Global Courant
Volunteers deliver food to local residents in a flooded area after the Nova Kakhovka dam burst, during the Russian attack on Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine on June 9, 2023. REUTERS/Oleksandr Klymenko – REUTERS/Oleksandr Klymenko
Ukraine has breached Russia’s first line of defense in several places, 48 hours after launching its long-awaited counter-offensive, the defense ministry said.
Ukrainian forces have “probably made good progress” and forced Russia to make a disorderly retreat in some places, although it may struggle in others, the defense ministry said.
“In some areas, Ukrainian troops have probably made good progress and penetrated the first line of Russian defenses. In other cases, Ukrainian progress has been slower.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s performance has also been mixed, the Defense Ministry said.
“(Some) units are likely conducting credible defensive maneuvers while others have retreated in a disorderly manner, amid mounting reports of Russian casualties as they retreat through their own minefields.”
9:56 am
Ukrainian troops claim to have gained more ground near Bakhmut
Kiev said there had been heavy fighting in the eastern region of Donetsk on Friday, and a military spokesman said Ukrainian forces had gained more ground near the devastated city of Bakhmut.
Russia says Ukraine’s counter-offensive has failed so far. Ukraine has not said that the counter-offensive has actually started – nor will it – although military analysts seem to agree.
With virtually no independent reporting from the front lines and Kiev speaking little, it was impossible to judge whether Ukraine was penetrating Russian defenses in an attempt to drive out the occupier.
9:51 am
Dnipro river must burst its banks again by June 16 after dam collapse
The southern part of the Dnipro River is likely to burst its banks again on June 16 after a massive flood triggered this week by the breach of Ukraine’s Kakhovka dam, a Russian-installed official said on Saturday.
The flood flooded towns and villages below the dam, trapped residents and swept away entire homes on both sides of the Dnipro, which separates the Ukrainian-controlled province of Kherson from the southern part controlled by Russian forces.
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Vladimir Saldo, who heads the Russian-controlled section, said water levels in Nova Kakhovka, the town adjacent to the dam on the downstream side, had now dropped 3 meters (10 feet) from Tuesday’s peak.
*** BESTPIX *** KHERSON, UKRAINE – JUNE 09: A woman sits in an inflatable boat after being evacuated by volunteers from an apartment building in a flooded street on June 09, 2023 in Kherson, Ukraine. On Tuesday morning, the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station, which sit on the Dnipro River in the southern Kherson region, were destroyed, forcing communities downstream to evacuate due to the risk of flooding. The cause of the dam’s collapse has not yet been confirmed, with Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for its destruction. The Dnipro River has served as the frontline between the warring armies following Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson and surrounding areas last fall. The dam and plant were under the control of Russia, which occupies a stretch of land south and southeast of the river. (Photo by – Roman Pilipey/Getty Images
