tonight, Ukraine is reporting
new Russian shelling in a
region that's reeling from a
lie frightening flood disaster.
This comes as a Ukrainian
commander is claiming new
progress against Moscow's
forces, on a separate front.
CNN senior international
correspondent Sam Kelly is
joining us live from Kelly
right --
Kyiv right now.
>> Sam, what more do we know
about these Ukrainian advances
in the eastern part of the
country, and how that
potentially fits in with a
strategy for a wider Ukrainian
military counter offensive
against the Russians?
>> Well this latest advance
from the Ukrainians, which
extends to about three plus
kilometers, about two miles is
significant.
To the south of the city of
bakhmut, is it's retaking a
channel, a sort of Brit
drainage channel area, and it's
been conducted by the third
assault court brigade of the
Ukrainian armed forces.
And you recall wolf, about two
weeks ago.
They were successfully part of
that southern thrust to try to
flank the city that had fallen
to the Wagner mercenaries.
But this wolf is part of an
ongoing battle, not really
necessarily directed, directly
connected to the wider
counteroffensive that I think
we are seeing shaping or early
stages of.
They are being a significant
number of probing attacks at --
strength from the Ukrainians,
trying to push through, feeling
for weaknesses along the front
line from zaporizhzhia towards
the Russian held city of
donetsk.
There is very strong Russian
defensive there.
The Ukrainians know that, and
they clearly are feeling their
way there.
And of course, we've seen the
destabilizing campaign, using
Russian militants to attack and
raid inside Russia itself
across the border, the northern
border between Ukraine and
Russia.
This all combined with the
drone attacks, the long-range
artillery attacks and missile
attacks against Russian
logistics.
Harbors, particulate Leon
Russian held areas of Ukraine,
but also beyond that into
Russia itself, I think all add
up to the early stages of this
counteroffensive.
Which the government here says
won't necessarily start with a
fanfare wolf.
>> Sam kiley, as I always say
to you, stay safe over there.
Thank you very very much.
Joining us now from the white
house, the national coordinator
for strategic communications,
John Kirby.
John, thanks very much for
joining us.
I know you are very busy on
this day.
President zelenskyy, as you
know, has said he shocked by
the slow international response
this devastating flooding that
is now going.
On what more can United States
do now?
>> We are helping quite a bit.
In fact, within hours of the
breach of the day I'm wolf, we
were working with our said,
our humanitarian partners on
the ground.
To get buses available to get
move, thousands of them were
left homeless and without power
and water.
We were able to get water
purification equipment on the
ground, as well as boats and
other rescue gear.
So we have been at this, really
since in it's just a couple of
hours after the breach.
And we are gonna stay committed
to that.
We've got good eyes on, and
good partners on the ground
there.
And so we're gonna keep doing
that.
There will be more support
coming from United States as
needed.
>> As you, know the video now
shows Ukrainian rescue workers
are facing shelling.
Would it be plausible for
Ukraine and Russia to establish
a military exclusion zone, as
it's?
Called >> It is in cordial,
these reports.
Now, I'm not in the position to
confirm them.
But if true, just absolutely
incorrigible, that rescuers or,
rescue people try to be rescued,
will come out under fire from
Russian forces, from whatever
firing positions across the
river that they're using.
This is a life and death
situation here, and it's a
situation that is caused by
this devastating flood, that we
want to make sure we give
humanitarian assistance in.
They're so, I can't speak to
whether a zone could be created.
But what I can say is, that the
United States condemns any
violence being perpetrated
against people that are either
trying to rescue their
neighbors and friends and
family, or people who are
seeking rescue.
Absolutely unacceptable.
>> Absolutely indeed.
Ukraine, as you know, is
advancing around back in that,
the sources tell CNN Ukraine
has suffered heavy losses of
troops, and U.S. Supplied
equipment, at least in recent
days.
Our setbacks right now to be
expected?
>> Well, I don't want to get
into specifics in terms of
casualties or military
operations wolf.
That's really for the
Ukrainians to speak to.
This is war though, and there
is, as Sam rightly just
reported there, there is some
heavy fighting around Mcleod.
And there is fighting elsewhere
around that front, that arches
all the way for the donbas down
to zaporizhzhia.
And certainly it's to be
expected that there could be
casualties in this increased
bakhmut fighting.
What we're going to be focused
on is making sure that if and
when and how, president
zelenskyy wants to fight along
that line or any other line,
that he's got the support he
needs.
Not just in the United States,
but from 50 other partners.
And you saw prime minister
sunak here at the white house,
meet with president Biden.
They both spent a lot of time
talking today about Ukraine,
and what we can do to continue
to make sure that they are
ready for the weeks and months
ahead.
>> And that support is so
impressive.
As you know, president Biden
also today vowed U.S. Support
to Ukraine will continue.
But as you know, the house
foreign affairs committee
chairman, acknowledged that it
will be in his words, extremely
difficult to pass supplemental
funding, if Ukraine isn't
making gains out there on the
battlefield.
Is he right?
>> Well look, we've had
terrific support from both
chambers of comp congress, and
both parties over the last 15
months.
And the president has said he
expects that support will
continue.
Because, members of congress,
they understand what's at stake
here.
And certainly inside Ukraine,
but also on the European
continent.
So we're not at a point now
where we feel like we can go
back for supplemental funding.
We've got enough funds to get
us through this fiscal year,
and we're gonna continue to
keep at.
And you're gonna see, in the
coming days, additional support
coming from United States alone
for Ukraine and their
battlefield leads.
If and when we get to the point
where we feel like we've got to