Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Zelensky says ‘counter-offensive actions’ are underway

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.

Key Points

• Russia will soon have nuclear weapons in Belarus, says Putin

• Ukraine says it intercepted call proving Russia blew up Kakhovka dam

• Western tanks, ammunition appear on Ukraine battlefield as heavy fighting starts

• US citizen detained in Russia on drug trafficking charges

• One killed in latest Russian air strike on Ukraine, Kyiv says

• Ukraine faces ‘hugely worse’ humanitarian situation after dam rupture, UN aid chief says

Ukraine ‘penetrates’ first line of Russian defences in some areas

Saturday 10 June 2023 10:06 , Matt Mathers

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”.

Ukraine ‘retakes village’ in southeast as counteroffensive ramps up

15:23 , Matt Mathers

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.

Russia says Ukraine tried to attack Russian ship near major gas pipelines in Black Sea

14:33 , Matt Mathers

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.

ICYMI: UK will provide extra £16 million to flood-hit areas of Ukraine

13:30 , Matt Mathers

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.

Gwyn Wright reports:

UK will provide extra £16 million to flood-hit areas of Ukraine

ICYMI: Zelensky says Ukrainian counter-offensive actions are under way as Trudeau visits Kyiv

13:04 , Matt Mathers

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.

William Mata reports:

Zelensky says counter-offensive actions are under way as Trudeau visits Kyiv

Prigozhin says Wagner will not sign any contract with Russian defence minister

12:26 , Matt Mathers

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.

Ukraine says Russia blew up Kakhovka dam to prevent offensive in south

11:48 , Matt Mathers

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.

German shepherd injured in Ukraine gets new start with Hungarian police

10:56 , Matt Mathers

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.

Justin Spike reports:

German shepherd injured in Ukraine gets new start with Hungarian police

Ukraine says Russia blew up Kakhovka dam to prevent offensive in south

10:08 , Matt Mathers

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.

Ukraine's dam collapse is both a fast-moving disaster and a slow-moving ecological catastrophe

08:22 , Matt Mathers

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.

Full report:

Ukraine's dam collapse is both a fast-moving disaster and a slow-moving ecological catastrophe

Zelensky confirms counteroffensive underway

07:51 , Matt Mathers

President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged on Saturday that his military was engaged in "counter-offensive and defensive operations" a day after Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin said Kyiv’s long-vaunted drive to retake territory was well under way.

But the Ukrainian leader disclosed no details, telling reporters to pass on to Putin that his generals were optimistic.

Sporting his trademark khaki fatigues, Zelensky shrugged at a press conference when asked about Putin’s comments on Friday that Kyiv had begun its counter-offensive but made no progress.

"Counter-offensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine, but I will not say in detail what stage they are at," Zelensky said, listing Ukraine’s top military brass by name.

"They (the generals) are all in a positive mood. Pass that on to Putin," he said with a smile, standing alongside visiting Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

He said Putin’s comments on the counter-offensive were "interesting...It is important that Russia always feels this: That they do not have long left, in my opinion."

Two drones crash in Russia’s Kaluga region - local governor

07:17 , Matt Mathers

Two drones crashed early on Sunday in Russia’s Kaluga region, the governor of the region, Vladislav Shapsha, said on the Telegram messaging app.

One drone crashed near the village of Strelkovka, another in the woods in the Medynsky municipal district.

According to preliminary information, there were no casualties and only minimal damage, Shapsha said on Telegram.

The report could not be independently verified.

The Kaluga region borders the Moscow region to the north.

Watch: Kherson roof ‘washes up’ on beach 100 miles away from dam collapse, says MP

07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Parts of houses from Kherson have washed up more than 100 miles away on a beach in Odesa, a Ukrainian MP has said.

Footage posted by Oleksiy Goncharenko on Friday, 9 June, shows a roof on Dolphin Beach near Malyi Fontan.

Hundreds of Ukrainians have been rescued after waters from the collapsed Nova Kakhovka dam submerged villages, fields and roads in southern Kherson.

Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the dam and its hydropower plant, which was under Kremlin control.

Moscow has accused Ukraine of bombarding the dam.

Ukraine: Kherson roof ‘washes up’ on beach 100 miles away after dam collapse, says MP

Tanks, missiles and keeping Russia guessing: The week Ukraine’s counteroffensive truly began

06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Kyiv is seeking to smash through entrenched Russian lines, but has a tough battle ahead, writes Kim Sengupta:

Keeping Russia guessing: The week Ukraine’s counteroffensive began | Kim Sengupta

ICYMI: UK will provide extra £16 million to flood-hit areas of Ukraine

06:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The UK will provide an extra £16m 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.

The money consists of £10 million for the Red Cross Movement, £5 million for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and £1m for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Boats, community water filters, water pumps and waders will be given to the war-torn country and are expected to arrive there next week.

UK will provide extra £16 million to flood-hit areas of Ukraine

Canada to give seized Russian aircraft to Ukraine

05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday promised to hand over a seized An-124 Russian cargo jet to Ukraine.

“Today, through the legislation we passed, we are confiscating this aircraft that was owned by Russia and we are beginning the process of transferring this asset to Ukraine so that it will never again be used by Russia in support of war,” Mr Trudeau said.

The Russian Airlines aircraft arrived in Toronto on 27 February last year with a shipment of Covid tests from China. The aircraft arrived just a few hours before authorities closed the sky to Russian flights.

Zelenskiy says counteroffensive actions “taking place” in Ukraine

05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Volodymyr Zelenskiy said yesterday that his military was engaged in “counter-offensive and defensive operations” a day after Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin said Kyiv’s long-vaunted drive to retake territory was well underway.

“Counter-offensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine, but I will not say in detail what stage they are at,” Mr Zelenskiy said.

“They (the generals) are all in a positive mood. Pass that on to Putin,” he added.

US citizen detained in Russia on drug trafficking charges

04:54 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A US citizen has been detained in Russia on drug trafficking charges, local reports said.

According to Moscow’s courts of general jurisdiction, the man was detained on Saturday when “the Khamovniki District Court of Moscow took a preventive measure against an American citizen”.

In a statement on Telegram, the court described the man as a “former paratrooper and musician” who is now “accused of engaging in the narcotics business through attracting young people”.

“A preventative measure in the form of detention was taken,” the statement added, according to CNN.

Drone crashes in Russia’s Kaluga region, local governor claims

04:30

A drone crashed early today near the village of Strelkovka in Russia’s Kaluga region, the governor of the region, Vladislav Shapsha, said on the Telegram messaging app.

“According to preliminary information - no casualties,” Shapsha said on Telegram.

Reuters could not independently verify the report.

The Kaluga region borders the Moscow region to the north.

- Reuters

ICYMI: Last reactor shut down at Ukraine's largest nuclear plant as fighting, flooding continues

04:29 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Ukraine’s nuclear energy agency says it has put the last operating reactor at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant into a “cold shutdown” — a safety precaution amid catastrophic flooding from the collapse of a nearby dam as Russia‘s war on Ukraine drags on through its 16th month.

Russian forces continued pummeling the country with missiles and drones overnight, with Ukrainian officials reporting at least four deaths and damage to a military airfield.

Last reactor shut down at Ukraine's largest nuclear plant as fighting, flooding continues

15 cars of an empty freight train derailed in Russia late on Saturday

04:00 , William Mata

Fifteen cars of an empty freight train derailed in Russia’s southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, the local governor said late on Saturday, adding there was no immediate information about the cause.

“According to preliminary information, there are no casualties,” the governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on the Telegram messaging app.

The accident happened near a train station in the Alexeyevsky municipal district and the train was empty, Gladkov said. Reuters could not independently verify the report.

Blasts and attacks on the region’s infrastructure have become nearly a daily reality in recent weeks, with officials blaming either Ukrainian forces or pro-Ukrainian saboteurs.

Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.

Tomorrow’s front page

03:00 , William Mata

The Independent is set to lead on ‘Tories in turmoil’ for Sunday, June 11.

Read that story here.

And to see the full paper, click here.

Pictures of the week: Ukraine features in montage

02:00 , William Mata

The Independent has put together a gallery of some of the best pictures from the past seven days.

And this picture from the Nova Kakhovka dam collapse has made the cut.

See the whole gallery here.

Britain thanked in video

01:00 , William Mata

Ukraine’s ministry of defence has tweeted its thanks to the British equivalent.

"’Oh, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends’ The Beatles,” the tweet read. “Thank you @DefenceHQ for all your tremendous support! Let’s win together!”

You can read about some of the weapons the UK has sent to Ukraine here.

