Key Points
- Putin being fed false battlefield information on Russian forces in war – ISW
- Zelensky asks Trump for more Patriot missiles to stop Putin's attacks
- Zelensky warns new assault possible after 23 killed in major Russian attack
- Russia repels drone attack over Leningrad and Moscow ahead of major forum
- Russia bans entry to five UK nationals including Washington Post journalist
'Russia is losing' insists Kyiv after major blitz of Ukrainian cities
Tuesday 2 June 2026 15:33 , James Reynolds
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha says defiantly that Russia is still “losing on the battlefield”, following a major blitz on Ukrainian cities overnight.
At least 18 people have been killed after Russia launched one of the largest aerial attacks of the four-year war.
Writing on social media, Sybiha says the only reason for the attack “is that Putin is a war criminal and loser who has no cards except terror”.
“Moscow is losing on the battlefield. No number of missiles can change this. What we can change is Russia’s ability to continue terror. I urge partners to act, not only condemn. There are concrete steps that can be taken.”
He goes on to urge allies to help Ukraine buy American Patriot interceptor systems, and to ramp up pressure on Russia through sanctions, travel bans for combatants, the use of frozen assets, and isolation.
Seven killed and 11 injured after drone hits bus in Russia-held Donetsk
05:33 , Arpan Rai
A drone attack has killed seven people and injured another 11 in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region this morning, the Kremlin-installed head of the region said.
Denis Pushilin, posting on the Telegram messaging app, said the drone hit a passenger bus travelling between Moscow and Simferopol in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Former Irish rugby player delivers medical aid in Ukraine's Kherson
05:26 , Arpan Rai
Former Irish rugby player Shane Leahy has travelled to the frontline city of Kherson to deliver medical supplies.
Leahy is chief executive of the telecoms company Oxygen8, which has co-ordinated the distribution of more than €200 million in medical aid since the war began in 2022, reported The Irish Times.
He set up a charity called One4Humanity which delivers the aid from US charity Heart to Heart International.
“We supply medicines to the Ukraine ministry of health, and they had a problem with a warehouse over here, so they asked us to deliver directly to the hospitals instead of bringing it to their distribution point... I loaded up the truck,” Leahy told the newspaper.
Putin being fed false battlefield information on Russian forces in war – ISW
05:11 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin is being fed false information from the battlefield, a Washington-based think tank monitoring the war said.
“ISW recently assessed that the Russian military command’s repeated exaggerations of the Russian military’s successes on the ground have likely given Putin a false perception of the battlefield situation,” the Institute for the Study of War said.
It added: “These exaggerations are likely leading Putin to believe his forces can achieve his goals in the near to medium term despite the fact that Russia’s battlefield performance has steadily declined in 2026.”
This perception is despite senior Russian officials warning Putin that spending on the war in Ukraine is currently unaffordable, according to a report.
Zelensky asks Trump for more Patriot missiles to stop Putin's attacks
04:46 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine was short of weapons to counter incoming Russian missiles and urged the US to provide more Patriot missiles to stop attacks from Russia.
"Unfortunately, the current level of supplies for our air defence does not enable us to intercept a significant portion of the missiles," he said.
He said more than 70 missiles and 650 drones had been deployed overnight and Russian forces had deployed 100 more drones throughout the day on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian president urged Washington to send additional Patriot missile interceptors.
"If Ukraine is not protected from ballistic and other missile strikes, these attacks will continue," Zelensky said on Telegram.
“Europe needs its own anti-ballistic missiles so that this war can finally end. And we definitely need the help of the United States in supplying missiles such as Patriots. We count on the support of our partners and effective responses to today’s strike,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky warns new assault possible after 23 killed in major Russian attack
04:36 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow could launch a new assault for the second night in a row after a major attack yesterday left 23 dead and 130 wounded.
Zelensky said there was evidence Russian forces could strike again on Tuesday night.
"According to our intelligence, another large-scale attack may occur tonight," he said in his nightly video address. "Please, I strongly urge you to pay attention to air raid alerts."
Unfortunately, the current level of supplies for our air defense does not allow us to intercept a significant share of missiles. Last night, there were hits. 130 people were injured. Tragically, 22 people were killed, including two children. My condolences to all those who have… pic.twitter.com/NeQpm6JOFV
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 2, 2026
Russia repels drone attack over Leningrad and Moscow ahead of major forum
04:17 , Arpan Rai
Russia has downed three drones over the Leningrad region to the northwest of Moscow and continues to repel the attacks, regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said as a major annual economic forum was about to start.
