Today
Thursday 8 June 2023
16:31
Moscow blames Kyiv
Moscow on Thursday claimed before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Kyiv destroyed the Kakhovka Dam with “massive” artillery strikes and accused the Ukrainian government of “blatant lying”.
Russia has asked the United Nations’ highest court to dismiss a case in which Kiev accuses Moscow of violating a terrorist financing deal by supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014.
“Ukraine said Russia blew up the big dam in Nova Kakhovka. In fact, Ukraine did it,” said Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands Alexander Shulgin.
16:04
ELECTRICITY DELIVERIES
Ukraine is urging Europe to “significantly increase” its electricity supplies after Russian attacks “on the country’s energy infrastructure” and the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam that led to massive flooding, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galouchchenko said on Thursday to AFP.
“We call on Europe to increase the cap on electricity imports” to bring it to 2 gigawatts instead of the current one gigawatt, he said, also making sure that the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant “does not pose an immediate risk at this stage”, but it is required be “monitored”.
15:51
MILITARY AID
Sweden said on Thursday it had completed training Ukrainian soldiers on how to use 50 CV90 light tanks donated by Stockholm to Kiev and said they were “ready for the front lines”. Stockholm did not provide information on how many Ukrainian soldiers took part in this training.
“For security reasons, we will not be giving any details on the scope or duration of the training at this time,” a spokeswoman for the Swedish Armed Forces told AFP.
Four mechanized infantry companies have been formed at undisclosed locations across the country in recent months, according to Swedish news agency TT. The size of the companies varies from country to country and can range from a few tens to hundreds of soldiers.
15:04
NEW EVALUATION OF EVACUATIONS
According to the Ukrainian administration of the Kherson region, after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, 2,198 people were evacuated. Many other people fled on their own. Rescuers said “20 settlements and 2,629 houses” were flooded on the Ukrainian side of the river.
15:02
UKRAINIAN OFFENSIVE
Russia has claimed to have countered a Ukrainian offensive in the Zaporizhia region of southern Ukraine, while Kiev says it is ready to launch an attack to retake Moscow-held territories.
“Today at 01:30 (00:30 in Paris) in the morning the enemy in the Zaporijjia area with (…) up to 1500 men and 150 armored vehicles tried to break through our defenses,” the Armed Forces Minister said in a press release. “The enemy is stopped and retreating with heavy casualties,” he added.
However, according to Mr. Choigou, “after a two-hour battle, the enemy lost 30 tanks, 11 infantry fighting vehicles and up to 350 men,” although independent sources’ claims are unverifiable. The Ukrainian authorities did not immediately officially comment on these events.
15:00
Vladimir Putin will not visit the Kherson region
Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to visit flooded areas of Ukraine’s Kherson region, parts of which are controlled by Russian forces, the Kremlin said as Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the regional capital controlled by Ukrainian forces.
However, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Russian leader is closely monitoring the situation in southern Ukraine and commended the rescuers for their efforts. He pointed out that “Vladimir Putin constantly receives reports of their actions.”
14:49
LCI IN THE FIELD
Our team is on the ground in Kherson where residents are affected by flooding and need to be evacuated.
14:48
ABANDONED RESIDENTS?
The destruction of the Kakhovka dam has led to a rise in water levels, affecting both the right and left banks of the Dnieper. But concern is growing on the part of the zone occupied by Russian forces. Residents would be stranded with no help provided.
International
Posted today at 12:51pm.
14:45
CIVILIAN caught in the crossfire
As Ukrainian authorities reported a Russian attack, LCI’s special envoy this morning said shots had also been fired from Kherson. This exchange would take place while the relief efforts continue.
Arrival of Zelenskyy in Kherson: Russian attacks are still ongoingSource: TF1 Info
14:25
Kherson receives a fatal blow
A Russian attack on the center of Kherson (south), a city hit by severe flooding after the destruction of a dam upstream of the Dnieper River, has left dead and injured, a Ukrainian army official said.
“As a result of Russian artillery shelling, there are civilians wounded and killed in the center of Kherson. Their number is currently being clarified,” Sergey Sergeyev, a press secretary, told AFP. in the zone.
