Russia’s demands for ending the war would be almost impossible for Kyiv to accept, according to reports in Russian media. 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 08:46, 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…
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.
We’re back with our coverage of the Ukraine war.
Yesterday, representatives of Russia and Ukraine met for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, but aside from agreeing to swap thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops, they made no progress toward ending the war.
Here is what you need to know:
We’ll be back tomorrow with more updates on the war in Ukraine.
Before we go, here is a look at the key lines from today:
Back here in the UK, Defence Secretary John Healey has pledged to “create a British Army that is 10 times more lethal” through software and long-range weapons.
Artificial intelligence, drones and a £1bn investment in homeland missile defence are all part of the plans to keep the UK safe in the face of threats from Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the rise of China.
Looking at the threat the UK is under, General Lord Richard Dannatt has told Sky’s Johnathan Samuels the “principle threat” comes from Russia.
“The Ukrainians have done a fantastic job in containing Russia over the last few years,” he said.
“There will probably be a ceasefire of some sort in the next one to three months.
“It will probably take the Russians about two years to reset themselves and put themselves in a position where they can become aggressive elsewhere again.
“I think this will tempt Vladimir Putin to want to test the strength of NATO and test whether Article 5 still holds true – if an attack on one is an attack on all members.”
Lord Dannatt also noted that Putin has always wanted to “fragment the cohesion of the West and NATO”.
“He would love to rupture that,” he added.
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