The Leningrad region, home to crucial energy export infrastructure and a major oil refinery, is hosting its fifth wartime economic conference, president Vladimir Putin's "Russian Davos", in St Petersburg from today.
The investment forum, the fifth since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, opens just hours after a deadly drone and missile attack on Kyiv which Russia said was in response to a deadly attack on a dormitory in Russian-controlled Luhansk.
In St Petersburg, Russia's second-biggest city and Putin's hometown, the Pulkovo airport was temporarily restricting incoming and departing flights, Russian aviation watchdog, Rosaviatsia, said on Telegram.
Another 13 drones heading to Moscow were downed in the early hours of Wednesday, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Russia bans entry to five UK nationals including Washington Post journalist
04:07 , Arpan Rai
Russia has banned five British nationals, including The Washington Post journalist Catherine Belton and The i Paper correspondent Richard Holmes, from entering the country, the foreign ministry said on its website late on Tuesday.
Belton is an investigative correspondent focusing on Russia and previously reported about the country for the Financial Times and Reuters among other media.
Holmes, an award-winning investigative journalist and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, is a security correspondent at Britain's The i Paper.
The foreign ministry said the entry ban was an answer to the "provocative anti-Russian rhetoric of British officials, the spread of insinuations about Russia, and London's practical steps to supply the Kyiv regime with weapons".
Other Britons named under the ban were Alexander Browder, a contributor for the Henry Jackson Society policy think tank; Alice Laugher, chief executive of humanitarian staffing firm Committed to Good; and Richard Westbury, chairman of the Chelsea Group, parent company of Committed to Good.
The UK is among countries which imposed sanctions on Russia, including travel bans, after Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Drones damage outbuildings at industrial facility in Russia's Tambov
03:55 , Arpan Rai
Drones hit the city of Michurinsk in the central Russian Tambov region, governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said on Telegram this morning.
He added that outbuildings at an industrial facility, an apartment building and a library were among sites damaged. There were no injuries, he said.
Where have peace talks been left?
01:00 , James Reynolds
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have been on hold since February, when the United States shifted focus to its new war in the Middle East.
Moscow and Kyiv walked away from talks in Geneva no closer to a deal, as Ukraine suggested the US was unfairly demanding Kyiv alone make concessions to end the war.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said the last round of direct talks had been “difficult” and accused Russia of deliberately stalling, with the issue of territory still in dispute.
What does either side want?
Russia insists on its demands for Ukrainian territory and the withdrawal of forces from its borders.
Ukraine insists it needs clear security guarantees from allies to stop Russia reopening the conflict and says it cannot and will not give up territory sought by Russia.
The lands in the east include industry heavy regions and Ukraine’s belt of ‘fortress cities’ to protect against invasion.
Will talks start again?
Volodymyr Zelensky said late in April that he was keen to meet with Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, in an effort to restart negotiations.
While Ukraine claimed a string of wins on the ground, Zelensky warned that US attention on the war with Iran was soaking up resources and leaving Ukraine with critical shortages of air defences.
But the Kremlin said Putin would only meet Zelensky in Moscow for the purpose of finalising agreements on the conflict.
Turkey said it was making efforts to restart talks and bring together the leaders, after hosting delegations in July 2025.
Zelensky told CBS on Sunday he wants to press on with talks on securing peace with Russia before the onset of winter to take account of Kyiv’s improved strategic position.
Recap: Ukraine has evidence stolen children are being pushed onto battlefield, says Zelensky
Wednesday 3 June 2026 00:00 , James Reynolds
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of the largest attacks of the war
Tuesday 2 June 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
At least 18 people have been killed across Ukraine after Russia launched one of the largest aerial attacks of the four-year war overnight.
Russian forces launched 73 missiles and 656 attack drones at targets in Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Air Force, which added that 40 missiles and 602 drones had been downed or intercepted.
But 30 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and 33 attack drones struck 38 locations nationwide, it added, with more than 500 emergency service workers drawn own to put out fires and rescue people trapped in flattened homes.
