Russia-Ukraine updates: Drone attack ‘aimed at civilian sites’

UN International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi has asked Ukraine and Russia to respect five core principles to safeguard the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, suggesting that he had not yet secured their agreement on protecting the facility.

He said the nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhia power plant “continues to be extremely fragile and dangerous”.

Among the principles was that the power plant not be used as a base for heavy weapons, such as multiple rocket launchers, artillery systems and munitions and tanks, or for military personnel that could be used for an attack from the plant.

“There have been seven occasions when the site lost all of site power, and had to rely on emergency diesel generators, which is, as you know, the last line of defence against nuclear accidents,” he said.

One person was killed and two others injured in a Ukrainian bombardment on a centre for displaced people in the border region of Belgorod, the regional governor has said.

“Ukrainian armed forces fired artillery at a centre for displaced people housing elderly civilians and children … a security guard was killed and two people were injured,” Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram.

As Russians reel from a rare drone attack, some Muscovites are unfazed after at least eight attack drones entered Moscow’s airspace before being shot down by the city’s air defences.

Read more here.

Since the beginning of May, Russia has targeted Kyiv with nearly nightly missile and drone attacks.

In the morning, the damage can be seen in shattered windows and lives.

People say it’s exhausting and frightening, and city officials have said Russia does not just aim to damage infrastructure, but Ukrainian morale, as well.

Wartime noise from wailing drones to exploding missiles keeps Ukrainians up, and united against Moscow.

To many Kyivans, the most harrowing sound that keeps them awake and horrified at night is the wailing of Iranian-made Shahed drones – that are mockingly dubbed “mopeds” here.

Read more here.

Russia has focused near-daily attacks on the Ukrainian capital recently, sending missiles and drones overhead in the early hours and even in broad daylight.

Officials and analysts pointed to broad goals of hindering Ukraine’s planned offensive and depleting its air defences.

“This is their reaction to the preparations for a Ukrainian counteroffensive,” a high-ranking Ukrainian official told the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity.

“The Ukrainian advance is expected, they are getting nervous.”

“They are trying to limit our possibilities: exhaust air defence missiles and divert forces,” the official said, stressing the low relative cost of Shahed drones used by Russia compared with the missiles fired by Ukraine’s air defences.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War said it “previously assessed that Russian forces began a new limited air campaign in recent months to degrade Ukrainian counteroffensive capabilities.”

“The Russian prioritization of targeting Kyiv is likely further limiting the campaign’s ability to meaningfully constrain potential Ukrainian counteroffensive actions,” it added.

Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has held a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi, the TASS news agency said, citing a source.

A predawn air raid on Kyiv killed at least one person and sent residents again scrambling into shelters.

At least 20 Shahed explosive drones were destroyed by air defence forces in Kyiv’s airspace in Russia’s third attack on the capital in the past 24 hours, according to early information from the Kyiv Military Administration.

Muscovites living in areas affected by Tuesday’s drone attack said they were surprised and concerned at the irruption of the Ukraine conflict into their daily lives.

Tatiana Kalinina, a pensioner who lives near one of the affected buildings in a leafy corner of Moscow, said the attack was “completely unexpected” for her and a “bad surprise”.

“I somehow thought [the conflict] was far away, that it would not affect us,” she told the AFP news agency, standing in the bright green grass outside a cordoned-off building. “And then, suddenly, it came to us.”

While Moscow has praised its air defence after the attack, some residents had questions for the authorities.

Maxim, a 40-year-old customs officer, said he was woken up by two explosions at 4:00am (01:00 GMT) and all the car alarms going off.

“Why didn’t the air defence work? Why did the air raid sirens not go off?” he asked.

Russia’s interior ministry has put Ukraine’s top general, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, on a “wanted list”, the Russian RIA news agency reported.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, was also added to the list.

Ria said the ministry did not explain why the two Ukrainian officials were wanted.

US Senator Lindsey Graham was added to Russia’s wanted list on Monday.

The US is still gathering information on a drone raid on Moscow early Tuesday morning, the White House said and reiterated that Washington does not support attacks inside Russia.

“We saw the news and are still gathering information about what happened. As general matter, we do not support attacks inside of Russia,” a White House spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that Washington was “focused on providing Ukraine with the equipment and training they need to retake their own sovereign territory”, and referred to Russian attacks on Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday’s attack was an attempt to scare and provoke Moscow and that air defences around the capital would be strengthened.

Ukraine has passed an International Monetary Fund (IMF) review of a $15bn loan program, paving the way for a payout of about $900m, the IMF said.

“IMF staff and the Ukrainian authorities have reached staff-level agreement on the first review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The agreement is subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, with Board consideration expected in the coming weeks,” the IMF said in its statement.

“All quantitative performance criteria for end-April and structural benchmarks through end-May were met.”

