EU confirms start of Ukraine and Moldova accession talks, UN reports high civilian casualties, and China denies training Russian troops

The European Union has officially confirmed that intergovernmental conferences with Ukraine and Moldova will commence on June 15, marking the formal start of accession negotiations and the opening of the first negotiation cluster, "Foundations." This development coincides with a report from the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, which stated that May 2026 recorded the highest number of civilian casualties in four years, with 274 killed and 1,763 wounded. Additionally, EU intelligence services have now confirmed earlier reports, finding evidence that China trained Russian military personnel on its territory, with some later deploying to Ukraine. Beijing continues to deny these allegations.

Sources: Українська правда, Радіо Свобода, Громадське