European Union officials convened in Brussels to negotiate a revised oil embargo against Russia, aiming to secure Hungary's participation amid stalled sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. The proposed measures exclude the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies 65% of Hungary's oil, pending further energy security guarantees from Budapest.
Russian forces advanced toward the core of Severodonetsk, the last major Ukrainian-held city in the eastern Donbas region, according to Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday. The city's capture would solidify Russian control over Lugansk, a key objective in the war's eastern front. Fighting there has intensified, with reports of heavy bombardment and civilian evacuations underway.
A French television journalist, Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, was killed while documenting a humanitarian evacuation near Severodonetsk. The 32-year-old BFM News correspondent died from shrapnel injuries sustained when a bus carrying evacuees came under fire. This marked the eighth journalist death in the conflict, per Reporters Without Borders.
U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed Washington would not supply Ukraine with long-range rocket systems capable of striking Russian territory, despite Kyiv's requests for weapons with a 300-kilometer range. Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna pledged increased military aid during her visit to Kyiv, becoming the first senior Western official to travel there since the invasion began.
Energy firms GasTerra and Orsted faced Russian gas cutoffs after refusing to pay in rubles, a Kremlin demand to circumvent Western sanctions. Gazprom terminated supplies to GasTerra on May 31, following similar actions against Poland and Bulgaria. Danish energy company Orsted also warned of potential gas supply disruptions.
Streaming service Netflix exited the Russian market, joining other Western companies in withdrawing over the war. Ukrainian Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra auctioned their trophy on Facebook to fund military efforts, highlighting ongoing civilian support for the war effort.
