An ally of Vladimir Putin has warned “retribution is inevitable” after Ukraine’s drone raids on Russian bombers. At least three people have been killed in strikes on Ukraine overnight. Follow the latest and submit a question for our next Q&A with analyst Michael Clarke below.
Tuesday 3 June 2025 09:32, UK
Security and defence analyst Professor Michael Clarke will be answering your questions on the war in Ukraine this Wednesday.
You can submit a question via the form at the top of this page.
Clarke takes a look at them each week and offers his insights on the likes of peace negotiations, the latest from the battlefield, or Donald Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin.
Catch up on last week’s Q&A below…
The UK government has threatened to sue the former Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, over how the money from the sale of the London football club will be used.
Britain sanctioned Abramovich in a crackdown on Russian oligarchs after Russia’s invasion in 2022.
It triggered a rushed sale of the Premier League club and the freezing of the proceeds – £2.5bn.
The government wants the money spent only in Ukraine – in line with a wider European push for Moscow to foot the bill for the death and destruction in the country.
However, Abramovich wants the money to go to all victims.
In a rare joint statement, British Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Tuesday the government was ready to step up efforts to secure the money.
Read more below:
Here are the latest pictures from the city of Kramatorsk, in the Donetsk region, after a Russian attack.
Locals were left to pick through the rubble amid the destruction.
Russia has seemingly responded to Ukraine’s daring drone raid over the weekend.
Dmitry Medvedev, in apparent reference to the Saturday night attack, said: “Retribution is inevitable”.
One of Putin’s key allies, he seemed to say Russia would be taking revenge.
He posted cryptically on Telegram, saying: “To all who are worried and waiting for retribution.
“You need to worry – this is a normal person’s quality.
“Retribution is inevitable.”
‘Istanbul talks not for compromise’
He also touched on the peace talks that made little ground this week, but led to another prisoner exchange.
“The negotiations in Istanbul are needed not for a compromise peace on unrealistic conditions invented by someone, but for our speedy victory and the complete destruction of [Ukraine’s government]”, he said.
He also explicitly said Russia’s army would continue to advance, all raising further questions of Moscow’s commitment to achieving peace.
Who is Medvedev?
The deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, he served as the country’s president from 2008 to 2012 – with Vladimir Putin both his predecessor and successor.
Putin also served as prime minister during his term, with many questioning who really held the power.
Two people have been killed after a Russian attack on Sumy, the local administration has said.
Around 20 people were also injured, with some said to be in a serious condition.
“As a result of the hits, a medical facility, cars, and houses were damaged,” the Sumy Regional Military Administration said.
Earlier this week, conservative historian Karol Nawrocki, who draws inspiration from Donald Trump, won Poland’s presidential election.
The vote was closely watched from Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the world leaders to offer his congratulations.
But what does his win mean for Ukraine going forward?
Zelenskyy’s message to Nawrocki acknowledged the role Poland plays as a key neighbour, ally and hub for Western weapons sent to Kyiv.
The Ukrainian president called Poland “a pillar of regional and European security.”
Donald Trump and his allies were also quick to come out to congratulate the new Polish leader.
While Nawrocki supports Ukraine in its fight against Russia, he is more critical of Zelenskyy than previous Polish leaders.
He also opposes NATO membership for Kyiv – which has been a key sticking point.
Our Europe correspondent Adam Parsons wrote: “Poland is a crucial EU member – it has the sixth biggest budget in the bloc and it borders seven different countries, including Germany, Ukraine and the Russian territory of Kaliningrad.
“Strategically, Poland is pivotal.
“Politically, it now looks volatile.”
Over the weekend, Ukraine launched an unprecedented attack on Russia’s long-range bombers.
It had war bloggers comparing it to Pearl Harbor.
But our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett has analysed the reaction within Russia.
Read more below and watch him discuss the fallout:
Ukrainian attacks are said to have triggered power cuts in swathes of Russian-controlled territory in the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, in Ukraine’s south.
Hundreds of thousands were left without power, according to Russian-installed officials.
There was said to be no impact on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
The two regions are among the key areas that Moscow demands Kyiv give up in order for the war to end – as we reported in our 7.22 post.
As of Tuesday morning, it was said that more than 600,000 people in Zaporizhzhia were without electricity.
This came about after shelling by Ukraine damaged high-voltage infrastructure, Russia-installed governor Yevgeny Belitsky claimed.
Similarly, Russian-appointed governor Vladimir Saldo said debris from drones had damaged two substations, knocking out power for more than 100,000 residents.
There was no immediate comment from Kyiv.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in their attacks, but thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
Here are the latest images from the attack on Kharkiv that left at least three people dead and a number of others injured.
A private postal company was among the buildings hit in the drone strike.
The Kremlin’s delegation at yesterday’s peace talks in Turkey demanded that Ukraine give up large areas of territory and limit the size of its army, according to reports in Russian media.
Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti both reported on a memorandum from the talks, suggesting Moscow’s terms for ending the war are punitive for Ukraine.
Although the two sides agreed to another prisoner exchange last night, the strict Russian terms explain an overall lack of progress in the peace talks.
The terms were formally presented at negotiations in Istanbul and highlighted Moscow’s refusal to compromise on its longstanding aims.
At least three people have been killed after Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, according to local officials.
In an update this morning, the Kharkiv regional state administration said six others were also injured.
The administration said that in the village of Kivsharivka, Kupyansk community, two women aged 62 and 64 were killed.
While in the city of Balakliya, a 31-year-old man was killed and a 38-year-old man was injured, the local officials said.
In the city of Kupyansk, women aged 55, 60, 61 and 62 and a 59-year-old man were injured, the local administration added.
It also said that, over the past 24 hours, 142 “combat clashes” had been recorded.
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