ISW: Key Takeaways
Ukrainian forces conducted successful local counterattacks in Severodonetsk and Russian progress in direct assaults on the city and wider operations to encircle it remain slow. Ukrainian defenses in eastern Ukraine remain effective.
Russian forces launched a series of unsuccessful offensive operations southwest of Izyum and in the Lyman area.
Russian forces continued to defend previously occupied positions around Kharkiv City and launched missile and artillery strikes against Ukrainian defenders.
Russian forces did not attempt to launch assaults on settlements in Kherson and Zaporizhia Oblast but continued to fire at Ukrainian positions throughout southern Ukraine.
The Kremlin faces rising partisan activity in southern Ukraine despite Russian efforts to restrict movement and telecommunications access.
Ukrainian officials are continuing negotiations for a prisoner exchange of the captured Mariupol defenders.
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Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated on June 3 that Russia will continue its “special military operation” in Ukraine until Russia achieves all of its objectives.[5] Peskov noted that Russia has already “liberated” many settlements since the start of the operation. Kremlin officials have begun steadily returning to their original claims about the successes of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in contrast to previous statements in late May explaining the slow pace of the war.[6] Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu also claimed on June 3 that Russian forces are adopting new unspecified tasks to accelerate the progress of the war.[7] The Kremlin is likely setting conditions to announce some sort of victory in eastern Ukraine while preparing for a protracted war. The Kremlin has not abandoned its maximalist political goals for Ukraine even though it has been forced to revise downward its immediate military objectives
[This is a huge warning to Macron and others who hint at allowing Russia to keep some Ukrainian lands. Putin / the hawks will not stop].
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The Kyiv Independent, [05/06/2022 03:01]
⚡️ Ukraine’s military destroys 2 ammunition depots, command center in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s Operational Tactical Group “East” also said it killed 60 Russian troops.
⚡️General Staff: Russia transfers more than 20 units of weapons, equipment towards Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast. According to Ukraine’s military, Russia is trying to replenish the units that suffered losses.
⚡️ Explosions heard in Kyiv. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported via Telegram that five explosions were heard in Kyiv overnight on June 5, including in the districts of Darnytsky and Dniprovsky.
⚡️Energoatom: Russian cruise missile flew 'critically low' over nuclear power plant.
Calling the June 5 early morning missile attack “another act of nuclear terrorism,” Ukraine’s state-run nuclear company Energoatom said a Russian missile, similar to a Kalibr-type missile, flew just over the nuclear power plant in Mykolaiv Oblast, likely on its way to Kyiv. Even the smallest fragment of a rocket could cause a nuclear catastrophe, the company said.
⚡️UK Defense Ministry: Ukrainian counteroffensive in Sievierodonetsk likely blunting operational momentum of Russian forces.
⚡️El Pais: Spain ready to supply Ukraine with Leopard tanks, air defense systems.
The Kyiv Independent, [05/06/2022 11:14]
⚡️Ukraine's Air Force destroys two cruise missiles fired by Russian aviation in Mykolaiv Oblast. The Air Command “South” reported that its soldiers downed missiles during “a massive” attack in Mykolaiv Oblast on June 5.
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UkraineNOW
📝 At a daily briefing in Russia today, it was stated that the Russian army regularly shot down Ukrainian Armed Forces planes carrying Western weapons
[ Ukr denies this, but I cant help thinking that some of the Western supplies will have gone up in smoke either in the air or on the railways. Indeed, Russia's deliberately targetting the railways to make getting aid to the Eastern front harder. I suppose we'll only know accurately what happened after the war is over for some time]
⚡️ Operational summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Russian invaders are attacking in four directions at once: Svyatohirs’k, Sievierodonetsk, Nyrkove – Mykolaivka, Dovhenke – Dolyna, and Brazhkivka - Virnopillia, the General Staff reports
▪️In the northern regions of Ukraine, the enemy fired artillery. In the Kharkiv region, they used phosphorus munitions in the area of
the settlement of Cherkassky Tishki.
▪️In the southern operational zone, enemy troops tried to restore their lost positions in the direction of Sukhyi Stavok and Lozove, but suffered losses and retreated. In order to prevent counter-offensive actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the invaders mined the banks of the Inhulets River.
North Korea fires 8 short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea – Yonhap [I know it's a bit futher east than Ukr, but still worth keeping an eye on!]
❌ Water crisis in Mariupol
Now one has to stand in line to get drinking water. The queue lasts for two days. Therefore, now drink water is available at best once every two days. The main reason is the drop in the water level in natural sources of water intake. Further reduction of water supply is predicted for natural reasons such as summer heat.
Humanitarian aid from the invaders has already been reduced. Now it is issued exclusively to people of retirement age. For other people, the practice of getting food as payment for work has resumed. [slavery].
Mariupol is purposefully and systematically turning into a ghetto for Ukrainians.