news

Putin Says Ukrainian Counteroffensive Has Begun; Kyiv Says It Has Proof Russia Blew Up Kakhovka Dam

Anatolii Stepanov | Afp | Getty Images

This was CNBC's live blog tracking developments on the war in Ukraine on June 9, 2023.

Ukraine continues to deal with the fallout of the destruction of its Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station, which burst open in the early hours of June 6 and has caused massive flooding and destruction in the southern Kherson region. Kyiv and Moscow both blame each other for the attack.

Rescue efforts continue as swathes of territory face humanitarian and ecological disasters and thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes. 

Ukraine's security service released the audio of what it said was an intercepted phone call proving Russian forces were behind the sabotage attack. The dam has been in Russian-occupied territory since shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. NBC cannot independently verify the audio.

Russian authorities say three people were injured after a drone strike on the southern Russian city of Voronezh damaged a residential building. Voronezh, some 110 miles from the Ukrainian border, lies next to Russia's Kursk and Belgorod regions, both of which have come under increased shelling and drone strikes by pro-Ukrainian forces in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, fighting is escalating in Ukraine's east as the country's long-awaited counteroffensive gets underway. Russia's military reported heavy fighting in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, describing drone, infantry and artillery battles.

A satellite image captured by a SkySat shows the breached Kakhovka dam in Ukraine on June 6, 2023.
Planet
A satellite image captured by a SkySat shows the breached Kakhovka dam in Ukraine on June 6, 2023.

Geologists say explosive devices behind the Kakhovka dam attack

A satellite image shows damaged Nova Kakhovka Dam, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson region, Ukraine, June 6, 2023.
Planet Labs PBC | via Reuters
A satellite image shows damaged Nova Kakhovka Dam, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson region, Ukraine, June 6, 2023.

Geologists say they captured seismic signals that suggest explosive devices were behind the attack on the Kakhovka dam in southeastern Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine have both blamed each other for the attack which led to mass evacuations due to rising flood waters.

Read the full NBC News story here.

— Amanda Macias

One ship leaves Ukraine under the Black Sea grain deal

A ship carrying wheat from Ukraine to Afghanistan after inspection in the open sea around Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul, Turkiye on January 24, 2023.
TUR Ministry of National Defence | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A ship carrying wheat from Ukraine to Afghanistan after inspection in the open sea around Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul, Turkiye on January 24, 2023.

One ship left Ukraine's port of Chornomorsk carrying 65,500 metric tons of corn under the Black Sea grain deal. The Panama-flagged vessel is destined for China, according to the U.N.-backed organization monitoring the export activity.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations, is set to expire in mid-July. The agreement eased a Russian naval blockade and established a humanitarian sea corridor for agricultural products.

— Amanda Macias

Ukrainian military gets new uniforms

The SoftServe Open Eyes charity fund delivered 1,200 sets of summer uniforms for the Ukrainian military. The set includes trousers, a T-shirt and a military tunic that was made by the Ukrainian manufacturer M-Tac.

A Ukrainian military man examines improved summer uniforms for the Ukrainian army in Lviv, Ukraine on June 9, 2023.
Pavlo Palamarchuk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A Ukrainian military man examines improved summer uniforms for the Ukrainian army in Lviv, Ukraine on June 9, 2023.
A Ukrainian military man tries on improved summer uniforms for the Ukrainian army in Lviv, Ukraine on June 9, 2023.
Pavlo Palamarchuk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A Ukrainian military man tries on improved summer uniforms for the Ukrainian army in Lviv, Ukraine on June 9, 2023.
A Ukrainian military man examines improved summer uniforms for the Ukrainian army in Lviv, Ukraine on June 9, 2023.
Pavlo Palamarchuk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A Ukrainian military man examines improved summer uniforms for the Ukrainian army in Lviv, Ukraine on June 9, 2023.

-Pavlo Palamarchuk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

IAEA chief will lead a mission to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as flooding threatens the region

Joe Klamar | AFP | Getty Images
"I am astonished by the complacency – what are we doing to prevent this happening? We are the IAEA, we are meant to care about nuclear safety," IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said in a Thursday statement.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, implemented a new program to assist Ukraine with the fallout triggered by the attack on the Kakhovka dam.

"In the coming days, I will be leading a mission to Ukraine, including to the affected Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a video address posted to Twitter.

Grossi said he received a request for assistance from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"Ukraine can count on our assistance now and in dealing with the longer-term consequences of this disaster," Grossi added.

— Amanda Macias

The 'catastrophe is only expanding,' Zelenskyy says of fallout from Kakhovka dam

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima on May 21, 2023.
Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima on May 21, 2023.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the "catastrophe is only expanding" in Kherson as Russian forces intensify shelling following days of flooding.

