Before and after satellite images of a Russian Su-57 fighter jet struck by Ukrainian drones in Russia’s Astrakhan region

EA/Times Radio Special: Another Failed Putin Gamble in Ukraine?

Sunday’s Coverage: The Damage of Russia’s “Energy War”

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1320 GMT:

Ukraine’s military claims its missile attacks damaged three surface-to-air defense systems in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight.

One S-400 anti-aircraft missile unit was hit near Dzhankoy, and two S-300 anti-aircraft units were attacked near Chornomorske and Yevpatoria.

The military said all missiles evaded air defenses, and the radars of the Russian systems stopped working “immediately” after the strikes.

UPDATE 1232 GMT:

The head of Ukraine’s reconstruction agency, Mustafa Nayyem, has resigned.

Leaving a day before an international conference in Berlin on long-term reconstruction, Nayyem said he was prevented from attending after he was systematically undermined by the Ukrainian Government from doing his job.

Nayyem subsequently sent a strongly-worded e-mail to Western officials criticizing the Government and announced his resignation in a Facebook post.

Two agency officials responsible for anti-corruption policy and procurement also quit.

Government officials said Nayyem’s travel request to Berlin was denied because a meeting to review his agency’s work is scheduled for June 12 in Kyiv. A Cabinet spokesperson said Nayyem’s statements “appear to be an attempt to avoid reporting on today’s critical issues”.

UPDATE 1105 GMT:

Almost 20,000 Wagner Group mercenaries were killed in the six-month “human wave” assault to overrun Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine in May 2023, according to documents obtained by the independent Russian outlet Mediazona and BBC Russian.

The records, which set out posthumous payments to relatives of slain fighters, has more than 20,000 names between January 2022 and August 2023. Around 180 billion roubles ($2 billion) was spent on compensation.

Of those killed in Bakhmut, 17,000 were prisoners pardoned by Vladimir Putin. At least 48,000 former inmates, from all parts of Russia, joined Wagner.

At the height of the assault in the Donetsk region, more than 200 mercenaries were killed daily.

UPDATE 0804 GMT:

Switzerland, the host of the first Global Peace Summit, says 90 states and organisations have registered for the June 15-16 gathering.

Russia has not been invited to the summit. The Swiss Government said in a statement that the meeting will try to “jointly define a roadmap” on how to involve both Moscow and Ukraine in a future peace process.

Swiss President Viola Amherd told reporters, “This is not propaganda. This is about the basis of humanitarian aid provided by Switzerland…and to initiate a dialogue.”

UPDATE 0648 GMT:

Russian forces have advanced on the strategic town of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, according to reports from both sides.

The Russians have tried for months to seize Chasiv Yar, which is on high ground about 20 km (12,5 miles) to the west of Bakhmut. It is a potential staging point for Russian assaults on Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.

Ukrainska Pravda, quoting a military source, said Russian forces have begun occupying a district of Chasiv Yar alongside a canal. The Russian are using guided aerial bombs to clear areas along a major road.

In his nightly video address, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy did not mention Chasiv Yar. He said the area around the town of Pokrovsk, to the southwest, remains the most difficult sector and “the one where pressure from the occupiers is the greatest”.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine has struck Russia’s most advanced warplane for the first time, in an attack deep inside Russian territory.

The military intelligence agency HUR said that the Su-57 fighter jet was damaged in a strike on the Akhtubinsk airfield in the Astrakhan region in southern Russia, 589 km (366 miles) from the frontline.

In satellite images, the warplane was intact on Friday but damaged on Saturday with scorch marks and craters, as Russia reported drone attacks on several regions, including Astrakhan.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces downed three drones in Astrakhan. As usual, it did not acknowledge damage.

Russia has only a few Su-57s in service. The warplane carries Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles used in regular, cross-border attacks on Ukraine, including civilian targets. UK military intelligence assesses that Russia is trying to avoid “reputational damage, reduced export prospects, and the compromise of sensitive technology” that would come from losing any Su-57 jets in Ukraine.

Ukrainian defenses downed six Russian fighter jets last month. However, those were mainly Su-25 jets used in close air support for Russia’s ground assault in eastern Ukraine.