Intense fighting erupts in Ukraine as counterattack begins

Moscow and Kyiv each reported heavy fighting in Ukraine on Friday, with bloggers describing the primary sightings of German and U.S. armour, signalling that Ukraine’s long-anticipated counterattack was below method.

With nearly no unbiased reporting from the entrance traces and Kyiv saying little, it was unattainable to evaluate whether or not Ukraine was penetrating Russian defences in its bid to drive out occupying forces.

“We are able to state for certain that this offensive has begun,”Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned in Sochi. “Ukrainian troops didn’t obtain their targets in any sector.”

Ukraine’s President Voldymyr Zelenskiy mentioned he had mentioned ways and “achievements” with navy leaders however gave little away.

“For our troopers, for all those that presently are engaged in notably heavy fight. We see your heroism, and we’re grateful for each second of your lives,” he mentioned in his nightly video handle. “Ukraine is as free as you might be robust.”

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The counteroffensive is finally anticipated to contain hundreds of Ukrainian troops skilled and outfitted by the West. The United States announced an extra $2.1 billion in safety help on Friday, together with air defence and ammunition.

Russia, which has had months to arrange its defensive traces, says it has repelled assaults for the reason that begin of the week. Kyiv has mentioned its major effort has but to start.

Moscow and pro-war Russian bloggers reported intense battles on the Zaporizhzhia entrance close to town of Orikhiv, across the mid-point of the “land bridge” linking Russia to the Crimea peninsula, seen as one in every of Ukraine’s likeliest targets.

Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare on the Worldwide Institute for Strategic Research, mentioned experiences from the Russian bloggers of German-made Leopard tanks and U.S. Bradley armoured automobiles close to Tokmak south of Orikhiv, if confirmed, would offer the primary proof that Ukraine’s new brigades of Western-armed troops had joined the battle.

In all, Kyiv has 12 brigades totalling 50,000-60,000 troops able to unleash within the counteroffensive. 9 of the brigades have been armed and skilled by the West.

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“They have a alternative of what number of they commit initially and what number of they hold in reserve in case the battlefield dynamics change,” Barry mentioned, including that Ukraine’s preliminary precedence can be making an attempt to maintain the Russians off steadiness and achieve tactical shock by deception and camouflage.

The Russian defence ministry mentioned its troops had repelled two Ukrainian assaults south of Orikhiv and 4 close to Velyka Novosilka additional east, the place it mentioned Ukraine’s assault power included two battalions of troops supported by tanks. A number of battalions of as much as 1,000 troops comprise a brigade.

The southern entrance is the place Ukrainian forces are broadly anticipated to aim their major push, in direction of the coast. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar mentioned solely that battles have been persevering with for Velyka Novosilka and Russian troops have been mounting “energetic defence” at Orikhiv.

Within the east, Ukraine has reported advances round Bakhmut, which Russian forces captured final month after practically a yr of the deadliest floor fight in Europe since World Warfare Two. Ukraine typically bars journalists from reaching its facet of entrance traces throughout offensive operations.

The preliminary days of the counteroffensive have been overshadowed this week by an enormous humanitarian catastrophe after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam holding again the waters of the Dnipro River that bisects Ukraine.

Communal staff work on a web site of an in a single day explosion within the centre of Kharkiv on June 6, 2023, following missile strike, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Picture by SERGEY BOBOK/AFP by way of Getty Photos)

1000’s of individuals have been pressured to evacuate houses flooded within the battle zone, huge nature preserves have been worn out and the destruction to irrigation programs is prone to cripple agriculture throughout a lot of southern Ukraine for many years. Kyiv mentioned a minimum of 4 individuals had died and 13 have been lacking.

Ukraine’s safety service launched a recording on Friday of what it described as an intercepted telephone name during which a Russian soldier confides to a different man {that a} Russian sabotage group had blown the dam up. Moscow says Ukraine sabotaged it.

Western nations say they’re nonetheless gathering evidence however argue that Ukraine would haven’t any motive to inflict such a devastating catastrophe on itself, particularly proper as its forces have been shifting onto the assault.

In Hola Prystan on the Russian-occupied facet of the river, rescuers evacuated residents in rubber dinghies. Villagers carried pets or babies to security.

“Our home was carried away by a torrent of water,” mentioned a lady who gave her title as Oksana, being evacuated in a ship together with her teenage daughter and their two canine.

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Some family members of individuals in Russian-controlled flooded areas mentioned their family members have been nonetheless caught on roofs with dwindling meals provides. The United Nations has no entry to these areas, its Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Denise Brown mentioned, including that some 17,000 individuals have been affected in Ukrainian-controlled areas, with numbers altering “by the minute”.

The river divides the 2 sides, which accuse one another of shelling throughout it, interfering with rescue efforts. The Kremlin mentioned Ukrainian shelling had killed individuals together with a pregnant lady. It offered no proof.

Ukraine’s normal employees mentioned on Friday night there had been 27 armed engagements within the east over the previous 24 hours.

It additionally reported 58 Russian air strikes and 31 incidents of Russian shelling. “Sadly, there are civilian deaths and accidents and harm to non-public houses, a hospital and different infrastructure,” it mentioned, with out elaborating.

Ukraine launched 16 air strikes it mentioned, giving no indication of whether or not the entrance line had moved.

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Russian officers mentioned Ukraine had struck the Russian city of Voronezh with a drone, wounding three individuals, and reported different drone assaults in Belgorod and Kursk. Kyiv withholds touch upon experiences of assaults inside Russia.