Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the President of Ukraine, announced on Sunday that Russia is expected to escalate its offensive along Ukraine’s northern border. The cities of Kharkiv and Sumy, which are close to the Russian border, have been of particular concern. This announcement came after a bomb struck a large construction supplies store in Kharkiv, killing 14 and injuring 43 with 16 still unaccounted for, as per the report by the area’s Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Russia is suspected of deploying troops approximately 90km northwest from Ukraine’s second biggest city, however President Zelenskiy did not pinpoint the exact location. Recently, Russian troops have been capturing communities in the Kharkiv area and there is speculation that their goal may be to be within artillery range of Kharkiv. Both Kharkiv and Sumy, where around 250,000 individuals live, are less than 25km from the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Russia has been enthusiastically moving across the 1,000km war front, initiating severe hostilities especially in the Donetsk region’s Chasiv Yar direction. Ukraine’s Defense forces are putting forth efforts to halt their advances, as outlined in an official statement.
Moreover, it was informed that Russia initiated widespread missile and drone assaults across several regions in Ukraine during Sunday night. Ukrainian defence intercepted 31 Shahed drones, 12 rockets initiated by Russia in the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia and Chernihiv regions. But, the damage caused by those that weren’t intercepted wasn’t certain.
Since the launch of the offensive on May 10th, Ukraine has evacuated more than 11,000 individuals from the region. According to an Air Force statement from Ukraine, Russia launched in total 14 missiles and over three dozen drones.
The governor of the Belgorod region of Russia, which shares a border with Ukraine, has claimed that Ukrainian attacks have injured four individuals overnight.
The Ministry of Defence in Russia has reported that they managed to destroy seven drones in the Kursk region, and a further three in Oryol. Both these regions are located north of Belgorod.
Ukraine’s President, Mr Zelenskiy, has called upon the leaders of both the US and China on Sunday to participate in a summit meant to discuss peace strategies for Ukraine. This comes as Russia is seen strengthening its military presence near the northeast border of Ukraine while increasing its air attacks.
Mr Zelenskiy’s appeal was directed specifically to President Joe Biden of the US and China’s President Xi Jingping. His plea came from Kharkiv. Using the poignant metaphor of the United Nation Charter burning, just like books, he emphasised the dire need for peace.
The Swiss have organised the conference to take place from the 15th to the 16th of June, following the G-7 meeting in Borgo Egnazia, Italy. While various G-7 leaders have indicated their attendance, both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of the US are not expected to be present, according to a report from Bloomberg News. Biden is set to head to Los Angeles on June 15th for a significant fundraiser that includes the likes of George Clooney, Julia Roberts, former president Barack Obama and TV host Jimmy Kimmel.
In contrast, China and Brazil have partnered up to propose an alternative initiative. This involves an international conference intended to gather both Ukraine and Russia for discussions.
The Swiss meeting will not be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin as Ukraine hopes to strategise with allies on ways to exert pressure on the Kremlin.
Highlighting the continual deceptions they faced from Russia, including the cover-ups leading up to the war, Zelenskiy reiterated his call for the US to permit the usage of its donated weapon systems to target Russian soldiers within Russia. This suggestion found support from Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who indicated that it might be time for allies to reconsider some imposed restrictions on weapons donated to Ukraine, in a recent interview with The Economist.