Ukraine knows NATO membership has to wait, Zelensky says
From Yulia Kesaieva and Tim Lister
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 2. Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he understands that Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO while it is still at war.
"We understand we will not be a NATO member, while the war is waging. Not because we don't want [that], but because it's impossible," he said at a news conference in Kyiv.
The alliance's treaty includes Article 5, a collective defense provision that pledges members to come to the assistance of any state that is under attack.
"Give me an example of one NATO country which is in a state of war with Russia right now; or which NATO country has Russian troops on its territory," Zelensky said.
9:57 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023
Casualties reported on both sides as attacks continue in southern Ukraine
From Yulia Kesaieva
Both Russia and Ukraine have reported casualties in the ongoing shelling in southern Ukraine.
Nine people were injured in shelling in the Russian-occupied port city of Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov on Friday, according to Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-appointed local official, who claimed that the strike was "carried out by the [Armed Forces of Ukraine] militants."
The city lies along the coast from Mariupol, an area that is believed to be among the sites Ukraine will attempt to reclaim in its counteroffensive. It is deep in Russian-controlled territory, around 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) from the front line. That means that if Ukraine was behind the alleged strike, the use of Storm Shadow missiles would be a likely option.
Separately, four civilians were injured and two women were killed in the settlement of Komyshuvakha, which is south-east of the city of Zaporizhzhia, according to Yurii Malashko, head of Zaporizhzhia region military administration.
"Akhmat" Chechen special forces launch offensive in eastern Ukraine, Russian defense ministry says
From CNN’s Uliana Pavlova
The “Akhmat” group of Chechen special forces had launched an offensive in the Marinka direction in eastern Ukraine, the Russian defense ministry said on Friday.
On Wednesday, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov had said that the Chechen special forces were preparing for the offensive amid intensifying attacks on the Russian border region of Belgorod.
“Friends, the Chechen units have received a new order to redeploy their forces. The territories of the Donetsk People's Republic become the zone of responsibility,” Kadyrov said in a Telegram statement.
“According to the order, the fighters of the Chechen units must begin active combat operations and liberate a number of settlements,” he said.
Some background: The city of Marinka, which is now in ruins, has been on the front lines since the beginning of the invasion, with fighting at close-quarters among the rubble continuing almost daily. The Ukrainian military has said there are Chechen units at various points along the front lines in Donetsk region.
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."
9:03 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023
9 injured in shelling of Russian-occupied city of Berdiansk, local official says
From Olga Voitovych
Nine people were injured in shelling in the Russian-occupied port city of Berdiansk on Friday, according to a Russian-appointed local official.
“Information about the dead is being clarified,” Vladimir Rogov said.
The strike on "peaceful Berdiansk was carried out by the [Armed Forces of Ukraine] militants," Rogov had said earlier.
Some background: Berdiansk is a port city on Sea of Azov on Ukraine's southern coast. It has been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of the conflict. Its port has previously been targeted by Ukrainian forces. The city lies along the coast from Mariupol, an area that is believed to be among the sites Ukraine will attempt to reclaim in its counteroffensive.
Berdiansk is deep in Russian-controlled territory, around 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) from the front line. That means that if Ukraine was behind the alleged strike, the use of Storm Shadow missiles would be a likely option.
8:58 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023
Lavrov tells US envoy to “mind his own business” over South Africa’s alleged arms supply to Russia
From CNN's Nimi Princewell
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends a news conference in Bujumbura, Burundi, on May 30. Russian Foreign Ministry/Reuters
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has berated the US for “interfering” in South Africa’s affairs and has asked America’s envoy to the country to “mind his own business,” following allegations that South Africa supplied arms and ammunition to Russia last year.
In an explosive revelation last month, US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety told South African media he was confident that its government “uploaded weapons and ammunition” onto a Russian cargo vessel “between the 6th to the 8th of December 2022.”
“I would bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion,” Brigety added, triggering an independent inquiry by local authorities on the allegations.
Lavrov, who is on an African tour to strengthen his country’s bilateral relations with the continent, addressed Brigety’s accusations at a news conference in Mozambique Wednesday, claiming that Russia’s relations with South Africa comply with international law.
“If the American or any other overseas ambassador thought he or she saw something, they should mind their own business and not get involved in other people’s affairs,” Russia’s foreign affairs ministry quoted Lavrov to have said while responding to questions at the Wednesday press conference in the Mozambican capital Maputo.
Some background: The South African government has come under intense criticism for its stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has routinely abstained from votes condemning Russia at the United Nations General Assembly.
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.
In February of this year, South Africa convened naval war games off its coast including both the Russian and Chinese military.
Later this year, South Africa will host the BRICS summit, a grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Russian President Vladimir Putin was invited to that summit.
CNN's David McKenzie contributed to this post.
