occasional shelling by the Ukrainian side. The Kremlin accused Ukrainian helicopters of striking inside Russian territory Friday, claims Kyiv neither confirmed nor denied.
And earlier this month, drones penetrated the rings of security surrounding the Kremlin, the very seat of power in Russia.
