kyiv claimed on Saturday the recovery of two villages, its first gains since the start of the counter-offensive.
The Ukrainian army’s counter-offensive, which is confirmed, is beginning to bear fruit, according to kyiv’s claims. The country’s authorities said on Sunday June 11 that they had taken over two villages in the south-east of the country. Franceinfo looks back on the highlights of the day.
Ukrainian army claims to have taken over two villages
“The glorious soldiers of the 68th brigade (…) have liberated the locality of Blagodatn锓wrote the ground forces of the Ukrainian army on Facebook, posting a video showing soldiers with a Ukrainian flag in a destroyed building. They claimed the first territorial gain since the launch of the offensive. This village, which counted less than 1,000 inhabitants before the war, is located on the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions in south-eastern Ukraine.According to the spokesman for the “Tavria Front” defense units which participated in the operation, Valery Cherchène, the Ukrainians captured two Russian soldiers and pro-Russian separatist fighters.
“Neskuchne, in the Donetsk region is again under the Ukrainian flag”, said the state border guard service shortly after. This village is in the eastern region of Donetsk, the second territorial gain of his offensive.
“The Ukrainian counter-offensive has begun”, estimated the American analysis center Institute for the Study of War (ISW). According to the organization, “Ukrainian forces carried out counter-offensive operations in at least four areas of the front” Saturday while the Ukrainian authorities maintain the vagueness on their strategy.
>> War in Ukraine: what we know about the counter-offensive that has begun
Three dead and 10 injured in the bombardment of a flood evacuee boat
“Thirteen people were victims of the bombardment of a boat evacuating people from the left bank [du Dniepr]. Three civilians were killed, 10 others were injured, including two law enforcement officers.”wrote on Telegram Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of the Kherson region.
During the day, the Ukrainian authorities gave an increased toll of human losses caused by the floods after the destruction of a dam, with six dead and 35 people missing in the areas under their control. In the territories occupied by the Russians, officials installed by Moscow reported this week eight dead and 13 missing in connection with this same tragedy.
The destruction on Tuesday of the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper caused a torrential downpour on towns and villages near the river, including the regional capital Kherson, recaptured in November by Ukrainian soldiers. Both sides blame each other for this disaster, which affected both banks of the Dnieper, each controlled by one of the belligerents.
>> MAPS. War in Ukraine: visualize from space the extent of the floods after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam
Ukrainian infantry, targeted on Wednesday, pledge to return to combat
Ukrainian troops whose American-made Bradley armored vehicles were damaged or destroyed in an assault on Russian positions southeast of Zaporizhia, on Wednesday, pledged on Sunday to resume fighting soon. Of the nine vehicles attached to the group’s mechanized infantry unit, six were destroyed, three were damaged but are repairable, and one was unharmed. “When our Bradleys are fixed, we’ll be back.”assured another Ukrainian soldier. “We still have this fury, and no choice but to succeed”assured AFP a soldier on condition of anonymity.