"Russian terrorists are trying to worsen the situation they have caused with their ecocide. Absolutely consciously. They continue to shell Kherson and the communities of the region -- already flooded by terrorists," Zelenskyy said on his official Telegram channel, referencing the attack on the Kakhovka dam.

Zelenskyy said that Russian forces are also deliberately targeting evacuation points in the region, calling those acts a "manifestation of evil."

"The catastrophe is only expanding and this is also a completely conscious choice of the Russian leadership," the Ukrainian leader added.

— Amanda Macias

Putin says Ukraine's counteroffensive has begun, but is failing so far

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with families awarded Orders of Parental Glory via a video link at the Kremlin in Moscow on International Children's Day on June 1, 2023. (
Gavriil Grigorov | AFP | Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with families awarded Orders of Parental Glory via a video link at the Kremlin in Moscow on International Children's Day on June 1, 2023. (

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine's highly anticipated counteroffensive has begun, speaking to a conference in the southern Russian city of Sochi.

"We can state for sure that this offensive has begun. This is evidenced by the use of strategic reserves of the Ukrainian army," Putin told Russian press, according to a translation by Reuters. "Ukrainian troops did not achieve their goals in any sector."

The Russian president said this was thanks to "the courage of Russian soldiers" and "proper organization of troops." He added that the last three days have seen intense fighting, but that "the enemy did not have success" in any battles.

NBC has not independently verified the information.

— Natasha Turak

Fighting still concentrated in Ukraine's east, Kyiv says

Ukrainian servicemen fire a M777 howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on March 17, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Aris Messinis | Afp | Getty Images
Ukrainian servicemen fire a M777 howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on March 17, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Artillery and infantry fighting are still centered in Ukraine's east, Kyiv officials say as Ukraine's long-awaited counter-offensive appears to get underway.

Ukrainian deputy defense minister Hanna Malyar named some of the most intense hotspots, writing on Telegram:

"The situation is tense in all areas of the frontline. The east is the epicentre. The enemy continues to concentrate its main efforts on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka directions."

Malyar did not detail activity in Ukraine's south, but Russian military officials reported heavy fighting in Ukraine's south in the Zaporizhzhia region and in Donetsk in the east.

— Natasha Turak

Photos show the flooded town of Hola Prystan following Nova Kakhovka dam collapse

After the vast Soviet-era Kakhovka Dam crumbled on Tuesday a human and ecological disaster which Russia and Ukraine have blamed on each other rubber dinghies have replaced cars in the town's streets.

Animals and people sheltered on roofs on Thursday: in one surreal scene a small group of goats and hens stood on what looked like part of a roof surrounded by floodwater as rescuers in dinghies passed by.

The first one or two storeys of houses and people's yards were underwater and an emerald green church was semi-submerged, with the tops of trees poking out from the water in places.

Rescuers in boats scoured the town for survivors, shouting out the addresses they had checked to one another.

Members of Russia's emergencies ministry use an inflatable boat in a flooded area during a rescue operation following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
Members of Russia's emergencies ministry use an inflatable boat in a flooded area during a rescue operation following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
 SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURBA woman who refuses to be evacuated from a flooded house gestures towards the rescuers following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURBA woman who refuses to be evacuated from a flooded house gestures towards the rescuers following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Local resident Valentina, who spent two days on the roof of a flooded house, sits on the ground after being evacuated to a non-flooded area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
Local resident Valentina, who spent two days on the roof of a flooded house, sits on the ground after being evacuated to a non-flooded area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
A man carries a child as members of Russia's emergencies ministry evacuate residents of a flooded area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
A man carries a child as members of Russia's emergencies ministry evacuate residents of a flooded area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
A dog sits on a roof in a flooded residential area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
A dog sits on a roof in a flooded residential area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
A view shows a flooded residential area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
A view shows a flooded residential area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
People sit on an inflatable boat after being evacuated from a flooded area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
People sit on an inflatable boat after being evacuated from a flooded area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
A member of Russia's emergencies ministry and a local resident carry an elderly woman during the evacuation of residents from a flooded area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
A member of Russia's emergencies ministry and a local resident carry an elderly woman during the evacuation of residents from a flooded area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
A child looks out of a bus window during an evacuation from a flooded area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
A child looks out of a bus window during an evacuation from a flooded area following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
A view shows a flooded church following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
A view shows a flooded church following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 8, 2023. 

— Reuters

NATO condemns Russian withdrawal from Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference to present the next North Atlantic Council (NAC) Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on April 3, 2023. 
Kenzo Tribouillard | AFP | Getty Images
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference to present the next North Atlantic Council (NAC) Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on April 3, 2023. 

