Again Russian airstrikes in Ukraine
Russia launched another attack on several cities in Ukraine last night. During the night the sirens of air raids were heard in much of the country. The capital Kiev and the surrounding region have been the target of a drone strike, military officials said on Telegram. Air defense systems were deployed to repel the attack.
According to the mayor, explosions were heard in the western city of Lviv and the surrounding region. The city’s military administration reports that “critical infrastructure” has been affected. As far as is known, there are no casualties. In the Zaporizhia region in the southeast of the country, the head of the military authorities said an attack targeted telecommunications infrastructure and agricultural land. No casualties were reported in Zaporizhia either.
Zelensky: No ground lost
The Ukrainian army has not yet lost any territory in its counteroffensive against the Russian occupiers. So says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“In some areas our fighters are making progress, in some areas they are defending their positions and resisting the attacks of the occupiers,” Zelenskyi said in his daily video address last night. ‘We have not lost any positions. Only positions freed up.’
Situation on Tuesday 20 June
Two weeks later the Ukrainian counter-offensive both Ukrainian and Russian forces are suffering heavy casualties, according to British military intelligence.
THE Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar said Ukraine should prepare for a “tough duel” but that “the biggest blow is yet to come”.
Ukraine has the village Piatychatky it has recaptured a settlement on a heavily fortified part of the front line near the country’s most direct route to the Azov Sea coast, Maliar confirmed.
The leader of the Russian opposition Alexey Navalnywho is in prison, has called on his supporters to launch a wide-ranging campaign against Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinkenhe said he had asked the Chinese government to police private companies that could supply Russia with technology that could be used against Ukraine.
The British government announced plans to tighten its sanctions policy against Russia, including introducing legislation to freeze assets until Moscow agrees to pay Ukraine compensation.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, discussed his country’s need for long range weapons and pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia in a phone call with Rishi Sunak.
A photo of one car full of explosives parked on top of the Ukrainian Kakhovka dam just before it collapsed would be further proof that Russia was behind the attack.
This live blog is based on reports from our correspondents and editors BNR, The Guardian, ANP, Al Jazeera, Reuters, Associated Press, CNN, BBC, CNBC, Sky News 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.