"Step by step, our fighters are liberating our nation's territory."

This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky , taking stock of the Kiev counter-offensive against the Russian armies . A counter-offensive that, according to Zelensky's reports, is proving to be very effective.

"The soldiers of the 113th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade freed Vasylenkove and Artemivka in the Kharkiv region", said the president, recalling that "freedom does not come easily" and that "Ukrainian defenders are fighting for the independence of every Ukrainian. at the cost of living ".

Since the beginning of this month, Zelensky explained, the Kiev army has recaptured "three thousand square kilometers of territory" from Russian forces, which have had to withdraw from Izyum and other settlements in the area.

Also free Kupiansk and Grakove . And according to British Defense Ministry intelligence, Russian defenses are "under pressure" on both the southern and northern fronts.

For its part, Moscow instead attributed the withdrawal to a "reorganization" aimed at the next conquest of the whole Donbass .

The analysts' impression, however, is that Kiev's resistance is proving, also and above all thanks to the support and dispatch of weapons by Western countries, to be more strenuous than the Kremlin could have expected.

In the course of a phone call between the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin , the Elysée announced that the former has asked the Moscow leader to withdraw Russian heavy and light weapons from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

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Updates by the hour:

Former Ukrainian 007 chief arrested in Kharkiv

The Ukrainian State Investigation Bureau announced the arrest of the former head of the Kiev security services in the Kharkiv region, Roman Dudin, who had been dismissed from office by President Volodymyr Zelensky at the end of May "for failing to protect the city from the first days of a full-scale war, but having thought only of itself ". Ukrinform reports it.

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Air alarm across Ukraine, "missiles from the Black Sea"

An air warning went off all over Ukraine. UNIAN reports that there have been explosions and blackouts in various regions, especially in the east of the country. Nexta also reports on Russian missiles launched from the Black Sea, posting a video. Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky accuses Russia of being responsible for the ongoing "total blackout".

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Kiev soldiers, "arrived at the border crossing with Russia"

The Ukrainian armed forces have arrived at Hoptivka, a border crossing point on the Ukrainian-Russian border, in the Dergaci district of the Kharkiv region. This was reported by the 130th battalion of the Ukrainian army in a message released by UNIAN, which states that at the moment there is no confirmation from the General Staff.

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Kremlin, Macron called Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Frenchman Emmanuel Macron had a telephone conversation today. This was announced by the Kremlin, quoted by the Tass agency, underlining that the conversation took place on the initiative of Macron. Ria Novosti added that the two heads of state spoke in particular about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and Putin emphasized "regular attacks by Ukrainians on the plant".

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Russian bombs on Kupiansk

Russian forces bombed the right bank of Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region, which Kiev announced yesterday that it had recaptured. This was announced by a member of the local city council, Vadym Krokhmal, quoted by UNIAN. "Kupiansk is divided in two halves by the Oskil River. Today, on the right bank, where the city center is located, the situation is not easy, but the area is already completely controlled by our military".

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Lavrov: "We don't refuse negotiations, but it's complicated"

Russia "does not reject" the talks with Ukraine, but there are some "delays that complicate the negotiation process". This was stated by Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov quoted by TASS.

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Moscow: "Thousands of people fleeing to Russia"

According to the Russian authorities, in the last 24 hours "thousands" of people have fled to the Russian region of Belgorod from the Kharkiv oblast, the scene of the counter-offensive of the Kiev forces in eastern Ukraine. "It was not the easiest night, nor the easiest morning. In the past 24 hours, thousands of people have crossed the border," said the governor of the Belgorod region, Viaceslav Gladkov, in a video message posted on his Telegram channel. .

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Russia, "another 10,000 men ready"

“I, Ramzan Kadyrov, officially declare that all these cities (Izyum, Kupiansk and Balakliya) will be recaptured. Our people are already there, the boys are trained for this job, another 10,000 fighters are ready to go. And we will reach Odessa in the near future. "Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said in an audio message on Telegram taken by Meduza, after the liberation of the three Ukrainian cities in eastern Ukraine yesterday by the forces of Kiev.

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The Chechen leader criticizes Moscow: "Made mistakes"

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has criticized the Russian Defense Ministry for the withdrawal of troops from Ukrainian cities in the Kharkiv region, freed by the forces of Kiev, threatening to go and speak personally with the Kremlin. "Mistakes have been made. And I think conclusions will be drawn.

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"Russians fleeing Lugansk"

"The Russian occupiers and their local collaborators are fleeing the Lugansk region, headed for Russia": the head of the regional military administration, Serhiy Gaidai, writes on Telegram. "The Ukrainian flag, which our guerrillas raised last night on the he administration building in Kreminna has remained intact, because the Russians seem to have understood everything and do not dare to remove it. The Russians and their collaborators are fleeing the Lugansk region, headed for Russia, "Gaidai noted, pointing out that the lines of vehicles headed for the border stretch for several kilometers.

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Zaporizhzhia power plant shut down

The last reactor of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia that was still active has been shut down: the authorities have announced it. The state nuclear agency Energoatom announced that the sixth and final reactor of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia power plant in the south of the country no longer produces electricity.

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Shot down a Russian fighter-bomber

The Ukrainian Air Force shot down a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber: the Air Force Command itself made it known on social media, according to Ukrinform. In the video posted on social media, the burned wreckage of the aircraft is seen scattered across a strip of forest while Ukrainian soldiers inspect the scene. "Those Russian occupiers have nothing to do in our skies! That's why we 'grounded' this Su-34," reads the message.

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Kiev: "Almost 53 thousand Russian soldiers killed"

About 52,650 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the invasion began, according to the Kiev army. In its update on the losses suffered by Moscow so far, the Ukrainian army indicates that there are also 242 fighters, 213 helicopters and 902 downed drones. Ukrinform reports it. In addition, the Kiev forces claim to have destroyed 2,154 Russian tanks, 1,263 artillery systems, 4,617 armored vehicles for transporting troops as well as 15 ships and 216 cruise missiles.

(Unioneonline)

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