In the first reported gains of its much-anticipated counteroffensive, Kyiv says its forces have reclaimed territory from Russia.
Deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar on Monday posted a message on Telegram saying that Ukraine’s flag was again flying over the village of Storozhov.
Unverified videos showed troops hoisting the Ukrainian flag in the village of Blahodatne on Sudnaz and their unit’s flag in the adjacent village of Neskuchne.
Ukraine also said its troops had made advances in Makarivka. Still, some prominent Russian military bloggers suggested that while Ukrainian forces took Blahodatne and Neskuchne, the fight for Makarivka was going on.
DW could not independently verify the claims and there was no immediate comment from Russian officials
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday acknowledged that some counteroffensive actions had begun.
While staying largely silent over the past week about the counteroffensive, Ukraine’s military reported other battlefield successes on Monday.
“Over the last week in the Bakhmut direction, the Russian invaders suffered significant losses,” the general staff said in a daily update.
North Korea pledges full support to Russia
North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un has pledged his full support for Russia.
“Justice is sure to win, and the Russian people will continue to add glory to the history of victory,” Kim said in a message carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin marks Russia’s national day on Monday.
Kim described the friendship between the two countries as a “precious strategic asset common to the two countries” for centuries.
The North Korean leader also stressed he was willing to “strive for closer strategic cooperation” with Russia.
It was not the first time Kim voiced support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The North Korean leader first hailed the invasion shortly after it occurred in February 2022, then later last July, when he recognized the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states.
NATO begins largest-ever air drills in Germany
NATO’s most extensive air force exercise ever in European airspace is underway.
The exercise involves 10,000 troops and 250 aircraft from 25 nations, led by Germany’s Bundeswehr.
These drills, referred to as “Air Defender 23,” include both NATO members and partner countries like Japan and Sweden in a display of unity and readiness to counter any possible threats.
Last week, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz of the German Luftwaffe said “Air Defender” was conceived in 2018 as a reaction to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine four years earlier. However, he clarified that it was “not targeted at anyone”.
US Ambassador to Germany, Amy Gutmann, however, said the drill would show “beyond a shadow of a doubt the agility and the swiftness of our allied force” and is meant to send a message to countries, including Russia.
The training will encompass operational and tactical-level activities, primarily conducted in Germany but extending to the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Latvia.
Pakistan buys cheap Russian Oil
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said the first-ever shipment of discounted Russian crude oil had arrived in Karachi.
He called it a “start of a fresh chapter in the relationship between Pakistan and the Russian Federation.”
The inexpensive oil benefits Pakistan, a nation currently confronting a severe payments crisis and contending with the imminent threat of a debt default.
For Russia, Pakistan’s purchase offers a new market, expanding its sales alongside its existing trade with India and China.
This diversification comes as Russia redirects its oil away from Western markets due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy praises troops
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to his troops in his nightly video address thanking “each one of our combat brigades, each of our units.”
He commended the dedication of all troops involved in the ongoing operations in the eastern and southern regions without specifying the exact locations of the fights.
On Saturday, Zelenskyy had hinted at Kyiv’s counterattack to reclaim territories, confirming the start of “counteroffensive and defensive operations.”
Ukrainian officials have urged citizens not to divulge any information that could jeopardize the ongoing operation.
IAEA head to visit Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
The United Nations nuclear watchdog has expressed the need for expanded access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to investigate a “significant” inconsistency in water level data at the breached Kakhovka dam, which is vital for cooling the plant’s reactors.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is scheduled to visit the plant this week.
In a statement, Grossi highlighted that the measurements received by the agency from the plant’s inlet indicated stable water levels at the dam for approximately one day over the weekend.
However, the IAEA chief pointed out that the water level elsewhere in the extensive reservoir appeared to be decreasing. This is critical as the height of the water level is a crucial factor for the continued functioning of the water pumps at the facility.
The IAEA has emphasized that the water from the reservoir is essential for cooling the six reactors and spent fuel storage at the nuclear facility.
The Kakhovka hydropower dam and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant have been under Russian occupation since the early stages of the invasion in February 2022.
