The strikes on the Belgorod region have intensified in recent days, when kyiv says it is preparing to launch a major offensive against the areas conquered by Russian forces in Ukraine. At least four civilians lost their lives and 27 others were injured on Friday, June 2, during bombings in the Russian region of Belgorod.
Four dead in strikes in the Belgorod region
Shelling struck the Russian region of Belgorod on Friday June 2, killing at least four civilians. Local regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said shells fired by Ukrainian forces had crashed on a road near the town of Chebekino, located about ten kilometers from Ukraine and frequently shelled. “Shrapper hit passing cars. In one of them, two women […] died at the scene of their injuries,” he said.
In recent weeks, strikes targeting the Russian region have been increasing. In the evening, two other civilians were killed in the village of Sobolevka after a Grad multiple rocket launcher bombardment, which also left six injured, including two children, Russian authorities reported. On Thursday, the Russian army claimed to have repelled with its artillery and air force a Ukrainian attempt to invade the Belgorod region, a week after a spectacular incursion by armed men which caused shock in Russia.
Indonesia offers its peace plan to Ukraine and Russia
This Saturday, June 3, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto proposed to Ukraine and Russia a plan to end the war between them, during a conference on defense and security in Singapore. “I call on Russia and Ukraine to commit to immediately cease all hostilities,” he said, stressing that the economies and food supply of Asian countries were badly affected by this conflict.
The project proposed by Prabowo Subianto notably contains a ceasefire on the current positions, as well as the establishment of demilitarized zones, which would be guaranteed by observers and UN peacekeeping forces. He also suggested in the long term a “referendum in the disputed areas”, organized by the United Nations. The defense minister’s proposal, however, was criticized at the conference. In particular, Prabowo Subianto has been criticized for putting the aggressor and the attacked on the same level. Indonesia voted in favor of a UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but did not apply economic sanctions against Moscow.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine joining NATO is “impossible” before the end of the war
At a joint press conference with Estonian President Alar Karis, Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that his country’s NATO membership would be “impossible” before the end of the ongoing war with Russia. “Joining NATO is the best guarantee of security for Ukraine […] but we understand that we will not drag a single NATO country into a war. Therefore, we understand that we will not become a member of NATO as long as this war lasts, not because we do not want to, but because it is impossible,” explained the Ukrainian president.
Since the start of the Russian invasion, Volodymyr Zelensky has multiplied his country’s requests for NATO membership. This Thursday, he urged European leaders meeting in Moldova to further strengthen their support for Ukraine and to dispel “doubts” on the subject. The organization is favorable in principle, but is very vague about the timetable, for fear of an escalation with Russia. The question of Ukraine joining should be further debated at the NATO summit in July, in Lithuania.