Kari Paul here. It is nearly 3am in Kyiv and I am logging off for the day as we close the blog for the evening. Here are the latest updates on the war in Ukraine you should know.
- Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer has stated that in talks with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president indicated he was “prepared to discuss a prisoner swap with Ukraine”.
- Independent news source Meduza has reported that officials close to the Kremlin have said Russia is “planning full-scale victory in Ukraine by autumn” and may again try to take the capital city of Kyiv.
- The governor of Ukraine’s eastern region of Luhansk stated that Ukrainian forces may be forced to retreat from the zone to avoid being captured.
- A Nato defence ministry meeting to discuss the war will next take place on 15 and 16 June, reports Nexta.
- New UN figures have revealed that 4,031 civilians have died since Russia first invaded Ukraine in February, including 261 children.
- US president Joe Biden accused Vladimir Putin of attempting to “wipe out” Ukrainian culture and identity during a speech today, reports the Washington Post.
- The US is expected to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine that could be announced as early as next week, reports CNN.
- Officials in Ukraine – including president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in his nightly address on Friday – have appealed for additional assistance from the west as the Donbas region faces “an obvious policy of genocide” from Russian forces there.
Updated
Ukrainian officials sound alarm on Mariupol horrors elsewhere in Donbas
Officials in Ukraine are appealing for additional assistance from the west as the Donbas region risks a potential repeat of horrors seen in the city of Mariupol in recent months.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also appealed for additional forces in his nightly address on Friday, as Moscow-backed separatists have pounded the country’s industrial region in recent days.
He said the attacks could leave communities in ashes, accusing Moscow of pursuing “an obvious policy of genocide” through mass deportations and killings of civilians.
He took a harsh tone when discussing the response from the European Union, which is locked in discussions on a deal to invoke a sixth round of sanctions – one currently being blocked by Hungary, one of Moscow’s closest allies in the EU.
Mariupol has been left in shambles after a sustained siege, with hundreds killed and survivors forcibly deported to Russia.
EU leaders have attempted to negotiate changes to ease the global food crisis in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but said Friday little progress has been made.
“If you are asking me if there are openings for peace, the answer is no,” Italian Premier Mario Draghi said told reporters of the talks.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer also stated that he has engaged with Putin on a prisoner exchange, stating the Russian president indicated efforts to arrange one would be “intensified”.
Updated
