Summary of the day
Here are all the key developments in the Russia-Ukraine war today:
Russian air strikes on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region on Wednesday afternoon hit a clinic and a pharmacy, killing at least three people, a local official said.
The Swiss government will host a two-day high-level conference in June aimed at achieving peace in Ukraine, although Russia has made clear it will not take part in the initiative.
Eight Nordic and Baltic nations are pushing for more support for Ukraine. Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billstrom on He said the country supported “an increased role for Nato in providing security related assistance to Ukraine”.
Ukraine and Britain signed a framework agreement to cooperate in the defence and arms production sector, officials said in Kyiv, part of a wartime effort to build up Ukraine’s domestic weapons industry by working with allies.
An EU court removed war-related sanctions against prominent billionaires Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, in a surprise victory for the Russian oligarchs in their fight against western sanctions.
China vowed not to accept “criticism or pressure” over its ties with Russia, after Washington warned that it will hold Beijing responsible if Moscow makes gains in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Ukraine downed 14 of 17 attack drones launched by Russia and two of several guided missiles targeting Odesa and the Mykolaiv region.
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The top US general in Europe told Congress on Wednesday that Ukraine will run out of artillery shells and air defence interceptors “in fairly short order” without US support, leaving them vulnerable to a partial or total defeat.
General Christopher Cavoli, the commander of European Command, told the House Armed Services Committee:
If one side can shoot and the other side can’t shoot back, the side that can’t shoot back loses. So the stakes are very high.
