Ukraine morning briefing: Five developments as Finland to announce Nato decision
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Russia's offensive in Ukraine's Donbas region "has lost momentum and fallen significantly behind schedule", British military intelligence said early on Sunday.
"Under the current conditions, Russia is unlikely to dramatically accelerate its rate of advance over the next 30 days," the British military said in a regular Twitter bulletin.
On Friday, Ukrainian forces prevented an attempted Russian river crossing in the Donbas, an eastern area comprising the Luhansk and Donetsk regions that has been a focus of the war.
Here's what else happened overnight.
1. President Zelensky hails another 'victory' as Ukraine sweeps Eurovision
Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest in the early hours of Sunday in a clear show of support for the war-ravaged nation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky gave signs that he was watching from Kyiv, and rooting for the Ukrainian band.
The six-man band that mixes traditional folk melodies and contemporary hip hop in a purposeful defence of Ukrainian culture was the sentimental and bookmakers' favourite among the 25 bands and performers competing in the grand finale. The public vote from home was decisive in securing their victory.
"Indeed, this is not a war, but nevertheless, for us today, any victory is very important," Mr Zelensky said.
"So, let's cheer for ours. Glory be to Ukraine!"
2. Finland to announce NATO decision as Sweden holds key meet
The Finnish government is expected to officially announce its intention to join NATO on Sunday, as Sweden's ruling party holds a decisive meeting that could pave the way for a joint application.
Less than three months after Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine, the two Nordic neighbours look poised to reverse policies on military non-alignment dating back more than 75 years in Finland and over two centuries in Sweden
"Hopefully we can send our applications next week together with Sweden," Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Saturday.
3. Missile hits military infrastructure in, says governor
A missile strike hit some military infrastructure in the western Ukrainian region of Lviv early on Sunday, the region's Governor Maxim Kozitsky said in a post on his Telegram messaging app.
"There is no information about dead or injured at this hour," Mr Kozitsky said. "The extent of the destruction is being clarified."
4. Ukraine wages counteroffensive in the east
Ukrainian forces have launched a counteroffensive near the Russian-held town of Izium in eastern Ukraine, a regional governor said on Saturday, in what could prove a serious setback for Moscow's plans to capture the entire Donbas region.
Russian forces have focused much of their firepower on the Donbas in a "second phase" of their invasion that was announced on April 19, after they failed to reach the capital Kyiv from the north in the early weeks of the war.
But Ukraine has been retaking territory in its northeast, driving the Russians away from the second-largest Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Keeping up pressure on Izium and Russian supply lines will make it harder for Moscow to encircle battle-hardened Ukrainian troops on the eastern front in the Donbas.
Russia's defence ministry said its forces hit a series of military sites, including in the Donbas, killing at least 100 Ukrainian "nationalists."
5. Envoy says Russian diplomats in US are being threatened
Russian diplomats in Washington are being threatened with violence, Tass news agency cited the ambassador as saying on Saturday.
Anatoly Antonov told Russian television that since Russia invaded Ukraine, face-to-face meetings with US officials had ended.
"It's like a besieged fortress. Basically, our embassy is operating in a hostile environment ... Embassy employees are receiving threats, including threats of physical violence," He said.
"Agents from US security services are hanging around outside the Russian embassy, handing out CIA and FBI phone numbers, which can be called to establish contact."
CIA and the FBI declined comment. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the US State Department did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
