Day 556: According to Kiev, the Ukrainian counter-offensive is showing success. Russia says it has repelled drone attacks on the Crimean bridge. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Selenskyj: Two more ships break through the naval blockade
11:12 p.m.: Despite the Russian naval blockade, two more cargo ships have passed through the grain corridor set up by Kiev, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Ukraine is restoring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea,” Zelenskyy said on Saturday evening on Platform X (formerly Twitter). After Russia pulled out of the agreement to ship Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea, Kiev is trying to organize the export despite the risk of Moscow attacks. Russia had threatened to consider ships calling at Ukrainian ports as carrying military cargo. Leaving the Ukrainian ports is therefore considered a lower risk.
“I thank all our dockers and everyone who ensures the safe functioning of the corridor,” Zelenskyy said. He also called on the western allies to deliver even more anti-aircraft systems. “Together we can protect freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and beyond.” Also in his evening video message, Zelenskyy said that the security of the port region of Odessa, which is important for the export of Ukrainian goods to the world, had to be restored.
Selenskyj did not give any details about the ships that had now successfully sailed. However, the day before, the Internet portal Marinetraffic, which shows ship movements, showed how two freighters left the southern Ukrainian Black Sea port of Pivdenny, about 20 kilometers east of Odessa.
Dozens of merchant ships have been stranded in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports since the Russian invasion began more than 18 months ago.
Ukrainian General: Russian defenses breached
8:32 p.m.: Ukrainian troops broke through the first line of Russian defenses near Zaporizhia, says Ukrainian Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy. In an interview with the British newspaper The Observer, the general in charge of the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south of the country said the troops were now between the first and second lines of defense. However, the second is significantly weaker – the Russians probably did not expect that the Ukrainians would break through the first.
Russia would now concentrate troops in the area in question, Tarnavskiy continued. “But sooner or later the Russians will run out of all the best soldiers.” Then Ukraine will attack more and faster.
The Ukrainian counter-offensive has been going on for weeks. Kiev’s goal is to liberate the occupied areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Cherson. The Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, annexed in violation of international law in 2014, is also to be reconquered. Recently there have been increasing indications that Ukraine is advancing, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyj said on Saturday that the troops were making headway.
Zelenskyy: Making progress ‘despite what everyone says’
3:37 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sees progress in the armed forces’ counteroffensive to liberate the territories occupied by Russia. “The Ukrainian armed forces are moving forward. Despite everything and despite what everyone says, we are making progress, and that is the most important thing. We are on the move,” Zelenskyy told Telegram on Saturday.
Recently, Ukraine had repeatedly criticized the fact that Western experts spoke of a sluggish progress of the offensive without the expected breakthroughs on the front line. Selenskyj had also declared that the offensive was not a Hollywood film. He was proud of the courage and accuracy of the Ukrainian shooters, said Zelenskyj on X (formerly Twitter). He also published photos of explosions during operations in the war zone. He was grateful to the soldiers of the 47th artillery brigade for the effective defense of “our country” in the Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Sumy regions and for “their strength in our northern regions”.