Tweet of thanks from Ukraine to Canada

Sunday 11 June 2023 00:00 , William Mata

Volodymyr Zelensky has tweeted his thanks to Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau after weapons were pledged to help Ukraine’s cause.

The Ukraine president tweeted on Saturday evening: Grateful to Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau and all the people of Canada for their support in the fight against Russian aggression and the new defense package.

“Weapons and rounds, in particular the important 155mm. Air-to-air missiles. Training of our pilots and a coalition of modern fighters.

“Coalition of Patriot systems. Step by step, together, we enhance global freedom.”

France warns Iran on drone deliveries to Russia

Saturday 10 June 2023 23:00 , William Mata

France has reportedly stepped in to warn Iran about the consequences of delivering drones to Russia.

Reuters reports: French President Emmanuel Macron warned Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday about the consequences of delivering drones to Russia, Mr Macron's office said on Saturday.

In a phone call, Mr Macron urged Iran to "immediately cease" the support it is giving Russia in the war against Ukraine. Mr Macron also expressed concerns about the trajectory of the Iranian nuclear programme, the statement said.

Britain, France, Germany, the United States and Ukraine say the supply of Iranian-made drones to Russia violates a 2015 UUN Security Council resolution enshrining the Iran nuclear deal.

The White House said on Friday that Russia appeared to be deepening its defense cooperation with Iran and had received hundreds of one-way attack drones that it is using to strike Ukraine.

Nord Stream sabotage probe turns to clues inside Poland

Saturday 10 June 2023 22:00 , Reuters

German investigators are examining evidence suggesting a sabotage team used Poland as an operating base to damage the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea in September, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

The investigators have reconstructed the two-week voyage of the “Andromeda”, a 50-foot (15-metre) yacht suspected of being involved in the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, the newspaper said.

The Journal cited people familiar with the voyage as indicating the sabotage crew had placed deep-sea explosives on Nord Stream 1, before they set the vessel on a course towards Poland. It added that Germany was trying to match DNA samples found on the vessel “to at least one Ukrainian soldier”.

Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office and Poland’s government spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters, but one senior Polish official suggested the newspaper report was the result of Russian propaganda.

“Information about Polish or Ukrainian clues in the destruction of NS1 and NS2, repeated in the media space, is consistently used by the Russian apparatus of influence to create the impression/presumption among the recipients that Warsaw and Kiev were behind this incident,” Stanislaw Zaryn, deputy to Poland’s Minister Coordinator of Special Services, wrote on Twitter.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 put Europe’s reliance on Russian natural gas in the political spotlight. The destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines hastened the region’s switch to other energy suppliers.

‘We will overcome'

Saturday 10 June 2023 21:00 , William Mata

President Volodymyr Zelensky has released a statement alongside a video in which he has criticised a “shameful indifference” from parts of the world to the crisis in Ukraine.

He shared the message on Twitter shortly after 6pm, having spent the day meeting Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Mr Zelensky wrote: “Now, unfortunately, we see that at some levels in the world there is simply a shameful indifference to the ecocide and human tragedy caused by the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP.

“When international organizations that are supposed to protect life on a global scale do not have time to organize and send a rescue mission to the occupied territory even in a week... When some world players do not dare to come out even with clear and strong statements that would condemn this new Russian war crime... Terrorists are simply fueled by this weakness of the world, this indifference – it encourages them. And we have to overcome this. And we will overcome.

“We are pressing and encouraging so that international organizations and international support come to the part of Kherson region where the occupiers are now.”

Zelensky: Tell Putin my generals are in a positive mood

Saturday 10 June 2023 20:00 , William Mata

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukrainian counter-offensive operations were under way, but declined to divulge details, telling a press conference to pass on to Vladimir Putin that Ukraine's generals are optimistic.

The Ukrainian leader, in his trademark khaki fatigues, shrugged at a press conference in Kyiv when asked about comments by the Russian president, who said on Friday that Kyiv had begun its counter-offensive, but failed to make progress.

"Counter-offensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine, but I will not say in detail what stage they are at," Zelensky said, listing Ukraine's top military brass by name.

"They (the generals) are all in a positive mood. Pass that on to Putin," he said with a smile standing alongside visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Top stories from the day

Saturday 10 June 2023 19:00 , William Mata

Here are some of the headlines and links from June 10.

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: Kherson roof ‘washes up’ on beach 100 miles away from dam collapse, says MP

Parts of houses from Kherson have washed up more than 100 miles away on a beach in Odesa, a Ukrainian MP has said. Footage posted by Oleksiy Goncharenko on Friday, 9 June, shows a roof on Dolphin Beach near Malyi Fontan.

New Zealand’s state broadcaster launches investigation over ‘pro-Russia’ stories

New Zealand’s state broadcaster has launched an investigation after it was found that some stories about the Ukraine and Russia war were edited to reflect the “pro-Russian view”. Local media reported that the state-funded Radio New Zealand [RNZ] published at least four articles attributed to the Reuters wire service that had been edited “inappropriately” to add the pro-Kremlin tone.

Last reactor shut down at Ukraine's largest nuclear plant as fighting, flooding continues

Ukraine’s nuclear energy agency says it has put the last operating reactor at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant into a “cold shutdown” — a safety precaution amid catastrophic flooding from the collapse of a nearby dam as Russia's war on Ukraine drags on through its 16th month.

Pictures: Ukraine at war, June 10

Saturday 10 June 2023 18:00 , William Mata

‘Counteroffensive action is underway’

Saturday 10 June 2023 16:46 , William Mata

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that that counteroffensive action is underway.

The Ukrainian president spoke as Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau visited Kyiv and accused Russia over flooding from the breached Kakhovka dam.

He had previously said that the action was under way but could not give any detail.

South Africa's president briefs Xi on African Russia-Ukraine peace plan

Saturday 10 June 2023 16:01 , Matt Mathers

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has briefed Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the upcoming visit by African leaders to Russia and Ukraine in a bid to end hostilities, the South African presidency said on Saturday.

Chinese state broadcaster reported that the two leaders had a phone call on Friday. In a statement, South Africa’s presidency said Ramaphosa told Xi he noted the peace plan proposed by China and affirmed African leaders’ support for initiatives aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

“President Xi Jinping commended the initiative by the African continent and acknowledged the impact the conflict has had on human lives and on food security in Africa,” the presidency statement said.

It will be ‘very difficult’ for Johnson to make comeback - Sir John Curtice

Saturday 10 June 2023 15:13 , Matt Mathers

It will be “very difficult” for Boris Johnson to make a comeback into politics, a leading pollster says.

Sir John Curtice argued “a very significant section of the public have decided they no longer believe what Boris says” and because of this, he believes the ex PM will struggle to get into a significant role in British politics in the future.

Appearing on GB News, Curtice told Anne Diamond and Stephen Dixon: “The honest truth is I think it’s going to be very, very difficult for him to come back. The fundamental difficulty that Mr Johnson faces is that even though he is highly charismatic and at least at one point in time was a very highly effective campaigner that he was, in the wake of the party gate and other allegations, a very significant section of the public has decided they no longer believe what he says.

“If you take a YouGov poll that was published only two or three days ago, in that poll, only 5% of people said they did not think that Mr Johnson had lied to the House of Commons over the various party gate gatherings. Even a charismatic politician, even a politician who is brilliant and has the ability to command a lot of people, a politician whose relationship with the truth is regarded as too loose by significant sections is a politician who’s going to find it very difficult to get through or find a way back into certainly a significant role in British politics in the future.”

Trudeau announces military aid for Kyiv, says Canada to help train pilots

Saturday 10 June 2023 14:45 , Matt Mathers

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said during a trip to Kyiv on Saturday that Canada would take part in a multinational effort to train Ukrainian fighter pilots and announced $375 million worth of military aid for the country.

Trudeau also told a press conference alongside Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky that Canada was seizing a Russian-owned Antonov cargo aircraft that landed in Canada last year and starting the process of forfeiting the aircraft to Ukraine.

Zelensky says Ukrainian counterattacks are under way, but stays coy on details

Saturday 10 June 2023 14:26 , Matt Mathers

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that counteroffensive and defensive operations were taking place in Ukraine, but told reporters that he would not say what stage they were at.

Zelensky shrugged and raised his eyebrows dismissively at a press conference in Kyiv when asked to respond after Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Kyiv forces had certainly begun their much-vaunted counteroffensive.

Earlier, counterattacking Ukrainian forces said they have advanced up to 1,400 metres at a number of sections of the front line near the eastern city of Bakhmut in the past day.

