Ukraine has rejected Russian claims to have entered the central-eastern region of Dnipropetrovsk for the first time, as fighting was reported close to the frontier.
With Vladimir Putin intensifying his push to seize further Ukrainian territory, Russia’s defence ministry claimed that its forces had reached the western border of Ukraine’s Donetsk region and were now attacking Dnipropetrovsk – a mineral-rich region which is not among the four Russia has sought to unilaterally annexe since its full-scale invasion.
But Ukraine strongly refuted these claims, with its Southern Defence Forces saying: “The enemy has not abandoned its plans to enter Dnipropetrovsk. Our soldiers are bravely and professionally holding their section of the front, thwarting the occupier’s plans.”
Ukrainian military chiefs – who reported multiple Russian offensives in the area on Sunday – and Ukraine’s Khortytsia group of forces also rejected the claims, with the latter warning that “the Russians are constantly spreading false information that they have entered” Dnipropetrovsk.
It came after Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian forces of “pure terrorism” after Russia launched multiple rounds of devastating attacks on Kharkiv’s civilians on Saturday, killing four people and wounded more than 60.
Why Russia and Ukraine are facing a delay in the swap of prisoners of war
Russia has accused Ukraine of delaying the swap of prisoners of war and return of the bodies of 12,000 dead soldiers, though Ukraine denied those claims.
Russia said it was moving bodies towards the border and television showed refrigerated trucks containing the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers on the road in the Bryansk region.
Ukraine accused Russia of playing propaganda games and said that the exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of fallen soldiers was scheduled for next week. Russia said Ukraine was playing politics with the dead.
The Russian defence ministry has released images of what it says are lorries carrying the refrigerated bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.
The lorries are at an ex-change area Novaya Guta, Belarus on the boarder of Ukraine.
However, it is scheduled for next week, Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief (HUR), said.
“The start of repatriation measures following the negotiations in Istanbul is scheduled for next week, as authorised persons were informed on Tuesday (3 June),” Mr Budanov posted on Telegram.
Ukraine rejects Russian claims to have entered Dnipropetrovsk region for first time
Ukraine has rejected Russian claims to have entered the central-eastern region of Dnipropetrovsk for the first time.
With Vladimir Putin intensifying his push to seize further Ukrainian territory while paying lip service to peace talks brokered by the US, Russia’s defence ministry claimed yesterday that its forces had reached the western frontier of Ukraine’s Donetsk region and were now attacking the adjacent Dnipropetrovsk region.
But Ukraine strongly refuted these claims, with the country’s Southern Defence Forces saying: “The enemy has not abandoned its plans to enter Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Our soldiers are bravely and professionally holding their section of the front, thwarting the occupier’s plans.”
This was echoed by Major Andrii Kovalev, a spokesperson for the general staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, who told Ukrainska Pravda: “The information is not true. Fighting is ongoing in Donetsk Oblast. The enemy did not enter Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.”
And a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Khortytsia group of forces told CNN that “the Russians are constantly spreading false information that they have entered the Dnipropetrovsk region from the Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka directions, but [in neither place] is this information true”.
Poland scrambles aircraft as Russia launches strikes on Ukraine
Polish and allied aircraft were activated early today to ensure the safety of Polish airspace after Russia launched air strikes targeting western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, the Operational Command of the Polish armed forces said.
“The steps taken are aimed at ensuring security in the regions bordering the areas at risk,” the Command said on X this morning.
All of Ukraine was under air raid alerts as of 2am GMT today after the Ukrainian Air Force warned of Russian missile and drone attacks.
