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Ukraine on Sunday said its forces hit an ultra-modern Russian warplane stationed on an air base nearly 600 kilometers (370 miles) from the front lines, after its Western allies allowed Kyiv to use their weapons for limited strikes inside Russia.
If confirmed, it would mark Ukraine‘s first known successful strike on a Su-57 fighter plane, a twin-engine stealth fighter lauded as Moscow’s most advanced military aircraft.
Kyiv’s main military intelligence service shared satellite photos it said showed the aftermath of the attack.
Moscow did not immediately comment on the reports.
It comes as US president Joe Biden said Vladimir Putin is not going to stop with war in Ukraine, pledging to support Europe against Russia.
Mr Biden said the whole of Europe is threatened by the Russia president, as French president Emmanuel Macron welcomed him in Paris and the two pledged solidarity on the wars raging in Europe and the Middle East.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that the Russian army has failed in its Kharkiv offensive that began almost a month ago. He said Ukrainian forces are “restraining” their push as much as possible.
Zelensky lays out plan to protect Ukraine, includes ‘America’s leadership’
Volodymyr Zelensky said he is aiming to amp up support for the war-hit nation and hinted a new agreements of support for Kyiv in progress in a long-term plan for Ukraine’s recovery.
“One of our primary goals right now is to increase support for Ukraine in order to strengthen our society’s resilience in terms of energy, recovery after strikes, and all of the other foundations of normal life. We must protect life despite Russia’s attempts to bring more pressure and destruction,” he said last night.
Mr Zelensky added: “We are working with European partners on new agreements, particularly on additional support steps from Germany. These days, we are also working diligently to prepare a bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the United States.”
“We are making every effort to ensure that America’s leadership is felt. I am grateful to everyone who helps,” he said.
The war in Ukraine has entered 837th day today.
Ukraine hit one of Putin’s most advanced warplanes, it says
Ukrainian forces have hit an ultra-modern Russian warplane stationed on an air base nearly 600km (370 miles) from the frontline, after its Western allies allowed Kyiv to use their weapons for limited strikes inside Russia.
If confirmed, it would mark Ukraine’s first known successful strike on a Su-57 fighter plane, a twin-engine stealth fighter lauded as Moscow’s most advanced military aircraft.
Satellite photos shared by Kyiv’s main intelligence agency showed the aftermath of the attack. In one photo, black soot marks and small craters can be seen dotting a concrete strip around the parked aircraft.
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, the strike took place on Saturday at the Akhtubinsk base in southern Russia, some 589km (366 miles) from the frontline. It wasn’t immediately clear what weapons were used, but the airfield’s distance from Ukraine suggests that it was likely hit by drones.
Read more here:
Russian forces close to capturing Ukrainian town near Bakhmut
Russian forces are likely making headway towards their longstanding goal of capturing the strategic Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar, military sources from both sides of the war said.
A Ukrainian military source and a blogger said the Russian forces had started occupying a district of the town alongside a canal, reported Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
“Over the past week, there have been more than 1,500 instances of shelling of the outskirts of Chasiv Yar from the north to the south,” it quoted its source as saying.
They added that Russian troops were using guided aerial bombs to clear areas along a major road “and with the support of multiple long-range missiles and drones they have begun to move forward and build up their forces”.
From the Russian side, its 98th Paratrooper Division said Ukrainian forces were “doing everything possible to ensure our units do not move across the canal and take up positions in the ‘New’ district on the other side”. Russian assault units were continuing to clear the canal district, it said.
Chasiv Yar stands on high ground about 20km (12 miles) to the west of Bakhmut, a town Russian forces seized a year ago after months of battles that flattened nearly all its buildings.
If captured, the town will serve as a potential staging point for Russia to advance on the key cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Ukraine is in a race against time to steel itself for a Russian summer assault. Western help needs to speed up
Leaders such as Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron used D-Day celebrations to underline their support for Kyiv, writes Kim Sengupta, but the West is struggling to find the production capacity for the shells and missiles the country desperately needs
Country-wide power cuts to hit Ukraine today
Ukraine’s grid operator Ukrenergo said it would impose hour-long power cuts throughout the country this evening as demand exceeds agreed limits.
The rolling cuts would apply to domestic and industrial customers and be in effect from 4pm to 10pm (1300 GMT to 1900 GMT), Ukrenergo said on its Telegram channel.
The restrictions will not apply to “critical infrastructure” sites providing vital services.
Russia over the past two months has intensified attacks on the Ukrainian energy system, knocking out the bulk of thermal and hydropower generation capacity.
As a result, Ukraine has likely lost about 9GW of its energy-generating capacity since March, according to prime minister Denys Shmyhal.
On Friday, Kyiv ordered all ministries and regional authorities to stop using air conditioning and switch off external lighting.
ICYMI: Putin not going to stop with Ukraine: Biden in France
Joe Biden has said in France that Russian president Vladimir Putin is not going to stop with the war in Ukraine and all of Europe was threatened.
French president Emmanuel Macron welcomed his American counterpart, Mr Biden, in Paris yesterday for a state visit that included talks about the Middle East, Ukraine, and trade.
“The United States is standing strong with Ukraine. We’re standing with our allies,” Mr Biden said.
“We are standing with France,” he added.
“Putin is not going to stop with Ukraine…. All of Europe will be threatened. We’re not going to let that happen.”
The two countries will work harder to prevent a regional escalation from Israel’s war with militant group Hamas in Gaza and focus on calming tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, Mr Macron told reporters at the Elysee presidential palace, with the US president at his side.
Inside the escape from a Ukraine border village as Putin’s forces closed in
As Russia continues pressing on with its all out war in Ukrainian territories, many families have made desperate attempts to flee their war-ravaged towns.
A family of refugees now living in the city of Kharkiv recounted the horrifying story of their last-minute evacuation as Russian soldiers approached.
A mother and her five children were living in the village of Zakharivka, just a few miles from the Russian forces advancing across the border into Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. The region has been the scene of intense fighting for weeks.
“Mummy, when will this war end?” nine-year-old Sasha asked his mother.
Read Tom Watling’s full report recounting the family’s escape.
Russia fails to fulfill its Kharkiv operation, Zelensky says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian army has failed in its Kharkiv offensive.
“A very significant result is that the Russian army failed. The direction is strengthened. And it will be strengthened more,” Mr Zelensky said.
Russia launched its offence in Kharkiv Oblast on 10 May where it managed to advance as far as 10kms. However, the Ukrainian push halted the Russian military’s advance near the first line of defence.
“We are now restraining them as much as possible and destroying the Russian units that enter our land and terrorize the Kharkiv region,” he said.
Russia detains French citizen for collecting military information
A Moscow court has ordered a French citizen accused of collecting information on military issues in Russia be held in jail pending investigation and trial.
Laurent Vinatier was arrested in the Russian capital on Thursday as tensions have flared between Moscow and Paris following French president Emmanuel Macron’s statements about the possibility of deploying the country’s troops in Ukraine.
The authorities accused Mr Vinatier of failing to register as a “foreign agent” while collecting information about Russia’s “military and military-technical activities”, which could be used to the detriment of the country’s security.
They did not provide details of the accusations beyond alleging that Mr Vinatier repeatedly travelled to Russia to collect this information. Under Russian law, it is a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison.
Mr Vinatier appeared in court on Friday. Russia’s state news agency Tass cited his lawyer as saying in the courtroom that he admitted his guilt and maintained that he simply did not know about the requirement.
While many in the EU worry about far-right gains at the ballot box – those close to Russia crave security
Mary Dejevsky travels to Finland, the Baltic states and Poland, where one issue stands above all others
Source: independent.co.uk
