Missiles strike hometown of Ukraine's president, killing ten

By Stefan J. Bos 

Rescue workers try to free people trapped inside. Outside, residents stand near the burnt-out apartment block, and smoke billowed after the early-morning attack in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Authorities say a massive Russian missile strike caused this enormous fire, killing several people and injuring dozens more. 

The attack added to the suffering endured by thousands in this region. This town is just a half-hour drive from the vast reservoir emptied last week by the destruction of a dam that flooded much of southern Ukraine.

Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the dam's destruction. 

Moscow denies intentionally targeting civilians, although it recently launched missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. 

The attacks come as Kyiv unleashed a long-awaited counteroffensive to recapture territory held by Russian troops. 

Recapturing settlements 

Kyiv claims that its troops have recaptured seven settlements, but Moscow has played down any progress. 

Elsewhere, the Russian defense ministry has shared footage purporting to show the capture of Western-made military vehicles provided to the Ukrainian army. 

Additionally, well-informed Russian sources claim one of Moscow's high-ranking generals has been killed in Ukraine - but officials have not confirmed this. 

Yet with clashes ongoing, questions have been raised about when the war will end. Hundreds of thousands have been killed or injured, while millions are uprooted by Europe's bloodiest armed conflict so far this century. 

There are also concerns about the further escalation with the autocratic Belarusian leader, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking Tuesday about the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko said they would serve as a deterrent against a potential aggressor and that there should, in his words, "be no hesitation in using them if required."

President Putin said on Friday that Russia would start deploying tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus on July 7 and 8 after special storage facilities are prepared.