Bodies of Mariupol defenders arrive in Kyiv, occupiers retreat from checkpoints in south Ukraine: last night's higlights

The occupiers left almost all the checkpoints in the Melitopol district a few days ago, the first bodies of Mariupol defenders were brought to Kyiv, and Boris Johnson remains the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Here is what you may have missed from the previous night.

The occupiers are leaving the checkpoints

A few days ago, the Russian occupiers left almost all checkpoints in the Melitopol district of the Zaporizhzhya Oblast. According to Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov, a few days ago the occupiers also moved from Vasylivka to Zelenyi Hai, anticipating an attack by Ukrainian military.

The first bodies of Azovstal defenders in Kyiv

Dozens of bodies were taken to the capital that had been pulled out from under the rubble of the bombed Azovstal plant in Mariupol. Kyiv is currently conducting DNA analysis to identify the dead, according to the Associated Press, citing a spokesman for the Azov Regiment.

On June 2, on the front line in the Zaporizhzhya Oblast between Ukraine and Russia, the bodies of the dead were exchanged according to the 160 for 160 formula. Azov noted that all 160 bodies handed over by the Russians were from the ruins of Azovstal, and at least 52 of them are considered to be the bodies of Azov Regiment fighters.

Boris Johnson remains in office

In a secret ballot on June 6, the Conservative Party decided to declare a vote of confidence to keep Boris Johnson as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The vote was over Johnson's high-profile scandal with parties involving government officials and workers amid harsh lockdowns and pandemic restrictions — at which time parties were banned across the country.

Johnson initially denied involvement in them and later pleaded guilty, but refused to resign. The scandal has led to a significant drop in the prime minister's popularity.

Ukraine's application for EU membership

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union is expected in the coming weeks. Deputy Head of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva stated that representatives of the European Council will discuss granting Ukraine the EU candidate status during a meeting on June 23-24.

Russia's invasion was treated with "skepticism"

US President Joe Biden has ordered the declassification of intelligence ahead of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as US partners and allies were "skeptical" of US officials' statements about Russia's plans.

US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines says that Washington “did a lot of sharing in this space with partners and allies,” ultimately developing “mechanisms for sharing” that can be used in the future.

The situation at the front line

On June 6, Ukrainian troops killed another 26 Russian occupiers and 10 units of enemy equipment in the south. The occupiers continued heavy artillery attacks of Mykolayiv, targetting residential districts. According to the command, the situation on the line of contact of the southern front remains tense.

On the Donetsk and Luhansk axes, the Ukrainian military repulsed 10 attacks by the occupiers during the day and destroyed 11 units of their equipment. During the day, the occupiers fired on more than 20 settlements in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, destroying and damaging 48 civilian facilities.

According to the Joint Forces grouping, two civilians were killed and 12 were injured in the shelling. The head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Pavlo Kyrylenko said that on June 6, the occupiers killed four civilians in the Donetsk Oblast, and wounded seven others.