Ukrainian army liberates Pyatykhatky, Russia refuses UN entry, car with explosives seen at Kakhovka HPP: highlights

Ukrainian Armed Forces liberate Pyatykhatky

Ukrainian soldiers liberated the village of Pyatikhatky in Zaporizhzhia region.

In total, in two weeks of offensives on the Berdyansk and Melitopol axes, units of the Tavria Joint Strategic Group of Forces liberated eight settlements.

Russians do not let UN through

Russia has denied UN representatives access to the areas of the east bank of Kherson Oblast that were affected by the explosion of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was "difficult to guarantee security" for them.

On June 8, Ukraine and the UN agreed to evacuate the occupied east bank. The Ukrainian side assured that it would provide all UN security guarantees for humanitarian operations throughout the affected area.

Ukraine appeals to Hungary

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has appealed to the Hungarian side to immediately allow the Ukrainian consul to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war handed over to Budapest by Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko claims that all attempts by Ukrainian diplomats in recent days to establish direct contact with Ukrainian citizens have failed.

European Commission Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano calls on Hungary to explain its involvement in the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia and its communication with the Ukrainian government on this issue.

The UK will not lift sanctions against Russia

The United Kingdom has introduced legislation that will allow the British government to maintain sanctions against Russia by changing their objectives to facilitate the payment of compensation.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UK has frozen more than £18 billion ($23 billion) in assets and imposed sanctions on more than 1,550 Russians.

The British government also noted that sanctioned Russians who claim to support Ukraine will now have the opportunity to donate their frozen funds to rebuild Ukraine.

Russians parked cars with explosives at Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant

The Associated Press, citing the Ukrainian military, reports that a car with explosives was seen parked at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant nine days before the explosion.

Photos taken by a Ukrainian drone on May 28 and obtained by the AP show a white car with a cut roof parked on the dam. Inside are barrels, one of which appears to be connected to a mine, and a wire stretches to the occupied riverbank.

Ukraine defeats Malta in Euro 2024 qualifiers

Ukraine's national football team defeated Malta 1-0 in the second qualifying match for the European Championships. This was the second victory for Ukraine at Euro 2024.

The Ukrainians will play their next qualifying matches in September.

Kyiv Council member under round-the-clock house arrest

Kyiv City Council member Yaryna Aryeva, who is suspected of committing a road accident while under the influence of drugs with serious consequences, has had her preventive measure changed from night to round-the-clock house arrest with an electronic tag.

According to the investigation, on November 27, 2022, in Kyiv, she hit a woman at a crosswalk while under the influence of drugs, causing her serious injuries.

The situation at the front

According to Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar, the Russian occupiers are actively attacking on the Lyman and Kupyansk axes, trying to seize the initiative from the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

The enemy has pulled up its forces in these areas. High activity of Russian shelling is now being recorded there. Fierce fighting continues.

At the same time, the British Ministry of Defense, citing its own intelligence, reports that Russia has likely begun to relocate some of its troops from the eastern bank of the Dnipro River to strengthen the Zaporizhzhya and Bakhmut axes.

Other news

• The average water level in Kherson Oblast continues to decline after the explosion of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, currently at 80 cm. In Mykolaiv Oblast, water has receded from previously flooded houses.
• Representatives of the central bank and law enforcement will be summoned to the Verkhovna Rada. The reason is that some exchangers and banks are demanding that Ukrainians pay a commission for worn-out banknotes when exchanging foreign currencies.
• 73% of Ukrainians support the change of the central government at some level after the victory in the Russo-Ukrainian war. The biggest demand for renewal concerns the Verkhovna Rada.
• After the Russians blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam, some indicators in the water bodies of Kherson, Odesa, and Mykolaiv oblasts significantly exceed the established hygiene and sanitary standards. At least 30% of water samples do not fully meet hygiene standards.
• Ukrainians raised UAH 6 million ($162,480) in about two hours to buy attack drones for the 47th Brigade.
• The Kyiv Court of Appeal upheld the pre-trial restraint in the form of detention for judge Oleksiy Tandyr, who is suspected of committing a fatal car accident while drunk.
• In occupied Simferopol, a car with the "assistant deputy prime minister of Zaporizhzhya Oblast" Vladimir Epifanov exploded.
• The High Anti-Corruption Court remanded the former Deputy Minister of Community Development in custody for 60 days with an alternative of UAH 5 million ($135,400) bail. He is suspected of requesting and receiving $400,000 in undue advantage.