As it happened:
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of war’s largest attacks
Nato to launch scaled-back drills in the Baltic
Tuesday 2 June 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
The US and allies are set to launch this year’s largest operations in the Baltic next week, bringing together vessels from some 15 nations with around 6,000 personnel.
At a time of heightened tension with Russia in the north, the drills are expected to be around half the size of those last year, with ships drawn away by conflicts in other regions, a top German official said.
But officials say the smaller footprint reflects operational realities rather than waning commitment.
“In this period, it is a sign of the alliance's strength, that a major exercise is being conducted, under U.S. leadership, with broad NATO participation”, German Rear Admiral Stephan Haisch said.
“It is a sign of the alliance's unity and strength, and I am speaking of all allies here.”
The US BALTOPS naval exercise will run from 4 June until 20 June.
Russian-installed Crimea governor calls for calm amid fuel shortages
Tuesday 2 June 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of the government of Crimea, said on Tuesday that people should be patient and calm amid gasoline shortages on the peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Crimea has been suffering from fuel shortages after Ukrainian drone attacks constricted supplies from adjoining Russian-controlled territory.
Russia claims strikes on 10 Ukrainian factories in Kyiv
Tuesday 2 June 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that its massive overnight strike on Ukraine which authorities there say killed at least 18 people had hit ten military production facilities in Kyiv, including some factories producing attack drones.
Russia had also struck three recruitment centres for the Ukrainian armed forces in Kyiv, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
It said the attack was in response to a Ukrainian drone attack on a student dormitory in Russian-controlled Luhansk in eastern Ukraine last month which killed 21 people and injured a further 42 "as well as other terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure."
Ukraine denies targeting the dorm and said it was targeting a drone command centre in the area.
In Focus: Inside Svalbard – the Arctic island that would put UK in the crosshairs of a Putin strike
Tuesday 2 June 2026 19:00 , James Reynolds
As Norway’s prime minister sounds the alarm over Putin possibly looking to exert force in the Arctic, Richard Williams, based in Norway, talks to locals living in fear and reports on the escalating tensions around the icy archipelago that would give Russia the power to ‘directly threaten’ the UK:
Inside Norway’s archipelago that can put the UK in Putin’s crosshairs
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of the largest attacks of the war
Tuesday 2 June 2026 18:00 , James Reynolds
At least 18 people have been killed across Ukraine after Russia launched one of the largest aerial attacks of the four-year war overnight.
Russian forces launched 73 missiles and 656 attack drones at targets in Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Air Force, which added that 40 missiles and 602 drones had been downed or intercepted.
But 30 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and 33 attack drones struck 38 locations nationwide, it added, with more than 500 emergency service workers drawn own to put out fires and rescue people trapped in flattened homes.
As it happened:
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of war’s largest attacks
Recap: Putin unleashes major attack on Ukrainian cities
Tuesday 2 June 2026 17:00 , James Reynolds
In focus: Inside Svalbard – Russia’s Arctic prize that would put London in striking distance
Tuesday 2 June 2026 16:30 , James Reynolds
As Norway’s prime minister sounds the alarm over Putin possibly looking to exert force in the Arctic, Richard Williams, based in Norway, talks to locals living in fear and reports on the escalating tensions around the icy archipelago that would give Russia the power to ‘directly threaten’ the UK:
Inside Norway’s archipelago that can put the UK in Putin’s crosshairs
Update: At least 22 killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine
Tuesday 2 June 2026 16:28 , James Reynolds
At least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in heavy Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, according to local authorities.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had fired 73 missiles and more than 600 drones in the overnight attack and urged Washington to send additional Patriot missile interceptors to replenish Kyiv's dwindling supplies.
Photographs on Tuesday showed large explosions and smoke billowing over high-rise buildings in Kyiv, where officials said six people were killed and over 80 wounded.
Sixteen people were killed overnight, including two young boys, in the southeastern city of Dnipro, local officials said. Russia attacked the city again later on Tuesday, and at least two more people were injured.
It was the third heavy assault on Kyiv in under a month, but Russia has been relentlessly attacking Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, since it invaded its smaller neighbour in 2022.
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of war’s largest attacks
In pictures: Firefighters work to extinguish flames following Russian attacks on Kyiv
Tuesday 2 June 2026 16:00 , James Reynolds
Recap: Russia's Ilsky oil refinery on fire after Ukrainian drone attack
Tuesday 2 June 2026 15:30 , James Reynolds
Russia's Ilsky oil refinery in its southern Krasnodar region caught fire after an overnight Ukrainian drone attack, local authorities said on Tuesday, amid Kyiv's campaign to starve Russia's economy of oil revenues.
