​Ukraine said on Sunday that its forces had carried out a territorial offensive in three villages in the country’s southeast, the first settlements to be liberated since the counteroffensive began last week. The video shows how Ukrainian military personnel raise their flag over the village of Blagodatne, south of the city of Velika Novosilka, one of the main directions of the counteroffensive so far. Fighters of another brigade were filmed with the flag of their unit in Neskuchny. On Sunday evening, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar announced that the third village of Makarivka had been recaptured.

Highlights of the war in Ukraine, day 473, LIVETEXT:

06:30 On Monday in Germany, NATO begins the largest air exercises in its history. The “Air Defender 23” exercise will last until June 23, with the participation of about 250 military aircraft from 25 NATO member states and partners.

06:02New Zealand’s national radio station investigates “improper” editing of articles on war in Ukraine Radio New Zealand (RNZ), which is funded by the government but has editorial independence, has corrected 15 articles on its website by Sunday.

05:30 ​Kim Jong Un promised to shake hands with Putin to strengthen strategic cooperation. Kim gave the pledge in a message to Putin on the occasion of Russia’s national day, in which he defended his decision to invade Ukraine and showed “full support and solidarity”.

A brief summary of recent events:

• The Ukrainian army liberated the village of Blagodatne from Donetsk, reported the 68th Brigade named after Oleksa Dovbush. The Ukrainian army liberated the village of Makarivka, Donetsk region, near Blagodatny. The Ukrainian brigade released a video of soldiers celebrating in southeastern Ukraine on Sunday, saying they welcomed the return of the village of Neskuchne.
• The Ministry of Defense of Great Britain calculated how much the battle of Bakhmut, which is considered the bloodiest since the war in Ukraine, cost the Russian army.
• Three people were killed and 10 injured on Sunday when Russian forces bombed a boat carrying evacuees from the flooded Ukrainian territory of Kherson.
• Ukrainian troops are attempting an “extremely difficult” frontal attack on Russian positions. The Institute for the Study of War claims that Ukrainian forces are “carrying out an extremely complex tactical operation.”
• On Sunday, Russia accused Ukraine of a failed attempt to attack a Russian ship using six high-speed maritime drones while the Russian ship was patrolling near major gas pipelines in the Black Sea.
• Wagner’s mercenary group in Russia will not sign any contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense, its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Sunday, after Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered all “volunteer units” to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense.
• Fifteen wagons with empty cargo derailed in the Belgorod region in southern Russia, on the border with Ukraine, the local governor reported on Saturday evening.
• Russia’s defense minister awarded the soldiers with medals on Sunday after Moscow said its forces had destroyed four German-made Leopard tanks and five Bradley fighting vehicles.
• A former American paratrooper and musician was detained in Russia. Another American citizen was detained in Russia, who is accused of organizing a drug distribution operation.

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