Here’s an update on the latest developments in the ongoing war, as of Sunday, June 4, 2023.
Fighting:
Ukrainian authorities reported that Russia launched a fresh round of air strikes on Sunday, targeting an airfield in the central region. However, the capital city of Kyiv was not hit.
Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that Ukrainian forces continued shelling Russia’s Belgorod overnight on Saturday, following the death of two people the previous night.
A residential area in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro was hit by an air raid, killing a two-year-old girl and injuring 22 others.
The Moscow-installed governor of Crimea reported that five drones were shot down over the city of Dhzankoi.
Diplomacy:
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius urged Indo-Pacific states to take a clear stance against attacks on international security architecture, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that France’s active participation in the Ukrainian conflict makes it difficult for them to act as a mediator.
TASS news agency reported that journalists from “unfriendly countries” would not receive accreditation for the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, according to the Kremlin.
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov confirmed that Moscow and Washington have discussed prisoner swaps “from time to time”.