6:15 p.m. ET, June 22, 2023
It's past midnight in Kyiv. Here's what you should know
From CNN staff
A key
bridge was damaged by Ukrainian shelling, a Russian-backed official said Thursday.
The Chonhar ("Chongar" in Russian) bridge connects the Russian-held parts of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region with the Crimean peninsula, which Russia
illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Here's what else you should know:
Ukrainian aid. Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal
said Thursday he was “sure” Ukraine will get the money it needs to help the recovery of the country. Ukraine is also
carrying out the "largest ever repair campaign" to shore up its power system ahead of winter and potential Russian attacks on infrastructure. And on Thursday, US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
released a joint statement where both leaders expressed their concern over the conflict in Ukraine and pledged continued humanitarian assistance.
Strikes. Four missiles were fired at the
Chonhar road bridge Thursday morning, with one
hitting the structure, a representative of Russia’s Investigative Committee
said in comments reported by Russian state news agency RIA. Russia also
launched attacks on populated areas of Ukraine on Thursday destroying infrastructure and causing civilians to suffer, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Volunteer corps. More than 20 Russian "volunteer corps" fighting in Ukraine have
signed contracts with Russia’s Defense Ministry, according to a statement published by the ministry on Thursday. It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin backed
an order, which was signed by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on June 10, that said mercenary groups fighting in Ukraine must sign contracts with the ministry by the start of July.
Military developments. Russia will
allocate money to ramp up production of domestic aircraft, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced Thursday, citing the need to reduce dependence of the aviation industry on foreign parts in the face of sanctions pressure on Russia. Russia also expects to have
enough recruits to form a reserve army to bolster its armed forces by the end of the month, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday.
Counteroffensive updates. Ukraine's advance on Russia will "take time," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said, while
expressing optimism for the counteroffensive. Shmyhal called on Ukrainians to be patient while speaking in London at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. Meanwhile, Putin reiterated that Ukraine has
not depleted its "offensive potential," adding that it has a "number of strategic reserves that have not yet been activated," while addressing members of his Security Council in Moscow Thursday. In exclusive comments to CNN, a senior Ukrainian official said Thursday that the
main thrust of the counteroffensive against Russia “has not even begun in earnest,” and that it is too early to assess its success.