Big dam in southern Ukraine has collapsed, possibly blown up
The dam in the Russian-controlled town of Nova Kakhovka in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson has collapsed. This was confirmed by the Russian state news agency TASS, after videos of the breaching dam circulated on various social media. The Ukrainian government has also confirmed that the dam has collapsed.
The water flows from a tank into the Dnipro River, towards the Black Sea. The dam is located about 60 kilometers east of the city of Kherson. It is unclear what caused the dam to collapse or who is responsible. Both Ukraine and Russia say the opposing side blew up the dam. It is also not yet clear what the consequences will be for the region. There are fears of flooding and interruptions in the supply of drinking water.
Russia: another major Ukrainian offensive in Donetsk thwarted
The Russian military has thwarted a new large-scale offensive by Ukrainian troops in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said. 1,500 Ukrainians are said to have been killed in the fighting. The ministry said nothing about the deaths on its side.
Ukrainian troops are also said to have suffered significant loss of material. The Russian ministry said it destroyed 109 armored vehicles, as well as 28 tanks, including eight Leopard tanks.
Kiev has yet to respond to Russian claims. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian Wagner mercenary army that captured the Ukrainian town of Bachmut, however, questioned the ministry’s Russian statements. “To kill that many people they would have to travel 150 kilometers a day,” he wrote on Telegram. “That’s why I think this is just wild, absurd science fiction.”
Ukraine recognizes offensive actions
Ukraine’s deputy defense minister confirmed that Kiev forces are moving in “offensive actions” in some areas, fueling speculation that a counter-offensive is about to begin. In a Telegram post, Hanna Maliar said: “We are continuing the defense that began on February 24, 2022. The defensive operation includes everything, including counter-offensive actions. That’s why we are taking offensive actions in some areas.’
dhis live blog is based on reports from our correspondents and editors from BNR, The Guardian, ANP, Al Jazeera, Reuters, Associated Press, CNN, BBC, CNBC and Agence France-Presse. BNR also uses online reports from news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti (Russia) and Belta (Belarus). Since the reporting of these agencies is not verifiable and cannot be qualified as independent, in these cases the origin of the report is explicitly stated.