Kyiv’s forces ‘moving forward’ near Bakhmut

The commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, says Ukrainian forces are “moving forward” near Bakhmut which Russia claims to have captured last month.
Russia says its forces thwarted a major offensive in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, killing 250 soldiers and destroying tanks and armoured vehicles.Two Russian bomber planes flew over neutral Norwegian waters
Two Russian strategic bomber planes carried out routine flights over the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea off the north coast of Norway, the defence ministry said.

The flight lasted five hours and was carried out “in strict compliance with international airspace regulations”, the ministry said

Russia regularly flies its Tu-95МС long-range bombers over international waters.‘No prospects’ for grain deal extension: Russia
Russia’s foreign ministry says it sees no prospects for extending the Black Sea grain export deal, which is set to expire in mid-July, Russian news agencies reported.

The TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying it was continuing consultations with the United Nations and that ship inspections had resumed.

The RIA Novosti news agency also reported that a new round of Russia-UN talks would occur in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 9.

Russia has repeatedly threatened to quit the deal, complaining that obstacles still remain to its food and fertiliser exports.Cross-border attacks a distraction for larger offensive: Journalist
Journalist Yulia Shapovalova, reporting from Moscow, said military analysts have said that the recent cross-border attacks in Belgorod were a distraction for a larger attack in Donetsk.

“The main focus is on the border region of Belgorod now, and in the morning, the Ukrainian army fired more than 70 shells and launched multiple rocket systems at the village which borders the town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region,” Shapovalova said.

“Locals say the town of Shebekino has been wiped off the face of the earth now. There is no electricity, water or WiFi service in the city right now.”

Shapovalova added that while some people in Shebekino have gone into temporary accommodation centres, many villagers and farmers have said they cannot leave their livestock behind.

Russia says it repelled Ukrainian attempt to cross into Belgorod
Russia’s defence ministry says it repelled a Ukrainian attempt to cross into the Belgorod region on Sunday, Russian RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Moscow said “more than 10” Ukrainian fighters had been killed by air and artillery strikes.

On Sunday, an anti-Kremlin group said it had captured several soldiers during a cross-border raid into the Belgorod region and would hand them over to Ukrainian authorities.

The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, also reported fighting with “Ukrainian saboteurs” in the town of Novaya Tavolzhanka.

Ukraine says it has no information on Donetsk offensive
Ukraine’s military says it has no information about an offensive Russia said Kyiv had launched at five points along the front line in Donetsk.

“We do not have such information and we do not comment on any kind of fake [news],” a spokesperson for the Ukrainian armed forces’ general staff said in response to a question from the Reuters news agency.No comment on Donetsk offensive: Kremlin
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not answer questions about Ukraine’s counteroffensive during his daily press briefing, the Russian TASS news agency reported

Peskov told reporters that the Ministry of Defence could answer any questions about the “special military operation” and referred to the ministry’s statement on the alleged offensive.

Earlier on Monday, the Russian defence ministry said its forces thwarted a “large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the South Donetsk direction”.Ukrainian grain yields could fall by 20 percent
While most of Ukraine’s winter grain crops are in good condition, grain yields could fall by 20 percent if dry and hot weather persists, the APK-inform consultancy firm quotes agricultural scientists as saying.

Grain output decreased to about 53 million tonnes in 2022 from a record 86 million tonnes in 2021 after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

The government has said that in 2023 the harvest could decline to 44.5 million tonnes.

“In general, weather conditions for most of the spring period were sufficiently favourable for growth and development of winter cereal crops,” Ukraine’s National Academy of Agrarian Sciences said in a report.

“However, in case of continuation of dry weather in the period of grain filling, especially on the background of high air temperatures. … the share of lost yields can be from 15 percent to 20 percent.”

Wagner boss says settlement near Bakhmut retaken by Ukraine
Leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, says Ukrainian forces have retaken part of the settlement of Berkhivka, north of Bakhmut.

“Now part of the settlement of Berkhivka has already been lost; the troops are quietly running away. Disgrace!” Prigozhin said in an audio message published by his press service.

He urged Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, to come to the front to rally the troops.

“Come on, you can do it!” he said. “And if you can’t, you’ll die heroes.”

Prigozhin’s private army captured Bakhmut last month after the longest battle of the war and handed its positions there to regular Russian troops.

Earlier in the day, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Ukrainian troops continued “moving forward” near Bakhmut.