Ukraine launches counteroffensive in opposition to Russia as troops have interaction in intense preventing

Counteroffensive motion in opposition to Russian forces is below manner, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated, with troops engaged in intense preventing alongside the entrance line.

Speaking at a Kyiv news convention alongside Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau, Zelenskyy was responding to Vladimir Putin’s remark that Ukrainian forces have been taking “significant losses”.

Mr Zelensky stated: “The counteroffensive, defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine. I will not speak about which stage or phase they are in”.

Ukraine struggle newest:
700,000 people in need of drinking water after dam collapse

“I am in touch with our commanders of different directions every day,” he added, giving the names of 5 of Ukraine’s high army leaders.

“Everyone is positive. Pass this on to Putin.”

The newest from Ukraine:

• Fortunes within the counteroffensive will veer however casualties will rise considerably, in accordance with Sky’s army analyst, Sean Bell
• Ukraine has efficiently reduce by way of the primary line of Russian defences previously 48 hours, says the UK’s ministry of defence
• Three have been killed in a single day in assault on Odesa
• Only 15% of Kyiv bomb shelters are appropriate to be used with out ‘important points’, an audit has discovered
• Russian forces launch Iranian-made Shahed drones, missiles, artillery and mortar strikes
• Ukraine says it shot down 20 of the 35 drones

Dam collapse makes life worse for Ukraine

Mr Trudeau is the primary international chief to go to Ukraine since devastating floods brought on by a breach within the Kakhovka dain the Dnieper River. He supplied financial, army and ethical assist for Ukraine.

Thousands of persons are believed to be trapped after the dam’s collapse .

Mr Trudeau pledged tens of millions in new army help, on high of £4.7bn that Canada has already offered for the reason that struggle started in February 2022, and introduced £6m for humanitarian help for the flood response.

Mr Trudeau stated the dam’s collapse was “a direct consequence of Russia’s war”, however he didn’t blame Moscow straight.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he desires to proceed talking to Mr Putin and plans to take action once more “soon”. Mr Scholz has spoken a number of occasions by telephone to Mr Putin for the reason that invasion.

He stated the idea for a “fair peace” between Russia and Ukraine is the withdrawal of Russian troops.

UN undersecretary-general Martin Griffiths stated an “extraordinary” 700,000 folks want consuming water.

He additionally fears the flooding may end in decrease grain exports, greater meals costs worldwide and fewer meals for tens of millions in want.

‘Heavy battles’ ongoing

Ukraine’s common workers stated “heavy battles” are ongoing, with 34 clashes going down on Friday within the nation’s industrial east.

It gave no particulars however stated Russian forces have been “defending themselves” and launching air and artillery strikes in Ukraine’s southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia areas.

Recent western injections of army tools, a few of it high-tech and top-of-the-line, to Ukraine has raised expectations about when it could be used, and to what impact in opposition to dug-in Russian strains.

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For months, Ukrainian commanders within the japanese metropolis of Bakhmut, which was largely devastated in a months-long battle that has been one of many bloodiest battles of the struggle, have used the language of counteroffensive and defensive operations to explain the exercise there.

At the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant, Europe’s largest – 5 out of six reactors have been already in a state of chilly shutdown – a course of wherein all management rods are inserted into the reactor core to cease the nuclear fission response and technology of warmth and strain.

Energoatom, the Ukrainian nuclear company, stated in a press release on Friday that there was “no direct threat” to the Zaporizhzhia plant because of the breach of the dam.