Ukraine strikes S-400 and S-300 air defense units in Crimea overnight. Ninety countries and organizations out of 160 invited confirm attending the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland. Ukraine strikes Russia’s most advanced Su-57 fighter jet for the first time.
Ukraine hits S-400, S-300 air defense systems in Crimea
Ukraine hit several advanced air defense systems across Crimea overnight, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Monday.
“Ukraine’s defense forces successfully attacked an S-400 air defense unit near Dzhankoy and two enemy S-300 air defense units near Chornomorske and Yevpatoria overnight,” the General Staff said.
“Thanks to the successful combat work of [Ukraine’s] defense forces, Russian air defense units in Ukrainian Crimea took considerable losses,” it added.
None of the missiles were intercepted, it said.
The strikes shut down radars on the S-300 and S-400 systems and detonated ammunition at all three sites in the area where the systems were stationed.
Ninety countries, organizations out of 160 invited confirm attending peace summit in Switzerland
Nearly 90 countries and organizations, half from Europe, have confirmed attending the Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit over the weekend, Switzerland’s president Viola Amherd told reporters in Bern on Monday, according to The Washington Post.
The Swiss president said that most participants would be top country leaders, with about half represented at the head of state or government level, and “a handful” from organizations like the United Nations. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are expected to attend the summit.
About 160 invitations have been sent out and Amherd said it was not a “disappointment” for the Swiss government that fewer than 100 have so far announced participation in the first phase of the peace process. Swiss authorities said the final list of participants was expected by Friday, but key developing countries like Turkey, South Africa and Brazil haven’t indicated whether they would attend. India they said, will take part but it isn’t clear at which level.
Brazil and China said they wouldn’t take part unless both sides – including Russia – were at the table, according to Swiss officials.
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis also addressed reporters, saying Switzerland has repeatedly acknowledged that there cannot be a peace process without Russia. “The question is not whether Russia will be on board, the question is when.” He also said Switzerland is in frequent contact with authorities in Moscow about the conference.
Switzerland will host a global peace summit on Ukraine on June 15 and 16. As of June 3, 107 countries have confirmed attending the conference, according to the Office of the President of Ukraine. President Zelenskyi earlier said that “not all those on whom the world depends have joined us yet.”
Russia will not attend. Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Russia could be at the table when Ukraine convenes further meetings on its peace formula. The Swiss foreign ministry said that “a peace process without Russia is unthinkable.”
Ukraine strikes Russia’s Su-57 fighter jet for first time
Ukraine said Sunday that it had successfully targeted Russia’s most advanced Su-57 fighter jet for the first time ever in a strike on the Akhtubinsk airfield in the Russian region of Astrakhan.
The Su-57 is Russia’s most advanced fighter jet that can carry Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles.
The Russian military has a limited number of them, the Main Intelligence Department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said. Andriy Yusov, Ukrainian defense intelligence representative, later said a second aircraft may have been hit as well.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin was furious after a Su-57 was hit, Yusov said on television on Monday.
“We can confirm that it was hit. As for the operation, we can neither confirm, nor deny the fact. This is good news: Putin is really furious, and the Kremlin’s reaction is very tempered and tangible. They were attempting to hide and safeguard the Su-57s. These fighter jets have never entered the Ukrainian airspace amid fears they could be shot down,” Yusov said.
Russia has been praising the aircraft to strike more commercial deals and stand out on the international weapons market.
According to Ukraine’s defense intelligence, a Su-57 was damaged, not destroyed. Yusov said: “We understand that it is a complex, technical process. Identification of damages and reconstruction will take much time. There are a few SU-57s in Putin’s army. Any item that goes out of commission is a serious blow to the enemy’s capabilities,” he said.
There were just around nine full-up Su-57s in Russia’s stable, Yusov said.
Book initiatives in de-occupied and front-line territories. Ukraine in Flames #622
During the war, Russian troops systematically harm Ukrainian culture, killing cultural figures and destroying monuments. Thousands of libraries in Ukraine are also under constant threat of shelling and looting by the Russian military. The Russian attack on the largest library in the Kherson region demonstrates the deliberate destruction of Ukrainian culture. Many libraries in the frontline regions continue their work despite significant losses of book collections. Watch Ukraine in flames #622 to find out about book initiatives in de-occupied and front-line territories and how people are using books to restore a sense of normalcy amidst the challenges of war.
The invited experts were speakers at Book Arsenal 2024 in Kyiv, and the panel was held in collaboration with UCMC and UkraineWorld.
Guests:
- Myroslava Barchuk, Journalist, Vice-President of PEN Ukraine
- Maryna Chyzhova, Coordinator of the “Book Shelter” project
- Aelita Gorbunova, Participant of the “Book Shelter” project