Kherson roof ‘washes up’ on beach 100 miles away from dam collapse, says MP

Saturday 10 June 2023 13:50 , Matt Mathers

Parts of houses from Kherson have washed up more than 100 miles away on a beach in Odesa, a Ukrainian MP has said. Holly Patrick reports:

Footage posted by Oleksiy Goncharenko on Friday, 9 June, shows a roof on Dolphin Beach near Malyi Fontan.

Hundreds of Ukrainians have been rescued after waters from the collpased Nova Kakhovka dam submerged villages, fields and roads southern Kherson.

Ukraine has accused Russia of bowing up the dam and its hydropower plant, which was under Kremlin control.

Moscow has accused Ukraine of bombarding the dam.

Ukraine: Kherson roof ‘washes up’ on beach 100 miles away after dam collapse, says MP

UK will provide extra £16 million to flood-hit areas of Ukrain

Saturday 10 June 2023 13:30 , Matt Mathers

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.

Gwyn Wright reports:

UK will provide extra £16 million to flood-hit areas of Ukraine

New Zealand’s state broadcaster launches investigation over ‘pro-Russia’ stories

Saturday 10 June 2023 12:42 , Matt Mathers

New Zealand’s state broadcaster has launched an investigation after it was found that some stories about the Ukraine and Russia war were edited to reflect the “pro-Russian view”.

Local media reported that the state-funded Radio New Zealand [RNZ] published at least four articles attributed to the Reuters wire service that had been edited “inappropriately” to add the pro-Kremlin tone.

Maroosha Muzaffar reports:

New Zealand’s state broadcaster launches investigation over ‘pro-Russia’ stories

Ukraine’s army reports new gains against Russian forces near Bakhmut

Saturday 10 June 2023 12:00 , Matt Mathers

Counterattacking Ukrainian forces have advanced up to 1,400 metres at a number of sections of the front line near the eastern city of Bakhmut in the past day, a military spokesman said on Saturday.

The advance is the latest in a series of similar gains reported this week by Kyiv near Bakhmut, which Russia said it had fully captured last month after the bloodiest and longest battle since it began its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

"We’re trying...to conduct strikes on the enemy, we’re counterattacking. We’ve managed to advance up to 1,400 metres on various sections of the front," the spokesperson for the eastern military command said, when asked about fighting near Bakhmut.

Reactor at Zaporizhzhia power plant put into ‘cold shutdown’

Saturday 10 June 2023 11:29 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s nuclear energy agency has put the last operating reactor at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant into "cold shutdown".

The move is a safety precaution amid catastrophic flooding from the collapse of a nearby dam, as Russia’s war on Ukraine drags on through its 16th month.

Russian forces have continued pummelling the country with missiles and drones overnight, with Ukrainian officials reporting at least four deaths and damage to a military airfield.

Five out of six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is occupied by Russian forces, are already in a state of cold shutdown, in which all control rods are inserted into the reactor core to stop the nuclear fission reaction and generation of heat and pressure.

Energoatom, the Ukrainian nuclear agency, said there was "no direct threat" to the Zaporizhzhia plant due to the breach of the Kakhovka dam further down the Dnieper River, which has forced thousands of people to flee flooding and also sharply reduced water levels in a reservoir used to help cool the facility.

Canada’s Trudeau visits Kyiv in show of support for Ukraine

Saturday 10 June 2023 10:58 , Matt Mathers

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau visited Kyiv on Saturday in a gesture of support as Ukraine braces for a major counter-offensive against Russian forces and grapples with regular air strikes.

Trudeau paid his respects at a memorial site in central Kyiv to Ukrainian soldiers who have been killed fighting pro-Russian forces since 2014.

NATO member Canada, which has one of the world’s largest Ukrainian diasporas, has supplied military and financial assistance to Ukraine during the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022.

Trudeau’s trip to Kyiv followed a night of Russian missile and drone attacks on targets outside the capital, including Odesa, Poltava region and Kharkiv.

Dnipro river should return to its banks by June 16 after dam collapse - Russian-backed official

Saturday 10 June 2023 10:14 , Matt Mathers

The southern reach of the Dnipro river is likely to return to its banks by June 16 following a vast flood unleashed by the breach of Ukraine’s Kakhovka dam this week, a Russian-installed official said on Saturday.

The flood has inundated towns and villages below the dam, trapping residents and sweeping away entire houses on both sides of the Dnipro, which separates Ukrainian-controlled Kherson province from the southern section that Russian forces control.

Vladimir Saldo, who heads the Russian-controlled part, said the water level at Nova Kakhovka, the town adjacent to the dam on the downstream side, had now dropped by 3 metres (10 feet) from Tuesday’s peak.

"The pumping of water and garbage collection from the streets have started," he said, adding that more than 6,000 people had now been evacuated from the flooded districts of Nova Kakhovka and from Oleshky and Hola Prystan, at the mouth of the river.

He said preliminary calculations by the Russian hydroelectricity producer RusHydro indicated the Dnipro would return to its usual course below the now-destroyed Kakhovka power station by June 16.

Russian strike damages infrastructure at Ukrainian military airfield - governor

Saturday 10 June 2023 08:25 , Matt Mathers

Russia fired missiles and attack drones at the central Ukrainian region of Poltava overnight, inflicting "some damage of infrastructure and equipment" at the Myrhorod military airfield, the regional governor said on Saturday.

The attack that used ballistic and cruise missiles also damaged eight private residential homes and several vehicles, governor Dmytro Lunin said on Telegram messenger. No casualties were reported.

Three killed in Russian drone attack on Odesa overnight - Ukraine

Saturday 10 June 2023 07:29 , Matt Mathers

Three civilians were killed during a Russian drone attack on the Black Sea city of Odesa in the early hours of Saturday after drone debris fell on an apartment block starting a fire, the Ukrainian military said.

Air defences in Odesa region shot down eight "Shahed" drones and two missiles in the latest in a spate of overnight air strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, a spokesperson for the southern military command said.

"As a result of the air fight, debris from one of the drones fell onto a high-rise apartment, causing a fire," the military official, Natalia Humeniuk, said in a statement.

The emergency services said 27 people, including three children, were wounded, but that the fire had been rapidly put out and 12 people were rescued from the building.

Three people die during a Russian drone attack on Odesa oblast

Saturday 10 June 2023 07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Three people died and at least ten more were injured during a Russian drone attack on Odesa Oblast today, local reports said.

According to Ukraine’s southern command, Russian forces attacked the region using Iranian-made drones. Officials, however, claimed that all the drones were destroyed by Ukrainian forces.

A high-rise residential building was damaged by the falling debris. The resulting fire has since been extinguished, officials said.

The blast wave also damaged the neighbouring residential buildings.

Five dead and 13 missing due to floods after Kakhovka dam destruction, Ukrainian authorities claim

Saturday 10 June 2023 06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

At least five people in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts were killed, and 13 more were missing yesterday, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine’s interior ministry reported that dozens of settlements on both banks of the Dnipro River are flooded.

The ministry said, four of the five victims died in southern Kherson Oblast, where 48 settlements have been flooded, including 34 on the Ukraine-controlled west bank of the Dnipro River and 14 on the Russian-occupied east bank, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Mykolaiv Oblast police chief reported on 8 June that another victim died in the neighbouring Mykolaiv Oblast, where 23 settlements have been flooded.

Over 130 explosions recorded across Sumy Oblast, Ukraine authorities claim

Saturday 10 June 2023 06:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russian forces attacked seven communities in Sumy Oblast yesterday, the military administration of the region stated on Telegram.

According to officials, Russian forces targeted the communities of Velyka Pysarivka, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Myropillia, Shalyhyne, Yunakivka, and Novoslobidske, according to Kyiv Independent.

A total of 133 explosions were recorded across the seven communities.

One local was reportedly injured in the Yunakivka community. The attacks also damaged a residential building, an outbuilding, and a garage in the same community.

Russian ambassador to the US says Washington not looking for ‘diplomatic settlement of the conflict’

Saturday 10 June 2023 05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov stated yesterday that the US does not intend to look for ways to a diplomatic settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported.

Speaking about the next US package of military assistance to the Kyiv authorities, he said: “The United States continues to pump up its wards with new batches of deadly weapons. The appropriations for these purposes of such impressive financial resources indicate one thing: Washington does not intend to look for ways to a diplomatic settlement of the conflict.”

He added that Washington “did nothing to bring the regime of [Volodymyr] Zelensky to the negotiating table”.

He continued: “On the contrary, they are methodically pushing their puppets to continue sacrificing human lives in the name of the extravagant goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia. It is impossible for Washington to retreat from this task. At stake is the reputation of the country’s leadership, which has chosen the path of war, and not diplomatic solutions.”

