Summary

  • Shelling on the western Russian region of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, has injured eight people, Russian authorities say

  • The governor of the region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, blamed the attack on the town of Shebekino on Ukrainian troops

  • Meanwhile, President Zelensky has reiterated that Ukraine should urgently be allowed to join Nato and the EU at a summit with European leaders in Moldova

  • Elsewhere, three people have died, including a young girl, in a new night-time missile attack on Kyiv, regional police said

  • It's the fourth attack this week and comes after 17 strikes were launched on Kyiv throughout May

  • Analysts say Moscow is trying to deplete Ukraine's air defences ahead of a long-expected counter-offensive

  1. Thank you for joining uspublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    We're bringing our coverage to an end now, thank you for joining us as we took you through the day's events.

    Today's coverage was edited by myself and Marita Moloney. It was written by Aoife Walsh, James Harness, Thomas Mackintosh, Emily McGarvey, Malu Cursino, Jo Couzens and Gem O'Reilly.

  2. What's been happening today?published at 16:10 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    People stand inside a damaged clinic during a Russian missile attack, on June 1, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Image source, Getty Images

    Let's take a look at today's key headlines, as the war in Ukraine went through its 463rd day:

    • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with his Moldovan counterpart, where he renewed calls for a clear path to his country's accession to Nato
    • EU leaders met in Moldova, where Zelensky had the opportunity to hold talks with European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen.
    • Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg and the alliance's foreign ministers met in Oslo and said all allies agree that Ukraine will become a member
    • But uncertainties remain regarding the path for Ukraine's accession to the alliance
    • Lithuania and Estonia stressed that Ukraine needs a concrete answer, but Hungary's foreign minister said Kyiv's accession cannot be on the agenda of next month's official summit
    • Meanwhile, shelling has intensified in western Russia, as the governor of Belgorod said eight people were wounded in overnight shelling in the town of Shebekino. He blamed the attack on Ukrainian troops
    • It is the latest round of increasingly frequent attacks in Russia, following drone attacks in one of Moscow's wealth neighbourhoods on Tuesday
    • Over in Ukraine, three people have died, including a young girl, during a night-time missile attack in the capital, officials have said
    • The attack in Ukraine was the fourth one this week alone, and analysts say Russia is trying to deplete Kyiv's air defences ahead of the much-awaited counter-offensive
  3. BBC Verify

    What do we know about drone attacks in Russia?published at 15:58 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    Russia says Ukraine has launched a series of drone strikes on its territory in recent months, including one on Moscow this week.

    It has also accused Ukraine of trying to kill President Vladimir Putin in an alleged attack on his residence in the Kremlin on 3 May.

    Ukraine denies carrying out the attacks.

    According to Russian media reports monitored by the BBC, there have been more than 60 suspected drone attacks this year in Russia and Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.

    You can read more about tracking reported drone attacks here

    Graphic showing reported drone attacks in Russia and Russian-controlled areas of UkraineImage source, .
  4. Zelensky: The alternative to joining Nato is war or Russian occupationpublished at 15:38 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    Media caption,

    Ukraine's President Zelensky says without membership there are "only war guarantees".

    Ukraine's President Zelensky has expressed on his Twitter, external and in Moldova that a clear path to Ukraine's accession to Nato is important.

    "This year is for decisions," he said, adding that the Nato summit in Vilinius at the Nato summit should include a clear invitation for Ukraine.

    "Every doubt we show in Europe is a trench that Russia will try to occupy."

  5. Analysis

    Is it wise for Ukraine to join Nato?published at 15:30 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    Frank Gardner
    BBC News, Security Correspondent

    For Ukraine, the answer is obvious. Yes, because once it is inside the protective shelter of the Western alliance then any future attacks by Russia would oblige the whole of Nato to come to its defence - with troops, not just equipment.

    The former US Army Commander in Europe, Lt.Gen Ben Hodges, told the BBC: "Europe will be safer with Ukraine in Nato. Russia won’t attack Ukraine once it’s in Nato".

