Ukraine Russia war live: Putin’s forces ‘take Donetsk village’

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his Philippine counterpart president Ferdinand Marcos Jr for Manila’s participation in an upcoming peace summit in Switzerland later this month.

Mr Zelensky made the remarks during his bilateral meeting with the Philippine leader. It was not immediately clear who would be in the Philippine delegation that attends the summit.

Speaking at Asia’s premier security conference in Singapore, Mr Zelensky alleged Russia had been using Chinese diplomats in the wider Asian region to influence and dissuade countries from attending the peace summit, due to be held in Burgenstock Resort, central Switzerland, on 15 and 16 June.

Speaking at Asia’s premier security conference in Singapore, Mr Zelensky alleged Russia had been using Chinese diplomats in the wider Asian region to influence and dissuade countries from attending the peace summit, due to be held in Burgenstock Resort, central Switzerland, on 15 and 16 June.

“Russia, using Chinese influence in the region, using Chinese diplomats also, does everything to disrupt the peace summit,” said Mr Zelensky at a news conference at the Shangri-La defence forum. “Regrettably this is unfortunate that such a big independent powerful country as China is an instrument in the hands of [Russian leader Vladimir] Putin.”

He added that such actions were “not only support to Russia… that is support of war”.

Ukraine imposed emergency power shutdowns in most of the country on Sunday, a day after Russia unleashed large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure and claimed it made gains in the eastern Donetsk province.

The shutdowns were in place in all but three regions of Ukraine following Saturday’s drone and missile attack on energy targets that injured at least 19 people.

Ukraine’s state-owned power grid operator Ukrenergo said the shutdowns affected both industrial and household consumers.

Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks have forced the government to institute nationwide rolling blackouts.

Without adequate air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs, though, the shortages could still worsen as need spikes in late summer and the bitter-cold winter.

Nearly 1,000 people attended a ceremony Sunday honoring the memory of Ukrainian journalist Iryna Tsybukh, who was killed in action while serving as a volunteer combat medic a few days before her 26th birthday.

Tsybukh was killed while on rotation in the Kharkiv area, where Russia started its offensive nearly a month ago.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday that diplomacy – in the form of a peace summit later this month – was the best way to end a “cruel war” that has killed thousands in his country since 2022.

In an address at the security conference in Singapore, Zelensky said 106 countries and organisations had signed on for the peace summit in Switzerland, but noted it was disappointing that some world leaders had not yet offered their support. Russia was trying to disrupt the peace efforts, he said.

“We are convinced that our world wants to be united and be capable of acting in complete harmony,” Zelensky said.

He later told a news conference that he was not able to meet the Chinese delegation at the conference and was disappointed that Beijing would not attend the summit.

“China, unfortunately … is working for countries not to come to the peace summit,” he said.

Below are some of the latest photos from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.