Zelensky confirmed it, Ukraine intends to carry out a “counter-offensive”. Saturday, June 10, during a press conference, the Ukrainian president gave indications on the policy pursued by kyiv. “Counter-offensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine,” he said, “we have to trust our soldiers and I trust them”. However, the president assures that he does not want to give more indications on the military strategy carried out in the coming days.
“The Ukrainian counter-offensive started several days ago,” Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Monday, alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Elysee Palace. “It is intended to be deployed over several weeks, even several months,” he added. “We want it to be as successful as possible so that we can then trigger a negotiation phase under good conditions”.
READ ALSOUkrainian counter-offensive: how kyiv is refining its strategy“We have intensified the deliveries of arms and ammunition, armored vehicles, also logistical support”, recalled the French president, also specifying that maintenance was provided to equipment damaged in the fighting. Chancellor Scholz also stressed that Ukraine would be “supported as long as necessary” with tanks, artillery and also anti-aircraft defence.
Several villages in the Ukrainian purse
To begin with, Ukraine first announced the reconquest this Sunday, June 11, of three villages in the eastern region of Donetsk, the first territorial gains obtained following the “counter-offensive actions” mentioned the day before by President Zelensky. . This Monday, the Deputy Minister of Defense, Ganna Malyar, mentioned a total of seven localities taken over in the Zaporijja region.
“The area of the territory that has come under our control amounts to 90 square kilometers,” assured Ms. Malyar. On Monday afternoon, the Ukrainian army also claimed to have advanced by 250 to 700 meters in the Bakhmout region.
On Sunday, three people were killed and at least 23 others injured in Russian fire on civilians evacuated, in particular on board boats, from flooded areas in southern Ukrainian territory due to the destruction of a dam at the beginning of week, local authorities said. On the Eastern Front, “the glorious soldiers of the 68e brigade […] liberated the locality of Blagodatné”, which had less than 1,000 inhabitants before the war, said the Ukrainian ground forces. All accompanied by a video showing soldiers with a Ukrainian flag in a destroyed building.
READ ALSOWar in Ukraine: Zelensky reports “counter-offensive actions” on the front
The Ukrainians said they captured two Russian soldiers and pro-Russian separatist fighters there. Less than three hours later, the Ukrainian border guard service assured that a second village, that of Neskutchne, in the same region of Donetsk, was in turn “again under the Ukrainian flag”.
And, in the evening, the Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister, Ganna Maliar, announced that a third small town, Makarivka, near Blagodatné, had fallen into the hands of troops from Kiev. “I am grateful to our soldiers for this day […]. THANKS ! Thank you for every step, for every fight, for every occupier destroyed! launched Mr. Zelensky in his daily message.
Attempt in the Black Sea
According to Russia, a second element of counter-offensive could have taken place near the Black Sea this Sunday, June 11. The Russian army claims to have repelled a Ukrainian attack by remote-controlled boats on one of its warships which was patrolling this sea, near two gas pipelines carrying Russian hydrocarbons to Turkey.
“Ukrainian Armed Forces unsuccessfully attempted to attack with the help of six high-speed unmanned boats the Black Sea Fleet vessel Priazovye,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram. According to him, this attack took place on the night of Saturday to Sunday while the Russian ship was fulfilling its mission “to provide security along the routes of the Turkish Stream and Blue Stream gas pipelines in the southeastern part of the Black Sea. “.
READ ALSOWar in Ukraine: Putin says kyiv counter-offensive has failed
These two pipes are used to transport Russian gas to Turkey. According to the Russian ministry, the ship managed to destroy all Ukrainian ships and suffered no damage. Russia had previously reported a similar attack on May 24, when the patrol vessel Ivan Khours had been attacked in the Black Sea by remote-controlled launches, in Turkey’s exclusive economic zone. According to Moscow, during this attack and that of June 11, an American RQ-4B reconnaissance drone “carried out scouting in the airspace of the central part of the Black Sea”.
Several incidents involving Russian warships or aircraft have occurred in the Black Sea since the start of the offensive in Ukraine launched on February 24, 2022. The area is also used for the export of Ukrainian cereals, a crucial supply for countries from Africa and Asia, thanks to a sponsorship agreement between the UN and Turkey.