The EFF is part of a $115bn global package to support Ukraine’s economy as it battles Russia’s invasion.

To ensure continued IMF support, Ukraine must meet various conditions, including steps to boost tax revenue, maintain exchange rate stability, preserve central bank independence, and strengthen anti-corruption efforts.

A Ukrainian official said Kyiv is looking for a guarantee from Moscow and the United Nations that the Black Sea grain deal will work normally if it allows Russian ammonia to transit through the country.

Russia agreed to a two-month extension of the Black Sea grain deal earlier this month, but has said the initiative will cease unless an agreement to overcome obstacles, including ammonia, is fulfilled.

“If it [ammonia] is a key issue, then they, the UN, must clearly say that if the ammonia pipeline resumes working, then Ukraine will have such opportunities [to export grain in a normal way], and then our top political leadership will decide whether it is in our interests or not,” Yuriy Vaskov, Ukraine’s deputy renovation minister, told a grain conference.

Transit of ammonia, an essential part of nitrogen-based fertilisers, was halted via the pipeline after Russia’s invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for a three billion euro ($3,217bn) defence package during a phone call between the two leaders.

On Twitter, Zelenskyy wrote, “I had a substantive phone call with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. I thanked him for implementing a powerful €3 billion defence package. We discussed the implementation of the agreements reached during my recent visit to Germany and further strengthening of Ukraine’s defence capabilities, in particular, our air defence. We coordinated our positions on the eve of upcoming international events.”

I had a substantive phone call with Chancellor @Bundeskanzler. I thanked him for implementing a powerful €3 billion defense package. We discussed the implementation of the agreements reached during my recent visit to Germany and further strengthening of Ukraine's defense…

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 30, 2023

Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, says about 1.5 million people living in the annexed areas have been given Russian passports.

Last September, Russia annexed the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions in a sham election that Ukraine and the West referred to as “illegal”.

Mishustin told a government meeting, “Since last October, almost 1.5 million people from the new regions have received a Russian passport.”

The prime minister added that about 1.6 million people in the regions were receiving pensions, and about 1.5 million were receiving social benefits.

“This support must be provided, I repeat, in a timely manner,” he said.

Last month, Putin signed a decree giving those living in the annexed parts of Ukraine a path to Russian citizenship, but those who decline or do not legalise their status face deportation.

United Kingdom Foreign Secretary James Cleverly says that whatever Russia tries to do next in Ukraine, “we are prepared”.

Cleverly said during a speech with his Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, “Today, Margus and I discussed the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.

“We agreed that we must bolster support for Ukraine and ensure that NATO adapts to an increasingly contested and volatile security environment. And I know that we both feel it’s important that Sweden joins us at the table in Vilnius, too, as a fully-fledged member of NATO, and as an important ally to us all. Swedish accession will make us all safer and stronger,” he said.

Cleverly said the UK is “very proud” to lead NATO’s enhanced forward presence in Estonia, adding, “Whatever Russia decides to do next in Ukraine, or indeed anywhere else, we are prepared.”

Putin says the drone attack on Moscow was aimed at “civilian targets” and that the capital’s air defences would be boosted, Russian news agencies reported.

He also said Ukraine has unleashed “terror” against its civilian population.

“Citizens of Ukraine, of course, do not have a word now since total terror has been unleashed against the civilian population in Ukraine,” he said.

While the Russian president praised Moscow’s air defence systems, he said, “There is something to work on”.

“In general, it is clear what needs to be done to seal the air defence of the capital […] and we will do it,” Putin pledged.

Russia’s foreign ministry says it reserves the right to take the most “severe measures” after a drone attack on Moscow.

“Assurances by NATO officials that the Kyiv regime will not launch strikes deep into Russian territory prove to be completely hypocritical,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Russia reserves the right to take the harshest possible measures in response to the terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime,” it added.

The United States ambassador to New Delhi said disagreements over Russia’s invasion would not hinder US relations with India.

Eric Garcetti’s comments to CNN-News 18 come before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US from June 21 to 24.

Ambassador Garcetti added that India had helped to keep a price cap on Russian oil that was imposed last year by Group of Seven (G7) countries, the European Union, and Australia to target Moscow’s ability to fund the war.

However, India has refused to condemn Russia for its aggression and has instead increased its trade with Moscow to record levels.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the West is “supporting genocide” in Ukraine by supporting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan, which he said would “destroy everything Russian” in east Ukraine and Crimea.

“The conclusion is very simple – the West directly supports genocide,” Lavrov said during a press conference with his Burundian counterpart.

Lavrov, who has been on an Africa tour, did not offer evidence to support his claim.

Russia has previously accused the West of ignoring what it says is Ukraine’s persecution of Russian-language speakers in the eastern Donbas region and elsewhere.