Ukraine faces ‘hugely worse’ humanitarian situation after dam rupture, UN aid chief says

Saturday 10 June 2023 05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The humanitarian situation in Ukraine is “hugely worse” than before the Kakhovka dam collapsed, the UN’s top aid official warned yesterday.

Undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths said an “extraordinary” 700,000 people are in need of drinking water and warned that the ravages of flooding in one of the world’s most important breadbaskets will almost inevitably lead to lower grain exports, higher food prices around the world, and less to eat for millions in need.

“This is a viral problem,” he said in an interview with Associated Press. “But the truth is this is only the beginning of seeing the consequences of this act.”

US ambassador to UN ‘gravely concerned’ by growing military cooperation between Russia and Iran

Saturday 10 June 2023 04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations says she is “gravely concerned by the growing military cooperation between Russia and Iran” and called for an investigation into Iran’s transfer of attack drones to Russia.

“I am gravely concerned by the growing military cooperation between Russia and Iran which continues to enable Russia’s prosecution of its brutal war against Ukraine,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said.

She says Russia and Iran are both violating UN Security Council Resolution.

She cited information released by the US earlier Friday which documented how Iran “has provided Russia with hundreds of one-way attack UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], as well as UAV production-related equipment.” The ambassador said Russia has been using these UAVs in recent weeks to unleash missile strikes on Kyiv and "terrorize Ukrainian civilians.”

The White House claimed yesterday that Russia has received hundreds of drones from Iran to attack Ukraine.

Citing newly declassified information, the White House said the drones or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles [UAVs], were built in Iran, shipped across the Caspian Sea and then used by Russian forces against Ukraine.

Russia has received hundreds of Iranian drones to attack Ukraine, White House says

Saturday 10 June 2023 03:54 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The White House claimed yesterday that Russia has received hundreds of drones from Iran to attack Ukraine.

Citing newly declassified information, the White House said the drones or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles [UAVs], were built in Iran, shipped across the Caspian Sea and then used by Russian forces against Ukraine.

“Russia has been using Iranian UAVs in recent weeks to strike Kyiv and terrorise the Ukrainian population, and the Russia-Iran military partnership appears to be deepening,” White House spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

“We are also concerned that Russia is working with Iran to produce Iranian UAVs from inside Russia.”

Mr Kirby also said that the US had information that Russia was receiving materials from Iran required to build a drone manufacturing plant that could be fully operational early next year.

“We are releasing satellite imagery of the planned location of this UAV manufacturing plant in Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone.”

Russia claims it blew up advanced Ukrainian tank, but video shows its helicopter attacked a tractor

Saturday 10 June 2023 03:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A grainy black-and-white gunsight video Russia released this week to bolster a claim its military blew up some of Ukraine’s most fearsome tanks actually documented the destruction of a tractor, according to a visual analysis by The Associated Press.

The Russian Embassy in Washington announced Monday on Twitter its forces had “annihilated” eight German-made Leopard tanks, among the most advanced and powerful weapons NATO countries have provided to Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense then posted a video Tuesday on the social media network Telegram with text saying it showed “footage of the destruction of foreign armoured vehicles, including Leopard tanks.”

Michael Biesecker has the full story:

Russia claims it blew up advanced Ukrainian tank, but video shows its helicopter attacked a tractor

‘We will continue to help the Ukrainians whose lives were thrown into turmoil’, says Scotland Office minister of £150m housing fund

Saturday 10 June 2023 02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A UK government fund of £150 million to help Ukrainians into their own homes and to continue sponsorship arrangements has been announced.

In Scotland, more than 24,000 displaced Ukrainians have arrived through an individual sponsor or the Scottish Government’s super-sponsor scheme.

Thousands remain in temporary accommodation while waiting for a permanent home.

Scotland Office minister John Lamont said: “The UK has a long, proud history of helping those fleeing danger or persecution and we will continue to help the Ukrainians whose lives were thrown into turmoil when Russia illegally invaded their country.

“Today’s announcement of a further £30 million for Scotland to help rehome people from Ukraine brings a welcome boost to the great effort already made.

“I want to thank everyone who has helped support Ukraine for more than a year now, including all those who have helped Ukrainian refugees make new lives in Scotland.”

Petro Rewko, of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, said his organisation welcomes the funding commitment during “difficult economic times”.

He added: “Ukrainians everywhere are grateful to the government and the British people for opening their homes and hearts to Ukrainians fleeing their homes as a result of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.”

£150m fund aims to help Ukrainians into their own homes

Saturday 10 June 2023 01:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A UK government fund of £150 million to help Ukrainians into their own homes and to continue sponsorship arrangements has been announced.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, more than 124,000 people have arrived in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

The new money will go to councils to help Ukrainian families into private rented accommodation and find work.

It will also go towards continuing sponsorship arrangements, as many guests are in their second year in the UK.

The funding is being divided according to the number of Ukrainians in each nation - England will receive around £109 million, Scotland £30 million, Wales £8 million and Northern Ireland £2 million.

Those hosting Ukrainians will continue to receive a monthly £350 thank-you payment during guests’ first 12 months, rising to £500 a month during the following year.

In March, the Red Cross warned many Ukrainians are staying in “inappropriate” accommodation.

UK housing minister Felicity Buchan said: “The UK has an honourable tradition of offering shelter to those fleeing the horrors of war.

“Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of hosts in this country, over 124,000 Ukrainians have now found safety in the UK.

“Sadly, the fighting in Ukraine shows no sign of ending soon, so we are appealing for more people to become hosts while providing councils with this additional funding to support guests into long-term housing.”

White House accuses Iran of helping Russia build a drone factory near Moscow

Saturday 10 June 2023 00:01 , Eleanor Noyce

Iran is providing Russia with materials to build a drone manufacturing plant near Moscow, according to a newly-declassified US intelligence report released by the White House on Friday.

The plant in the Alabuga special economic zone several hundred miles east of the Russian capital will be used to counter Ukraine’s latest offensive and could be operational early next year, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

The White House released declassified satellite imagery from April of the industrial location where it believes the plant “will probably be built.”

Bevan Hurley reports:

White House accuses Iran of helping Russia build a drone factory near Moscow

'All life should be valued': Volunteers rush to save animals after Ukraine dam collapse

Friday 9 June 2023 23:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The rescue volunteer holds out his hand, but the dog, stranded on a floating island of debris in a southern Ukrainian city inundated by flooding, is too traumatised to approach. Volodymyr Holubnichii offers the scared animal some food; the dog sniffs and relaxes.

“Don’t be scared,” Holubnichii soothingly tells the animal, which eventually accepts a leash and being carried to safety.

Holubnichii, a volunteer with Animal Rescue Kharkiv, spent days cruising the flooded streets of Kherson city after the Kakhovka dam collapsed on Tuesday and submerged entire towns. He is one among the organisation’s 70 volunteers determined to rescue as many animals as possible, plucking them from the rooftops and garages of flooded homes before they die of dehydration and hunger.

Vasilisa Stepanenko reports:

'All life should be valued': Volunteers rush to save animals after Ukraine dam collapse

Germany moves ahead with plans to buy Israel's Arrow-3 missile defence for 4 bln euros

Friday 9 June 2023 22:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Germany plans to buy Israel’s Arrow-3 missile defence system for almost 4 billion euros ($4.30 billion) in total, and will ask lawmakers to release advance payments of up to 560 million euros next week, according to documents seen by Reuters on Friday.

The Arrow-3 is designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside of the earth’s atmosphere.

It is the top layer of Israel’s missile defence array, which extends from Iron Dome that intercepts short-range rockets to Arrow-3’s long-range missiles that destroy any non-conventional warheads at a safe altitude.

Berlin aims to strike a government-to-government deal with Israel on the purchase of the Arrow-3 system at the end of the year, said the finance ministry’s procurement documents that were prepared for parliament.

Germany will lose part or all of its advance payments should the deal fail, according to the papers, as the money would be used to compensate Israel for costs incurred by then.

The German air force is supposed to take delivery of Arrow-3, that will cost about one billion euros more than originally planned, by the fourth quarter of 2025.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has laid bare a shortage of ground-based air defence systems such as Raytheon’s Patriot units or the more recently developed IRIS-T in many Western nations.

While Patriot and IRIS-T cover the medium layer of air defence, Arrow-3 - produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) - offers protection for the higher layer.

Putin says Ukrainian counter-offensive has begun as drones strike within Russia

Friday 9 June 2023 21:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Vladimir Putin says Ukrainian troops have started a long-expected counter-offensive and are suffering “significant” losses.