Kyiv has been systematically targeting Russia's energy infrastructure in an effort to limit Moscow's ability to finance its more than four-year-old war in Ukraine at a time of high global oil prices.
The Ukrainian General Staff, which has repeatedly hit the Ilsky refinery this year, confirmed it had struck it again, saying the facility produced fuel for the Russian army fighting in Ukraine.
It was not immediately clear if the export-oriented refinery's operations had been disrupted or if there were any casualties. Nor was there any immediate word on whether the fire there had been put out.
The Ilsky refinery has a capacity of around 138,000 barrels per day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that his forces had struck 15 Russian oil refineries in multiple attacks between January and May, creating shortages of fuel in Crimea and other Russian-held regions.
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian drone and missile strike in Kyiv
Tuesday 2 June 2026 15:00 , James Reynolds
Recap: UK and France intercept suspected Russian oil tanker in Atlantic
Tuesday 2 June 2026 14:30 , James Reynolds
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of the largest attacks of the war
Tuesday 2 June 2026 14:23 , James Reynolds
At least 18 people have been killed across Ukraine after Russia launched one of the largest aerial attacks of the four-year war overnight.
Russian forces launched 73 missiles and 656 attack drones at targets in Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Air Force, which added that 40 missiles and 602 drones had been downed or intercepted.
But 30 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and 33 attack drones struck 38 locations nationwide, it added, with more than 500 emergency service workers drawn own to put out fires and rescue people trapped in flattened homes.
As it happened:
‘I’ve lost hope’: Ukraine reels after Russia launches one of war’s largest attacks
Russia hits Naftogaz facility in Ukraine's Kharkiv, company says
Tuesday 2 June 2026 14:00 , James Reynolds
Russia struck one of Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz's key facilities in the northeastern Kharkiv region in two waves of attacks with drones and missiles, the company said on Tuesday.
“This is a deliberate tactic of terror,” said Naftogaz CEO Sergii Koretskyi.
“This is how the Russians are trying to inflict maximum damage not only on infrastructure, but also on people who are rescuing, repairing, and rebuilding.”
Naftogaz was reviewing and tightening its security protocols, he added.
Russian officials tell Putin war in Ukraine is unaffordable
Tuesday 2 June 2026 13:30 , James Reynolds
Senior Russian officials have warned Vladimir Putin that spending on the war in Ukraine is currently unaffordable, according to a report.
People familiar with the matter and documents seen by Bloomberg News suggest officials in Russia’s finance ministry and central bank have advised the Kremlin that the current level of projected defence spending risks the budget deficit spiralling.
A letter to Putin from his finance minister earlier this year, seen by the FT last month, reportedly urged the cebinet to freeze around $40bn in planned non-war-related spending this year as the cost of the conflict bites.
Russia expects to run at least $28bn over budget on its war spending this year, the letter was reported to have warned.
Russia’s ballooning $28bn Ukraine war bill forces Putin to make spending cuts
Nato to significantly bolster eastern flank against Russia after Putin’s threats
Tuesday 2 June 2026 13:00 , James Reynolds
NATO is set to significantly bolster its eastern flank, tasking the German-Netherlands Corps with the command of allied troops in Estonia and Latvia should a conflict with Russia arise.
The move, announced jointly by Germany and the Netherlands on Thursday, marks a critical step in strengthening the alliance’s defensive posture.
Currently, NATO forces across the three Baltic nations and northern Poland operate under a single multinational headquarters. Establishing a second command zone is expected to enable the alliance to deploy more troops to the Baltics, a region deemed most vulnerable to a potential Russian attack.
Nato to significantly bolster eastern flank against Russia after Putin’s threats
Hungary's Magyar eyes talks with Zelensky
Tuesday 2 June 2026 12:46 , James Reynolds
Hungary’s new prime minister Peter Magyar said on Tuesday he is ready to meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky next week if technical talks on minority rights end this week.
The issue has long strained the relationship and proven an obstacle to Kyiv’s EU accession bid.
The move to address the rights of the Hungarian minority that lives in Ukraine signals a step towards improving relations under Magyar, who broke Viktor Orban’s long stint as PM earlier this year.
