Events of June 3. Armed Forces successfully counterattack in Sievierodonetsk, occupiers destroy evidence of crimes in Mariupol, and the EU officially approves sanctions

From the very beginning of Russiaʼs full-scale war against Ukraine, Babel has been conducting daily live text coverage of the events and promptly informing the main news on the Telegram channel. We also make a daily digest of the most important events of the day in case you have not been able to follow live.

The day before, as a result of the shelling of the village of Marianske in Dnipropetrovsk oblast, a woman and her two children were injured, two houses were destroyed, and a gas pipeline and electricity networks were shut down. The Ukrainian military in the south repulsed a counterattack of Russians who wanted to win back the lost positions around Mykolayivka of the Kherson area. This village was liberated by the Armed Forces a few days ago. Fighting continues in the center of Siievierodonetsk and satellite villages. A woman was killed in an artillery shelling in Lysychansk, and Russia is massively destroying the cities of Luhansk oblast. Experts from the Institute for the Study of War believe that during the battles for Sievierodonetsk, the Russian army may lose the remnants of offensive potential. Therefore, the capture of Donetsk oblast seems unlikely. Ukrainian troops pushed the Russians out of 20% of Sievierodonetsk. The occupiers lost a lot of equipment and personnel, including the Kadyrovites. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are receiving reinforcements, including volunteers from the Foreign Legion.

The occupiers began dismantling the rubble and destroying evidence of their crimes in one of the districts of Mariupol. It was there that Russian TV filmed a propaganda story in which Russians shot a house from a tank. Russian invaders retrieved the bodies of six people from the rubble of this building.

The European Union has officially announced the introduction of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. It was discussed for almost a month due to the constant blockade by Hungary.

The Ukrainian military is already learning how to work with HIMARS missile systems, which the United States will hand over to the Defense Forces. American instructors conduct theoretical and practical classes for UAF soldiers in a secret place outside Ukraine.

American billionaire and owner of Tesla Elon Musk sent solar panels to Ukraine. At present, these panels ensure the operation of critical infrastructure facilities in Kyiv oblast. In the deoccupied territories, which have suffered the most from the Russians, there are problems with electricity, and Tesla Powerwall stations provide backup power during power outages.

Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar stated that Turkey is one of the countries that buy grain that Russia stole from Ukraine. Bodnar also told reporters that he had sought help from the Turkish authorities and Interpol to identify those involved in the supply of grain in transit through Turkish waters.

During the war in Ukraine, Russia repeatedly asked for help from China, including economic and financial. But the Chinese government is in no hurry because it fears Western sanctions. According to sources in The Washington Post, China allegedly did not expect the war to last more than 3 months. Now they are looking for opportunities to help Russia financially and at the same time not violate sanctions. They are also looking for other ways to help, including diplomatic ones.

The American band Metallica has raised a million dollars for Ukraine. The funds will be donated to the World Central Kitchen organization and the #ChefsForUkraine initiative. In addition, the American Marriott hotel chain is shutting down in Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree granting Ukrainian citizenship to Russian publicist and blogger Aleksandr Nevzorov. The Migration Service does not provide any details.