According to the regional prosecutor’s office, “a civilian was killed (…) and two other people were injured,” he said in a statement. In another strike in a village near Kherson, “four residents were injured,” he added.
1:35 p.m
“Thank you to everyone who saved and helped”
In a new tweet, Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked “everyone who rescued and helped” after the floods caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam and also posted photos from his visit to Kherson.
13:21
CALL FOR DONATIONS
The Ukrainian government has appealed for donations to rescuers mobilized to evacuate civilians from flooded areas after the Kakhovka Dam was destroyed early Tuesday morning. The money collected must be used in particular to buy boats or motor pumps.
The day before, Volodymyr Zelenskyy had complained about the lack of international humanitarian aid: “The UN, the United Nations and the representatives of the Red Cross are not there,” he denounced in an interview with German media and said he was “shocked”. World TV and picture.
“In response to these allegations,” the Red Cross assured that it would take part in the evacuation operations on Ukrainian territory with six teams, that is, about fifty volunteers.
13:17
POWER OUTAGES
After the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam and the resulting floods, more than 20,000 consumers are still without electricity, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy.
13:14
ONE DEAD ON UKRAINIAN SIDE
After the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, a 53-year-old man from the village of Vasylivka died after refusing to be evacuated on Wednesday, according to Serguiï Chaikhet, police chief of the Mykolaiv region. On the side of the Russian-occupied zone, local authorities counted five people who “drowned” near the town of Nova Kakhovka.
13:04
Evacuation point attacked, Russian occupation accused
The Russian occupying forces have accused Kiev of killing two civilians in an attack on an evacuation point while rescue operations are underway after floods caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.
“(Ukrainian Armed Forces) committed a heinous crime today. They shelled the civilian evacuation point in Gola Pristan. Two people died, including a 33-year-old pregnant woman,” said Vladimir Saldo, an official with the Russian occupation in the Kherson region. “Two other people were injured and taken to hospital,” he added on Telegram.
12:44
OTHER OPEN FRONTS IN UKRAINE
While the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam is the center of attention, the war between Russia and Ukraine continues on other fronts in the country. “In an extremely complex operational context, heavy fighting continues in several sectors,” the British Ministry of Defense said on Twitter.
“In most areas, Ukraine retains the initiative. It is likely that Russian forces will continue to be ordered to resume the offensive as soon as possible,” he added. “The enemy continues to focus its efforts on attempts to completely occupy the Lugansk and Donetsk regions,” the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said.
12:41
The beginning of the decline?
According to an employee of the Kherson Meteorological Agency, Laura Moussiyane, the water level of the Dnieper is 5.33 meters higher than normal. But it “has started to drop a little bit. If this trend continues, it would be good news for residents,” she told AFP.
12:38 p.m
EVALUATION OF EVACUATIONS IN THE UKRAINE-CONTROLLED TERRITORY
According to the Ukrainian State Emergency Medical Service, 1,995 people were evacuated, including 103 children. Many other people fled on their own. On the Ukrainian side of the river, “20 towns and 2,629 houses” were flooded, the emergency services said. In particular, part of the regional capital of Kherson was inundated by the floods.
According to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin, “in the Kherson region six hundred square kilometers are flooded. 32% are on the “right bank” of the Dnieper, controlled by the Ukrainians, and “68% on the left bank”, occupied by the Russians.
12:26
CONSEQUENCES
After an ammonia pipeline explosion in Ukraine that Kiev and Moscow blamed each other for, the Kremlin warned that the incident would have “negative” repercussions on the grain deal.
The resumption of operations of this pipeline, which has been idle since February 2022, is demanded by Russia as part of negotiations with the United Nations to extend the Grains Agreement, which has enabled millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to be exported.
12:16
RUSSIAN STRIKE
A four-year-old boy, his father and grandfather were killed in a Russian attack in the Donetsk region (east), Ukrainian police said, who also reported five others injured, including four children.
“Russian forces bombarded the residential area of Ukrayinsk (west of the city of Donetsk, editor’s note) with artillery. A four-year-old boy, his father and grandfather were killed,” she said on Telegram.
