Ukraine recaptures villages, Russia shoots down fighter jet amid flooding

In a significant development, Ukrainian forces have managed to recapture three villages from Russian control in the southeast region, marking the first liberated settlements since the launch of their latest counteroffensive. Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry announced that it had downed a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet in the Kherson region and repelled three Ukrainian attacks in Zaporizhia.

The aftermath of last week’s explosion at the Nova Kakhovka dam, which was under Russian control, has left six people dead due to flooding in Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. With 35 individuals, including seven children, still considered missing, the governor of Kherson, Oleksandr Prokudin, reported that three more people were killed and ten injured when Russia shelled a rescue boat evacuating flood victims.

In a separate incident, Russia’s defence ministry claimed that Ukraine attempted to attack one of its navy vessels guarding major gas pipelines in the Black Sea using six undersea drones, all of which were destroyed.

In a rare moment of agreement, Russia and Ukraine simultaneously announced the exchange of nearly 100 prisoners of war from each side. However, tensions remain high as Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the mercenary Wagner Group, declared that his soldiers would not sign any contracts with Russia’s defence ministry, despite being ordered to do so by the end of June.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that an investigation into the breach of the Nova Kakhovka dam is underway, with officials from the International Criminal Court visiting the Kherson region. In response to the ongoing conflict, Zelenskyy approved a proposal by the country’s National Security and Defence Council to sanction 178 Russian citizens, including 81 dual nationals. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, stated that there is currently no foundation for any possible dialogue with Ukraine.