Ukraine: Destroyed Soviet-era dam near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
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The Ukrainian military has claimed to have recaptured its first village since launching a counter-offensive against Russia.
Ukrainian soldiers were filmed raising their blue and yellow flag at a damaged building in what the military said was the village of Blahodatne in the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region in the country’s southeast.
The unverified video was released by the Armed Forces’ 68th Separate Fighter Brigade.
It comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky said defensive and counter-offensive actions against Russian forces are underway in an apparent confirmation of Putin’s expected troop pullback.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has insisted that it repels Ukrainian attacks in the Donetsk region.
He said in a statement that Ukrainian attempts at offensive operations in the southern Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia axes of the front line over the past 24 hours have been “unsuccessful”.
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Ukraine “penetrates” the first line of Russian defenses in some areas
Ukraine has “penetrated” the front line of Russian defenses in some areas and is making “good progress” in its counteroffensive, Britain’s Ministry of Defense has said.
Kiev has carried out “significant operations” over the past 48 hours in the south and east of the country, he added.
“In some areas, Ukrainian forces have probably made good progress and penetrated the first line of Russian defenses,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“In others, Ukraine’s progress has been slower.” The Ministry of Defense added that Russia’s progress in the war has been “mixed”.
Matt MathersJune 10, 2023 10:06 am
North Korea’s Kim vows to “hold” Putin’s hands for strategic cooperation
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said he will “hold hands” with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the two allies seek to strengthen strategic cooperation in their shared goal of building a powerful country, media reported today state KCNA.
Calling for “closer strategic cooperation” with Moscow, Kim said he would “firmly hold hands with the Russian president, in accordance with the common desire of the peoples of the two countries to fulfill the great goal of building a powerful country.” . according to his message published by the state media.
He made the promise in a message to Mr. Putin marking Russia’s National Day, defending his decision to invade Ukraine and showing “full support and solidarity”.
“Justice will surely prevail and the Russian people will continue to add glory to the history of victory,” Kim said in the message published by KCNA.
Arpan Rai12 June 2023 04:59
North Korea’s Kim vows to “hold” Putin’s hands for strategic cooperation
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said he will “hold hands” with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the two allies seek to strengthen strategic cooperation in their shared goal of building a powerful country, media reported today state KCNA.
Calling for “closer strategic cooperation” with Moscow, Kim said he would “firmly hold hands with the Russian president, in accordance with the common desire of the peoples of the two countries to fulfill the great goal of building a powerful country.” . according to his message published by the state media.
He made the promise in a message to Mr. Putin marking Russia’s National Day, defending his decision to invade Ukraine and showing “full support and solidarity”.
“Justice will surely prevail and the Russian people will continue to add glory to the history of victory,” Kim said in the message published by KCNA.
Arpan Rai12 June 2023 04:58
The UN nuclear watchdog is concerned about water levels at the Ukrainian power plant
The UN’s atomic watchdog said it needs wider access around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to check “a significant discrepancy” in water level data at the broken Kakhovka dam used to cool reactors at the floor.
Measurements received by the agency from the plant’s inlet showed that the dam’s water levels remained stable for about a day over the weekend, the head of the International Water Agency said. Atomic Energy, Rafael Grossi.
He is scheduled to visit the nuclear power plant this week.
“However, it is reported that the height continues to drop elsewhere in the huge reservoir, resulting in a possible difference of about two meters,” Grossi said in a statement.
“Water level height is a key parameter for the continued operability of water pumps.”
“It is possible that this discrepancy in measured levels is caused by an isolated body of water separated from the larger body of the reservoir,” he said in the statement. “But we will only be able to know when we access the thermal power plant.”
Water from the tank is used to cool the facility’s six reactors and spent fuel storage, the IAEA said.
The top official said the thermal plant “plays a key role in the safety and security of the nuclear plant just a few kilometers away”, hence the need for independent access and assessment.
