Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau following their talks in Kiev on June 10, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
KIEV / MOSCOW - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that the counteroffensive actions in his country are underway, the government-run Ukrinform news agency reported.
"Counteroffensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine," Zelensky said at a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kiev.
Meanwhile, water levels in the flood-affected regions of Kherson, following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam, continue to recede, said acting governor of the Kherson region Vladimir Saldo on Sunday
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Zelensky noted that he is in daily contact with Ukraine's military commanders, including Valery Zaluzhny, chief commander of the armed forces of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader refused to give more details about the counteroffensive operation.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine launched a counteroffensive but failed to achieve its tasks.
Meanwhile, water levels in the flood-affected regions of Kherson, following the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam, continue to recede, said acting governor of the Kherson region Vladimir Saldo on Sunday.
The water level has decreased to 7 meters in the Nova Kakhovka city district, 1.5 meters in the Alyoshkino municipal district, and 2.1 meters in the Goloprystanskiy municipal district, said Saldo.
The number of hospitalized individuals in the Kherson region has now reached 77, said Saldo, noting that they are receiving necessary medical assistance in local healthcare facilities.
Local residents carry belongings from a boat during the evacuation of a flooded area in Afanasiyivka, Mykolayiv region on June 10, 2023, following the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. (PHOTO / AFP)
Evacuations continued in the flood-affected areas of the Kherson region. As of Saturday, nearly 7,000 people, including 323 children and 112 individuals with limited mobility, have been evacuated from the flooded territories. Approximately 1,500 people are currently residing in temporary accommodation centers, noted Saldo.
Efforts are currently underway in Nova Kakhovka to mitigate the consequences of the disaster, including pumping water out of residential building basements, restoring streets, and repairing power and sewage stations, said Saldo.
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The Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant was destroyed on Tuesday, causing a decrease of the dam water level and massive flooding in nearby areas.