A toll that is growing in Ukraine. A Russian attack killed at least three people in Odessa, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday June 10. On the night of Friday to Saturday, “the Russian army attacked the regions of Kharkiv, Poltava and Odessa with cruise missiles, Iskander ballistic missiles and Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 drones”Kyiv said. “Our air defenders shot down two cruise missiles and 20 Shaheds. Unfortunately, fragments of the destroyed drone hit a building in Odessa”, the ministry added. Twenty-seven people, including a pregnant woman and two children, were injured. Follow our live.
Volodymyr Zelensky greeted the “heroism” of his army. This Friday announcement came at a time when intense fighting is raging in the south of the country, to the point of bringing to mind the counter-offensive that kyiv has been preparing for months. “To our soldiers, to all who are engaged in particularly hard fighting these days. We witness your heroism, and we are grateful for every minute of your life”launched the Ukrainian president in his daily message.
The counter-offensive has begun, according to Putin. “We can totally say that this offensive has begun”the Russian president said in a video broadcast on Telegram by a state television reporter. “The Ukrainian troops did not achieve their objective on any of the battlefields”he added, contradicting the version of Volodymyr Zelensky.
Washington announces $2 billion in new military aid. That “exemplifies the continued commitment to Ukraine’s short-term critical capabilities and the enduring capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend their territory and fight against Russian aggression in the long term”, the Pentagon said in a statement. This new aid, which includes additional ammunition, is not drawn directly from existing US military stocks and will therefore take several months to reach Kiev.