Ukraine war: Zelenskyy warns of Russian plan to intensify invasion on second front; attack kills 14 at Kharkiv DIY shop

Vladimir Putin's attempt to create a buffer zone by invading the Kharkiv region has been unsuccessful thus far, according to British military intelligence.

Russian gains in the northeast have not been joined up, and further advancements will be limited in the coming week, the UK defence ministry said.

This is because Russia's initial momentum has been contained by Ukrainian resistance, it said.

"The northern Kharkiv front has likely stabilised with Russian territorial control fragmented."

Nonetheless, Russian forces continue to attack the town of Vovchansk for a third week, the UK MoD said.

It remains contested, with Ukraine repelling the majority of Russian assaults.

Russian soldiers are attempting to flank Ukrainian troops from the southwest, with likely control of Buhruvatka village and moves towards a crossing over the Siverskiy Donets river.

Russia has also continued to launch attacks at the village of Lyptsi but have made no significant progress, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has directly called on his US and Chinese counterparts to join his latest summit for peace in Ukraine.

Speaking from Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine on Friday, Mr Zelenskyy announced a "global peace summit", co-hosted by Switzerland, starting on 15 June.

He claimed 80 countries have already confirmed their attendance.

But he said: "I am appealing to the global leaders of the world who are still outside the global efforts of the global peace summit.

"To president Biden, the leader of the United States, and to president Xi, the leader of China, we do not want the UN charter to be burned.

"Please show your leadership in advancing the peace."

He added that it must be "real peace - not just a pause in the strikes" after various ceasefire breaches by the Russians.

Finally, he urged: "The efforts of the global majority are the best guarantee that all commitments will be fulfilled."

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Russia is preparing to intensify its invasion along Ukraine’s northern border.

In a video statement from Kharkiv, Mr Zelenskyy said Russia was preparing offensive actions 55 miles northwest of Ukraine's second largest city.

Russians "gather another group of troops near our border", he said.

He did not specify where the troops are being assembled, but Ukrainian officials have expressed strong concerns about the Sumy region.

Moscow's troops have in recent weeks captured villages in the Kharkiv area and analysts say they may be trying to get within artillery range of the city. 

Ukrainian authorities have evacuated more than 11,000 people from the region since the start of the offensive on 10 May.

The number of people killed by the Russian bombing of a Ukrainian DIY store has risen to 14.

Some 43 people have been injured and 16 remain missing after the attack on the city of Kharkiv yesterday, governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said about 120 people had been in the hardware store when the bombs struck. 

"The attack targeted the shopping centre, where there were many people - this is clearly terrorism," Mr Terekhov said. 

The past week has seen an uptick in strikes on the city after Russian troops stormed across the border, opening a new front 40 miles north.

At the start of the war, Russian reached the outskirts of the city in a failed bid to capture it.

By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

Russia is producing artillery shells around three times faster than Ukraine's Western allies and for about a quarter of the cost, according to an analysis shared with Sky News.

The figures, produced by the management consulting firm Bain & Company, underline a major challenge faced by the Ukrainian armed forces as they rely on supplies of ammunition from the United States and Europe to battle Russia's full-scale invasion.

The war has been described from the start as a "battle of fires" because of the volume of artillery rounds used.

It prompted the US, the UK and other European allies to seek to ramp up production in their respective factories, but their ability to manufacture artillery rounds still lags behind Russia's despite a combined economic strength that far outmatches Moscow's.

As a result, Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline say for every one round they fire against Russian positions, the invading troops can launch around five shells back.

Battling against the odds, the Ukrainians say they have become skilled at trying to make every round count.

Read on here...

Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine, as the country reels from a deadly Russian attack on shoppers at a DIY store.

Before we resume our coverage, here is a quick recap of some of the key moments from the last 24 hours.

• A top Sudanese general said Russia asked for a fuelling station on the Red Sea in exchange for weapons and ammunition, and that agreements with Russia would be signed soon;
  
• Ukrainian attacks on Saturday killed four residents in southern Russia's Belgorod region, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said;
  
• Russia was producing artillery shells around three times faster than Ukraine's Western allies and for about a quarter of the cost, according to an analysis shared with Sky News;
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had secured "combat control" of areas where Russian troops staged their incursion into the Kharkiv region.

