June 2, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Jessie Yeung, Christian Edwards, Ivana Kottasová, Aditi Sangal, Matt Meyer and Elise Hammond, CNN

Updated 10:06 p.m. ET, June 2, 2023

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2:51 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023

Russian officials report drone attacks and shelling in multiple regions near the Ukraine border

From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv

Vyacheslav Gladkov speaks at Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, on January 24. Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AP

A number of Russian governors reported attacks on their regions on Friday, as the war spills over from Ukraine's borders into Russian territory.

Two drones attacked fuel and energy facilities in Smolensk, western Russia early Friday, the region's acting governor said.

Gov. Vasily Anokhin wrote on Telegram that no casualties or "critical damage" were reported.

The two long-range drones struck around 3 a.m. in the villages of Peresna and Divasy, according to Anokhin.

Local officials in several Russian regions bordering Ukraine reported shelling, including in Bryansk, where Gov. Aleksandr Bogomaz directly blamed the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU).

“The AFU shelled the village of Novaya Pogoshch, Suzemsky district. There were no casualties. A two-family house caught fire because of the shelling. Operational services are working on site," he said.

A house also caught fire from shelling in the town of Lomakovka, he added.

Belgorod evacuations: The nearby border region of Belgorod has seen continued shelling, allegedly from Ukrainian forces, according to its governor.

Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said 2,500 people have been moved to temporary accommodation to shelter from the incoming fire.

“Of course, conditions are not easy. Not easy in that they are huge sports facilities where there are hundreds of beds where adults and little ones, the elderly and the young sleep,” Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

On Thursday, Gladkov said on Telegram that the region had seen dozens of strikes over the past day, with damage to roads, property and vehicles. Most of the attacks were from artillery and mortar, with reports of people wounded but nobody killed, he said at the time.

Belgorod has seen rising violence in recent days, following a raid by Russian dissident fighters last week. Ukrainian officials have denied direct involvement, saying the fighters were acting independently.

On Thursday, anti-Putin Russian nationals claimed they were again fighting inside Russian territory, which Moscow's military denied.

12:50 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023

Ukrainian air defenses shoot down 30 missiles and drones over Kyiv, official says

From CNN's Josh Pennington

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 30 missiles and drones around Kyiv overnight into Friday, a senior military official said

Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, said in a Telegram post Friday that this was the sixth wave of attacks on the Ukrainian capital in the past six days.

The latest attack used both ballistic missiles and drones, Popko said. He praised Ukraine's air defense system for repelling what he believed were air-to-surface missiles and Iran-made Shahed attack drones.

No information is yet available on damage or casualties, Popko said.

Earlier Friday, the city's mayor reported explosions taking place in the city, with air raid alerts issued across the country.

1:17 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023

Ukraine activates nationwide air raid alerts with Kyiv under attack. Here's the latest

From CNN staff

This screen grab shows people taking shelter in a subway station in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 2. @taniakovba/Twitter/Reuters

Air raid sirens rang out across Ukraine early Friday as Kyiv's mayor reported explosions in the capital.

Meanwhile, several Russian regions, including Kursk and Belgorod, are facing their own attacks, which Russian officials have blamed on Ukraine — though Kyiv denies direct involvement.

Here's what to know:

Attack on Kyiv: The city's mayor said early Friday that "another wave of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) is heading for Kyiv," adding: "The air defense is working." This follows a missile strike on the capital the day before, which killed three people including a 9-year-old girl, who had reportedly tried to enter a bomb shelter that was closed.
Strikes inside Russia: Dozens of strikes have occurred on Russia's border region of Belgorod over the past day, allegedly carried out by Ukrainian forces, according to the region's governor. Meanwhile, the western Russian region of Kursk shot down several Ukrainian drones, the region's governor said early Friday, urging residents to remain calm.
Russian dissident fighters: A group of anti-Putin Russian nationals claimed Thursday it is fighting inside Russian territory, which the Russian military has denied. A second similar group said it was "near the border" with Russia. Both groups are aligned with the Ukrainian defense forces — but Ukraine's deputy foreign minister told CNN Thursday the country "does not have any responsibility" over the groups who are "acting on their own."
Russian casualties: A spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed that about 208,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the war. CNN has not been able to independently confirm these numbers, and Russia's Ministry of Defense has not released updates on its casualties since last September when it said fewer than 6,000 Russian soldiers had been killed.
NATO bids: Sweden and Ukraine's potential membership of the military alliance were a main focus at an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers on Thursday. NATO officials hope to admit Sweden by July 11, but Turkey and Hungary have so far blocked the move. The NATO chief told CNN they cannot make Ukraine a full member in the middle of war — but will continue to provide Kyiv with support, and build a road map for Ukraine to possibly join NATO after the war.

10:30 p.m. ET, June 1, 2023

Kyiv mayor reports explosions and incoming drones as air raid alerts sound across Ukraine

From CNN's Josh Pennington

The mayor of Kyiv reported explosions in the capital as air raid alerts were issued across Ukraine early Friday morning.

"There were explosions in the city. The air defense is working. Another wave of UAVs is heading for Kyiv," Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.

