Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister 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, the flood caused by the breach of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam on the Dnieper River is receding, a local official said on Saturday
ALSO READ: Kiev: No foreign troops in Ukraine before end of conflict
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.
Menawhile, the flood caused by the breach of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam on the Dnieper River is receding, a local official said on Saturday.
The water level in Nova Kakhovka city near the dam has decreased by 3 meters in the past day, down to a mark of 7 meters, and the pumping of water and garbage collection from streets have begun, acting governor of the Kherson region Vladimir Saldo said in a Telegram post.
Local residents carry belongings from a boat during the evacuation of a flooded area in Afanasiyivka, Mykolayiv region on June 10, 2023, following damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. (PHOTO / AFP)
Water has started to recede in the lower reaches of the Dnieper River, and the water level of the river below the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant will fall back to normal by June 16, according to a preliminary calculation, he wrote.
As of Saturday morning, more than 6,000 people, including 235 children and 81 with limited mobility, have been evacuated from the flooded areas of the Kherson region, Saldo said, adding that over 1,700 evacuees have been resettled in temporary accommodation centers and 62 have been taken to the hospital.
ALSO READ: UN agencies in Ukraine to assess impact of dam's destruction
The Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant was destroyed on Tuesday, causing a decrease of the dam water level and massive flooding in nearby areas.
