Defense systems of Ukraine were shot more than 30 Russian drones and missiles in Kyiv on Friday, authorities said.
“According to preliminary information, more than 30 air targets of various types were detected and destroyed in the airpsace in and around Kyiv by the air defense forces,” Kyiv military authorities said in a statement.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who earlier in the day reported two separate waves of attacks, wrote on Telegram that there had been no calls for rescue services.
Air raid sirens were heard across Ukraine early Friday morning, as Russia launched a new wave of strikes. The alarms were then turned off after the fresh attack wave was thwarted.
Russia strikes on Thursday killed three people, including a childin Kyiv.
Moscow has stepped up aerial attacks since the beginning of May, as Ukraine prepares for an expected counter-offensive.
Here are some of the other developments regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine on Friday, June 2:
Russia shot down Ukrainian drones in the border region, the governor said
Russian air defense systems shot down several Ukrainian drones near the border region of Kursk, regional governor Roman Starovoyt said.
He urged residents to remain calm, saying: “The city is under the reliable protection of our army.”
The western Russian region of Kursk was repeatedly shelled by the Ukrainian army as the fighting dragged on.
Ukraine must ‘stay on track’ towards NATO, the former deputy Secretary-General told DW
Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy Secretary-General of NATO, told DW that Ukraine should continue on its “path” toward membership in the military alliance.
Gottemoeller explained that for Kyiv to join NATO, it needs to “stay on the path it has been on” since Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
“That is to work hard on integrating its military capability and capacity with NATO’s fighting style,” he said, adding that the military alliance has “done a lot” to help train Ukrainians since 2014.
He said he believes NATO’s military assistance will continue for Ukraine in the medium and long term.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg repeatedly said that Ukraine belongs to the alliance but they need to be careful with the processes.
But discussing NATO membership for a country in the middle of a war is not a feasible option, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told an informal meeting of NATO ministers in Oslo on Thursday.
NATO is set for its annual summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11 and 12.
Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian peace plan is the only way
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused peace plans considering Russia concerned to end the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy made the comments during a surprise visit to neighboring Moldova for a European leaders’ summit on Thursday, where he urged dozens of leaders to attend for Membership of NATO and the European Union.
He renewed calls for endorsing the peace plan for Ukraine, saying: “In war, there is an aggressor and there is a victim.”
The Ukrainian president said that “A peace plan cannot be prepared by the aggressor – it is prepared by the victims.”
“People from other continents do not stand aside… we will be grateful if they come to us, not imposing, but offering. This is a dialogue,” he added.
Russia’s war with Ukraine, which entered its 16th month, has divided the world. Nonaligned countries such as South Africa, India, Brazil called on the two countries to end the conflict.
China, which has warm relations with Russia, proposed a the peace plan will be over the disagreement. South Africa has offered a peace plan to several other African countries.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited African countries to gain support for their peace plan at the end of May, after Zelenskyy stopped a Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia and in a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan.
rm/rt (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)