A live map on the website of the Ministry of Digital Transformation shows all areas of Ukraine currently under an air raid alert.

11:00 p.m. ET, June 1, 2023

Ukraine's military claims Russia has lost more than 200,000 troops since start of invasion

From CNN's Julia Kesaieva and Mitchell McCluskey

About 208,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has claimed.

Spokesperson Serhii Cherevatyi noted this was more than the approximately 170,000 Russian forces he says were involved in the initial invasion in 2022.

CNN has not been able to independently confirm these numbers.

Estimates of Russian losses have varied across different sources, with the Biden administration saying in May that Russia had suffered more than 100,000 casualties — meaning both those killed and wounded — since December.

The Kremlin rejected that figure at the time, with a spokesperson saying the US "has absolutely no way to give any correct numbers."

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not released updates on its casualties since last September, when Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said fewer than 6,000 Russian soldiers had been killed.

In eastern Ukraine: Russia shelled Ukraine's position in Bakhmut at least 476 times on Thursday, according to Cherevatyi.

"We are doing everything to exhaust their logistics — we are hitting the accumulation of equipment and personnel, headquarters," Cherevatyi said.

He added that Ukrainian forces destroyed several tanks and other military equipment in Bilohorivka and Stelmakhivka in Luhansk region.

8:59 p.m. ET, June 1, 2023

Ukrainian drones shot down over Russia's Kursk region, governor says

From CNN's Josh Pennington, Yulia Kesaieva and Tim Lister

Russia’s air defense system shot down several Ukrainian drones over the western Russian region of Kursk, according to Gov. Roman Starovoyt early Friday morning.

“We ask Kursk residents to remain calm, the city is under the reliable protection of our military,” Starovoyt said.

Kursk is located north of Belgorod, where dozens of strikes have occurred against border districts inside Russia over the past day, according to the governor.

Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said the attacks on Belgorod comprised largely of artillery and mortar, and they damaged roads, property and vehicles.

Groups of Russian volunteers who oppose the Kremlin leadership have again claimed to have entered Russian territory in Belgorod. Moscow said they were repelled and did not violate the border.

Ukraine said it “does not have any responsibility” over the Russian dissident groups that have claimed to be fighting inside Russian territory and that they are "acting on their own."

3:03 a.m. ET, June 2, 2023

Zelensky calls for more Patriot systems until fighter jets are delivered

From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva

Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a news conference at the European Political Community (EPC) Summit in Bulboaca, Moldova on June 1. Carl Court/Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking world leaders to provide more Patriot systems until fighter jets are delivered to Ukraine.

“If there were any other systems which were able to protect from any type of modern Russian evil — we would be talking about them," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president, who is at the European Political Community Summit in Moldova, previously said he has heard "powerful support" from allies on providing fighter jets to Ukraine, as well as training Ukrainian pilots. But in the meantime, Zelensky called for a "patriot coalition" and more of the defense systems.

“We have a variety of different systems and I’m grateful to all the partners, but Patriots are Patriots," he said.

In May, one of the two Patriot systems in Ukraine sustained minor damage during a Russian missile attack on Kyiv., according to United States officials.

8:46 p.m. ET, June 1, 2023

NATO commits to preparing Ukraine for end of the war so "history doesn't repeat itself"

From CNN’s Duarte Mendonca and Isa Soares

NATO will continue to support Ukraine to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself once the war is over, the alliance's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

“We all agree that in the middle of the war, we cannot make Ukraine a full member of NATO, but at the same time we need to prepare for what happens when the war ends because then we need to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself," he said, adding that could look like Russian forces regrouping and attacking again.

The secretary-general said Russian President Vladimir Putin made a mistake by underestimating Ukraine and NATO — and the alliance continues to be committed to supporting Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”

“It will be a big tragedy for Ukrainians if President Putin wins but it will also be dangerous for us because our message to him and all the alternative leaders including in Beijing, is that when they use force, they get what they want and that will make also us, NATO allies, United States, Europe, more vulnerable,” he said.

8:45 p.m. ET, June 1, 2023

Anger in Kyiv as 3 killed trying to get into closed bomb shelter

From CNN's Olga Voitovych, Sarah Dean, Josh Pennington and Anna Chernova

Three people, including a young girl, were killed in Kyiv on Thursday while desperately trying to take cover in a closed bomb shelter amid fresh Russian strikes, in an incident that sparked anger in the Ukrainian capital.

Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko condemned the incident as a “crime” in a statement shared by Ukraine’s National Police, adding that an investigation had been launched.

Russia launched a total of 10 missiles at Kyiv early on Thursday morning, all of which were shot down, the Ukraine Armed Forces said.

However, falling debris from the skies killed three people — a 9-year-old girl, her 34-year-old mother, and a 33-year-old woman — according to the national police. Fourteen others were injured.

The husband of one of the women told public broadcaster Suspilne that when they heard the air raid alarm, people ran to the shelter but found it locked. “People knocked… They knocked for a very long time… There were women, children. No one opened. My wife and child [were there]. The child is fine, but my wife died,” he said.

Read more here.