New raid on Belgorod region and counterattacks by Defense Forces in East: highlights of June 4
Russian volunteers announced that they were entering the suburbs of Shebekino, and the governor of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation did not meet with them. Meanwhile, the situation in the eastern sector is becoming more complicated, but the Defense Forces are counterattacking and have managed to advance. We collected the key news of June 4, 2023.
Raid on Belgorod region
“In the afternoon, the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion announced that their advanced assault group was entering the suburb of Shebekino, Belgorod region. They subsequently offered Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov a meeting without weapons, promising to release the prisoners in return.
The governor of the Belgorod region made a video in which he stated that he agreed to meet. However, he put forward his own conditions: he said that the Russian volunteers should go to the Shebekino multilateral automobile checkpoint and assured them that he would “guarantee their safety”. It seems that the fighters did not accept his conditions.
Later, the Russian volunteers said that Governor Gladkov did not come to meet with them. Therefore, they decided to transfer the captured Russian soldiers to the Ukrainian exchange fund.
Situation at the frontline
Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Eastern military grouping, said that the situation in the Eastern sector is getting more complicated. However, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are not only defending but also counterattacking and managed to advance 400 meters in the Svatove direction.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group made an unsuccessful attempt to cross the state border of Ukraine near the village of Zelene, Kharkiv Oblast.
Drones are now tax-free
The Cabinet of Ministers has expanded the list of charitable goods and services for which volunteers can raise money tax-free by adding drones and several products for them.
Earlier, volunteers complained that they were paying taxes on the fees collected for the military, even if they were registered and had all the documents.
Vicissitudes of the capital's shelters
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko argued with Minister of Strategic Industry Oleksandr Kamyshyn over who is responsible for shelters in Kyiv. Klitschko said that military administrations are responsible for civilian protection, not the city council. Kamyshin replied that a recent decision of the Kyiv City Council transferred the civil protection department from the Kyiv City Military Administration to the City Council.
On the first day of its work, the commission for the inspection of shelters in Kyiv inspected 1078 facilities. Only 55% of them were found to be ready for use.
Meanwhile, the President's Office said it wants to find out why the security guard suspected in the case of the closed shelter in Kyiv received the most severe preventive measure of all the defendants.
Other news:
- Pilots will be sent to train on the F-16 in waves. We already have the first list, said Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Air Force of Ukraine.
- Intelligence chiefs of the world's leading powers held a secret meeting in Singapore. Russian representatives were not present, Reuters reports.
- Georgian President proposes to release Saakashvili from prison by putting an electronic bracelet on him.
- Zelenskyy holds a special meeting to “analyze in great detail” how Russia circumvents sanctions.
- A large-scale opposition rally was held in Warsaw: more than 100,000 people came out.