The Russian president’s comments, hours after a string of drone strikes inside Russian territory, formed his latest effort to shape the narrative of the invasion he ordered more than 15 months ago, sparking widespread international condemnation and reviving Cold War-style tensions.

The conflict entered a complex new phase this week with the rupture of a Dnieper River dam that sent floodwaters gushing through a large area of the front in southern Ukraine.

Tens of thousands of civilians already facing the misery of regular shelling fled for higher ground on both sides of the swollen and sprawling waterway.

Ukraine has played down talk of a counter-offensive, reasoning that the less said about its military moves the better.

Speaking after he visited flood zones on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was in touch with Ukrainian forces “in all the hottest areas” and praised an unspecified “result” from their efforts.

Mr Putin said Russian forces have the upper hand, telling reporters in Sochi: “We can clearly say the offensive has started, as indicated by the Ukrainian army’s use of strategic reserves.

“But the Ukrainian troops haven’t achieved their stated tasks in a single area of fighting.”

Kyiv has not specified whether reservists have been mobilised to the front, but western allies have poured firepower, defensive systems and other military assets and advice into Ukraine, raising the stakes for the counter-offensive.

“We are seeing that the Ukrainian regime’s troops are suffering significant losses,” Mr Putin said. “It’s known that the offensive side suffers losses of three to one - it’s sort of classic - but in this case, the losses significantly exceed that classic level.”

At least 13 people killed in flooding after dam explosion, authorities say

Friday 9 June 2023 19:51 , Andy Gregory

At least five people have been killed in flooding caused by the Kakhovka dam, Ukraine has said, as it evacuated more people from the surrounding areas.

Interior minister Ihor Klymenko said four people had died and 13 people were missing in the Kherson region, and that one person had died in the Mykolayiv region.

A Russian-appointed official said eight people had died in Russian-held territory and more than 5,800 had been evacuated from their homes.

US announces $2bn security package for Ukraine

Friday 9 June 2023 18:55 , Andy Gregory

The US Department of Defence has announced an additional $2.1bn in security assistance for Ukraine on Friday, including air defense and ammunition capabilities, amid signs that Kyiv had begun its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia.

The package includes additional munitions for Patriot air defense systems, Raytheon Hawk air defense systems and missiles, 105mm and 203mm artillery rounds, small AeroVironment drones that can be launched by hand, laser-guided rocket system munitions and support for training and maintenance, the Defence Department.

Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds will be used to purchase the weapons, allowing Joe Biden’s administration to buy weapons from industry, rather than pull them from US stocks.

Delivery of the weapons and systems depends on their availability and production timeline.

Tanks, missiles and keeping Russia guessing: The week Ukraine’s counteroffensive truly began

Friday 9 June 2023 18:01 , Andy Gregory

Our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta reports:

The build-up has been patient and methodical, progress slow and there is grim expectation of heavy losses to come. But Ukraine’s counteroffensive, one which will likely shape the final outcome of this war, is now underway.

There is combat, fierce at times, at multiple flashpoints across the length of the vast frontline from Zaporizhzhia to Donetsk to Bakhmut. There are also missile strikes in separatist-held Luhansk, and raids across the Russian border, as Ukraine continues chess moves to try and keep the enemy on the back foot.

Ukraine has been asking Western allies for advanced weaponry, tanks, missiles, artillery and warplanes in preparation for the mission and have got a substantial amount of them.

German Leopards and British Challenger tanks, as well as Storm Shadow missiles, French AMX armoured cars, American Himars and Nasam artillery have been assimilated into specialist Ukrainian brigades. Advanced warplanes, F-16s are still missing. They are due to in the autumn, and this offensive may still be going on then – as Ukraine seeks to reclaim as much territory as it can before there is any possible ceasefire.

Tanks, missiles and troops: The week Ukraine’s counteroffensive began | Kim Sengupta

Putin claims Kyiv suffering large casualties in counteroffensive

Friday 9 June 2023 17:20 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has claimed that Ukraine’s casualties significantly exceed the classical ratio of three attackers to one defender, as he said Kyiv’s counteroffensive was certainly under way.

“All counteroffensive attempts made so far have failed. But the offensive potential of the troops of the Kyiv regime is still preserved,” the Russian president claimed.

Putin says Ukrainian offensive has begun, but without success

Friday 9 June 2023 16:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian President Vladimir Putin told a conference in Sochi on Friday that Ukraine had begun its expected counteroffensive against Russian forces, but without success.

“The offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has begun. This is evidenced by the use of strategic reserves,” he said, in footage from the forum posted on Telegram.

“Ukrainian troops did not achieve their goals in any sector - thanks to the courage of Russian soldiers, proper organisation of troops.”

Putin says tactical nuclear weapons to be deployed in Belarus in July

Friday 9 June 2023 15:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia will start deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus after special storage facilities are made ready on July 7-8, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, Moscow’s first move of such warheads outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Putin announced in March he had agreed to deploy such weapons in Belarus, pointing to U.S deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in a host of European countries over many decades.

“Everything is going according to plan,” Putin told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, discussing the planned nuclear deployment over a meal at the Russian leader’s summer retreat in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

“Preparation of the relevant facilities ends on July 7-8, and we will immediately begin activities related to the deployment of appropriate types of weapons on your territory,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript of his remarks.

Lukashenko said: “Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich.”

Hungary receives Ukrainian POWs from Russia, Ukraine says not informed

Friday 9 June 2023 15:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Hungary said on Friday it had received a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia, a release that Ukraine welcomed while expressing concern that it had not been informed.

The POWs were from the western part of Ukraine that borders Hungary, according to both the Russian Orthodox Church, which said it had assisted in the release, and Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen.

“This is my human and patriotic duty”.. we have brought back from Moscow 11 prisoners of war from Transcarpathia,” a post on Semjen’s official Facebook page said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government has long supported the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary, and blocked proposals from other EU members for sanctions against the Church’s overall leader Patriarch Kirill.

A statement posted on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Moscow Patriarchate late on Thursday said that “at the request of the Hungarian side, a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war of Transcarpathian origin who participated in the hostilities was transferred to Hungary”.

Asked for comment early on Friday, a Hungarian government spokesman told Reuters the statement was “fake news”. Later on the spokesman was not reachable for comment.

It was not clear what had caused the apparent confusion within the Hungarian government.

Ukraine, which has secured successive prisoner exchanges with Russia with international mediation during Russia‘s more than 15-month-old invasion, said it had not been informed about the prisoners’ release. The foreign ministry said it had asked Hungary’s representative in Ukraine to grant immediate access to them.

“The release of Ukrainian prisoners of war is always good news,” foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook, adding that the ministry had “emphasized the need to coordinate cooperation on such sensitive issues”.

Nuclear weapons will be in Belarus within weeks, says Putin

Friday 9 June 2023 14:47 , Jane Dalton

Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus after special storage facilities are ready on July 7-8, president Vladimir Putin has said, Moscow’s first move of such bombs outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Mr Putin says the United States and its Western allies are pumping arms into Ukraine as part of an expanding proxy war aimed at bringing Russia to its knees.

In March he announced he wanted to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, an apparent warning to the US-led Nato military alliance over its support for Ukraine.

Leading Nato countries say they will support Ukraine and help it defend itself for as long as it takes from what Kyiv casts as an imperial-style land grab by Russia which threatens the survival of the Ukrainian state.

“Everything is going according to plan,” Putin told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko when discussing the planned nuclear deployment during talks at the Russian leader’s Black Sea summer retreat in Sochi.

Lukashenko said: “Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich.”

Putin, 70, casts the war as a battle for Russia’s own survival in the face of what he says is an ever-expanding Nato. He has warned the West that Moscow will not back down.

Kazakh president to skip ‘Russian Davos’

Friday 9 June 2023 14:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will not attend the annual economic forum in Russia‘s St Petersburg next week, the government said on Friday, after refusing to toe the Kremlin’s line over the Russian invasion of Ukraine at last year’s event.

The Kazakh government said only two officials will represent the Central Asian nation at this year’s forum.

Until its invasion of Ukraine, Russia regularly hosted world leaders and business titans at the forum, but Western officials and business figures now shun it, and last year Tokayev stole the limelight by rejecting the Kremlin claims on Ukraine.

Sharing the stage with Russian President Putin - who will address the forum this year as well - Tokayev said then that Kazakhstan would not recognise the independence of pro-Russian statelets in eastern Ukraine or other ex-Soviet republics.