Arpan Rai12 June 2023 04:26
Ukraine claims the first successes of the counteroffensive
Ukraine claimed the first successes of its counteroffensive as it recaptured three villages from Russian forces in the country’s southeast on Sunday.
Unverified footage showed Kiev forces raising the Ukrainian flag on a building in the village of Blahodatne in the Donetsk region and posing with their unit’s flag in the adjacent village of Neskuchne.
Troops also retook Makarivka, the village next to the south, and advanced 300m to 1,500m in two directions along the southern front, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said in a statement.
“No positions were lost in the directions where our forces are on the defensive,” Maliar added.
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Arpan RaiJune 12, 2023 4:01 am
The Russian military has attempted to take direct control of the Wagner mercenary force.
Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said that “volunteer formations” will be asked to sign contracts directly with the defense ministry. The statement, while not directly naming the Wagner group, is believed to be aimed at the combat force.
Wagner’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Sunday that his forces would boycott the contracts.
“Wagner will not sign any contract with Shoigu. Shoigu cannot properly manage military training,” Prigozhin said.
The defense ministry insisted the move was designed to “increase the effectiveness” of Russian units fighting in Ukraine.
Holly BancroftJune 12, 2023 03:30
A Ukrainian schoolboy will buy a house for his mother after selling a Minecraft server
For most teenagers, Minecraft is still just a hobby, but a Ukrainian schoolboy’s love for the game has now meant he can afford to buy his homeless mother a house.
Lomond School pupil Maksym Gavrylenko has made a “substantial” sum after selling the server he ran from his bedroom, which allows players around the world to connect and play together with friends.
The 17-year-old boarding school pupil said: “I am very proud that I have been able to turn my passion into a profitable business and I plan to treat my mum.
“As a result of the war, she was forced to flee her home, leaving her homeless, so buying her a property will make all the hours spent on this project worthwhile.”
Holly BancroftJune 12, 2023 02:32
Ukraine says it recovered a village; Russia insists it is repelling the attacks
ICYMI: Ukraine’s military reported on Sunday that it recaptured a village in the country’s southeast amid Russian claims to have repelled multiple attacks in the area, the latest indication that a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive may be underway. expected even if officials in Kiev did not publicly acknowledge it. .
The 68th Separate Fighter Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted a video on Facebook showing soldiers installing a Ukrainian flag on a damaged building in what the post said was the village of Blahodatne in the region of Eastern Donetsk partially occupied. In a separate post on social media, the Ground Forces of Ukraine confirmed that the brigade had recaptured Blahodatne.
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Ukraine says it recovered a village; Russia insists it is repelling the attacks
Ukraine’s military said on Sunday it had recaptured a village in the country’s southeast amid Russian claims to have repelled multiple attacks in the area, the latest indication that a long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive could be under way yet that the officials in Kiev did not publicly acknowledge it.
Holly BancroftJune 12, 2023 01:30
Musician Travis Leake spoke about free speech in Russia with Anthony Bourdain in 2014. Now he’s been arrested
The 2014 episode of Parts Unknown set in Moscow and St. Petersburg has been he called one of the “most farsighted” of the series, indicating the authoritarian path the country was on.
During filming in late 2013, Nemtsov told the chef: “Tony, I was born here 54 years ago. This is my country. Russians have problems. The Russian court is not working, Russian education is declining every year and I think that Russia has a chance to be free. It has a chance. It’s hard but we have to do it.”
Read the full story here:
Holly BancroftJune 12, 2023 12:45 AM
Pakistan’s prime minister says first cargo of Russian oil has arrived under new deal
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that the first cargo of discounted Russian crude oil arranged under a new deal between Islamabad and Moscow had arrived in Karachi.
“Happy to announce that the first discount crude oil cargo from Russia has arrived in Karachi and will start unloading oil tomorrow,” Sharif tweeted.
“This is the first shipment of Russian oil to Pakistan and the beginning of a new relationship between Pakistan and the Russian Federation,” he added.
A port official said Sunday evening that the oil was in the process of being discharged.
Holly BancroftJune 11, 2023 11:34 p.m
