Russia 'destroys Ukraine's last warship'
Russia said it had destroyed Ukraine’s “last warship” two days ago in a missile strike.
“The last warship of the Ukrainian navy, the Yuriy Olefirenko, was destroyed at a warship mooring in the port of Odesa,” said the Russian Defence Ministry Spokesman, Igor Konashenkov.
He said the vessel had been hit with “high-precision weapons” - a term he often uses to mean missiles - on May 29, but gave no further details.
Oleh Chalyk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian navy, declined to respond to Russia’s claims. The Ukrainian navy does not disclose details about losses in the war, he added.
03:01 PM
Today's liveblog is now closed
Thanks for following today’s liveblog.
We will be back tomorrow with all the latest updates on Ukraine.
03:00 PM
Ukraine-Russia war in pictures:
02:48 PM
Sweden should become Nato member before July summit, Norway foreign minister says
Sweden should become a full member of the Nato military alliance as soon as possible and before the Nato Vilnius summit in July, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said on Wednesday.
“There is absolutely no reason for holding Sweden back,” she said on the eve of a two-day Nato meeting of foreign ministers in Oslo.
02:33 PM
Watch: A powerful explosion near the 'three sisters'
A powerful explosion near the "three sisters" - on the border of Ukraine, belarus and russia.
The Ukrainian road was blown up near the "Three Sisters" — at the point where Ukraine (Chernihiv oblast), belarus (gomel region) and russia (bryansk region) meet. pic.twitter.com/NZjHhX2DeU— Ukraine Front Lines (@EuromaidanPR) May 30, 2023
02:31 PM
Prigozhin asks prosecutors to probe 'crime' by top Russian defence officials
Yevgeny Prigozhin has said that he had asked prosecutors to investigate whether senior Russian defence officials had committed any “crime” before or during the war in Ukraine.
“Today I have sent letters to the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation with a request to check on the fact of the commission of a crime during the preparation and during the conduct of the SMO (Special Military Operation) by a host of senior functionaries of the Defence Ministry,” the head of the Wagner group said in comments reported by Reuters.
“These letters will not be published due to the fact that the investigative authorities will deal with this.”
02:05 PM
Macron calls for 'tangible' Nato security guarantees for Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the West to offer Ukraine “tangible and credible” security guarantees, as it battles Russia’s invasion.
Stressing that Ukraine “is today protecting Europe”, Macron said in Bratislava it is in the West’s interest that Kyiv “have credible security guarantees with us within a multilateral framework”.
01:25 PM
Fire engulfs Russian oil refinery after drone attack
A large fire that broke out at an oil refinery in southern Russia was caused by a Ukrainian drone strike, the local governor has claimed.
The fire at the Afipsky oil refinery was soon put out and there were no casualties, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.
The refinery is close to the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, near another refinery that has been attacked several times this month.
12:57 PM
Germany tells Russia to close four consulates on its soil
Germany will drastically reduce Moscow’s diplomatic presence on its soil after Russia slashed the number of people Berlin can employ in its embassies and institutions in Russia, a foreign ministry spokesman has said.
“We have decided to withdraw consent for the operation of four of the five Russian consulates operating in Germany,” the spokesman told a regular government press conference.
12:38 PM
Woman who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault asks Putin for citizenship
The woman who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault during the 2020 presidential race has appeared in Moscow and asked Vladimir Putin for Russian citizenship.
Speaking from Moscow, Tara Reade claimed that her life was in danger and that she was facing imprisonment after she was called a Russian agent following her accusations against the US president.
Sitting alongside Maria Butina, a Russian politician and former spy who was arrested and imprisoned in Washington in 2018, Ms Reade said: “I just really so appreciate Maria and everyone who’s been giving me [protection] at a time when it’s been very difficult to know if I’m safe or not.
Read more from Verity Bowman here
11:58 AM
Ukraine says EU bans on its grain help Putin
Ukraine has warned that bans on its grain exports imposed by some EU countries were helping Russian President Vladimir Putin divide Europe.
Several of Ukraine’s neighbours, including staunch ally Poland, imposed temporary restrictions on Kyiv’s agricultural products last month.
“Continuation of restrictions means putting additional weapons in Putin’s hands against unity in Europe,” the Ukrainian agriculture ministry said on Twitter.
“Current restrictions must be cancelled.”
European Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski on Tuesday called for restrictions on grain imports imposed by some EU states to be extended at least until the end of October.
They are currently set to end on June 5.