Our live coverage remains paused today, so we've rounded up the key developments you should be aware of.

• A Russian strike on the city of Kharkiv killed at least one person and injured four others, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said;
• Russia's defence ministry claimed to have taken over the village of Arkhanhelske in the eastern Donetsk region, as well as to be advancing in the northeastern Kharkiv region;
• But Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had secured "combat control" of areas where Russian troops staged their incursion into the Kharkiv region;
• The US announced a new $275m package of weapons and equipment for Ukraine to help it repel Russia's assault near Kharkiv;
• American treasury secretary Janet Yellen said a loan for Ukraine backed by the income from frozen Russian sovereign assets is the "main option" for G7 leaders to consider when they meet next month.

While we are not running our usual updates, here is a rundown of the main events:

Vladimir Putin is ready to halt the war in Ukraine with a ceasefire that recognises current battlefield lines, four Russian sources have told the Reuters news agency.

Three of those sources claimed the Russian leader had expressed frustration about what he views as Western-backed attempts to hinder ceasefire negotiations.

"Putin can fight for as long as it takes, but Putin is also ready for a ceasefire - to freeze the war," a senior Russian source who has reportedly worked with Mr Putin and has knowledge of top-level conversations in the Kremlin, told Reuters.

Read more here...

Zelenskyy visits Kharkiv

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has travelled to the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which has been facing intensive Russian air attacks. 

The Ukrainian president met senior military leaders and travelled to the site of a major printing house - a day after it was destroyed in a Russian missile attack that killed at least seven people. 

Further developments:

• Russian forces have had partial success near the village of Ivanivka in the east of Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian military said. Ukraine's general staff said 10 battles took place, with one successfully repelled and more ongoing near the villages of Petropavlivka, Ivanivka, Stelmakhivka, Nevske and Druzhelyubivka;
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy will travel to Spain on Sunday, Spanish radio station Cadena SER reported. The Ukrainian president postponed visits to Madrid and Lisbon earlier this month because of intense fighting in Kharkiv;
  
• Vladimir Putin is planning to visit North Korea, Russian state news agency RIA said.

Our live coverage will remain paused today, but let's catch you up on where things stand and on any updates overnight.

• Russia said 35 rockets and three drones were fired into Belgorod and overnight, claiming to have destroyed all of them;
• Blasts were heard in Kherson as Russia shelled the city, said its regional governor Roman Mrochko;
• The leader of Russia's Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, met  Vladimir Putin and offered to send more fighters to the frontline;
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a fresh plea for upgraded defence systems to protect Ukraine's cities against guided bombs, which he described as the "the main instrument" now used by Moscow';
  
• A Russian airstrike on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv yesterday destroyed a cafe, damaged a nearby residential building and set a petrol station ablaze, with local officials saying ten people were wounded.
  

As we've not been providing rolling coverage of the war in Ukraine today, here is a quick update on what's been happening since this morning. 

One of the most significant new stories is the UK accusing China of providing or preparing to provide lethal aid to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine. 

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps told a news conference this morning that US and British defence intelligence had evidence "lethal aid is now, or will be, flowing from China to Russia and into Ukraine".

He called this a "significant development".

We also heard from the Kremlin this morning, which said "in-depth dialogue" was needed to reduce rising tensions between Russia and the West - particularly with regards to nuclear issues. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused the "collective West" of refusing to engage with Russia despite the potential dangers. 

Here are more of the top stories: 

• Russian forces have taken over the village of Klishchiivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, close to the city of Bakhmut, according to Russian news agencies 
• At least nine people have been injured in a Russian air attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv
• Russia accused Ukraine of using a drone to attack a non-nuclear facility at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, causing no critical damage
• Moscow said it is bolstering its efforts to protect its energy infrastructure from drone attacks
• Six children were handed over to Ukraine by Russia and reunited with their families, after a deal was brokered by Qatar.