Russia-Ukraine war: Donbas will stay Ukrainian, vows Zelenskiy, as fighting rages in east – live updates

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Ukraine’s armed forces claim to have killed more than 30,000 Russian soldiers since the war began. The armed forces’ and government released the figures on their social media accounts, after 94 days of fighting. The Guardian has not independently verified them.

It also claimed to have destroyed at least 207 Russian aircraft, 180 helicopters, more than 1,330 tanks, about 3,300 APVs, 13 military boats, 93 anti aircraft systems and 200 multiple launch rocket systems, as well as thousands of other vehicles and fuel tanks, drones and artillery systems.

The governor of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, has said that there are some 10,000 Russian troops in the eastern region, Reuters report, adding it could not independently verify the claim.

“These are the (units) that are permanently in Luhansk region, that are trying to assault and are attempting to make gains in any direction they can,” Gaidai said on Ukrainian television.

Russian forces have likely captured most of the town of Lyman, in a likely preliminary operation for the next stage of their offensive Donbas, the UK ministry of defence has said.

In its latest update, the ministry said Lyman was a strategically important railway junction and access point to important rail and road bridges over the Siverskyy Donets river.

“In the coming days, Russian units in the area are likely to prioritise forcing a crossing of the river. For now, Russia’s main effort likely remains 40 km to the east, around the Sieverodonetsk pocket but a bridgehead near Lyman would give Russia an advantage in the potential next phase of the Donbas offensive, when it will likely seek to advance on key Ukrainian-held cities deeper in Donetsk Oblast, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk,” it said.

On Thursday Denis Pushilin, the head of the self-declared Russia-backed Donetsk People’s Republic, said if Russia captured the whole of Donetsk and Luhansk, a referendum would be held.

An interesting interview with retired Major John Spencer, chair of the urban warfare studies at Madison Policy Forum. He told the BBC that Russia has some momentum in the east, but Ukrainians had the ability to stop them moving forwards if they could get more western weapons.

Asked if Ukrainian forces can keep putting up a fight, given the depletion of resources and exhaustion of troops, Spencers says he thinks so.

“They still have what Russia doesn’t – the will to fight, they’re fighting for their country. Many in Russia still struggle with morale and cohesion because they’re not sure what they’re fighting for”.

On rumours the US will give Ukraine longer range weapons systems, he said this would be “critical lifeblood to keep Ukraine from losing more and more of eastern Donbas.”

Hello, and welcome to our continuing coverage of the war in Ukraine. Here is a quick summary of the latest developments. Much of the focus is on the east, where the situation appears bleak in the besieged city of Sievierodonetsk – the largest in Donbas still held by Ukraine.

Luhansk’s governor, Serhiy Haidai, saying Ukrainian forces may need to retreat after Russian troops entered the city, Peter Beaumont and Isobel Koshiw report.

“The Russians will not be able to capture Luhansk region in the coming days as analysts have predicted,” Haidai said on Telegram, referring to Sievierodonetsk and its twin city Lysychansk across the Siverskiy Donets river. “We will have enough strength and resources to defend ourselves. However it is possible that in order not to be surrounded we will have to retreat.”

Haidai said 90% of buildings in the city were damaged.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, accepted the situation in Donhas was “very difficult”, saying in a Friday night address that invading forces “have concentrated maximum artillery, maximum reserves” to the region.

“There are missiles strikes and aircraft attacks – everything,” he said. “We are protecting our land in the way that our current defence resources allow. We are doing everything to increase them. And we will increase them.

“If the occupiers think that Lyman or Sievierodonetsk will be theirs, they are wrong. Donbas will be Ukrainian.”

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.
A new report by more than 30 internationally recognised legal scholars and experts says Russia is guilty of inciting genocide and having the intent to commit genocide in Ukraine, legally obliging other countries to stop it.

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.