His comments raised eyebrows because Kazakhstan, which shares the world’s longest continuous land border with Russia, has for decades been a member of Moscow-led security and trade blocs, and calls Russia its strategic partner.

Asked who would attend the conference this year, a Kazakh government spokeswoman said only Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar and Deputy Economy Minister Timur Zhaksylykov would go.

Tokayev’s office declined to comment on the reasons why he was not attending.

Russia‘s RIA news agency reported last month that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, invited by Putin, said would not be able to attend the forum. Russian media have not announced plans by any other world leaders to attend.

Ukraine tells ‘clown’ Tucker Carlson to check his facts after pro-Kremlin rant in first Twitter show

Friday 9 June 2023 14:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Ukrainian government has branded Tucker Carlson a “clown” and told him to check his facts after he launched a pro-Kremlin rant on his first Twitter show.

The former Fox News host told viewers that a “fair person would conclude” that Ukraine destroyed the Nova Kakhovka damn which collapsed and caused massive flooding in the country.

Carlson, a popular voice for the Kremlin, added that the dam was “effectively Russian” and that the damage “hurts Russia” more than Ukraine.

“The Kakhovka dam was effectively Russian. It was built by the Russian government. It currently sits in Russian-controlled territory. The dam’s reservoir supplies water to Crimea, which has been for the last 240 years home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet,” said Carlson.

Ukraine tells ‘clown’ Tucker Carlson to check his facts after pro-Kremlin rant

'Our house was carried away' - flood survivors in Russian-held Ukraine speak of their escape

Friday 9 June 2023 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pensioner Maria Mikhailovna says she was woken by her husband in the middle of the night to find their belongings underwater after the collapse of Ukraine‘s giant Nova Kakhovka Dam.

“The water in the house was at waist level. At midnight everything had been dry - both inside and outside,” said the 73-year-old, who walks slowly with the help of a stick.

“We can hardly walk. We went outside and were lucky that there were passers-by. They helped us to get to the ‘Vostok’ shop. Then we limped on to our friends,” she told Reuters.

With water snapping at their heels, she and her husband then moved on from place to place, she said in the town of Hola Prystan in Ukraine‘s southern Kherson region, adding that she was grateful to her rescuers.

They were brought to safety with other pensioners on Thursday in a rubber boat crewed by rescuers from Russia‘s Emergency Situations Ministry.

Russian forces took control of Hola Prystan, a town where around 13,000 people once lived, last year as part of what Moscow calls its “special military operation”.

After the vast Soviet-era Kakhovka Dam crumbled on Tuesday - a human and ecological disaster which Russia and Ukraine have blamed on each other - rubber dinghies have replaced cars in the town’s streets.

Animals and people sheltered on roofs on Thursday: in one surreal scene a small group of goats and hens stood on what looked like part of a roof surrounded by floodwater as rescuers in dinghies passed by.

The first one or two storeys of houses and people’s yards were underwater and an emerald green church was semi-submerged, with the tops of trees poking out from the water in places.

Rescuers in boats scoured the town for survivors, shouting out the addresses they had checked to one another.

Many of those rescued appeared elderly but small children and their mothers were also among those helped to safety.

One woman had her pet cat in their bag and one elderly lady clutched a birdcage as she was ferried to dry land.

A woman who gave her name as Oksana held back tears as she and her daughter were evacuated in a boat with their two pet dogs.

“We ended up at the kindergarten because our house was carried away by a torrent of water,” said Oksana, as her daughter turned her head away to sob.

Ukraine reports heavy fighting in east

Friday 9 June 2023 13:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine reported heavy fighting in the eastern region of Donetsk on Friday and a military spokesperson said Ukrainian forces had gained more ground near the devastated city of Bakhmut.

“The situation is tense on all areas of the front,” Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on the Telegram messaging app.

Naming eastern areas where fighting has been fierce for months, she said: “The enemy continues to focus its main efforts on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivsky and Mariinka directions, heavy fighting continues.”

She said Ukrainian troops were repelling the Russian attacks.

Reuters was unable to verify the situation on the battlefield.

Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesperson for Ukraine‘s East military command said Ukrainian forces had advanced 1.2 km (0.75 mile) near Bakhmut over the past 24 hours.

“We took advantage of the enemy’s rotation measures and the fact that units which entered do not know the area fully, and failed to conduct appropriate reconnaissance and coordination. We struck,” he told Ukrainian television. “We have been carrying out assaults for several days.”

Over the past several days, Ukrainian forces have made their most rapid gains around the edges of Bakhmut, aiming to encircle the ruined eastern city which Russian forces seized control of last month.

Russia‘s Defence Ministry said it was continuing to repel Ukrainian attacks in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, Russian news agencies reported.

Ukrainian officials made little mention of the situation in Zaporizhzhia but the head of the president’s office said a junior nurse and a plumber had been killed by Russian shelling of a hospital in Huliai Pole in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Ukrainian schoolboy to buy home for his mother after selling Minecraft server

Friday 9 June 2023 13:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

For most teenagers Minecraft remains just a hobby, but one Ukrainian schoolboy’s love for the game has meant he can now afford to buy his homeless mother a house.

Lomond School pupil Maksym Gavrylenko has made a “substantial” sum after selling the server he ran from his bedroom, which allows gamers from all over the world to connect to and play together on, with friends.

The 17-year-old boarding school pupil said: “I am very proud that I was able to turn my passion into a profitable business and I plan on treating my mother.

“As a result of the war, she was forced to flee her home, leaving her homeless, so to buy her a property will make all the hours spent on this project worthwhile.”

Read more here:

Ukrainian schoolboy to buy home for his mother after selling Minecraft server

Latest British Defence Intelligence update for Ukraine

Friday 9 June 2023 12:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Here is the latest update from the UK Ministry of Defence:

Russian shelling kills two civilians in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia

Friday 9 June 2023 12:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A junior nurse and a plumber were killed in Russian shelling of a hospital in Huliai Pole in Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia region, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday.

Andriy Yermak, the head of the president’s office, said on the Telegram messaging app under a photo of a devastated building that two others were wounded in Huliai Pole, a small town close to front line in southern Ukraine.

Reuters was unable to verify the situation in the town.

Stay tuned for updates as we have them.

Top Dutch court upholds decision awarding Crimean gold artefacts to Ukraine

Friday 9 June 2023 12:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Dutch Supreme Court on Thursday upheld lower court decisions ordering the return of ancient Crimean gold artefacts to Ukraine, marking the end of a long legal process.

The artefacts had been on display at the Allard Pierson Museum in the Netherlands when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and Ukraine and museums in Crimea had demanded their return.

“This decision ends this dispute. The Allard Pierson Museum must return these artistic treasures to the State of Ukraine and not to the museums in Crimea,” the ruling said.

The pieces, including a solid gold Scythian helmet and a golden neck ornament each weighing more than 1 kg (35 oz), were on loan at the museum in Amsterdam.

The U.N., the European Union and the Netherlands recognise the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine in its pre-2014 borders.

Lower courts in the Netherlands found in 2016 and 2021 that the pieces should be returned to Ukraine.

The appeals court decision in 2021 noted that under Ukrainian law the artefacts will be held at the National Historical Museum in Kyiv “until the situation in Crimea has stabilized.”

The 2021 decision “struck a fair balance between infringing on the rights of the museums and the interests of the State of Ukraine in protecting its cultural heritage,” the Dutch Supreme Court said on Friday.

Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stress ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine

Friday 9 June 2023 12:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stressed their “unwavering support” for Ukraine, with the president saying the US will help Kyiv for “as long as it takes”.

The two leaders emphasised the need for long-term security arrangements for the war-torn nation as deterrence against aggression from Russian president Vladimir Putin.

At a joint press conference at the White House on Thursday, Mr Biden was asked about hesitation about more funding for Ukraine among some lawmakers in the rival Republican Party.

The Democratic US president said: “I believe we’ll have the funding necessary to support Ukraine as long as it takes.

“And I believe that that support will be real, even though you hear some voices today on Capitol Hill about whether or not we should continue to support Ukraine and for how long we should support them.”

Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stress ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine

Russia accuses ex-defence industry worker of spying for Germany

Friday 9 June 2023 11:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has detained a former defence industry worker on suspicion of spying for Germany and charged him with high treason, Moscow’s FSB security service said on Friday.

According to the FSB, the suspect had worked for a military contractor in the Siberian region of Omsk and had offered to hand over information in exchange for German citizenship.

It said the man had initiated contact with a German official and had gathered information about “important military facilities”. It gave no further details.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the FSB’s account.

