President of Ukraine Zelenskyy says that “heavy fighting” is taking place in the Donetsk region in the east of the country, and his troops have “results”. The Kyiv leader also mentioned other areas where the fighting is going on, but did not give details. On Friday, the United States will announce a new arms package for Ukraine worth more than two billion dollars, Bloomberg News reports with reference to administration officials.

Highlights of the war in Ukraine, day 471, LIVETEXT:

07:40 3 key theories about the collapse of the Novaya Kakhovka dam – and what experts and officials say about each. The collapse of the Novaya Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine is one of the biggest industrial and environmental disasters in Europe in recent decades. The water destroyed entire villages, flooded farmland, deprived tens of thousands of people of electricity and clean water, and caused enormous damage to the environment. CNN presents three main theories as to what caused the dam to collapse.

A brief summary of recent events:

• The Ukrainian army has launched a long-awaited counteroffensive, starting a crucial stage both for the restoration of the country’s territorial sovereignty and for the continuation of support for the West, the Washington Post writes.
• PHOTO. The first shots of Ukraine in the counteroffensive: Leopard tanks and American Bradley armored vehicles at the front / Losses on the battlefield
• VIDEO The Russians allegedly managed to use a kamikaze drone to damage one of the most important anti-aircraft systems received by Ukraine
• US officials say that Ukraine is advancing near Bakhmut, but is suffering significant losses
• Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called for military equipment to be quickly sent to the front lines in Ukraine in a video published Thursday by the ministry’s press service, CNN reports.
• Ukrainian military trained by Sweden “ready for the front” / What heavy weapons will the Scandinavian country send to Ukraine
• The Norwegians recorded seismic activity during the destruction of the Kakhovskaya Dam. NORSAR, Norway’s nuclear test ban monitoring organization, said seismic signals indicated an explosion at the Nova Kakhovka dam.
• How Moscow reacted to Romania’s decision to reduce the diplomatic staff of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest
• Rising Tensions: What’s Happening Between Putin and Wagner’s Mercenary Group?
• In Russia, the taboo is disappearing: even Putin talks about “war”. For more than 15 months, Russia has been waging a war in Ukraine that the Kremlin refuses to call a war, but the situation is changing: President Vladimir Putin is increasingly using the word “war,” Reuters reports.

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Thursday’s events related to Russian aggression were broadcast LIVE on HotNews.ro