Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 474
As the war enters its 474th day, these are the main developments.
Fighting
Ukraine said its troops recaptured three villages from Russian forces in its southeast, the first liberated settlements Ukraine has reported since the start of its latest counteroffensive.
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet in the Kherson region and repelled three Ukrainian attacks in the Zaporizhia region.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed six people were killed by flooding in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions after last week’s explosion at the Nova Kakhovka dam, which was under Russian control. Some 35 people, including seven children, are considered missing, he added.
The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said three people were killed and 10 injured after Russia shelled a rescue boat evacuating people from the floods.
Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine tried to attack one of its navy vessels guarding major gas pipelines in the Black Sea with six undersea drones. It said all were destroyed.
Wagner group chief rejects Moscow's decree on govt contracts
Russia and Ukraine announced simultaneously the exchange of nearly 100 prisoners of war from each side.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the mercenary Wagner Group, said his soldiers would not sign any contracts with Russia’s defence ministry after it issued orders for all independent forces to do so by the end of June.
Diplomacy
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said an investigation into the breach of the Nova Kakhovka dam was under way with officials from the International Criminal Court visiting the Kherson region in recent days.
Zelenskyy approved a proposal by the country’s National Security and Defence Council to sanction 178 Russian citizens, including 81 people who also hold Ukrainian citizenship.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was currently no foundation for any possible dialogue with Ukraine.
-al jazeera
