Putin asserts Ukrainian counteroffensive has begun, while drones strike within Russia

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On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the Ukrainian forces have launched a much-anticipated counteroffensive, leading to substantial casualties on their side. This statement followed shortly after drone strikes occurred within Russian borders.

These remarks are Putin’s most recent attempt to influence the narrative of the invasion that he initiated over a year ago, an act that resulted in international disapproval and rekindled Cold War-era tensions.

The conflict saw new complications this week when a Dnieper River dam broke, causing floodwaters to engulf a large area of the southern Ukrainian front. Tens of thousands of civilians, already enduring the horrors of regular bombardment, were forced to evacuate to higher grounds on both sides of the expansive waterway.

The Ukrainian government has downplayed any suggestion of a counteroffensive, arguing that maintaining silence on its military strategies would be more beneficial. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after visiting flood-affected areas on Thursday, commended an unspecified outcome from the efforts of Ukrainian forces, with whom he maintains regular contact.

Putin maintained that Russian forces have the advantage in the conflict. He told the press in Sochi, during a meeting with leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union, that the initiation of the offensive is evident from the Ukrainian army’s mobilization of strategic reserves. However, he added that the Ukrainian forces had yet to attain their stated objectives in any battlefield.

The Ukrainian government has yet to confirm if reserve forces have been deployed to the front. However, Western allies of Ukraine have provided substantial military support in the form of firepower, defensive mechanisms, and strategic advice, thereby escalating the potential impact of the anticipated counteroffensive.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on Friday that the Russian forces were on the backfoot in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia province, although the focal point of the conflict remains in the east, especially the Donetsk region. According to Valerii Shershen, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s armed forces in Zaporizhzhia, they are currently looking for weaknesses in Russia’s defense, which Russia is attempting to fortify through mine deployment, fortification construction, and troop reorganization.

In the meantime, regional authorities in southwestern Russia near the Ukrainian border reported a series of recent drone strikes, demonstrating the inadequacies of Moscow’s air defense systems.

In the city of Voronezh, a drone crashed into a high-rise apartment building, injuring three residents due to shattered glass. The governor of Voronezh, Alexander Gusev, claimed that the drone was originally targeting a nearby airbase but veered off course after its signal was disrupted.

Drone strikes within Russia, even near the Kremlin, along with incursions into southwestern Russia, have brought the war to Russia’s doorstep. Ukrainian authorities have generally denied involvement in these attacks.

In the face of such events, the Ukrainian government stands accused of causing significant damage to the Nova Kakhovka dam, leading to widespread flooding and loss of life. In the midst of this ongoing crisis, Ukrainian forces and civilians continue to bear the brunt of Russian shelling, further escalating the humanitarian situation.

Throughout Friday, air raid sirens and alert systems rang out across Ukraine, signaling impending Russian drone and missile strikes. Such attacks have led to civilian casualties, including deaths from falling missile debris. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian forces continue to strategize their counteroffensive, as indicated by the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank.

The war continues, with updates and coverage available at: https://bigbignews.net/russia-ukraine.

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• Russia-Ukraine Conflict Explained
• Dnieper River Dam Flooding: Causes and Impacts
• Role of Ukraine’s Western Allies
• Drone Strikes in Russia: An Analysis
• Civilians in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict