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

Live Reporting

Edited by Jamie Whitehead

  1. BBC Verify

    We're sifting through videos on shelling

    This morning we're looking into reports of shelling in Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.

    We're trawling through various accounts on the Telegram messaging app - which is heavily used in both Russia and Ukraine - searching for videos which could help us to understand what is happening on the ground.

    So far we've seen a photograph from the regional governor showing the casing of a used shell, which we've located to the town of Shebekino.

  2. Putin briefed on situation in Belgorod - Kremlin

    Russian President Vladimir Putin is being regularly briefed on the situation in the western Russian region of Belgorod, where shelling has been reported, a Kremlin spokesman has said.

    Dmitry Peskov said Russia's defence ministry, border guards, emergency services and local authorities were constantly updating Putin, the country's state-owned news agency Tass reported.

    It comes after Belgorod's governor said at least eight people had been injured after shelling hit the town of Shebekino overnight.

    The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine's Kharkiv region, has been come under attack before in recent months.

  3. Analysis

    Police investigate death after locked air raid shelter in Kyiv

    James Waterhouse
    Ukraine correspondent in Kyiv

    Cordon after missile strike in KyivReuters

    This is the fourth time this week Ukrainian cities have been subjected to missile and drone strikes – 17 days in May have involved attacks like this.

    We have been told on the eastern outskirts of Kyiv at least three people have been killed – one of them is thought to have been a child.

    Officials tell us air defence systems have been effective in shooting down the drones or missiles, but what we see time and time again - even if a missile is intercepted - it is the falling debris which can cause the damage.

    This seems to be the case here.

    One man has told Ukraine’s national broadcaster he was trying to get to a shelter which was locked, and his wife was killed in the subsequent debris which fell as they tried to seek cover. Police are now investigating his claims.

    Russia’s unrelenting tactic of targeting cities barely influences the battlefield, but it continues to put civilians directly in harm’s way.

  4. In pictures: Overnight strike in Kyiv

    Three people have died and at least 20 are reported injured in Russian missile strikes overnight in Kyiv, regional police have said.

    The latest attack occurred in the eastern Desnyanskyi and Dniprovskyi districts. It's the fourth attack this week, and comes after 17 strikes were launched on the Ukrainian capital throughout May.

    The view shows a residential building, which was affected during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, June 1, 2023Reuters

    Residential buildings were hit overnight

    Municipal workers clear debris at the site of a residential building damaged in a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 1, 2023Reuters

    Municipal workers clear debris at the site of a residential building damaged in the strike

    A woman speaks on her mobile phone at a balcony of her apartment damaged during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 1, 2023Reuters

    A woman speaks on her mobile phone from a balcony in her damaged apartment

    A view of the building of a municipal clinic damaged in a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 1, 2023Reuters

    A municipal clinic that was damaged in the overnight strike

    Law enforcement officers stand near a crater formed during a Russian missile strike, at the compound of a municipal clinic, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 1, 2023Reuters

    Law enforcement officers stand near a crater in the compound of the clinic

  5. Three killed in overnight missile attack in Kyiv

    A view of a residential building damaged in a missile strikeReuters

    A residential building in Kyiv damaged in overnight missile strikes

    Ukrainian officials say further Russian missile strikes overnight have left at last three people dead in the capital, Kyiv. The attack targeted the Desnyanskyi district in Kyiv's eastern suburbs.

    An 11-year-old girl, her mother and another woman were killed in the attack, say authorities. Twenty people are reported to be injured.

    “Everything happened very fast, probably within 15 minutes,” says resident Liudmyla.

    The Ukrainian armed forces say its air defence systems intercepted 10 missiles from Russia’s Bryansk region. It is the 18th attack on the capital since the start of May.

  6. Eight injured in Shebekino shelling - governor

    The governor of Belgorod said eight people have been wounded in overnight shelling in the Russian town of Shebekino - which is around 33km (20 miles) from Belgorod.

    Writing on his Telegram channel, Vyacheslav Gladkov said there are no reported fatalities.

    Gladkov blamed the shelling on the Armed Forces of Ukraine and also warned residents about fake evacuation calls on social media - Ukraine has not responded to the claims.

  7. Zelensky arrives in Moldova for European leaders summit

    President of Moldova Maia Sandu welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to ChișinăuEPA

    President of Moldova Maia Sandu welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Chișinău

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Chișinău, Moldova, for a summit bringing together leaders of at least 40 European countries to discuss the war in Ukraine.

    The group, called The European Political Community (EPC), was formed following Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

    President Zelensky reiterated he is working on support for a coalition of powers to supply fighter jets to help Ukraine repel Russian forces and that he will also discuss his peace plan.

    Ukraine's aspirations to join the Nato military alliance and the European Union are also on the agenda.

    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also attending the EPC.

  8. Nato allies agree on Ukraine membership - Stoltenberg

    Jen StoltenbergReuters

    Nato allies agree that Ukraine will become a member, the alliance’s secretary general Jen Stoltenberg has said.

    "All allies agree that Moscow does not have a veto against Nato enlargement,” Stoltenberg added, ahead of an informal meeting of Nato foreign affairs ministers in Oslo.

    Meanwhile, Stoltenberg said he would visit Turkey's capital Ankara "in the near future" to push Sweden's membership bid.

    Turkey and Hungary are the only Nato countries that have yet to ratify Sweden's membership bid.

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Sweden of being a haven for "terrorists”.

    But Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said Stockholm had met "all the commitments" to join the alliance.

  9. Uninterrupted shelling of Belgorod, says regional governor

    A shell embedded in the roadGovernor of Belgorod region/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

    The Governor of Russia's Belgorod region posted pictures on Telegram, said to be of Shebekino

    There have been reports of shelling in Russia’s Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine.

    "Uninterrupted shelling" hit the town of Shebekino, damaging buildings and injuring eight people, says regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov in a Telegram post.

    Gladkov says civilians will be evacuated when the shelling is over.

    The Belgorod region borders Ukraine's Kharkiv region. It has come under attack from Kyiv's territory in recent months. In May, Ukrainian forces briefly seized a number of settlements before retreating across the border.

  10. Welcome to our live coverage

    Emily McGarvey
    Live reporter

    Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the war in Ukraine as the country's officials are reporting three people have died in an overnight missile attack on Kyiv.

    Another 11 people were reported injured in the attack, which occurred in the eastern Desnyanskyi and Dniprovskyi districts.

    This is the fourth attack this week and comes after 17 strikes were launched on the Ukrainian capital throughout May. Analysts believe Moscow is trying to deplete and damage Ukraine's air defences ahead of a long-expected counter-offensive.

    Elsewhere, the governor of the western Russian region of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, said at least two people had been injured in an attack on the town of Shebekino, which he blamed on Ukrainian troops – Kyiv has not yet responded to the claims.

    I’m here with writers Aoife Walsh, James Harness, Jo Couzens and Thomas Mackintosh and we’ll be bringing you live updates and analysis on the latest developments throughout the day.