Zelensky: we want to build Patriots in Ukraine. Rutte: no unanimity on Kiev joining Nato

"I held a meeting on the further supply of air defence systems and missiles to Ukraine. We reached an agreement at the highest political level on the purchase of Patriots, but its implementation on the financial, legal and technical level is still pending. The wait has gone on too long,' Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

According to the Ukrainian President, the funds from the European support package for Ukraine, amounting toEUR 90 billion, together with other available financial resources, must be deployed as quickly as possible to strengthen the protection of the country's population and infrastructure.

Zelensky also expressed dissatisfaction with the delays in the contract process. "Unfortunately, to date not even the necessary legal steps have been completed. I have set a final deadline of one week to complete all preparatory activities,' he said.

At the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting Zelensky went on to point out that 'the current production capacity of Patriots is not sufficient to meet all existing and potential threats in the world', which is why he called for 'the issuance of licences for the production of Patriot systems in Ukraine'. "Ukraine has already proven, with many types of weapons and especially drones, that it can move quickly and produce modern systems on a large scale. So I ask for your support at the political level to obtain positive decisions on these licences as well," Zelensky noted.

Eurochamber's first OK to report on Kiev: "Good progress towards accession"

'Ukraine's reforms related to EU accession are encouraging, as are those made on the rule of law and the fight against corruption'. This is what is stated in the report on Ukraine voted today in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Eurochamber and which received 54 votes in favour and 17 against. In the text, which will now go before the Strasbourg Chamber, the MEPs stress that "nothing on Ukraine can be decided" without the involvement of the country itself, especially regarding the end of Russia's war of aggression. In this context, the MEPs call on the Berylamont Palace to "appoint a high-level European negotiator with a clearly defined mandate to represent the EU in diplomatic talks".

With regard to Kiev's reforms, which are necessary for the process of accession to the 27, the text praises Ukraine's efforts to "safeguard the separation of powers in wartime", but at the same time emphasises the need to address the "deterioration of relations between the legislative and executive branches of power" and the importance of guaranteeing "the integrity of judicial offices in order to keep anti-corruption bodies free from political interference". Finally, the report expresses a strong denunciation of the US 'making US security guarantees for Ukraine conditional on its withdrawal from the Donbass region'.

This morning a fire broke out in the oil terminal in St Petersburg following a raid carried out by Ukrainian drones. This was reported by the Russian Telegram channel Astra, which released pictures of the incident.  Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad oblast, announced that 50 drones had been shot down in the region.

Zelensky, speaking to journalists about the Kiev army raids on St Petersburg, said: 'I think these are just attacks. Only a day ago there was a massive attack. We responded accordingly'. He also announced that it is "only a matter of time" that it is possible "to increase the intensity of our reactions" against Moscow.

epa13012594 Un cartellone pubblicitario del Forum economico internazionale di San Pietroburgo (Spief) a San Pietroburgo, in Russia, il 3 giugno 2026. La 29ª edizione del Forum economico internazionale di San Pietroburgo si terrà dal 3 al 6 giugno 2026. EPA/ANATOLY MALTSEV

Today sees the start of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum - Spief - also known as Putin's Russian Davos although it has gradually lost importance.

In addition, at St. Petersburg-Pulkovo airport 54 flights were delayed due to the attacks.

Later that morning, Ukrainian defence forces also struck ships and infrastructure in the Kronstadt port, in the Leningrad region near St. Petersburg.

This was stated by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as reported by Rbc. This is therefore the second attack in the region where the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (Spief) begins today, which will be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov briefly commented on the Ukrainian attacks that hit St Petersburg this morning. "The special military operation continues precisely to prevent attacks similar to the one in St Petersburg," he said, evoking - according to Russia's state news agency Tass - the "systematic character" of the "Russian Federation's responses."

A Ukrainian drone attack on a bus travelling from Moscow to Simferopol, Crimea, killed eight people and injured ten others, according to authorities in the Moscow-controlled Donetsk region of Ukraine, where the attack took place.

"In Yenakiyevo, a drone hit a bus connecting Moscow to Simferopol; according to initial information, seven civilians were killed. Another eleven people sustained injuries of varying severity and are receiving necessary treatment,' Denis Pushilin, head of the local administration established by Russia, wrote on Telegram. 'The death toll has risen to eight,' Pushilin later reported in an interview with the Zvezda TV channel, which was picked up by Tass.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the attack, calling it a 'manhunt' by Ukrainian forces. The National Investigative Committee opened an investigation into the incident on the basis of Article 205 of the Criminal Code, which punishes 'acts of terrorism'.

two Russian firefighters were killed and two others wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Smolensk region, according to the governor, Vasily Anokhin. A civilian was also injured, Anokhin added on his channel in the Max messenger service, quoted by Tass. The governor pointed out that the four firefighters were working to put out a fire in the Yershichsky municipal district when they were hit by debris from a Ukrainian drone that had been intercepted by air defences. Anokhin said Ukrainian forces launched 31 drones over the Smolensk region last night in an attempt to target important infrastructure.

Over night, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched 354 drones against some fifteen Russian regions, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. This was announced by the Ministry of Defence, adding that all unmanned aircraft were intercepted. In St. Petersburg, where the International Economic Forum begins today with the participation of many foreign guests, including an official US delegation, an attack caused a fire at an oil terminal.

"Important targets on the territory of Russia were hit tonight. Among them was the St Petersburg oil terminal. From our Ukrainian state border to this target of the Russian oil industry, which works for the war, there are about 1,100 kilometres. Purely military objects have also been reached at the Kronstadt base

Thus on Telegram Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claims drone attacks in the night.

"Another target," Zelensky adds, "is a company in the Tambov region, involved in the production of Russian weapons. The distance to the front line is almost600 kilometres.

The death toll of yesterday's massive Russian attack on Ukraine has risen to 22 dead and 138 wounded.

The authorities reported that 16 people were killed in and around Dnipro, while six others died in the capital Kiev. This is one of the most serious attacks suffered by Kiev since the beginning of the war, now in its fifth year.

Together with him is the entire Atlantic Council, i.e. the permanent representatives of the 32 allies (or deputies) and the chairman of the Nato military committee Giuseppe Cavo Dragone. "This is a strong message from the Alliance to Ukraine," explains a senior allied source, moreover after the bitter resurgence of attacks from the Russian side.

A meeting is planned with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who in recent months has multiplied his appeals to allies to strengthen support for Ukraine's air defence against Russian missile attacks.

"The French authorities have informed the embassy that the captain of the tanker Tagor, a Russian citizen, has been detained," the embassy said. "However, the notification includes unfounded accusations previously made by the French side against him.

'The embassy has once again approached the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs asking it to immediately provide consular access to the Russian citizen and ensure his swift release,' the diplomatic representation added.

President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that the day before the ship, which had sailed from Russia, had been seized by the French Navy with the support of Britain and other partners. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacted by saying that actions like this 'border on piracy'.

"We must continue to put pressure on the Russian war machine," French President Emmanuel Macron told a press conference at the Elysée Palace today together with Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar.

During the press point, Macron said that a new era had begun in Hungary, demonstrating the Hungarian people's commitment to European values. The French president said that the European Council meeting on 18-19 June would also discuss EU support and loans to Ukraine. "We must put pressure on Russia," he stressed, adding that Ukraine should join the EU on its own merits.