War heats up in southeastern Ukraine

New developments are taking place in frontline areas in Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed over the weekend that a large-scale counter-offensive had begun.

Ukraine takes back the villages?

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced on Facebook on June 12 that it had engaged in 25 battles in the past 24 hours. The ministry said Russian forces focused their efforts on unsuccessful attacks in the towns of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinka, all in Donetsk Oblast. In Bakhmut alone, Ukraine said the Russian side had suffered heavy losses in the past week. Moscow has not commented on this information.

Quick Look: Day 473 of Operation, Ukraine Says It Recaptured 4 Villages; Russian Warships Attacked Again

Yesterday morning, the Ukrainian army announced that it had recaptured the village of Storozheve in Donetsk province, one day after retaking control of three other villages in the province, including Blahodatne, Neskuchne and Makarivka, according to The Kyiv Independent.

Chiến sự tăng nhiệt tại đông nam Ukraine - Ảnh 1. — Image of destroyed Ukrainian armor in Donetsk in video released by Russian Defense Ministry on June 10

Ukraine's General Staff did not say anything about the counterattack but said Russia was on the defensive in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces, which are believed to be one of Kyiv's main counterattack directions.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW, USA) assessed that Ukraine has made clear progress in the western regions of the two provinces of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said that Russia is transferring the most combat-ready units from Kherson province to Bakhmut and Zaporizhzhia.

Russia did not immediately comment on what observers described as Ukraine’s moderate gains. However, Russian officials and media have sought to portray the Ukrainian counteroffensive as a failure, publishing images showing the destruction of German and American heavy armor.

Ukraine says it retakes control of 4 villages in counter-offensive

Weather factors

On the other hand, the weather situation in Zaporizhzhia province could be a factor hindering Ukraine's progress in the coming days. The Drive quoted Vladimir Rogov, a Russian official in the province, as saying that heavy rains in recent days have made the terrain muddy, making it difficult for Ukraine's heavy Western armor such as the AMX-10RC, Leopard-2 tanks, and even the Soviet-era T-72 tanks.

North Korea announces enhanced strategic cooperation with Russia

On the occasion of the National Day of the Russian Federation (June 12), leader Kim Jong-un of the DPRK sent a congratulatory message to President Vladimir Putin.

In it, Mr. Kim said that the Russian people's struggle against the escalating threats and challenges of hostile forces seeking to deprive Russia of its sovereignty, security and peace has entered a new, important stage.

Kim said North Korea fully supports and stands in solidarity with the Russian people in their struggle to safeguard their sovereignty , development and national interests, KCNA news agency reported. The leader said the friendly relations between the two countries are a "valuable strategic asset" and affirmed his readiness to strengthen strategic cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

Amid the tense fighting, a new prisoner exchange was carried out by both sides, with Russia announcing it had received 94 soldiers while Ukraine received 95. In addition, rescue work is still ongoing in the southern Kherson province after the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed. As of the end of June 11, Russian officials announced that they had evacuated 7,100 people while Ukraine evacuated 4,000. President Zelensky said that representatives of the International Criminal Court (ICC) had arrived in Kherson at Ukraine's request to investigate the cause of the dam collapse. Ukraine accused Russia of blowing up the dam to create a flood to hinder the counterattack while Moscow said Kyiv had destroyed the hydroelectric dam with artillery.

Germany investigates possible Polish involvement in Nord Stream pipeline explosion

Reuters quoted Ukraine's Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strilets as saying yesterday that the water level in the reservoirs used to cool the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was full and stable, although the water level in the nearby Kakhovka reservoir was falling. Zaporizhzhia is Europe's largest nuclear power plant and is controlled by Russia. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi is expected to visit the facility this week due to the risks from the dam collapse. The plant's reservoirs, which are separate from Kakhovka Lake, can be filled with well water and the rate of evaporation is slow because the reactors are not producing electricity.

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