NATO allies condemned Russia for its decision to withdraw from a key arms treaty enacted at the end of the Cold War that aimed to create a military balance between NATO and Warsaw Pact countries and lower weapons stocks.

In its statement, NATO called the landmark Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) "a cornerstone of Europe's security architecture," describing the treaty's role in establishing "legally binding and verifiable limits on key categories of conventional military equipment" for the countries involved.

"Russia has for many years not complied with its CFE obligations, in particular by ceasing its implementation of the CFE Treaty without a legal basis in 2007. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, and Belarus' complicity, is contrary to the objectives of the CFE Treaty," NATO said.

It called Russia's pullout from the treaty "the latest in a series of actions that systematically undermines Euro-Atlantic security" and that it "further demonstrates Moscow's continued disregard for arms control, including reciprocity, transparency, compliance and verification."

— Natasha Turak

Reports of drone strike on Russian city, people injured

A drone strike hit the southern Russian city of Voronezh and three people were wounded, regional governor Alexander Gusev said.

A view of a damaged multi-storey apartment building after a reported drone attack in Voronezh on June 9, 2023.
Stringer | Afp | Getty Images
A view of a damaged multi-storey apartment building after a reported drone attack in Voronezh on June 9, 2023.

Voronezh is roughly 110 miles from the Ukrainian border and is next to both the Kursk and Belgorod regions of Russia, both of which have seen shelling and drone strikes from pro-Ukrainian forces.

Gusev said that ten apartments were damaged when the purported drone strike hit a residential building. NBC has not independently verified the reports.

— Natasha Turak

Japan offers humanitarian aid to Ukraine in wake of flooding

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters following North Korea's missile launch on April 13, 2023.
JIJI Press | AFP | Getty Images
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters following North Korea's missile launch on April 13, 2023.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Japan is prepared to offer emergency humanitarian aid to Ukraine following the explosion of the Kakhovka dam and the massive flooding and damage it's caused.

Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, said his country would send some $5 million in aid to be allocated via humanitarian organizations, according to Reuters.

Zelenskyy also posted the readout of his phone conversation with Kishida, tweeting: "I spoke about the consequences of Russia blowing up the Kakhovka HPP. This is a deliberate act of terrorism and another war crime of Russia, which, in particular, threatens the safety of the Zaporizhzhia NPP."

Zelenskyy said the two discussed "further involvement of Japan's security support, particularly in the area of humanitarian demining, and steps to implement the Ukrainian Peace Formula and prepare for the Global Peace Summit."

— Natasha Turak

Security Service of Ukraine says it has proof Russia blew up Kakhovka dam

Ukraine's domestic security service said it intercepted a phone call proving a Russian "sabotage group" blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric station and dam in southern Ukraine.

It posted a recording of what it said was an intercepted telephone call on its official Telegram channel. The recording is presented as being between two unidentified Russian soldiers or officials with no indication of where or when the call purportedly took place.

While one of the men appears to claim a Russian sabotage group was responsible for attacking the dam, he offers no evidence in support. The recording has not been verified by CNBC.

The audio of the recorded is as follows, according to a translation by NBC:

-There was a video yesterday on Telegram: a soldier stands, his face is covered, and fully equipped. And tells that there is no flooding and that people live normal lives. But there is a window behind him and it is visible that the sea is up to a knee [means lots of water].

-Ah-ha… cool. Is it about HPP? HPP that was destroyed?

-Yes, yes.

-Ah, I see.

-The main issue is that as it turned out this HPP cools a reactor, their one, some atomic reactor.

-Well, great, screw up themselves. It will blow up and that's it!

-That's ours [Russian] to blew it up. It's not theirs [Ukrainians], it's ours did.

-No way, ours? It was said that khokhols [derogatory term for Ukrainians] blew it up.

-There wasn't a blow up. That was our sabotage group. They wanted, kind of to scare [blackmail] by the dam, but it went unplanned, more than they planned.

-Well, naturally, it will cover [affect] like in Chernobyl, right?

-The construction is from 50th [1950th]. Rapidly collapsed. There was a safari-park down there, thousands of animals died.

-Got it.

The head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, was separately quoted in the Telegram post as saying: "We remind you that the Security Service of Ukraine has opened criminal proceedings on the fact of a war crime committed by the Russian Federation. By blowing up the Kakhovka HPP dam, the Russian Federation finally proved that it is a threat to the entire civilized world. After all, only a real terrorist state can arrange a man-made and ecological catastrophe of this level."

— Natasha Turak

Russian-installed governor of Zaporizhzhia announces formation of militia

The Russian-installed governor of Zaporizhzhia, an area of southeastern Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, announced the formation of a militia via his Telegram account.