    He said the coming Nato summit in Vilnius would be a huge failure of credibility if there was no clear message about the inevitability of Ukraine joining Nato.

    But on the other side of the argument, this would raise the stakes dramatically. What if Ukraine’s future Nato membership failed to deter Russian aggression and conflict erupted on its borders?

    That would mean Nato was then at war with Russia, with all the accompanying risks of nuclear escalation.

    Russian nationalists, including President Putin, already consider Nato's eastwards expansion to be an intolerable provocation.

    It’s hard to predict how Moscow would react to Europe’s second largest nation, and a place some consider to be a part of Russia, joining an alliance that it now views as an implacable enemy.

  6. Nato should consider what security guarantees it can give Ukraine - French FMpublished at 15:19 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    Catherine ColonnaImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in Oslo today

    A little earlier, French foreign minister Catherine Colonna warned that Nato needed to consider what kind of security guarantee it could offer Ukraine before it provides a firm promise to join the alliance.

    At a two-day meeting with other Nato foreign ministers in Oslo, Norway, she said security guarantees must move towards Nato membership for Ukraine.

    "I have to recall a simple principle of international law, which is that all sovereign states have the right to freely choose their alliances," she said.

    Lithuania and Estonia, on the other hand, said Ukraine needed a concrete answer after years of waiting.

    But Hungary's foreign minister Péter Szijjártó said Ukraine's Nato accession cannot be on the agenda of July's summit in Lithuania.

    Ukraine has voiced its frustration, as Nato had agreed the country would join the alliance eventually back in 2008. Since then, steps like giving Kyiv an action plan haven't been made.

  7. BBC Verify

    Fire and explosions seen inside Belgorodpublished at 15:05 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    BBC Verify has geolocated three videos showing fighting in Belgorod region today.

    The first shows a five-storey building in the border town of Shebekino. The building is visibly damaged in several places, but the cause is unclear.

    Building with smoke coming out

    We have also verified the location of two other videos. Both were released by the Freedom of Russia Legion, a pro-Ukraine paramilitary group.

    One of them was filmed in a rural area between the Shebekino border crossing and the town itself.

    The other was shot in the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, directly on the border with Ukraine.

    Videos of explosions

    The paramilitary group says the footage shows the aftermath of a successful attack on Russian military equipment, but we haven’t been able to verify that claim.

    Earlier today, the same group released a video saying their fighters were at the border preparing for an incursion into Russia. But there aren’t enough visual clues in the footage to identify the time and place the video was filmed.

    Russia's Ministry of Defence said it had repelled three attacks by forces seeking to enter Russia via Novaya Tavolzhanka and the Shebekino crossing point.

    But the Russian Volunteer Corps, another paramilitary pro-Ukraine group, has since posted a video claiming they were still fighting on the outskirts of Shebekino, which we are working to verify.

  8. What's happening in the Ukraine war?published at 14:55 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    Ukraine's capital has been heavily targeted in recent weeks, as Russian forces prepare their defences against Kyiv's long-expected counter-offensive.

    Here's what you need to know:

    • Russia has accused Ukraine of repeatedly hitting targets inside Russia, including a reported drone attack on the Kremlin earlier this month and a drone attack on Moscow on Tuesday
    • Kyiv has denied claims it was behind the attacks and has stressed that it has a legitimate right to use force to de-occupy its territories currently under Russian control
    • These include four regions in the south and east, as well as the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014
    • Meanwhile, three people died in an overnight missile strike on Kyiv - the latest attack on the capital. Analysts believe Moscow is trying to deplete and damage Ukraine's air defences
    • One of Ukraine's most senior security officials told the BBC Ukraine's forces were ready to launch their counter-offensive, saying it could happen "tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week"
    Map showing Russian control in UkraineImage source, .
  9. Another night spent in shelters by Kyiv residentspublished at 14:36 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    As Russian missiles rained down on Kyiv overnight, people living in the Ukrainian capital sought safety in the city's shelters.

    Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko takes cover inside shelter with local residentsImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko took cover with local residents. Posting on Telegram in the early hours, he said a "series of explosions" had taken place in the city, and that rescuers had been dealing with fallen debris and fires

    People take cover inside a subway station during an air raid alert, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, June 1, 2023Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Many people headed to a subway station that serves as a shelter during the attacks

    Boys play on a phone, as they hide with other local residents inside a subway station during an air raid alert, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, June 1, 2023Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    It's the fourth time this week Ukrainian cities have been hit by missile and drone strikes

    People take cover inside a shelter during an air raid alert, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 1, 2023Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Three people died, including an 11-year-old girl, in the latest night-time missile attack on Kyiv

  10. Ukraine accession cannot be on summit agenda - Hungary foreign ministerpublished at 14:16 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    Hungary's foreign minister Peter Szijjarto has said that Ukraine's Nato accession cannot be on the agenda during July's summit.

    On his Facebook page he wrote: "We have to be clear on this: the Nato accession of a country currently at war cannot be on the agenda."

    Szijjarto added that a timetable for Ukraine should not be discussed either.

  11. 'Moscow cannot stop Ukraine joining Nato'- Stoltenbergpublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    NATO Secretary General Jens StoltenbergImage source, Reuters

    As Nato foreign ministers gathered in Oslo for an informal meeting, its general secretary Jens Stoltenberg said: "All allies agree that Moscow does not have a veto against Nato enlargement."

    He said that Moscow cannot stop Ukraine from becoming part of the alliance and added: "We are moving. Allies agree that Ukraine will become a member."

    Stoltenberg said this ahead of the Nato summit taking place next month in Lithuania.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has said that Kyiv wanted to receive a "clear" decision on its future in Nato at that summit.

    In 2008 Nato agreed that Ukraine would join the alliance eventually, but steps such as giving Kyiv an action plan haven’t yet been made.

  12. At a glance: What's been happeningpublished at 13:33 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    Ukraine's capital Kyiv was hit with another missile attack overnight, killing three people and injuring 20 others.

    Meanwhile, Russian authorities say shelling in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has injured eight people.

    Here's what else you need to know:

    • President Zelensky is in Moldova for the European Political Community summit, where he again called for Ukraine to be allowed to join Nato and the EU
    • He also met with European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen. He said their talks touched on security guarantees for Ukraine while it's waiting to join Nato
    • Over at the Nato meeting in Oslo, secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said all allies agree that Ukraine will become a member
    • Elsewhere, a Kremlin spokesman said Putin was being regularly briefed on the situation in Belgorod
    • And Russia's defence ministry said it thwarted several attempts by Ukrainian forces to "invade" the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine

    Stay with us as we bring you more updates.

    Graphic showing Belgorod's proximity to UkraineImage source, .
  13. WATCH: Russian building on fire in Belgorod border townpublished at 13:17 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    A video posted on Telegram shows a building on fire, close to regional administrative offices, and our BBC Verify team has confirmed the location of the clip as Shebekino in Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.

    Russian authorities say shelling in Shebekino injured eight people, with a Kremlin spokesman saying that President Vladimir Putin was receiving updates on the situation.

  14. Russia resists Ukraine's attack on border - defence ministrypublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    The aftermath of shelling in the border town of Shebekino in Russia's Belgorod regionImage source, HANDOUT/EPA
    Image caption,

    The aftermath of shelling in the border town of Shebekino in Russia's Belgorod region

    Russia's defence ministry says it has blocked several attempts by Ukraine's forces to cross its border.

    Moscow said it thwarted an attempt by Ukrainian troops to "invade" its southwestern Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.

    The defence ministry said it used jets and artillery to repel the attacks and prevent Ukrainian troops from crossing over into Russia.

    Earlier, regional authorities said that eight people were wounded in an attack in the Belgorod region blamed on Ukrainian troops. Kyiv has not yet responded to the claims.

    The Kremlin has since denounced what is said was the silence of the international community following the incident.

