Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-appointed official, admitted on June 18 that Ukraine had recaptured the village of Piatykhatky in Zaporizhzhia province and was defending it under Russian artillery fire, according to Reuters.
Announcing on the Telegram app, Mr Rogov said Ukraine's attacks "like waves" had achieved results, despite heavy losses.
Ukrainian soldiers near the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk province on June 17.
According to Reuters, Mr. Rogov said that fierce fighting is continuing in the area. This is considered Ukraine's first victory on this front since they launched the counter-offensive campaign.
The Guardian quoted Russian military blogger War Gonzo as saying that Russian troops had abandoned the village of Piatykhatky. The writer suggested that Ukraine had massed large reserves in the area, mostly infantry but also heavy armor.
Ukraine has not commented on Mr Rogov’s statement. Russian officials have previously said they had inflicted heavy losses on Ukrainian forces and insisted the counterattack had no chance of success.
Last week, Ukraine announced it had retaken about 100 square kilometers of territory in a week, retaking control of several villages in the eastern province of Donetsk.
Ukrainian soldiers next to a destroyed Russian armored vehicle in the village of Blahodatne, Donetsk region
On the same day, June 18, Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the military administration of Odessa province (Ukraine), announced that the country's forces had destroyed a large Russian weapons depot near the port city of Henichesk in Kherson province. Henichesk is currently controlled by Russia.
According to Reuters, Ukrainian media posted videos showing a large column of smoke rising from the horizon with many explosions. Russia has not commented on this incident.
Russian President talks about the whereabouts of the Ukrainian commander-in-chief
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not rule out the possibility that Ukrainian military commander Valery Zaluzhny is abroad. The comment was made by Mr. Putin in a conversation with Russian journalists about the special military operation in Ukraine, according to TASS on June 18.
"I know. I think I know," President Putin said in response to a question about Mr Zaluzhny's whereabouts. "I think he is abroad. But I could be wrong," Mr Putin said.
In May, reports emerged that Mr. Zaluzhny was seriously injured, but the Ukrainian Defense Ministry denied them. Mr. Zaluzhny has not appeared in public for a long time and did not attend meetings of the NATO chiefs of staff committee.
The head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergey Naryshkin, told reporters earlier that Russia was receiving updates on Zaluzhny's condition, but would not disclose any details. Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar dismissed speculation that Zaluzhny had been injured.
Death toll from dam collapse rises
Ukrainian authorities announced on June 17 that 16 people were killed and 31 people were missing in floods after the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric dam collapsed in Kherson province, according to AFP.
Meanwhile, Andrei Aleseyenko, the head of the Russian-appointed administration in Kherson, announced that the death toll in the Moscow-controlled region had risen to 29.
People receive drinking water in the Russian-controlled town of Hola Prystan in Kherson province on June 17 after a dam burst.
The collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam on June 6 caused flooding across large areas of southern Ukraine and Russian-controlled areas, destroying farmland and cutting off water supplies to civilians.
Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the dam, which has been under Moscow's control since the early days of the conflict. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of sabotaging the dam to cut off vital water supplies to Crimea and distract from the failed counter-offensive.
Russia says grain deal unlikely to be extended
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the part of the grain deal regarding Russian exports has not been implemented, so in reality there are "no prospects or grounds for extending the agreement", the comments were made in an interview with Izvestia newspaper.
Russia has “repeatedly shown goodwill, made concessions” and extended the deal, but what was promised to Moscow as part of the deal has not been fulfilled. “It is difficult to predict a final decision, but we can only say that, in reality, based on the situation we have now, this deal has no chance,” Peskov explained.
The deal, agreed by Russia and Ukraine with the mediation of Türkiye and the United Nations last year, allows Ukraine to export grain through Black Sea ports with inspections by both sides.
A ship carrying grain under the Russia-Ukraine deal near Istanbul in May
Russia says part of the deal, which was to lift barriers to its grain and fertilizer exports, has not been implemented.
The West says there are no restrictions on such goods, but Russia argues they remain unable to export them due to shipping, insurance and brokerage sanctions imposed on Moscow over its conflict with Ukraine.
During a meeting with African leaders in St. Petersburg on June 17, President Putin said that Ukraine’s grain exports would not solve Africa’s food shortages, as most of them went to rich countries. If not renewed, the agreement will expire on July 17.
UK, EU continue to support Ukraine
The British government announced on June 18 that it would expand its program to help Ukraine's cyber defense system. Specifically, the UK will support 16 million pounds (20.5 million USD) and international allies can support an additional 9 million pounds.
The aid package will help Ukraine upgrade systems to protect critical infrastructure from potential Russian cyber attacks, as Kyiv launches a counter-offensive to push Moscow forces back from its southern and eastern regions.
On the other hand, in an interview with the French newspaper Le Parisien , Mr. Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Industry of the European Union (EU), said that the EU is speeding up the supply of weapons to Ukraine to support the country's counterattack against Russian forces.
"We will step up our efforts to supply weapons and ammunition. This is a high-intensity war in which these weapons play an important role. We are preparing for the war to last for several more months, or even longer," Mr. Breton said.
After Ukraine launched its counter-offensive, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week called on Kyiv's allies to "dig in" to provide more weapons and ammunition.
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