10:58
artillery attack
Russia has accused Ukraine in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of destroying the Kakhovka Dam with “massive” artillery strikes, dismissing Kiev’s claim that Moscow was responsible. “The Kiev regime not only launched massive artillery attacks on the dam (…), but also deliberately increased the water level of the Kakhovka reservoir to a critical level,” said Russian diplomat Alexander Shulgin.
10:56
Russian authorities report five dead
Russian-installed mayor of the city of Nova Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontyev, told Russian authorities that five people drowned after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Kherson, a partially Russian-occupied region in southern Ukraine.
“Five people grazing livestock died by drowning,” he said. Two days after the dam was destroyed, it is the first time authorities have reported any deaths following the incident. About 40 people were also hospitalized, according to authorities.
10:49
“OUR MISSION IS TO PROTECT LIFE”
In Ukrainian and English, the President of Ukraine announced on Twitter his mobilization to support residents affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. He also praised the work of Ukrainian rescuers. “Our job is to protect life and help people as best we can. Thank you to the rescuers and volunteers!” he said. A video accompanying his embassy shows him interacting with officials, visibly moved.
10:45
PICTURES OF ZELENSKY IN KHERSON
After the disaster related to the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, the President of Ukraine visited Kherson. Footage of his visit has been released. You can find them in the video below.
Dam destroyed: the Ukrainian President in KhersonSource: TF1 Info
10:23
ZELENKSY IN THE KHERSON REGION
After the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, the Ukrainian President visited the flood-hit Kherson region. On his social networks, he hinted that a coordination meeting would be held “to deal with the consequences of the Kachowka dam explosion”, claiming in particular that he wanted to “compensate the residents affected by the disaster”.
09:37
The peak of the flood is not reached
In Kherson, the water continues to rise, but the peak of the flood may not have been reached yet. According to the LCI team deployed on site, evacuations are continuing, although the pace of operations appears to be slowing.
Destruction of the Kakhovka Dam: semi-detached house in KhersonSource: TF1 Info
09:33
THE POINT OF SITUATION
Summary of events of the last 24 hours related to the war in Ukraine in the following article.
International
Posted today at 8:38
09:31
ZELENSKY STARTS THE LACK OF INTERNATIONAL AID
After the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam and fears of a humanitarian and ecological catastrophe that this incident could unleash, Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the lack of mobilization of the international community to provide assistance to the victims of the flooded areas.
Kakhovka Dam: Zelenskyy ‘shocked’ by lack of aidSource: TF1 Info
08:41
600 SQUARE KILOMETERS FLOODED
The Ukrainian governor of the Kherson region said that the area flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam measures more than 600 km² on the right bank of the Dnieper controlled by the Ukrainians and on the left bank occupied by the Russians.
08:09
Evacuations continue
Evacuation work continues downstream of the Kachowka Dam as water levels continue to rise. Images to explore in the LCI report below.
Dam Destroyed in Ukraine: The Race Against Rising WaterSource: TF1 Info
07:19
A FALLING WATER LEVEL IN ZAPORIJIA
Concerns are growing at the Zaporiya power plant as the level of the Dnieper is falling following the destruction of the downstream Kakhovka dam. The water actually serves to cool the fuel and prevent a nuclear accident.
Concerns about Zaporijjia power plant due to falling water levelSource: TF1 Info
NATO soldiers in Ukraine, end of a taboo? Source: TF1 Info
06:14
COLD RAGE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lamented the lack of humanitarian aid from the United Nations and the Red Cross after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in the south of the country, which triggered a serious crisis.
“The UN, the United Nations and the representatives of the Red Cross are not there. All these hours they are still not there, ”said Zelenskyy in an interview broadcast by the German media Welt TV and Bild.
He said he was “shocked” because “these are the forces that have to be there to save lives.”
Zelenskyy ‘shocked’ by lack of international aid after Kakhovka Dam destructionSource: TF1 Info
06:06
Hello everyone. Welcome to TF1info to join us for this live coverage of the war in Ukraine this Thursday 8th June 2023.