Ukraine war latest: 'Offensive actions' in eastern areas

Debate continues over whether Ukraine's counteroffensive has finally started, after Moscow claims it thwarted a major Ukrainian attack in Donetsk. Listen to a Daily podcast special uncovering Iran's arms links to Russia while you scroll.

Monday 5 June 2023 20:05, UK

A group of pro-Ukraine rebels known as the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), has posted videos claiming to be in control of Nova Tavolzhanka in Russia's Belgorod region.

The border area has come under a number of attacks in recent weeks, with Russia blaming Ukraine, Kyiv denying it's behind them, and two pro-Ukrainian militant groups, one being the RDK, claiming responsibility.

In a video posted by the RDK, at least four fighters are shown on a residential road near the southern outskirts of Nova Tavolzhanka, about a mile from the border of Ukraine's Kharkiv.

Two fighters face the camera: one holding the blue flag of the RDK while another says the group was the only force left in the town.

"Since [Governor of Belgorod Oblast Vyacheslav Gladkov] cannot control his territory, we will talk with his leaders, who are in Moscow," they said.

In another, a soldier is recorded as he moves through a deserted street.

Sky News has not been able to independently verify the clips.

It comes just a day after Denis Nikitin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, appeared in a joint video statement by the RDK and the other militant group, Freedom of Russia Legion,

The two groups offered to meet Mr Gladkov for talks and a potential handover of two captive Russian soldiers, but he rejected their offer.

While Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Kyiv today, and US President Joe Biden has held talks with Denmark's prime minister, Vladimir Putin has been holding a session of his own.

The Russian president met the chief executive of Russia's railways Oleg Belozerov and the country's transport minister Vitaly Saveliev in the Kremlin earlier today.

The officials discussed transport in the illegally annexed regions of Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Mr Saveliev claimed that his ministry has "five airports in overall development: Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia."

Here are some photos from the meeting...

Joe Biden is set to hold critical talks on support for Ukraine with Rishi Sunak, and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen this week.

The meetings will focus heavily on the war in Ukraine, including the effort to train and eventually equip Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets.

The UK and Denmark have played a pivotal role in the joint international plan, which Mr Biden has only recently endorsed after months of resisting calls from Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Mr Biden met Mr Frederiksen earlier today, where the two leaders pledge to work together to address Russian aggression in Ukraine.

He is due to meet Mr Sunak on Thursday.

"One of the things we’ll be looking for their perspectives on and the president will be interested in sharing his perspectives on is the long term security needs of Ukraine," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

"And that's really where the F-16s kind of come into this discussion."

Denmark has purchased dozens of American-made F-16s since the 1970s and has indicated it is open to the possibility of providing Ukraine with some.

The UK strongly advocated for a coalition to supply Ukraine with fighter planes, and says it will support Ukraine getting the F-16s it wants.

But it does not have any F-16s to give, and has ruled out sending Royal Air Force Typhoon jets. Instead, it has offered to train Ukrainian pilots on how to use the fighter jets.

At least nine people have been wounded in a Russian missile attack on a town in Kharkiv, the head of the region's state administration has said.

Oleg Sinegubov said Balaklia was struck by a Russian Smerch multiple rocket launcher earlier today.

Of the nine people injured in the attack, three of them are in a serious condition, he said on Telegram.

He added that the strike hit a private sector of the town, where "only civilian infrastructure exists".

He also shared this image of the destruction...

Children from the Russian border region of Belgorod have arrived in Crimea.

Some 277 children arrived at a specialised hospital in Brigantina near Evpatoria, according to Belgorod's health minister Andrey Ikonnikov.

On 1 June, the Russian-installed head of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov wrote in his Telegram channel that Crimea was ready to provide assistance to the region after it came under a number of attacks.

Earlier today, the Russian military said that it repelled the latest Ukrainian incursion into the border area.

Kyiv has not commented on the allegations but has denied involvement in previous attacks.

Ukraine now has enough weapons to begin its counteroffensive, its foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.

His comments come after he met the UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly earlier today.

Mr Kuleba added that the operation will give Ukraine the victory it needs to join NATO, saying its membership to the military alliance would "probably" only be possible once active hostilities ended.

When asked if his county's counteroffensive had already begun, Mr Kuleba avoided the question and said the most important thing was not when it started, but that it ended in Ukrainian victory.

He added that NATO membership was the next big target on Ukraine's agenda after some of its allies agreed to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 fighter jets coveted by Kyiv.

