Ukraine has announced the first success of its highly-anticipated counter offensive against Russian forces, with video showing troops hoisting a yellow and blue flag over a village in the eastern Donetsk region.
It was earlier revealed that Kyiv’s troops were pushing back against Putin‘s forces in ‘at least four areas’, with Russia moving its ‘most combat ready troops’ away from Kherson to prepare for new attacks.
Ukraine’s ground forces said in a statement today that soldiers of the 68th separate ranger brigade had ‘liberated the settlement of Blagodatne’.
The ground forces released a video showing soldiers triumphantly raising a Ukrainian flag over a destroyed building.
Military spokesman Valeriy Shershe said in televised remarks that Ukraine’s forces captured several Russian and pro-Russian troops.
He added that the retaken village was located on the border of the eastern region of Donetsk and the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, where Moscow has reported heavy Ukrainian assaults over the past week.
Ukraine has launched a counter offensive against Putin’s troops in ‘at least four areas’
A Ukrainian soldier fires a mortar at Russian positions on the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region
The Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, said Ukraine is focusing its attacks on Rozdolivka, Bakhmut, Blahodatne and Zaporizhia Oblast.
Earlier today Ukraine said it had liberated Blagodatne, which is in the Donetsk region.
Ukraine initially suffered a defeat in Zaporizhzhia, with video showing multiple armoured vehicles and at least one tank – which Moscow claims is a German-supplied Leopard – being blown up by a mixture of mines and artillery.
Earlier today Ukraine said it had liberated Blagodatne, which is in the Donetsk region. Pictured: The liberation of Blagodatne today
Reportedly destroyed armoured vehicles of the Ukrainian armed forces, in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in an unidentified location in the southern Donetsk direction in Ukraine
The Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, said Ukraine was focusing its attacks on Rozdolivka, Bakhmut, Blahodatne and Zaporizhia Oblast
Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar also said that Putin was moving his some of his most combat-ready troops – the marines, airborne troops and the 49th army – from Kherson as he readied soldiers for a redeployment against Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
Malyar added: ‘Therefore, the purpose of undermining the Kakhovskaya HPP by the Russians becomes obvious. Thus, taking into account their own losses and limited reserves, thereby understanding the inability to restrain the Ukrainian offensive in various directions, the command of the Russian occupying forces decided to ‘narrow’ the possible geography of active actions of the Armed Forces.’
Ukrainian officials say there will be no single thrust and Zelensky’s offensive is designed as a series of operations that will take months to play out.
Ukraine started its counteroffensive attacking on three fronts in the east, south-east, and south of the country: Bakhmut, which was captured by Russia last month; Velyka Novosilka & Novodonetsk, in Donetsk oblast; and Orikhiv, in neighbouring Zaporizhzhia.
There were early successes. Ukraine said it was making steady advances around Bakhmut and Russian military bloggers acknowledge Ukraine broke through their lines in Novodonetsk early last week – though now claim some of those gains have been reversed.
Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar also said that Putin was moving his some of his most combat-ready troops – the marines, airborne troops and the 49th army – from Kherson as he readied soldiers for a redeployment against Ukraine’s counteroffensive
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Ukraine’s counteroffensive had started but that Kyiv had not reached its goals.
The alleged war criminal said: ‘We can definitely state that this Ukrainian offensive began.’
He added: ‘But the Ukrainian troops did not reach their aims in any area of combat.’
Partisan attacks by pro-Ukraine Russian forces have continued in the towns of Shebekino and Novaya Tavolzhanka in Russia’s Belgorod region, providing an unwelcome distraction for Putin’s generals.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a counteroffensive against Russian forces was underway, while declining to give specifics on his troops’ operations.
‘Counteroffensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine: at which stage I will not talk in detail,’ Zelensky said on Saturday, commenting after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Kyiv’s operation was already failing.
Malyar added: ‘Therefore, the purpose of undermining the Kakhovskaya HPP by the Russians becomes obvious. Thus, taking into account their own losses and limited reserves, thereby understanding the inability to restrain the Ukrainian offensive in various directions, the command of the Russian occupying forces decided to ‘narrow’ the possible geography of active actions of the Armed Forces’
A Ukrainian serviceman fires a rocket launcher during a military training exercise not far from front line in Donetsk region on June 8
Russia has reported thwarting Ukrainian attacks in the east and south.
‘It’s interesting what Putin said about our counteroffensive. It is important that Russia always feels this: that they do not have long left, in my opinion,’ Zelensky said.
He added that he was in daily touch with military commanders, including armed forces chief Valery Zaluzhny, and ‘everyone is positive now – tell that to Putin!’
On Saturday, Kyiv’s forces conducted counteroffensive operations in at least four front-line areas, according to the Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
‘Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces have tactical advantages in conducting assaults at night due to Western-provided equipment with superior night optics systems,’ ISW said.
To shore up that stockpile, Zelensky secured fresh pledges of military aid while meeting with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the weekend.
Trudeau, 51, and Zelensky, 45, hugged and used each other’s first names as the Canadian leader made his second unannounced visit to Kyiv since full-scale war broke out in February last year.
Canada, which hosts a large Ukrainian diaspora, has been one of Kyiv’s key allies since the Russian invasion.
It has provided Ukraine with significant military aid, trained more than 36,000 soldiers and adopted sanctions against Moscow.
On Saturday, the Canadian leader said he would provide Can$500 million (US$375 million) in fresh military assistance to Kyiv, and pledged Canada would be part of the multinational effort to train Ukraine’s fighter pilots.
Trudeau also urged international organisations to come to the aid of those in Russian-occupied territories after flooding from the breached Kakhovka dam forced thousands to flee their homes and sparked fears of humanitarian and environmental disasters.
Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the dam on Tuesday, while Moscow says Kyiv fired on it.
When asked why he stopped short of blaming Russia for the dam collapse, Trudeau said: ‘I know there are investigators and there are a lot of questions and intelligence being analysed on what exactly happened to have this dam collapse.
‘But there is no doubt in my mind that absent Russia’s invasion of last February, that dam would still be standing today.’
Pledging Can$10 million in flood relief, Trudeau also said Russia ‘will be held to account’ for its actions in Ukraine.
Ukrainian service members ride a M113 armoured personnel carrier, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near the front line city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine June 9
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Ukraine’s counteroffensive had started but that Kyiv had not reached its goals. The alleged war criminal said: ‘We can definitely state that this Ukrainian offensive began.’ Pictured: Ukrainians retaking Bladgodatne
Earlier in the day, Trudeau placed flowers by a wall of remembrance displaying photos of soldiers killed in combat.
Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Oleksandr Polishchuk handed Trudeau a box that he said held shrapnel from a rocket that fell on the Black Sea port city of Odesa.
He said the gift was intended to remind Trudeau of Ukraine’s suffering from Russian strikes.
Three people were killed early Saturday in a fire sparked by debris from shot-down Russian drones in the Odesa region.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi to ‘immediately end’ Tehran’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which involves supplying Moscow with attack drones, the Elysee said.
Macron in a telephone call underlined the serious ‘security and humanitarian consequences’ of Iran’s drone deliveries ‘and urged Tehran to immediately end the support it thus gives to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine’, said a statement.
The call came a day after White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Russia was receiving materials from Iran to build a drone factory that ‘could be fully operational early next year’.
The United States has said that Russia has received hundreds of Iranian attack drones to hit Kyiv and ‘terrorise’ Ukrainians, a charge denied by Tehran.