Ukraine updates: Dam collapse a Russian 'inside job'

The destruction of the huge Kakhovka dam in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine likely came from an explosion set off by Russia, The New York Times reported Sunday, citing engineers and explosives experts.

In an article titled "An Inside Job," the newspaper said it had found evidence an explosive charge was "set deep in the structure" of the concrete barrier, which destroyed the dam on June 6.

"The evidence clearly suggests the dam was crippled by an explosion set off by the side that controls it: Russia," the Times said.

The paper said as the structure was built during Soviet times, Moscow had every page of the engineering drawings and knew where the structure's Achilles heel was.

One engineer told the paper that as it was built during the Cold War, it would have been designed to withstand almost any kind of external attack.

The experts said the failure of the dam's concrete foundation was very unlikely to occur on its own.

However, the engineers said only a full examination of the dam will establish the sequence of events leading to the destruction.

The Kremlin has denied involvement and accused Kyiv of sabotaging the hydroelectric dam, which held a reservoir the size of the US Great Salt Lake.

Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the dam, which has been under Russian control since the early days of its invasion in 2022.

The blast unleashed floodwater across a large swath of the battleground, destroying farmland and cutting off water supplies to civilians.

Here are some of the other developments concerning Russia's war in Ukraine on Sunday, June 18:

Ukrainian forces capture village, Russian official admits

Russia said Ukrainian forces have captured the village of Piatykhatky in the Zaporizhzhya region, in a rare admission from Moscow that it has lost ground.

"The Ukrainian forces have managed to take the village under their control," the representative of the administration loyal to Russia, Vladimir Rogov, posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday. 

Rogov said Kyiv had been able to take the village despite suffering "colossal losses," claiming that hundreds of Ukrainian troops had been killed.

European Union to speed up delivery of weaponry to Ukraine, says EU industry chief

The European Union will speed up arms deliveries to Ukraine, Thierry Breton, a top EU commissioner responsible for the bloc's internal market, told French daily Le Parisien in an interview.

"We are going to step up our efforts to deliver arms and ammunition — this is a war of high intensity in which they play a crucial role," Breton said, citing an EU pledge to deliver one million rounds of artillery ammunition over the next 12 months.

"We are preparing for the war to last several more months, or even longer," he added.

Ukraine launched a counteroffensive earlier this month to recapture territory occupied by Russian forces, with US Defense Secretary Lyod Austin last week urging Kyiv's allies to "dig deep" to provide more arms and ammunition. 

Russian agencies: Ukrainian shelling kills two in Zaporizhzhia region

Two people died when Ukrainian shelling struck a village in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region occupied by Russia, RIA and TASS news agencies reported.

A child was also injured when the shells fell on the village of Zelenopol, the reports said.

The Interfax agency described the dead people as villagers.

It is not possible to independently confirm events on the battlefield of Russia's war with Ukraine.

Kyiv says it destroyed ammunition depot in Russian-occupied Kherson

Ukrainian forces said they destroyed an ammunition depot near the Russian-occupied port city of Henichesk in the southern region of Kherson.

"Our armed forces dealt a good blow in the morning - and a very loud one - in the village of Rykove, Henichesk district, in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region," Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said.

"There was a very significant ammunition depot. It was destroyed."

Ukrainian media posted videos showing a vast plume of smoke rising far on the horizon with sounds of blasts.

There was no immediate comment from Russia on the alleged attack.

Rykove is about 20km (12 miles) from Henichesk, a port city along the Sea of Azov in southern Ukraine, which has been occupied by Kremlin forces since February 2022.

Britain: Ukraine making small advances in east

The UK said the most intense fighting has continued in recent days in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, western Donetsk Oblast and around Bakhmut.

In its latest intelligence update, Britain's Ministry of Defense (MOD) said Kyiv's forces continue to make small gains.

In the south, it noticed, Russian forces are often conducting relatively effective defensive operations with both sides suffering heavy casualties.

The MOD said Russian losses were likely the highest since the peak of the battle for Bakhmut in March.

Zelenskyy thanks Ukraine's allies for disaster aid amid floods

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked allies and aid groups for help in responding to the massive flooding that followed the rupture of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine.

The death toll from flooding in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine continues to rise more than a week after the structure was destroyed.

Ukrainian authorities reported 16 dead as of Saturday evening and 31 missing.

"Sixteen people died: 14 in the Kherson region and two in the Mykolaiv region. Thirty-one people are still missing," the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs said.

Another 29 people were reported dead by Russian occupation officials on the other side of the Dnipro River. Dozens of residents are still missing.

UK's Sunak to urge investors to back Ukraine

Britain will play host to a summit next week to help Ukraine to recover from the devastation caused by Russia's invasion.

More than 1,000 foreign dignitaries from 61 states along with business chiefs and global investors will attend the International Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 in London on Wednesday.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said he would call on investors and companies to match Ukraine's "bravery on the battlefield" with support to get the country back on its feet.

Sunak is expected to make the case for greater innovation targeted at the country, which was becoming a major player in the global IT industry prior to the invasion.

He will tell delegates that it is critical that the world comes together to help make the war-torn nation "financially stronger" and more "technologically advanced."

The two-day summit, which is being jointly hosted by the UK and Ukraine, aims to unlock the potential of the private sector to help rebuild Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend virtually and both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are also expected to speak. 

mm/kb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)