11:32 AM
Pictured: Aftermath of strike in Belgorod
11:15 AM
Kremlin 'concerned' about reports of Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod
The Kremlin said that it was “concerned” about Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod region, a border province which has repeatedly come under attack from Kyiv’s forces in recent weeks.
The comments come as the region’s governor claimed that Ukrainian forces shelled Belgorod in a strike that injured four people, damaging buildings and setting vehicles on fire.
Two people were hospitalised as a result of the artillery strike on Shebekino, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on the Telegram messaging app.
The shelling smashed windows and damaged roofs of an eight-storey apartment building, four homes and a school, among others, he said.
10:28 AM
Badminton-BWF to consider allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete as neutrals
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) will consider allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals in international competitions, the sport’s governing body has said, a month after they had extended the ban.
The BWF first banned Russian and Belarusian athletes in March last year after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Last month the BWF said there was no “satisfactory justification” to lift the suspension on players and officials from the two countries when it extended the ban.
However, it has now changed its stance and could potentially align itself with the International Olympic Committee’s recommendations to allow athletes from both countries to return to competition as neutrals.
“The guiding principle for BWF is that athletes should always be allowed to participate in sport competitions without judgement of their passport and separate of any geo-political conflict outside the control of the sports movement,” it said.
09:51 AM
Drone crashes into Ilsky oil refinery
A drone crashed into the Ilsky oil refinery in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, causing no casualties or damage to infrastructure, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported, citing local officials.
The refinery lies around 40 miles east of Novorossiisk.
Russian officials have previously reported drone strikes on the Ilsky refinery, which is located across the Azov Sea from Ukraine.
09:42 AM
Watch: Major fire breaks out at the Afipsky Oil Refinery
Last night, a major fire broke out at the Afipsky Oil Refinery in the #Krasnodar Territory.
Governor Kondratiev has officially confirmed that it was caused by a drone strike, reports #Russian media. pic.twitter.com/z3W8QQgDx7— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 31, 2023
09:24 AM
Pictured: Ukrainian service members ride a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle
09:02 AM
Analysis: Surprise mass drone strike spells trouble in the air for Vladimir Putin
It is not only Muscovites who would have been shocked by the large-scale drone strike on the Russian capital on Tuesday.
Western observers have doubted whether Kyiv could threaten the city 500km from its border.
But Ukraine has long been developing its own equivalent of Russia’s Iranian-supplied “Shahid 136” suicide drones, which have been flung at Kyiv time and again in recent months.
Read more from Jimmy Rushton here
08:50 AM
Britain's 'goofy officials' should remember that Britain could be qualified as being at war, warns Medvedev
Britain is Moscow’s “eternal enemy” and any British officials who facilitate the war in Ukraine could be considered legitimate military targets, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has warned.
Responding to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s remark that Ukraine had a right to project force beyond its own borders, he said that Britain’s “goofy officials” should remember that Britain could be “qualified as being at war”.
The UK’s Foreign Secretary Cleverly has stated that Ukraine “has the legitimate right to … project force beyond its borders to undermine Russia’s ability to project force into Ukraine itself.” According to him, legitimate military targets beyond Ukraine’s border are part of its…
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) May 31, 2023
“The UK acts as Ukraine’s ally providing it with military aid in the form of equipment and specialists, i.e., de facto is leading an undeclared war against Russia,” the former Russian president said.
“That being the case, any of its public officials (either military, or civil, who facilitate the war) can be considered as a legitimate military target.”
08:38 AM
Latest MoD update
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 31 May 2023.
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/wQzgpFMEfU
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/2GmVBRftKQ— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) May 31, 2023
08:09 AM
Ukraine in pictures:
07:55 AM
White House 'does not support attacks inside of Russia'
“We do not support attacks inside of Russia. That’s it. Period,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing.
Washington is a major supplier of weaponry to Ukraine on the condition it uses it to defend itself and to retake Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces.
Russia’s ambassador to the United States accused Washington of encouraging “terrorists” in Kyiv by publicly ignoring the drone attack.
07:53 AM
Five reportedly killed in strike on Luhansk
Five people were killed and 19 wounded in Ukrainian shelling of a village in the Russian-controlled east Ukrainian region of Luhansk, a Moscow-installed coordination centre claimed on Wednesday.
The centre claimed on the Telegram messaging service that Ukrainian forces had used HIMARS rocket launchers to attack a poultry farm in the village of Karpaty.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the report.
07:52 AM
Good Morning
Good morning and welcome to today’s Ukraine liveblog.
We will be bringing you all the latest updates on Ukraine.