War in Ukraine: kyiv claims the capture of two villages, the first gains of its counter-offensive

The counter-offensive has been announced, also expected, for months. Volodymyr Zelensky recognized “counter-offensive and defensive actions” and claimed, this Sunday, June 11, the capture of the village of Blagodatné, in southern Ukraine, the first announced territorial gain of his assault against Russian positions on this part of the forehead. Shortly after, the border guard service announced that “Neskuchne, in the Donetsk region is again under the Ukrainian flag”.

The day before, the Russian army had announced attacks by Kyiv forces in the regions of Zaporizhia (south) and Donetsk (east), in particular near the devastated city of Bakhmout, which Moscow claimed to have conquered in May. .

For his part, Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called on Iran “to immediately end support” for Russia in the war in Ukraine by ceasing its deliveries of drones, during a telephone interview with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, said the Elysee.

The village of Blagodatné, the first claimed capture of the kyiv counter-offensive

“The glorious soldiers of the 68th brigade […] liberated the locality of Blagodatné”, said on Facebook the land forces of the Ukrainian army, this Sunday, June 11, publishing a video showing soldiers with a Ukrainian flag in a destroyed building. This village, which had 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 of the “Tavria Front” defense units which took part in the operation, Valery Сherchen, the Ukrainians captured two Russian soldiers and pro-Russian separatist fighters.

This is the first territorial gain announced for months by kyiv, apart from the few hundred meters recently gained on the outskirts of Bakhmout, a devastated city which Moscow claimed to have taken in May. Shortly after, the border guard service announced that the village of “Neskuchne, in the Donetsk region is again under the Ukrainian flag”.

Zelensky evokes “counter-offensive actions”

“Counter-offensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine and I will not talk about them in detail,” Volodymyr Zelensky admitted on Saturday during a press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on a surprise visit to Kiev. . “You have to trust our soldiers and I trust them,” added the Ukrainian president. Army spokesman for the eastern front, Serhi Tcherevaty, told television on Saturday that his troops advanced 1,400 meters around Bakhmout.

The Ukrainian authorities maintain the vagueness on their strategies whereas the Russian army reports for six days of the attacks of scale, including with equipment delivered by the Westerners, on its positions, in particular in the south of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky was questioned about the words of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who had assured journalists the day before that the great Ukrainian counter-offensive expected for months had “begun”.

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), “Ukrainian forces carried out counter-offensive operations in at least four areas of the front on June 10”. The Institute also clarified that, according to Russian sources, “Ukrainian forces had tactical advantages in conducting night assaults using Western-supplied equipment with superior night optics.”

Macron calls on Iran to “immediately end support” for Russia

The French head of state “warned about the seriousness of the consequences, both security and humanitarian, of Iran’s delivery of drones to Russia and called on Tehran to immediately put an end to the support it is thus providing to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine”, according to a press release from the Elysée, following a telephone call with Iranian President Ebrahim Raïsi.

A White House spokesman warned Friday that Russia is “receiving material from Iran to build a drone factory” on its soil. And that this site “could be fully operational at the beginning of next year”. The United States estimates that until last May, Russia received “hundreds” of Iranian attack drones, and accuses it of having used them recently to “attack Kiev and terrorize the Ukrainian population”. Tehran has repeatedly deemed US accusations of arms supplies to Russia “unfounded”, claiming that it is not a party to the Ukrainian conflict.

On Saturday during this approximately 90-minute telephone conversation, Mr. Macron and Mr. Raïssi “discussed how to promote relations, in particular the ongoing negotiations (on nuclear) and regional developments”, reported for his part an Iranian official.

Justin Trudeau blames Russia for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on a surprise visit to Kiev on Saturday, said the destruction of the Kakhovkav dam in southern Ukraine, which caused flooding, was a “direct consequence” of the Russian invasion. Alongside his Ukrainian counterpart, Justin Trudeau did not go so far as to blame Moscow for the explosion which destroyed this hydroelectric dam on the Dnieper, while the two camps reject responsibility for this disaster.

“We have all seen the damage caused by the collapse of the dam at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station […] This is a direct consequence of the war waged by Russia,” he said. “There is absolutely no doubt in our minds that the destruction of the dam is a direct consequence of Russia’s decision to invade the country”, added Justin Trudeau in front of the journalists. He announced in the process an aid of 10 million dollars to help Ukraine to face the consequences and 500 million dollars of additional military aid.

Floods: death toll rises to six dead and 35 missing on the Ukrainian side

The Ukrainian authorities on Sunday gave an increased toll of human losses caused by the floods after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper, with six dead and 35 people missing in the areas under their control. In the territories occupied by the Russians, officials installed by Moscow have meanwhile reported this week eight dead and 13 missing.

According to Interior Minister Igor Klymenko, 77 localities were flooded, including 14 in the territories under Russian occupation. In areas under Ukrainian control, 3,700 people were evacuated. In those occupied by the Russians, the local authorities say they have evacuated more than 7,000. According to Gor Klymenko, 162,000 people are without running water upstream of the destroyed hydroelectric dam.