Valery Sharifulin | Sputnik | Reuters
Yevgeny Balitsky, Russian-installed acting governor of the Moscow-controlled parts of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, awarded with the order "For Merit to the Fatherland" of the third class attends a ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia December 20, 2022. 

In a translation provided by The Guardian, the governor, Evgeny Balitsky, wrote: "In the Zaporizhzhia region, a people's militia has been created, which, together with the police and the military commandant's office, will take over patrolling and law enforcement in the settlements of the Zaporizhzhia region."

"Today, the first militias took the oath of allegiance to the Zaporizhzhia region and the inhabitants of our region," he added. "I am confident in the openness of the hearts of our countrymen, their steadfastness and desire to help."

— Natasha Turak

Ukraine's security service says it has proof Russia blew up Kakhovka dam

Ukraine's security service, the SBU, says it intercepted a call that proves Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka dam in southeastern Ukraine, which has caused enormous flooding and destruction on the surrounding area.

Satellite images of Kherson's Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant on June 6, 2023.
Maxar Technologies
Satellite images of Kherson's Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant on June 6, 2023.

Kyiv and Moscow have traded blame for the explosion. The dam, located on the Dnipro river, was in Russian-occupied territory. It was built in 1956 and provided water for the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Station and irrigation, as well as water for cooling reactors at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The plant and the dam were both occupied by Russian forces shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

— Natasha Turak

Photos show rescue efforts in Kherson as flood waters strand civilians

The Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power plant, which sits on the Dnipro river in the southern Kherson region, collapsed Tuesday, forcing downstream communities to evacuate due to the risk of flooding. The cause of the dam's collapse is not yet confirmed, with Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of its destruction.

The Dnipro river has served as a frontline between the warring armies following Russia's retreat from Kherson and surrounding areas last autumn. The dam and plant had been under the control of Russia, which occupies a swath of land south and southeast of the river.

Servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine deliver food to the residents of a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Genya Savilov | Afp | Getty Images
Servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine deliver food to the residents of a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
A local resident sails on a SUP board during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Genya Savilov | Afp | Getty Images
A local resident sails on a SUP board during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Residential buildings in a flooded area on June 8, 2023 in Kherson, Ukraine. Early Tuesday, the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power plant, which sits on the Dnipro river in the southern Kherson region, was destroyed, forcing downstream communities to evacuate due to the risk of flooding. 
Alex Babenko | Getty Images
Residential buildings in a flooded area on June 8, 2023 in Kherson, Ukraine. Early Tuesday, the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power plant, which sits on the Dnipro river in the southern Kherson region, was destroyed, forcing downstream communities to evacuate due to the risk of flooding. 
Local residents carry their belongings and pets during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Genya Savilov | Afp | Getty Images
Local residents carry their belongings and pets during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Ukrainian servicemen help to unload an elderly woman from a boat during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Genya Savilov | AFP | Getty Images
Ukrainian servicemen help to unload an elderly woman from a boat during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Ukrainian servicemen help to unload a disabled local resident from a boat during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Genya Savilov | Afp | Getty Images
Ukrainian servicemen help to unload a disabled local resident from a boat during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Rescuers ride an all-terrain vehicle during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Genya Savilov | Afp | Getty Images
Rescuers ride an all-terrain vehicle during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. 
Residential buildings in a flooded area on June 8, 2023 in Kherson, Ukraine. Early Tuesday, the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power plant, which sits on the Dnipro river in the southern Kherson region, was destroyed, forcing downstream communities to evacuate due to the risk of flooding. 
Getty Images | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Residential buildings in a flooded area on June 8, 2023 in Kherson, Ukraine. Early Tuesday, the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power plant, which sits on the Dnipro river in the southern Kherson region, was destroyed, forcing downstream communities to evacuate due to the risk of flooding. 

-- Getty Images

Ukraine launches long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia, NBC News reports

A Ukrainian soldier of the 28th Brigade's Aerial Reconnaissance Regiment preparing equipment on a mission to the front south of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on May 17, 2023.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A Ukrainian soldier of the 28th Brigade's Aerial Reconnaissance Regiment preparing equipment on a mission to the front south of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on May 17, 2023.

A senior official and a soldier on the frontlines in Ukraine told NBC News that the long-awaited counteroffensive has begun. For weeks, Russian forces have braced for the new Ukrainian military push with Western allies declining to speculate on the timing of the counteroffensive.

The revelation comes on the heels of a catastrophic attack on the Kakhovka dam in southeastern Ukraine, which both Kyiv and Moscow have blamed each other for.

Read the full story from NBC News here.

— Amanda Macias

Read CNBC's previous live coverage here:

Heavy fighting underway in eastern Ukraine; Kyiv calls for help as first flood deaths reported

Copyright CNBC
Contact Us