Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to have confirmed that his country's long-awaited counter-offensive against Russia has started.

"Counter-offensive and defensive actions are taking place," he said.

But he added that he would not talk in detail about which stage or state the counter-offensive was in.

The comments come after an escalation of fighting in the south and east of Ukraine and speculation about progress of the widely anticipated push.

Ukrainian troops are reported to have advanced in the east near Bakhmut and in the south near Zaporizhzhia, and have carried out long-range strikes on Russian targets.

But assessing the reality on the front lines is difficult, with the two warring sides presenting contrasting narratives: Ukraine claiming progress and Russia that it is fighting off attacks. 

Meanwhile in Russia's Kaluga region - which borders the southern districts around Moscow - governor Vladislav Shapsha said on Telegram that a drone crashed near the village of Strelkovk early on Sunday. The BBC has not independently verified the report.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a video interview published Friday that Ukrainian forces had certainly begun their offensive but that attempted advances had failed with heavy casualties. 

Speaking in Kyiv on Saturday after talks with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Mr Zelensky described the Russian leader's words as "interesting".

Shrugging his shoulders, raising his eyebrows and pretending not to know who Mr Putin was, Mr Zelensky said it was important that Russia felt "they do not have long left". 

He also said that Ukraine's military commanders were in a positive mood, adding: "Tell that to Putin."

• Analysing Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia

Mr Trudeau announced 500 million Canadian dollars (£297m) in new military aid for Ukraine during the unannounced visit.

A joint statement issued after the talks said Canada supports Ukraine becoming a Nato member "as soon as conditions allow for it", adding that the issue would be discussed at the Nato Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July. 

Meanwhile, fighting has escalated in recent days in the key southern Zaporizhzhia region, Russian officials say, with Ukraine forces reported to be trying to regain access to the Sea of Azov, which would split Russian forces.

Ukraine's hope of advances in the region could be hindered by huge flooding in the south of the country after the Nova Khakovka dam was destroyed last week. 

The flooding has covered around 230 square miles (596 sq km) either side of the Dnipro River.

In his nightly address on Saturday, Mr Zelensky said 3,000 people have been evacuated from the flooded Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

And Kherson's regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said water levels had dropped by 27cm, but more than 30 settlements on the right bank of the river were still flooded and almost 4,000 residential buildings remained underwater. 

Nato and Ukraine's military have accused Russia of blowing up the dam, while Russia has blamed Ukraine

Elsewhere, three people died and dozens were injured in a Russian strike in the southern city of Odesa overnight from Friday into Saturday.

Falling debris from a shot-down Russian drone started a fire in a residential block in the Black Sea-port city, Ukrainian officials said.

READ MORE:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65866880

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ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCES, THE KIEV REGIME COUNTEROFFENSIVE HAS BEEN AND GONE (SEE AT TOP).... MAY BE ZELENSLY HAS MORE TROOPS TO BE MASSACRED IN RESERVE.... ZELENSKY IS AN UNINTELLIGENT IDIOT....

MEANWHILE THE WESTERN MEDIA ASK QUESTIONS — THE WRONG QUESTIONS... LIKE:

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Shortly after the fabled Ukrainian counteroffensive finally started, it became increasingly apparent that NATO military equipment and training won't be enough for the Kiev regime forces to penetrate Russian defensive lines.

With the Ukrainian offensive now underway, Kiev so far has virtually nothing to show in the way of gains, whereas images of wrecked Leopard tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles used by Ukrainian troops have already started circulating on social media.

Even though the United States and its allies have been generously supplying Ukraine with armaments and military vehicles during the ongoing conflict, it appears that Ukrainian forces are "institutionally and operationally unable to successfully absorb the wide and inconsistent variety of equipment and weaponry" while "under fire and duress," said US Ret.Lt.Col Karen Kwiatkowski.

“This is the fault of the US and NATO which seeks to ride the back of Ukrainian patriotism in order to both confront and harass Russia, with an aim to take over Ukraine's land, people and resources once there is little Ukraine left - in a kind of mini-Marshall Plan, this time completely and wholly managed and conducted by US and international crony capitalists, like Black Rock,” Kwiatkowsky, a former US Department of Defense analyst, told Sputnik.