The FSB distributed a video to Russian news agencies showing what appeared to be an FSB officer in camouflage jumping out of a vehicle and pinning a man to the ground.

On Wednesday, the FSB said it had arrested a resident of the far eastern Primorsky Krai region on suspicion of spying for Ukraine.

Thunberg criticises Russia over Ukraine dam 'ecocide'

Friday 9 June 2023 11:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has accused Russia of causing the collapse of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, calling it an act of “ecocide”.

The burst of the huge dam, under Russian control in southern Ukraine‘s Kherson region, unleashed large floods, forcing thousands of residents to flee and wreaking environmental havoc. Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for its destruction.

“This ecocide as a continuation of Russia‘s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine is yet another atrocity which leaves the world lost for words. Our eyes are once again on Russia who must be held accountable for their crimes,” Thunberg, 20, said on Twitter on Thursday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy replied on Twitter: “Thank you for your position and for upholding the truth @GretaThunberg! (Russia) must be held accountable for all its evil against people, life and nature!”.

Thunberg on Friday told Reuters during a weekly climate protest by the Swedish parliament that the aftermath of the dam burst was “absolutely horrifying and awful”.

“Russia needs to be held accountable for their action and for their crimes. The eyes of the world are on them now,” Thunberg, who graduates from high school on Friday, said.

The United States said on Tuesday it could not say conclusively what caused the dam’s destruction but it was assessing reports that Russia, which has been occupying the dam since last year, was behind the blast.

Governor: Three wounded as drone strikes building in Russian border city

Friday 9 June 2023 11:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Three people were lightly wounded after a drone crashed into a residential building in central Voronezh, a city in southwestern Russia near the border with Ukraine, regional governor Alexander Gusev reported on Friday morning.

Gusev spoke to Russian state media, which also published photos showing a high-rise apartment block with some of its windows blown out and damage to parts of its facade.

State media reports also cited the building’s administrators as saying that “several apartments were damaged” in the explosion. There was no immediate comment on who may have been behind the drone strike.

Governor: Three wounded as drone strikes building in Russian border city

Ukraine attacks Putin’s troops as counteroffensive steps up

Friday 9 June 2023 10:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A significant Ukrainian force has launched an assault on Russian lines in the southern Zaporizhzhia region – with a surge in attacks that points towards its counteroffensive shifting into high gear.

A number of US and Ukrainian officials suggested this was the start in earnest of Kyiv’s bid to reclaim territory lost to Russian occupation during Moscow’s invasion. Ukraine‘s commanders and government have always said there would be no official announcement of the start of the counteroffensive and there has already been an increase in military activity all week.

The combat against Russian positions – including intense fighting outside of the town of Tokmak, a Russian logistical hub – is said to involve Western-supplied tanks, armoured vehicles and infantry backed by artillery.

The Kremlin has repeatedly claimed to have repelled Ukrainian attacks – that it calls the counteroffensive – across various points of the war’s frontlines for a number of days, but Russian military bloggers noted an increase in clashes overnight Wednesday and into Thursday. One said: “Wave after wave of the enemy is trying to break through our defence.”

Ukraine attacks Putin’s troops as counteroffensive steps up

Russian intelligence investigating drone strike on city of Voronezh - Kremlin

Friday 9 June 2023 10:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia‘s intelligence services were investigating a drone attack on the Russian city of Voronezh, which it blamed on Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the security services were working to clarify details of the incident.

The regional governor said earlier on Friday that three people had been lightly wounded when a drone struck an apartment building in the city, about 180 km (110 miles) from the border with Ukraine.

There was no immediate comment on the episode from Ukraine.#

Russia and China to continue expanding military cooperation - TASS

Friday 9 June 2023 09:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia and China will continue to expand their military cooperation, rUSSIAN Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov was quoted as saying on Friday by the TASS news agency.

Gerasimov has invited his Chinese counterpart to visit Russia, news agencies reported.

“The practice of joint operational and combat training of the Russian and Chinese Armed Forces should remain an important area of further activities,” Gerasimov was quoted as saying.

Ukraine says it intercepted call proving Russia blew up Kakhovka dam

Friday 9 June 2023 09:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine‘s domestic security service said on Friday it had intercepted a telephone call proving a Russian “sabotage group” blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric station and dam in southern Ukraine.

The destruction of the facility on Tuesday unleashed mass flooding, forcing thousands of residents to flee and wreaking environmental havoc.

Russia and its proxy officials in Ukraine have blamed Kyiv for destroying the dam but have offered varying explanations.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) posted a one-and-a-half minute audio clip on its Telegram channel of the alleged conversation, which featured two men who appeared to be discussing the fallout from the disaster in Russian.

“They (the Ukrainians) didn’t strike it. That was our sabotage group,” said one of the men, who the SBU described as a Russian soldier. “They wanted to, like, scare (people) with that dam.”

“It didn’t go according to plan, and (they did) more than what they planned for.”

The SBU did not offer further details of the conversation or its participants. It said it had opened a criminal investigation into war crimes and “ecocide”.

“The invaders wanted to blackmail Ukraine by blowing up the dam and staged a man-made disaster in the south of our country,” the SBU said in a statement.

Ukraine security service says it intercepted call proving Russia destroyed Kakhovka dam

Friday 9 June 2023 09:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine‘s domestic security service said on Friday it had intercepted a telephone call proving Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric station and dam in southern Ukraine‘s Kherson region.

The Security Service of Ukraine posted a one-and-a-half minute audio clip of the alleged conversation on its Telegram channel.

In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline in Luhansk region

Friday 9 June 2023 08:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pictures show Ukrainian soldiers working during a combat operation on the frontline near Kreminna, Luhansk region.

One killed in latest Russian air strike on Ukraine, Kyiv says

Friday 9 June 2023 08:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia unleashed a new air strike on Ukraine overnight, killing at least one person in a combined assault of cruise missiles and attack drones, Ukrainian authorities said.

The Ukrainian military reported shooting down four out of six missiles launched during the attack, which the air force said lasted around six hours, and 10 out of 16 drones.

The interior ministry said one person had been killed, three were wounded, and four buildings were destroyed from falling debris.

It posted images on the Telegram messaging app of firefighters attending to the smouldering wreckage of what appeared to be residential homes.

The air force also said two cruise missiles had struck a civilian object in the central Ukrainian region of Cherkasy during an earlier attack on Thursday evening.

Regional governor Ihor Taburets said at least eight people had been wounded in that strike, which he said hit a carwash and an industrial object.

Moscow in recent weeks has stepped up regular air strikes against Ukraine as Kyiv prepared for a counteroffensive to try to take back Russian-occupied territory.

Russia reports heavy fighting in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine

Friday 9 June 2023 07:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s army on Friday reported heavy fighting in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, saying over 21 Ukrainian tanks had been destroyed in battles across key sections of the front line.

A spokesman for Russia‘s Vostok group of forces said 13 Ukrainian tanks were destroyed in battles in the Zaporizhzhia region and eight in the Donetsk region. It reported artillery, drone and infantry battles.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield claims.

Russian military bloggers said there were intense battles on the Zaporizhzhia front near the city of Orikhiv as Ukraine sought to pierce Russian defences and drive a wedge through Russian forces.

Russia said Ukraine began a major offensive on Sunday morning, first in southern Donetsk, but Moscow said its forces repelled the attacks. Ukraine accused Moscow of spreading lies.

Damaged reservoir can still help Ukrainian nuclear plant, says UN body

Friday 9 June 2023 07:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The UN nuclear watchdog has confirmed water is still being pumping to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from the reservoir of the breached Ukrainian Nova Kakhovka dam.

The water is sufficient to cool the reactors and pumps are still operating at water levels earlier thought to make this impossible, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

The plant, occupied by Russia since the early days of its invasion last year, also has other water sources to fall back on if the reservoir’s water is no longer available, the IAEA said.

It added that these include a large cooling pond above the reservoir with several months’ worth of water.

“In these difficult and challenging circumstances, this is providing some more time before possibly switching to alternative water supplies including the large cooling pond next to the plant,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in a statement.

Four cruise missiles, 10 attack drones downed overnight, says Ukraine

Friday 9 June 2023 06:41 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s military has shot down four cruise missiles and 10 attack drones during a Russian air strike overnight, the air force said in a statement this morning.

It said Russian forces had launched 16 drones and six cruise missiles during the attack, and that two other cruise missiles had struck a civilian object in central Ukraine during an earlier attack last evening.

The overnight barrage of Russian missile attack comes after a brief lull of a week. Russian forces had amped up the overnight missile attacks in May to overwhelm and exhaust Ukraine’s air defences in more than 17 separate volleys.

