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What 2 June 2022 revealed about weapons pledges
Summary
As Western governments announced new rocket systems and other arms, fighting raged in Sievierodonetsk and Ukrainian officials reported gains in the south.
What did a single day of announcements add up to on the battlefield? On 2 June 2022, the answer was a mix of promises, warnings and contested ground, with Western pledges of heavier weapons arriving while Ukrainian forces fought on several fronts.
Rockets from London and Washington
The United Kingdom announced on 2 June 2022 that it would send M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems to Ukraine. The decision had been signalled a day earlier: on 1 June, the British defence secretary, Ben Wallace, said the UK had agreed to send more of the systems and to train Ukrainian troops to use them.
The British move followed a decision in Washington. On 1 June, U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to provide long-range rocket artillery systems after Ukraine reportedly gave assurances that it would not use them to strike Russian cities. The systems formed part of a new $700 million package that also included ammunition, counter-fire radars, a number of air surveillance radars and additional Javelin anti-tank missiles.
Moscow reacted on the same day. Russia said the U.S. decision could widen the conflict and risked direct confrontation with Russia, accusing Washington of purposefully and diligently adding fuel to the fire.
Other capitals add to the list
On 2 June 2022, Sweden announced additional military aid for Ukraine, including anti-ship missiles, anti-tank guided missiles and rifles for the Ukrainian Ground Forces. A day earlier, Germany said it would send the IRIS-T air defence missile system, following a Ukrainian request for heavy weapons.
The pressure was not only military. On 1 June, Taiwan imposed an export ban on all modern computer chips to Russia and Belarus, along with any technology and equipment used to manufacture them.
The fight in Sievierodonetsk
The weapons were being discussed while the battle for Sievierodonetsk continued. On 31 May, Ukraine said Russian forces had taken control of most of the city after launching a full-scale assault, and Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said 60% of structures there had been destroyed. On 1 June, fighting for control of the city went on, although Haidai reported that Russian forces already controlled 80% of its territory.
Strikes on supply routes and civilians
On 1 June, Russian cruise missiles hit a railway station near the Beskyd tunnel in the Carpathians for the second time, wounding two people. Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister, said the strike was meant to halt rail traffic and stop the delivery of fuel and weapons from Ukraine's allies.
The same day, three civilians were killed when Russian forces shelled the Sviatohirsk Lavra monastery.
Claims of gains in the south
On 2 June 2022, Ukrainian officials said the Armed Forces of Ukraine had recaptured 20 settlements in Kherson Oblast, part of the southern offensive.
A day of parallel tracks
Taken together, the reports from 2 June 2022 and the days before it show several tracks running at once. Allies were committing rocket systems, air defence and anti-ship and anti-tank weapons. Russia was warning of escalation and striking at rail links tied to the delivery of aid. And in Luhansk region, the fight for Sievierodonetsk was still under way, while Ukrainian officials pointed to recaptured settlements in Kherson Oblast.