She suggested that the United States and Britain were likely the ones who actually needed Kiev to launch this counteroffensive and that it would seem “as if Western governments see Ukraine little more than a snuff film, for their entertainment and profit.” 

“Clearly, what Ukraine needs is to find a way to get out from under the US political cycle and NATO's organizational expansion obsession, and make peace,” Kwiatkowsky mused, postulating that such a deal would likely entail the separation of the “Russian side of the former Ukraine” from the “Ukrainian side.”

She did point out, however, that so far the US and the UK politicians have been quick to suppress any attempts by the Ukrainian side to “make peaceful signs or noises.”

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest and former CIA station chief Phillip Giraldi has observed that some Western media outlets have been trying to make it look like the Ukrainian counteroffensive is succeeding and that Kiev regime forces are “overrunning the Russian positions.”

READ MORE:

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230610/us-natos-ultimate-goal-is-to-take-over-ukrainian-land-people-resources-1111049673.html

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MAKE A DEAL PRONTO BEFORE THE SHIT HITS THE FAN:

NO NATO IN "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

THE DONBASS REPUBLICS ARE NOW BACK IN THE RUSSIAN FOLD — AS THEY USED TO BE PRIOR 1922. THE RUSSIANS WON'T ABANDON THESE AGAIN.

CRIMEA IS RUSSIAN — AS IT USED TO BE PRIOR 1954

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE USA.

EASY.

THE WEST KNOWS IT.

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Australia's Bushmasters to play 'huge role' in Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russia, troops say

By Europe bureau chief Steve Cannane and West Matteeussen in eastern Ukraine.

In a secret location in eastern Ukraine, frontline troops from the 80th Air Assault Brigade are putting one of their Bushmasters through its paces. 

From the turret at the top of the vehicle, machine gun fire blasts into the distance.

These soldiers are practising advancing and withdrawing in combat as they prepare for the frontline battles that could prove decisive in the counteroffensive. 

"It's fantastic," says driver Oleksandr when asked about the armoured personnel carrier that was built in Bendigo. 

"Words cannot express it. It's such a powerful vehicle. It is much easier to drive than our equipment," he says. 

READ MORE:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-13/bushmasters-changing-the-battlefield-in-ukraine/102471094

EXCELLENT....

WHERE THE GERMAN PANZERS, THE AMERICAN BRADLEYS AND THE FRENCH CHARIOTS HAVE FAILED, THE BUSHMASTER WILL FLY THE AUSSIE COLOURS... I'VE HEARD SOME AUSTRALIAN IS PROVIDING AMBULANCES TO THE KIEV FORCES.... THESE WOULD BE MORE USEFUL AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT USED TO CARRY ARMAMENT TO THE FRONT TROOPS. SEE:

FOR CLOSE COMBAT, THE RUSSIANS HAVE THE HAND-HELD KORNET WHICH CAN BLOW UP A TANK UP TO 5 KILOMETRES AWAY.

FOR LONGER RANGE UPTO 25 KILOMETRES, THE RUSSIAN HAVE THE AMAZINGLY PRECISE LANCET DRONE... 

Russia’s small weapon, the Lancet drone, has become a big headache for Ukraine. Russia is using these drones to hunt down and destroy Kyiv’s weapons, like the Leopard main battle tanks. According to reports, all the German Leopard tanks were bombed using Lancet drones. Not just the “mighty” Leopards, but U.S.-supplied Bradley fighting vehicles and French AMX-10RC units were wiped out on the battlefield with Russian Lancet drones. This intensification in drone usage marks a shift in the Russian Army’s tactics. Russia’s focus has been shifted to the neutralisation of Kyiv’s modern armoured units. The Russians are hunting and destroying these western weapons due to their advanced capabilities. The destruction of these advanced western weapons proves that Kyiv is ill-prepared. While Russia’s wargame under Vladimir Putin is unmatched at the moment.

https://www.theinteldrop.org/2023/06/12/russia-bombed-mighty-leopards-using-this-weapon-all-about-putins-game-changer-drone/

NOT REALLY HILARIOUS, BUT THIS IS THE FATE AWAITING THE BUSHMASTERS.... and Russia KNOWS WHERE THE BUSHMASTERS ARE....AND WILL BE. 

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