Sun 18 June 2023:
A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While Independent Press takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
Ukraine says its forces destroyed a “significant” ammunition depot near the Russian-occupied port city of Henichesk in the southern region of Kherson.
Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said on Sunday Ukrainian forces destroyed a “very significant” ammunition depot near the Russian-occupied port city of Henichesk in the southern region of Kherson.
“Our armed forces dealt a good blow in the morning – and a very loud one – in the village of Rykove, Henichesk district, in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region,” Bratchuk said in a morning video message on Sunday. “There was a very significant ammunition depot. It was destroyed.”
Reuters could not independently verify the information. And there was no immediate comment from Russia on the alleged attack.
Ukrainian media posted videos showing a vast plume of smoke rising far on the horizon with sounds of blasts and burning projectiles flying into the sky.
Rykove is located on a railway line about 20km from Henichesk, a port city along the Sea of Azov in southern Ukraine, which has been occupied by Kremlin forces since the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Several Ukrainian strikes overnight in Kherson region near Crimea — well out of HIMARS range, so presumably with Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Looks like Russian air defenses are rarely able to shoot them down. Ammo storage on fire, judging from secondary 💥. Video from Telegram. pic.twitter.com/DZha9tYyFZ
— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) June 18, 2023
Heavy fighting continue
The Uk Ministry of Defence says heavy fighting is continuing to be focused in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, western Donetsk Oblast, and around Bakhmut.
It says both sides are suffering high casualties, with Russian losses likely the highest since the peak of the battle for Bakhmut in March.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 18 June 2023.
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/kAqNWJPcea
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/mfO2AfBSy2
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) June 18, 2023
Meanwhile, BBC Russia and the Mediazona news outlet continues to collect data about the casualties sustained by the Russian military in Ukraine.
Since their latest update on 4 June, 1,058 names have been added to the list of casualties. The bi-weekly total is lower than it was during active fighting for Bakhmut, but they are still collating names from that period.
By 16 June, they had verified the deaths of 251 Russian officers ranked Lieutenant Colonel or above.
Most of those killed in action come from the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions, Bashkiria, Buryatia, and the Volgograd regions.
The outlets note the real death toll is much higher and the number of soldiers missing in action or captured is not known.
Russia says African peace plan difficult to realise
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says the Ukraine peace plan put forward by African leaders was difficult to realise.
“Any initiative is very difficult to implement,” Peskov was quoted as saying by the state-run news agency RIA Novosti.
“But President Putin has shown interest in considering it,” Peskov said after the leaders held a meeting behind closed doors.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the plan was “not formulated on paper”.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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