  15. Zelensky and von der Leyen meet in Moldovapublished at 12:56 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said talks with the European Commission President today touched on security guarantees for Ukraine while it's outside of the Nato military alliance.

    In a tweet,, external Zelensky, who met Ursula von der Leyen in Moldova, said he also called for the removal of export restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products.

    Von der Leyen also tweeted , externalfrom the summit, saying that Ukraine "has made impressive progress on its EU path" and "we will work hard together to reach this goal".

  16. What is the European Political Community?published at 12:34 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    European leaders pose for a family photo during the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at Mimi Castle in Bulboaca near Chisinau, MoldovaImage source, PA Media

    A short while ago, we brought you comments from President Zelensky, who is in Moldova for the European Political Community (EPC) summit.

    The EPC brings together 47 European leaders from inside and outside the EU, but it excludes Russia and Belarus - it was formed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

    The group was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron in May of that year as a "new space" for co-operation. It is also intended to embrace EU candidate countries waiting for membership to the bloc.

    The summit is being held less than 10km (6 miles) from Moldova's breakaway Transnistria region, which is occupied by Russian "peacekeepers".

    Moldova is one of the countries most affected by the war in Ukraine. The location of the summit is intended to demonstrate support for the former Soviet country.

    It is also an opportunity for Moldova to show it is fit for EU membership and to surround itself with allies in the face of Russian forces.

  17. Zelensky reiterates call for Nato and EU membershippublished at 12:11 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    Zelensky in MoldovaImage source, PA Media

    We can now bring you some more comments from President Zelensky, who has restated his demand that Ukraine should urgently be allowed to join Nato and the EU.

    Speaking in Moldova, Zelensky said that without such security guarantees there could be no peace, and Russia would continue to try to swallow any neighbouring countries that were left outside.

    Moldova's president, Maia Sandu, said hosting the European Political Community summit just 20km (12 miles) from Ukraine's border was a clear show of solidarity with Kyiv.

    Earlier, the head of Russia's security service said the West was pushing Moldova to take part in the conflict in Ukraine.

  18. WATCH: Ukraine is ready to be in Nato - Zelenskypublished at 11:53 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    We reported earlier that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Moldova for the European Political Community summit, where leaders of European countries will discuss the Ukraine war.

    Greeted by Moldovan president Maia Sandu, Zelensky said Ukraine's future in the EU is "very important" and it is ready to be in Nato.

    Take a look:

    Media caption,

    Ukraine's president says security guarantees are important against "Russian aggression".

  19. BBC Verify

    What we know about shelling in Belgorodpublished at 11:29 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    There have been conflicting reports about the violence on the border in the Belgorod region of south-west Russia.

    Russian social media channels first reported fighting at the Shebekino border checkpoint early this morning.

    BBC Verify has seen videos from two pro-Ukrainian paramilitary groups announcing raids into Russia’s territory.

    In one video, shared by the Russian Volunteer Corps, a man in military gear says their fighters were "once again fighting on Russian territory" and that "the outskirts of Shebekino will soon become visible". It is unclear where or when these videos were filmed.

    Despite this, local officials have denied reports of a Ukrainian troop breakthrough in the Shebekino sector, adding that the situation remains difficult and that the “shelling is ongoing”.

    We're looking for footage on social media that can shed light on the conflicting statements and will bring updates when we can.

  20. Where is Belgorod?published at 11:19 British Summer Time 1 June 2023

    We have been hearing a lot about Belgorod today, as Russian authorities say eight people have been injured from shelling in the western Russian region.

    It's been in the news more than once over the last few weeks, so let's get a bit more background on the region.

    It's is located in south-west Russia and is approximately 25 miles (40km) north of the border with Ukraine.

    Grpahic showing Belgorod's proximity to UkraineImage source, .

    In recent weeks, various villages in the Belgorod region have been evacuated after coming under fire.

    The Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov also said the region has been subjected to a "large" number of drone attacks which have damaged private vehicles, houses, offices and a gas pipeline.