EU Presidency: ‘Process to open the first chapter of Kyiv’s accession negotiations has begun’. Zelensky: ‘We want to build Patriot systems in Ukraine’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has set Friday as the deadline for finalising the procedures required to implement the agreement for the acquisition of additional Patriot air defence systems and associated missiles.

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

According to the Ukrainian president, the funds from the European support package for Ukraine, amounting to €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 his dissatisfaction with the delays in the contract process. “Unfortunately, even the necessary legal procedures have not yet been completed. I have set a final deadline of one week to complete all preparatory work,” he said.

At the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting, Zelenskyy went on to stress that “the current production capacity for Patriot systems is not sufficient to address all existing and potential threats worldwide”, and it is for this reason that he called for “the granting of licences for the production of Patriot systems in Ukraine”. “Ukraine has already demonstrated, with many types of weapons and especially with drones, that it can act swiftly and produce modern systems on a large scale. I therefore ask for your political support to secure positive decisions on these licences as well,” Zelensky noted.

European Parliament gives initial approval to report on Kyiv: “Good progress towards accession”

“Ukraine’s reforms relating to its accession to the European Union are encouraging, as are those concerning the rule of law and the fight against corruption.” This is stated in the report on Ukraine voted on today in the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, which received 54 votes in favour and 17 against. In the text, which will now be examined by the plenary in Strasbourg, MEPs stress that ‘nothing regarding Ukraine can be decided’ without the country’s own involvement, particularly with regard to ending Russia’s war of aggression and, in this context, MEPs call on the European Commission to ‘appoint a high-level European negotiator with a clearly defined mandate to represent the EU in diplomatic talks’.

With regard to the reforms in Kyiv required for the accession process to the EU-27, the text commends Ukraine’s efforts to ‘safeguard the separation of powers in times of war’, but at the same time stresses the need to address the ‘deterioration in relations between the legislative and executive branches’ and the importance of ensuring ‘the integrity of judicial offices in order to keep anti-corruption bodies free from political interference’. Finally, the report strongly condemns the US, ‘which makes US security guarantees for Ukraine conditional on the latter’s withdrawal from the Donbas region’.

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

Speaking to journalists about the Ukrainian army’s raids on St Petersburg, Zelensky said: “I believe these are justified attacks. Just a day ago there was a massive attack. We have responded accordingly.” He also announced that it is “only a matter of time” before the possibility of “increasing the intensity of our responses” 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 marks the start of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum – SPIEF, the St Petersburg International Economic Forum – also known as Putin’s ‘Russian Davos’, although it has gradually lost its significance.

In addition, 54 flights were delayed at St Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport as a result of the attacks.

Later that morning, Ukrainian defence forces also struck ships and infrastructure in the port of Kronstadt, 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, and which will be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov briefly commented on the Ukrainian attacks that struck St Petersburg this morning. “The special military operation is continuing precisely to prevent attacks similar to the one in St Petersburg,” he said, referring – according to the Russian state news agency TASS – to the “systematic nature” of the “Russian Federation’s responses”.

A drone attack by Ukrainian forces on a coach travelling from Moscow to Simferopol in Crimea has left eight people dead and ten others injured, according to reports from the authorities in the Moscow-controlled Donetsk region of Ukraine, where the attack took place.

“In Yenakiyevo, a drone struck a bus travelling from Moscow to Simferopol; according to initial reports, seven civilians were killed. Eleven other people sustained injuries of varying severity and are receiving the necessary treatment,” wrote Denis Pushilin, head of the local administration established by Russia, on Telegram. “The death toll has risen to eight,” Pushilin later reported in an interview with the Zvezda television channel, as reported by TASS.

The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, condemned the attack, describing it as a ‘manhunt’ by Ukrainian forces. The National Investigative Committee has launched an inquiry into the incident under Article 205 of the Criminal Code, which punishes ‘acts of terrorism’.

Two Russian firefighters were killed and two others injured 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 on the Max messaging service, as reported by TASS. The governor explained that the four firefighters were working to extinguish a fire in the Yershichsky municipal district when they were struck by debris from a Ukrainian drone that had been intercepted by air defences. Anokhin said that last night Ukrainian forces launched 31 drones at the Smolensk region in an attempt to strike key infrastructure.

Overnight, the Ukrainian armed forces launched 354 drones at around 15 Russian regions, including Moscow and St Petersburg. The Ministry of Defence has announced this, adding that all the unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted. In St Petersburg, where the International Economic Forum begins today with many foreign guests in attendance, including an official US delegation, an attack caused a fire at an oil terminal.

‘Last night, key targets on Russian territory were struck. These included the oil terminal in St Petersburg. From our Ukrainian state border to this target in the Russian oil industry, which is working for the war effort, there are approximately 1,100 kilometres. Purely military targets at the Kronstadt base were also hit.

On Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed responsibility for the drone attacks that took place overnight.

“Another target,” adds Zelensky, “is a company in the Tambov region involved in the production of Russian weapons. It is located almost 600 kilometres from the front line”.

The death toll from yesterday’s massive Russian attack on Ukraine has risen to 22 dead and 138 injured.

The authorities have reported that 16 people were killed in and around Dnipro, while a further six died in the capital, Kyiv. This is one of the most serious attacks Kyiv has suffered since the start of the war, which is now in its fifth year.

He is joined by the entire Atlantic Council, comprising the permanent representatives of the 32 member states (or their deputies) and the Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone. “This is a strong message from the Alliance to Ukraine,” explains a senior Allied source, particularly following the sharp resurgence of attacks by Russia.

A meeting is scheduled with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who in recent months has stepped up his appeals to allies to strengthen their support for Ukraine’s air defences against Russian missile attacks.

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

“The embassy has once again contacted the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking it to grant consular access to the Russian national immediately and to ensure his swift release,” the diplomatic mission added.

President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that the ship, which had set sail from Russia the previous day, had been seized by the French Navy with the support of the UK and other partners. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded by saying that actions such as this “border on piracy”.

“We must continue to put pressure on the Russian war machine,” said French President Emmanuel Macron today at a press conference at the Élysée Palace alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar.

During the press briefing, Macron stated 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 for Ukraine. “We must put pressure on Russia,” he emphasised, adding that Ukraine should join the European Union on its own merits.