WAR IN UKRAINE: June 9, 2023
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 471
Russian pro-war bloggers have suggested that a long awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive has begun in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. Andrey Rudenko, a correspondent for Russian state television channel Rossiya 24, claimed that Ukrainian tanks had launched attacks on Russian lines in the region and said Russian forces had repelled the attack. And Vladimir Rogov, the Russian-installed governor of occupied Zaporzhzhia told state TV that he believed there had been an "attempt at a full-scale offensive for three days, even four" in the region. But Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's national security council, denied reports of the new offensive and said that when Kyiv does launch an offensive "everyone will know about it" - BBC
Vladimir Rogov, an official in the Russia-backed administration of the partly occupied oblast, told the Solovyov Live programme: "In my opinion, there has been an attempt at a full-scale offensive for three days, even four" in the Zaporizhzhia region. He said that overnight on Wednesday Ukrainian forces had probably used U.S-supplied HIMARS systems to open fire on the city Tokmak, the Tass news agency reported. Russian sources on Telegram also noted there had been an increase in fire and assault positions in the Zaporizhzhia direction, with Ukrainian tanks attacking Moscow's positions and reports of non-stop shelling, according to the Twitter account of War Translated - Newsweek
Ukraine has accused Russia of attacking evacuation points for those affected by the Kakhovka dam breach, after a person was killed by shelling in Kherson. The Kherson prosecutor's office said two others were also injured, while the interior ministry said eight more were hurt by shelling in Korabelna Square. The attacks came as President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the city, where he met with locals affected by the flooding. 2,000 people have been evacuated from the area, Kherson's governor says - BBC
According to some reports, flooding has begun to appear in Mykolaiv, west of the flooded Kherson region. One former resident told me that at least one body has been found in the oblast.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down four of six cruise missiles and ten of 16 drones that Russia used to attack military facilities and critical infrastructure overnight on June 9, the Air Force of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported - Kyiv Independent
Russian Colonel Roman Vinivitin, who was captured by Wagner fighters in eastern Ukraine issued a video on June 8 accusing the private mercenary company of abducting Russian armed forces personnel and torturing them.
Britain announced new sanctions against Belarus on June 8 in its latest punishment for the country's support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine -RFE/RL
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said Thursday he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the upcoming visits to Russia and Ukraine by a delegation of African leaders who are seeking to help resolve the conflict - VOA
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on June 8 at the White House to discuss the war in Ukraine and NATO's future leadership. The visit is seen as a re-set of the trans-Atlantic relationship after a revolving door of leaders at 10 Downing Street - and a series of missteps after Mr. Biden and his press secretary mispronounced Mr. Sunak’s name more than once.