8:46 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023
Russia has deployed special forces unit to its Belgorod region, Ukraine claims
From Olga Voitovych in Kyiv and Sarah Dean in London
A Russian special forces unit has been deployed to Russia’s Belgorod border region because of “partisan” activity, Ukraine’s National Resistance Center – an official body — said Friday.
“Because of the need to fight the partisan movement, the detachment of the 322nd center of the Russian SOF ‘Senezh’ arrived on the territory of the Belgorod region,” the centre said. “The Russians are so afraid of partisans that they urgently stopped all operations of this elite unit and instead placed it in the border settlements of the Belgorod region. The task of the unit is to conduct anti-sabotage activities on the Russian border,” they added. CNN cannot independently verify this claim.
It comes after the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video showing Russian forces purportedly hitting targets in Belgorod. Russian combat aircraft "delivered nine strikes against retreating Ukrainian formations and enemy reserves," the ministry added. Earlier, this week the Kremlin said it is concerned about the situation in Belgorod.
Recent developments: Shelling in the Belgorod region, killed two women, the region's governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a Telegram post Friday.
He blamed Ukrainian forces for the shelling, saying they had fired at a road in the village of Maslova Pristan, in the Shebekino district. Ukraine has not commented on the claim.
9:28 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023
It’s mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here’s what you need to know
From CNN staff
Russia’s drone and missile strikes on Kyiv continued into Friday as air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian officials reported attacks on several regions including Kursk and Belgorod.
Here are the latest developments:
Airstrikes on Kyiv: Ukrainian air defenses shot down 36 drones and missiles over Kyiv overnight into Friday, according to the head of Kyiv’s military administration Serhiy Popko. Two people were injured by falling debris. The latest strikes come a day after three people were killed in a drone attack after being unable to enter a closed bomb shelter.
Shelling of Belgorod: Fighting has continued in the Russian region of Belgorod, more than a week after a group of anti-Putin Russian nationals aligned with Ukraine launched a cross-border assault on their motherland. Ukrainian shelling of the region killed two women, according to governor Vyacheslav Gladkov in a Telegram post Friday. Ukraine has not commented on the claim.
Explosions in Berdiansk: Multiple explosions shook the Russian-occupied port city of Berdiansk in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia on Friday, according to both Russian-appointed and Ukrainian local authorities. Ukrainian officials from the city administration said they are “grateful to the Ukrainian Armed Forces for bringing the liberation of the city closer.”
China plays peacemaker: China’s special representative on Eurasian affairs Li Hui said Friday that neither Russia nor Ukraine has “shut the door” to peace talks, claiming that “the parties are not completely without consensus.” However, Ukraine has repeatedly stated it would not involve a settlement that would involve the loss of any of its territories – conditions that Russia has shown no sign of consenting to.
Sweden’s NATO scramble: NATO officials are in a race against time to avoid the embarrassment of seeing the alliance miss its own stated aim of admitting Sweden into its ranks by July 11. Turkey, which has criticized some recent actions of the Swedish government, may block Sweden from joining – in what would be a boost to Putin, with whom Turkish President Recep Tayyip Ergodan told CNN he shared a “special relationship.”
Russian death toll: About 208,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, a spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has claimed. CNN has not been able to independently confirm this figure. The Biden administration said in May that Russia had suffered more than 100,000 casualties – meaning both those killed and wounded – since December.
8:03 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023
Zelensky orders audit of all bomb shelters in Ukraine
From Olga Voitovych and Sarah Dean
A man sits next to the body of his granddaughter who was killed during a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 1. Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered an audit of all bomb shelters in Ukraine after three people were killed Thursday when they were unable to access a closed shelter in Kyiv.
Participants of a high-level government security meeting "reacted harshly to the people's deaths near a closed bomb shelter," he said in a statement Friday, adding that he has instructed a Ukrainian minister, Alexander Kamyshin, to "conduct a full audit of all Kyiv's defense structures" and deliver a report in 10 days.
Another minister, Ihor Klymenko, is tasked with doing the same for the whole of Ukraine, Zelensky added.
7:46 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023
Russia’s war in Ukraine has been a "strategic failure," top US diplomat says
From CNN’s Catherine Nicholls in London
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a speech at the Helsinki City Hall, in Helsinki, Finland, on June 2. Lehtikuva/Reuters
Russia’s war in Ukraine has been a "strategic failure" that has diminished the country's influence and interests "for years to come," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Helsinki, Finland, on Friday.
“There is no question,” he added, “Russia is significantly worse off today than it was before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – militarily, economically, geopolitically.”
Reiterating US support for Ukraine and its commitment to "just and lasting peace," he said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has only strengthened large-scale international resolve.
“Where Putin aimed to project strength, he’s revealed weakness,” Blinken said, “Where he sought to divide, he’s united. What he tried to prevent, he’s precipitated.”