"We [already] unlocked all weapons... There is nothing big left to fight for," he said.

"NATO membership cannot stop this war, but NATO membership will stop further wars."

"This is why the best way to ensure security in the region is to come to the moment when Ukraine becomes a member of NATO," he added.

Some more details from the meeting earlier today between James Cleverly and Volodymyr Zelenskyy...

The UK foreign secretary met the Ukrainian president, and the country's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, during Mr Cleverly's second visit to Kyiv.

The pair discussed how the UK can continue to best support Ukraine, from the battlefield to banking guarantees, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The visit comes amid preparations for the Ukraine recovery conference in London later in June, which will focus on boosting the nation's economy.

"As Ukraine continues its sustained fightback against Russia, I was able to see for myself the true horrors and devastation of what Russia has wreaked on this sovereign state," said Mr Cleverly.

"Ukraine will win this war and can count on our support."

Here are some of the latest photos from the meeting...

Leopard tanks have been seen for the "first time" in Donetsk, a senior Russian separatist official has claimed.

Western countries donated a number of the battle tanks to Ukraine earlier in the war.

Alexander Khodakovsky, the deputy head of the Russian national guard in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said they were spotted in Novodonetsk - a settlement where Russia has claimed Ukraine launched an attack last night.

"The situation on Novodonetsk and to the left towards Velikonovoselovka is difficult - the enemy, having felt our weak points, is stepping up his efforts," Mr Khodakovksy said on Telegram.

"For the first time we saw Leopards in our tactical area. As I expected yesterday - smelling the smell of success, the enemy will throw additional forces into the battle."

Donetsk is one of four regions that Vladimir Putin illegally annexed last year, although it is only partially controlled by Moscow.

Earlier, Russia claimed its forces had thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive at five points in parts of the region.

By OSINT producer, Jack Taylor

The Russian defence ministry has claimed that Ukraine launched a "large-scale" offensive in the south of the Donetsk region.

Ukraine is attempting an information blackout on any possible offensive but what evidence is there online?

Sky News' data and forensics team has been monitoring videos posted to social media and various Russian war reporters that cover the conflict.

Russian sources are reporting that Ukraine has launched attacks around specific settlements in Donetsk.

Each point on this map is related to a specific location described in reporting. This area also matches where the Russian defence ministry has claimed the Ukrainian offensive is taking place.

One post claimed that Ukrainian forces made gains into Novodonetsk, which is just behind the currently assessed front line in the south of Donetsk.

These individual reports cannot be confirmed by Sky News.

There is some visual evidence of fighting in the areas of South Donetsk from recent days that can be verified, though.

This video was released today by the Russian defence ministry, claiming to show the destruction of Ukrainian equipment.

It features multiple vehicles and explosions but due to the image quality, it is hard to conclude much else.

It can be geo-located to the same area of Donetsk as the reported offensive based on distinctive natural landmarks and fields seen in satellite imagery.

It is one of four videos that Sky News has verified today.

Russian military bloggers have reported that there is also military activity in the Bakhmut area.

There has been ongoing fighting in this area and it's unclear from posts if these reports are of increased intensity.

One Russian blogger reported that fighting has taken place to the southwest of Bakhmut and Soledar, a mining town north of Bakhmut, is under heavy artillery fire.

By Sky's international correspondent, John Sparks

We've been waiting for months for a spring offensive that now seems to be shifting to the summer.

The West has helped to build up Ukraine's military arsenal, it has helped with training and intelligence - and so anticipation here and everywhere else is at fever pitch.

It seems that level of anticipation is also being felt in Russia where today the defence ministry claimed the counteroffensive had begun.

However, whether we've seen the beginning of the counteroffensive is subject to much speculation and debate.

Experts we've spoken to have pointed to a range of military engagements right along the 1,000 km long frontier suggesting that at this moment the Ukrainians are probing.

They're looking for weaknesses in Russian defences but haven't begun the counteroffensive properly.

Proof of that may be found in the fact that we haven't seen any proof of any new Western armaments being used in combat - for example, the Challenger tank.

Nor is there proof of a major thrust by the Ukrainians on the front line.

What we do know is that the Russians are well dug in, they've prepared multiple defensive lines, with the deployment of land mines and anti-tank traps.

It will be a major challenge for the Ukrainians to make the sort of advances that they were able to accomplish in their last counteroffensive.

The pressure is on Ukraine - expectations have risen along with the help that they've received and they will need to make significant and substantial progress to avoid having to open up talks with Putin.