Volodymyr Zelensky visited the front line in the Donbass

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The main points:

► Volodymyr Zelensky visited his troops on the front line on Sunday, in the east of the country, where he spoke with the military, he announced in a video. The Ukrainian President also visited Zaporizhya where he met residents of Mariupol.

► The Ukrainian capital Kyivwho was resuming a semblance of normal life, was hit at dawn on Sunday by several Russian strikesthe first since the end of April.

► The Ukrainian army said on Sunday that it had resumed “half” of Sievierodonetsk and progress in this key Donbass city under heavy fire from Russian forces.

► Ukraine will not play the FIFA World Cup. The national team lost Sunday night in Cardiff 1-0 against Wales in the play-off final.

Times are given in universal time (UT), click here to refresh

7:02 a.m .: The Ukrainian army claims to be progressing in Sievierodonetsk

In Sievierodonetsk, the Ukrainian army assures us that it is doing more than holding its own and that it is regaining ground. ” Half the city is under the control of our defenders “, assured the governor of the Lugansk region, Serhyi Gaïdaï, in an interview broadcast on social networks, specifying that they are in the process of “ progress “.

It is to be expected, he added, citing interceptions of communications from the Russian command, an intensification of the Russian offensive for a capture of the city “ before June 10 “. “ We expect that, in the near future, all the reserves they have access to, all the machines, all the troops, will be called upon to achieve This objective, assured the governor.

For the Russians, getting their hands on the city would prove decisive for full control of the Donbass coalfield, already partly held by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. Ukrainian resistance in Sievierodonetsk “ will likely continue to draw the attention of Russian forces to the Luhansk region and therefore leave vulnerabilities in Russian defensive efforts in the Kharkiv region and along the southern axis “, analyzed Sunday the American Institute for the study of the war (ISW).

6:45 a.m .: Countries around Serbia close their airspace for the plane of the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov

European countries around Serbia have closed their airspace for Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s plane, which was expected in Belgrade on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Maria Zakharova said. ” Today (…), the countries surrounding Serbia, closed the channel of communication, refusing to allow the overflight of Sergei Lavrov’s plane, which was going to Serbia “, she declared Sunday evening, quoted by the Russian press agencies, with the Italian television channel La7. ” The Russian delegation was due to arrive in Belgrade for talks. But the member countries of the EU and NATO have closed their airspace “, she added.

According to the Serbian daily Vecernje Novosti, these include the three neighboring countries of Serbia: Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro. The visit of the Russian minister has thus been canceled, according to a Russian diplomatic source quoted by the Interfax news agency. “ Russian diplomacy has not yet learned to teleport “, explained this source.

For his part, the Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian Parliament, Konstantin Kosatchev, denounced Monday morning the closure of the airspace for Sergei Lavrov’s plane as a directed approach ” against Russia as a state and Serbia as a state “. ” I hope that the reaction will be common and extremely severe, not only in the form of diplomatic protests, but also will translate into practical, concrete actions “, he wrote on the messaging Telegram.

Sergei Lavrov has been targeted since February 25, the day after the invasion of Ukraine, by EU sanctions, as has Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was supposed to meet in Belgrade with the Serbian President, his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic and the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Porfirije.

06:30: Volodymyr Zelensky visits his troops on the front line

The Ukrainian president visited his troops on the front line in the Donbass on Sunday, he announced in his night video. ” We were in Lysytchansk, we were in Soledar “, said the leader who went to command posts in these localities near Sievierodonetsk, a city in Donbass where the fighting is raging. ” We brought something to the army. I won’t talk about it in detail “, he reported.

He also visited Bakhmout, in the south-west of the Donetsk region, and spoke with soldiers, the presidency said.

During his journey, Volodymyr Zelensky “ deepened operational situational awareness on the defensive front line “, specified the presidency. “ I want to thank you for your great work, for your service, for protecting all of us, our state. I am grateful to everyone he told them. “ Take care of yourself ! » « I’m proud of everyone I’ve met, shaken hands with, communicated with, supported he said in his daily address.

He also specified that he had traveled to Zaporizhia to meet residents of Mariupol who managed to flee this strategic port on the Sea of ​​Azov almost completely destroyed by Russian bombardments. “ Each family has its own story. Most were without men “, he noted. “ One’s husband has gone to war, another’s is in captivity, yet another’s, unfortunately, is dead. A tragedy. No home, no love. But we have to live for the children. True heroes, they are among us. »

06h20: Hello and welcome to this live

You can find our live from yesterday by following this link.