Zelensky says counteroffensive ongoing in Ukraine

On June 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the long-awaited counteroffensive against Russian forces is already ongoing in Ukraine.

"From my point of view, counteroffensive defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine," Zelensky said during a press conference following a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv.

Zelensky said he would not provide further details on the counteroffensive, but said: "I believe we will feel it."

Zelensky also said that he is constantly in touch with Ukrainian military commanders, including Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi and Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, and that all of them are "feeling positive."

He also emphasized that it is important to trust Ukraine's military regarding information about the counteroffensive, not social media channels or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell

Zelensky's statement comes two days after ABC News reported, citing unnamed Ukrainian officials, one of them supposedly close to Zelensky, that Ukraine launched its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia on June 8.

According to the sources, the hostilities were taking place in southeastern Ukraine, south of the city of Zaporizhzhia.

On June 9, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Ukrainian forces have made further gains around Bakhmut and continued counteroffensive operations in at least four areas of the front.  

The ISW reported earlier that Ukraine's counteroffensive is anticipated to involve a range of operations of different scales, including localized attacks like the one that took place on June 8 in southeastern Ukraine, south of the city of Zaporizhzhia.

Kyiv's advance south in this direction may sever the land corridor between Russia and occupied Crimea, thus cutting off Russian supply lines.

On June 3, Zelensky announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine were ready for the counteroffensive against the Russian troops.

Russia claimed that the counteroffensive began on June 5, adding that its forces had successfully repelled it without providing evidence.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry refuted Russia's claim, calling it a diversion effort. At the same time, the military reported advances in the Bakhmut direction and "other areas" on June 6.

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The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell