Russia-Ukraine live: Ukrainian governor of Luhansk says counterattack brought 50% of Severodonetsk city back under Ukrainian control.
- Serhiy Gaidai, governor of Luhansk province, said Ukrainian forces that previously controlled only 30% of the city mounted a counterattack, recapturing another 20%.
- Military experts say the outcome of the Battle of Severodonetsk could determine which side has the momentum for a prolonged war of attrition.
- Ukraine’s defense minister says it’s impossible to predict the outcome of the war, but “my optimistic prognosis is that it’s realistic to achieve it as early as this year.”
- Russia’s RIA news agency quotes Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying Moscow easily copes with US weapons systems sent to Ukraine and has already destroyed dozens of them.
- Moscow says Western weapons will “add fuel to the flames” but will not change the course of what it calls a “special military operation”.
Ukrainian players receive flag from soldiers ahead of World Cup showdown
Ukraine football team coach Oleksandr Petrakov said his players would hang a flag in their dressing room which would be delivered to them by soldiers on the front line ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Wales on Sunday.
“The team players wrote to our soldiers, and they also received a war flag, which we promised to hang in the locker room,” Petrakov told a press conference.
In their first game since the Russian invasion of their country in February, Ukraine beat Scotland in the semi-finals of the World Cup on Wednesday.
A victory against Wales on Sunday in Cardiff will give Ukraine a place in the World Cup final.
![Ukraine's Roman Yaremchuk celebrates with his team mates after scoring his team's second goal during the World Cup 2022 Qualifying football match between Scotland and Ukraine at Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 [Scott Heppell/AP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/AP22152718595082.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C501)
More than two children killed, four injured every day in Ukraine: UN
UNICEF Representative in Ukraine Murat Sahin said that every day, on average, more than two children are killed and more than four are injured as a result of war.
Most are victims of explosive weapon attacks in populated areas.
The numbers only represent incidents that the UN has been able to verify, and Sahin said he believes the true numbers were much higher.
Every day, on average, more than two children in Ukraine are killed and more than four are injured
I would like to offer my deepest condolences to every family that lost a child in this horrible war.https://t.co/O11BIPEWWQ pic.twitter.com/2VsRyzf8yJ— UNICEF Ukraine (@UNICEF_UA) June 4, 2022
Ukraine plans to resume competitive football in August
Despite being at war with Russia, Ukraine plans to resume competitive soccer matches by summer.
Andriy Pavelko, president of the Football Federation of Ukraine, revealed to The Associated Press details of his talks with President Zelenskyy and FIFA and UEFA leaders on finding a safe way to resume matches. home.
“I spoke with our president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, about the importance of football for entertainment,” Pavelko said in an interview.
“We talked about how football has a very big power to help people think about the future because now people, of course, are not in a good frame of mind. They are of the worst mood.
“So we made the decision together with the president to resume the Ukrainian championship in August,” Pavelko said through an interpreter.
Zelensky accuses Russia of bombing an Orthodox Christian monastery
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the main church at one of Ukraine’s holiest Orthodox Christian sites burned down following Russian bombardment.
News of the destruction of part of the monastery came as Russian forces stepped up their attacks in the Donetsk region.
“They are ready to burn everything: Orthodox churches as well as anything else in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said during his evening speech.
He claimed that 113 Orthodox churches had already been destroyed or damaged by Russia since the invasion began in February.
Russian and Ukrainian military officials blamed each other for the damage to the Sviatohirsk Monastery.
Pope says he will meet Ukrainian officials to discuss possible trip
Pope Francis said he would soon meet Ukrainian officials to discuss the possibility of a visit to their country.
“It’s not easy to make a decision that could do more harm than good to the rest of the world. I have to find the right time to do it,” he said.
Welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Read all the updates from Saturday June 4 here.
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