The last Ukrainian Navy warship, the Yuri Olefirenko, was destroyed by Russian Aerospace Forces with precision weapons on May 29, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on May 31. The attack occurred on May 29 while the warship was anchored in the port of Odessa, according to TASS. The Yuri Olefirenko is a medium-sized landing ship.
Landing ship Yuri Olefirenko
UKRAINE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
Ukrainian navy spokesman Oleh Chalyk declined to comment on Russia's claims. He said the navy would not disclose any information about losses in combat.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian officials admitted five of their planes were damaged in an attack in the west while the port of Odessa caught fire following an air strike.
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The Russian Defense Ministry announced on May 31 that its forces were conducting offensive operations against the Ukrainian army outside the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
RT reported that assault units of the 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade of Russia and an Akhmat special forces unit were attacking Ukrainian troops near the town of Maryinka, about 30 km west of the city of Donetsk, the capital of the region of the same name.
The Akhmat unit is based in the Chechen Republic of Russia and is part of the Russian National Guard. The force is named after Akhmad Kadyrov, the first leader of Chechnya and father of the current leader, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Also on May 31, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Ukraine had lost 200 soldiers in the Donetsk region, 3 armored vehicles and 12 trucks, an artillery piece and 2 multiple rocket launchers.
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Within 24 hours, Russian air defense systems intercepted 12 rockets launched from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and one long-range Storm Shadow cruise missile.
Ukraine has not commented on the above information.
On May 31, Russia announced that artillery shelling and drone attacks continued to target its territory.
Germany declares Ukraine has the right to self-defense
German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said on May 31 that under international law, Ukraine has a "legitimate" right to defend itself against Russian attacks.
According to CNN, Mr. Hebestreit's comments were in reference to drone attacks on May 30 in Moscow that injured two people and damaged several buildings, according to Russian state media. Ukraine has denied any involvement.
Mr. Hebestreit added that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 30.
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British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also acknowledged on May 30 that Ukraine had the right to act outside its borders in self-defense. "Legal military targets outside their borders are part of the right to self-defense. And we should recognize that," Mr. Cleverly said.
During a press conference on May 31, White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby stated that the Biden administration “does not support attacks on Russian soil.” Mr. Kirby said he had made this clear to Ukraine, adding that Ukrainian officials had pledged not to use US-supplied weapons to attack Russian territory.
French President Says Russia Awakens NATO
Speaking at a security forum in the Slovakian capital Bratislava on May 31, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his previous statement that NATO was "brain dead" but had been "awakened" by Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, according to The Guardian .
President Emmanuel Macron speaks in Bratislava on May 31.
He stressed that Ukraine is defending Europe and NATO must provide security guarantees to Kyiv. "I support that and it will be the subject of collective dialogue in the coming weeks, to provide tangible and credible security guarantees to Ukraine," President Macron said. He added that more NATO members could offer security guarantees while Ukraine waits to join the alliance.
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"We need to help Ukraine by all means so that they can launch an effective counter-offensive. That is what we are doing. We must intensify our efforts because what is going to happen in the next few months will open the door to a lasting peace," Mr. Macron said.
On the other hand, the French President called on European Union (EU) countries to purchase weapons and equip themselves with offensive capabilities because Europe's future self-defense capabilities will depend on Europeans.
Russia does not decide on Ukraine's NATO membership
Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said on May 31 that only Ukraine and NATO countries have the right to decide when Kyiv becomes a member of the alliance, and Moscow has no say in this matter, according to Reuters.
Huitfeldt's comments came in an interview with reporters ahead of a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Oslo from May 31 to June 1. Countries are seeking to bridge divisions over Ukraine's bid for NATO membership ahead of a July summit in Lithuania.
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NATO has not approved Ukraine's request to speed up its accession process as Western governments such as the US and Germany are wary of any move that could bring the alliance closer to conflict with Russia.
Last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine would not be able to join NATO while the conflict with Russia was ongoing, but said it would be a different story once the conflict ended.
Russia opposes Ukraine joining NATO, but its military campaign has triggered a historic policy shift in Finland, which joined NATO in April.
Sweden also applied to join at the same time as Finland but was blocked by Hungary and Türkiye. Norwegian Foreign Minister Huitfeldt said Sweden should become a full member of NATO before the July summit. "There is absolutely no reason to hold Sweden back. They meet all the criteria," she said.
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