Ukraine: Soviet-era dam destroyed near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that counter-offensive and defensive actions are under way against Russian forces in an apparent confirmation of the long-awaited pushback of Putin’s troops.
Mr Zelensky said on Saturday that his top commanders were in a “positive” mindset as their troops engaged in intense fighting along the front line.
The Ukrainian leader, who was speaking at a Kyiv news conference alongside Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, said: “The counter-offensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine. I will not speak about which stage or phase they are in.”
The comments come after an escalation of fighting in the south and east of Ukraine.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence said earlier today that Ukraine has “penetrated” the first line of Russian defences in some areas and is making “good progress” in its counteroffensive.
Kyiv has conducted “significant operations” over the past 48 hours in southern and eastern parts of the country, it added.
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Ukraine ‘penetrates’ first line of Russian defences in some areas
Ukraine has “penetrated” the first line of Russian defences in some areas and is making “good progress” in its counteroffensive, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.
Kyiv has conducted “significant operations” over the past 48 hours in southern and eastern parts of the country, it added.
“In some areas, Ukrainian forces have likely made good progress and penetrated the first line of Russian defences,” the MoD said in a statement
“In others, Ukrainian progress has been slower.” The MoD added that Russia’s progress in the war has been “mixed”.
Matt Mathers10 June 2023 10:06
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Ukraine ‘retakes village’ in southeast as counteroffensive ramps up
Kyiv’s troops said on Sunday they had recaptured a village from Russian forces in Ukraine’s southeast, the first liberated settlement they have claimed since launching a counterattack this week.
Soldiers hoisted the Ukrainian flag at a bombed-out building in an unverified video published by Ukraine’s 68th Jaeger Brigade, which identified the settlement as Blahodatne in Donetsk region.
“We’re seeing the first results of the counter-offensive actions, localized results,” Valeryi Shershen, spokesperson for Ukraine’s “Tavria” military sector, said on television.
Matt Mathers11 June 2023 15:23
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Russia says Ukraine tried to attack Russian ship near major gas pipelines in Black Sea
Russia said on Sunday that Ukraine had made an unsuccessful attempt to attack a Russian naval ship with six high-speed drone boats as the Russian vessel patrolled major natural gas pipelines in the Black Sea.
The ‘Priazovye’ ship was carrying out what Russia’s defence ministry said was “monitoring of the situation and ensuring security along the routes of the TurkStream and Blue Stream gas pipelines in the southeastern part of the Black Sea.”
Ukraine attacked in the early hours of Sunday about 300 km south-east of Sevastopol, the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, the defence ministry said.
At the time of the attack, a U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft was in the central area of the Black Sea, the defence ministry said.
“The Black Sea Fleet ship ‘Priazovye’ continues to carry out its assigned tasks,” the defence ministry said.
Russia and Turkey formally launched TurkStream with capacity of 31.5 billion cubic metres per year in January 2020. The pipeline, which allows Moscow to bypass Ukraine as a transit route to Europe, carries Russian natural gas to southern Europe through the Black Sea and Turkey.
The Blue Stream pipeline delivers Russian gas to Turkey.
Matt Mathers11 June 2023 14:33
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ICYMI: UK will provide extra £16 million to flood-hit areas of Ukraine
The UK will provide an extra £16 million of humanitarian aid to Ukraine after a dam collapsed in the south of the country.
Flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam near Kherson has directly affected 32,000 people.
Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the dam.
Matt Mathers11 June 2023 13:30
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ICYMI: Zelensky says Ukrainian counter-offensive actions are under way as Trudeau visits Kyiv
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that counter-offensive actions are underway against Russian forces in an apparent confirmation of the long-awaited pushback of Putin’s troops.
The Ukrainian president also had words for Vladimir Putin after his Russian opposite number claimed the long-expected counter-offensive was already failing.
Matt Mathers11 June 2023 13:04
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Prigozhin says Wagner will not sign any contract with Russian defence minister
Russia’s most powerful mercenary said on Sunday that his Wagner fighters would not sign any contract with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu just hours after the defence ministry sought to bring volunteer detachments under its sway.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner group, has repeatedly attacked President Vladimir Putin’s top military brass for what he casts as treachery for failing to fight the war in Ukraine properly.
Neither Shoigu nor Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov have commented in public on Prigozhin’s insults and criticism.
But the defence ministry on Saturday said Shoigu had ordered all “volunteer detachments” to sign contracts with his ministry by the end of the month, a step the ministry said would increase the effectiveness of the Russian army.
Though the defence ministry did not mention Wagner in its public statement, the Russian media reported that it was an attempt by Shoigu to bring the mercenaries to heel.
“Wagner will not sign any contracts with Shoigu,” Prigozhin said in response to a request for comment on the Shoigu order.
Matt Mathers11 June 2023 12:26
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Ukraine says Russia blew up Kakhovka dam to prevent offensive in south
The Khakhovka dam was blown up by Russian forces to prevent Ukrainian troops from advancing in the southern Kherson region, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Sunday.
Ukraine has accused Russian forces of blowing up the dam from inside its associated hydroelectric power station. The site has been under Russian occupation since the early weeks of Russia’s invasion in February last year.
Moscow has blamed the destruction of the dam on Ukraine. Each side has accused the other of shelling civilians as rescue efforts are carried out.
“The explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station was apparently carried out with the intention of preventing the Ukrainian Defence Forces from launching an offensive in the Kherson sector,” Maliar said on the Telegram messaging app.
She said the action, which unleashed a vast flood which inundated towns and villages, trapped residents and swept away entire houses, was also aimed at helping allow the deployment of Russian reserves to the Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut areas.
Matt Mathers11 June 2023 11:48
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German shepherd injured in Ukraine gets new start with Hungarian police
After a rocket attack in eastern Ukraine, half of Rambo’s face was mangled and bloody. Shrapnel had ravaged the right side of his head, and it was uncertain if he would survive.
The 3-year-old German shepherd, who had accompanied Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines of the war, received emergency surgery that saved his life. Now, Rambo is training with the Budapest police department in neighboring Hungary and serving as a reminder that dogs — and people — with disabilities can do great things.
Matt Mathers11 June 2023 10:56
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Ukraine says Russia blew up Kakhovka dam to prevent offensive in south
The Khakhovka dam was blown up by Russian forces to prevent Ukrainian troops from advancing in the southern Kherson region, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Sunday.
Ukraine has accused Russian forces of blowing up the dam from inside its associated hydroelectric power station. The site has been under Russian occupation since the early weeks of Russia’s invasion in February last year.
Moscow has blamed the destruction of the dam on Ukraine. Each side has accused the other of shelling civilians as rescue efforts are carried out.
“The explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station was apparently carried out with the intention of preventing the Ukrainian Defence Forces from launching an offensive in the Kherson sector,” Maliar said on the Telegram messaging app.
(Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies)
Matt Mathers11 June 2023 10:08
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Ukraine’s dam collapse is both a fast-moving disaster and a slow-moving ecological catastrophe
The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam was a fast-moving disaster that is swiftly evolving into a long-term environmental catastrophe affecting drinking water, food supplies and ecosystems reaching into the Black Sea.
The short-term dangers can be seen from outer space — tens of thousands of parcels of land flooded, and more to come. Experts say the long-term consequences will be generational.
Matt Mathers11 June 2023 08:22
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-ukraine-war-putin-latest-news-b2355382.html