Western tanks appear on Ukraine battlefield as heavy fighting starts

Friday 9 June 2023 05:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Powerful Western tanks and ammunition sent to Ukraine by its allies have finally emerged on the battlefield as Russian forces report a surge in attacks that suggest Kyiv’s counteroffensive is shifting into high gear.

The combat against Russian positions – including intense fighting outside of the town of Tokmak, a Russian logistical hub – is said to involve Western-supplied tanks, armoured vehicles and infantry backed by artillery.

Russian military bloggers confirmed the presence of at least two Leopard 2 tanks sent by Germany, in a first such use of its war vehicle as they shared visuals from fortified positions along the frontline in the continuing full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

The Leopard II main battle tanks were also seen in the Zaporizhzhia region where a significant Ukrainian force scaled up their assault on Russian lines in the southern region in the past 24 hours.

Russian Colonel General Alexander Romanchuk  claimed, without providing evidence, that Moscow’s forces had destroyed three Leopard tanks. The officer also said that the general in charge of Russia’s troops in Ukraine, chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov, briefed President Vladimir Putin on the battles in Zaporizhzhia.

At least two US-produced M113 armoured personnel carriers, or APCs, were also seen in a video shared by Russian military bloggers, reported FT.com.

Russia continues to shell Kherson evacuation points to inflict more damage, says Zelensky

Friday 9 June 2023 04:45 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces continue to shell the Kherson region despite it reeling in the aftermath of the Nova Kakhovka dam’s destruction, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“Russian terrorists are trying to further aggravate the situation they have caused with their ecocide. This is absolutely deliberate. They continue to shell Kherson and the communities of the region, which have already been flooded by terrorists,” Mr Zelensky said.

He added that the Russian forces are also shelling evacuation points “which is a manifestation of evil that perhaps no terrorists in the world, except for Russian ones, have ever done”.

He added that the Russian forces in the region “have completely abandoned people on the left bank of Kherson region to their fate”.

“The catastrophe has been expanding there for two days now. And this is also an absolutely conscious choice of the Russian leadership. There is no one left in the world today who does not see that Russia is ruled by savages. Savages who themselves are the biggest disaster on the planet today,” Mr Zelensky said.

Pentagon readies new $2bn air defence package for Ukraine – report

Friday 9 June 2023 04:26 , Arpan Rai

The US is set to announce a new arms package for Ukraine valued at more than $2bn (£1.5bn) as soon as today, officials from the Biden administration have said, reported Bloomberg.

The funds under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative will be heavy on air defence munitions and will help Ukraine purchase Hawk missile launchers and two types of advanced Patriot air defence missiles, the report said.

Zelensky cheers ‘results’ in Bakhmut in Ukraine’s counteroffensive battle

Friday 9 June 2023 03:52 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed what he described as “results” in heavy fighting in Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, one of the pockets where Ukrainian counteroffensive is underway.

“There is very heavy fighting in Donetsk region,” Mr Zelensky said in his daily video message, speaking from inside a train after visiting areas affected by the breach of the Kakhovka power dam.

“But there are results and I am grateful to those who achieved these results. Well done in Bakhmut. Step by step,” he said.

The war-time president referred to other areas where fighting is going on, but said he would provide no details.

Before-and-after satellite images show profound toll of Ukraine dam collapse

Friday 9 June 2023 03:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Before-and-after images of the area downstream from a dam that collapsed Tuesday vividly show the extent of the devastation of a large, flooded swathe of southern Ukraine.

Before the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River broke, farm fields appear green and crossed by peaceful streets and farm roads and dotted with trees. Afterward, only metal roofs and treetops poke above the murky water. Greenhouses and homes are almost entirely submerged.

The pre-collapse satellite photos were taken in May and early June. Photos of the same area taken after the dam collapsed clearly show how much of it has become unlivable. Brown water as high as people covers much of the territory captured in the images.

Read more:

Before-and-after satellite images show profound toll of Ukraine dam collapse

ICYMI: Zelensky visits flood-hit Kherson to survey damage after dam breach

Friday 9 June 2023 02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the flood-hit areas of Kherson to evaluate the response to damage caused by the Kakhovka dam attack.

More than 40,000 people in areas downstream from the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant are at risk of losing their homes and livelihoods after the breach unleashed torrents of flood water from the Dnipro river.

“In Kherson, I visited a crossing point where people are being evacuated from flooded areas,” the president of Ukraine wrote, sharing footage of his visit.

“Our task is to protect lives and help people as much as possible. I thank the rescuers and volunteers.”

Zelensky visits flood-hit Kherson to survey damage after dam breach

Kremlin says ammonia pipeline blast is negative for Black Sea grain deal

Friday 9 June 2023 01:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The Kremlin said on Thursday that there would be a “negative impact” on the fate of a Black Sea grain deal from a blast which damaged a pipeline used to export Russian ammonia via Ukraine that Moscow wants restarted.

The Togliatti-Odesa pipeline, which once pumped up to 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia annually for global export to Ukraine‘s Pivdennyi port on the Black Sea from Togliatti in western Russia, has lain idle since the start of the war in February last year.

Russia has accused Ukrainian forces of blowing up a part of the pipeline, the world’s longest carrying ammonia, in Ukraine‘s Kharkiv region on Monday. The regional Ukrainian governor said Russia had shelled the pipeline on Tuesday. Neither side provided evidence to back their allegations.

Asked by reporters about how the damaged pipeline could affect the fate of the Black Sea grain deal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “It can only have a negative impact.”

He described it as “yet another complication in terms of extending the deal,” adding that Russia did not know “what kind of destruction” there had been to the ammonia pipeline.

Russia has threatened to walk away from the Black Sea grain deal on 17 July if demands to improve its own food and fertiliser exports are not met. The deal, struck in July last year, facilitates the “safe navigation” of grain, foodstuffs and fertilisers - including ammonia - for export to global markets.

Renowned human rights campaigner Oleg Orlov on trial for ‘discrediting' Russian military

Friday 9 June 2023 00:45 , Eleanor Noyce

The co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights group Memorial, Oleg Orlov, went on trial in Moscow Thursday, charged with “discrediting” the Russian military in his criticism of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine.

If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.

Orlov has been fined twice for anti-war pickets, with the new charges based on an article he wrote denouncing Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Discrediting the Russian military is a criminal offence under a law adopted after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The law is regularly used against Kremlin critics.

Memorial and its supporters have called the trial politically motivated.

Read more:

Renowned human rights campaigner Oleg Orlov on trial for “discrediting” Russian military

ICYMI: Zelensky won’t attend G20 summit in India, New Delhi confirms

Thursday 8 June 2023 23:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Volodymyr Zelensky will not attend the main G20 conference as invites for the summit this year were sent out only to the members of the Group of 20, host country India has confirmed.

The confirmation by Delhi has put an end to speculation and expectations that Mr Zelensky would participate in the event that will bring together world leaders of major economies in Delhi.

Mr Zelensky had recently met Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in Hiroshima, Japan on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

Speaking during a special press conference marking nine years of the foreign policy of the Narendra Modi government, foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said invitations were being sent out to G20 members only.

Shweta Sharma has the full story:

Zelensky won’t attend G20 summit in India, New Delhi confirms

Eight injured in two missile strikes in central Ukraine - governor

Thursday 8 June 2023 22:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Two missiles hit sites near the city of Uman in central Ukraine on Thursday, injuring eight people, the regional governor said.

Ihor Taburets, governor of Cherkasy region, wrote on the Telegram messaging app that the missiles hit an industrial site and a car wash in the evening. He said two of the injured were seriously hurt, according to preliminary information.

Pictures posted on his Telegram channel showed emergency teams combing through sites largely reduced to rubble, with smoke rising in the background.

The strikes occurred during air raid alerts announced throughout Ukraine for about an hour in mid-evening.

Reuters could not independently verify the accounts.

A missile attack in April on an apartment building in Uman killed 23 residents, in the first such strike in several weeks.

Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stress ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine

Thursday 8 June 2023 21:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stressed their “unwavering support” for Ukraine, with the president saying the US will help Kyiv for “as long as it takes”.

The two leaders emphasised the need for long-term security arrangements for the war-torn nation as deterrence against aggression from Russian president Vladimir Putin.

At a joint press conference at the White House on Thursday, Mr Biden was asked about hesitation about more funding for Ukraine among some lawmakers in the rival Republican Party.

The Democratic US president said: “I believe we’ll have the funding necessary to support Ukraine as long as it takes.

Sophie Wingate reports:

Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stress ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine

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