President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had obtained “results” amid heavy fighting in the eastern Donbas as he returned from a visit to the southern Kherson region hit by catastrophic flooding in the wake of the Nova Kakhovka dam breach, which Kyiv and its allies have blamed on Moscow. Follow our live blog for all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
Issued on:
7:15am: Ukraine says it downed four cruise missiles, 10 attack drones
Ukraine’s military shot down four cruise missiles and 10 attack drones during a Russian air strike overnight, the air force has claimed in a statement.
It said Russian forces had launched 16 drones and six cruise missiles during the attack, and that two other cruise missiles had struck a civilian object in central Ukraine during an earlier attack on Thursday evening.
5:11am: Biden, Sunak vow to stick together on Ukraine
President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have reiterated their commitment to help Ukraine repel Russia’s ongoing invasion.
The 15-month-old Russian invasion of Ukraine was high on the agenda during talks between the two leaders at the White House.
The US and UK are the two biggest donors to the Ukraine war effort and play a central role in a long-term effort announced last month to train, and eventually equip, Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
Biden reiterated confidence that Congress would continue to provide Ukraine funding as needed despite some hesitation among Republican leaders at the growing cost of the war for American taxpayers.
“The US and the UK have stood together to support Ukraine,” Biden said at the start of their meeting.
1:15am: Zelensky hails ‘results’ in eastern Ukraine fighting
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed what he described as “results” in heavy fighting in Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
“There is very heavy fighting in Donetsk region,” Zelensky said in his daily video message, delivered in a train after visiting areas affected by the breach of the Kakhovka power dam.
“But there are results and I am grateful to those who achieved these results. Well done in Bakhmut. Step by step,” he said.
Zelensky referred to other areas where fighting is going on, but said he would provide no details. Pictures posted on his Telegram account showed him meeting some of the country’s top generals in the field.
Російські терористи намагаються ще погіршити ситуацію, яку вони спричинили своїм екоцидом. Абсолютно свідомо.
Вони продовжують обстрілювати Херсон та громади області – вже затоплені терористами ж. Вони обстрілюють навіть точки евакуації, що є вже таким проявом зла, на яке,… pic.twitter.com/2rzDBEZhEN
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 8, 2023
Key developments from Thursday, June 8:
Nine people were injured Thursday in Russian shelling in the Kherson region as it deals with massive flooding from the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, according to Ukrainian officials. The attacks came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kherson.
Moscow accused Ukraine of killing two people at an evacuation point in the Russian-controlled side of the Dnipro River.
Read yesterday’s live blog to see how the day’s events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
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