Ukraine claims it has broken through Russian lines in a major new counter-offensive in the south as Kyiv forces go on the attack against the invading troops.
According to the ‘Kakhova Ukrainian Military Group, it witnessed the’retreat’ of pro-Russian separatist fighters in Kherson.
Russian forces seized Kherson on March 3, the first major city to fall following Putin’s barbaric invasion.
According to Kyiv, their long-awaited maneuver was completed today by the Southern Military Command.
According to Sergey Khlan, who was local adviser and deputy of the regional governor, “Today there were powerful artillery attacks on enemy posts in… all territory of the Kherson region,” Pryamyi TV reported.
“This announcement is what we’ve been waiting for, it’s the start of de-occupation in the Kherson Region.
Ukraine launched an offensive against Russian troops in the south and attacked Russia. (pictured: Yesterday’s Donetsk servicemen).
Khlan stated that the Ukrainian forces now have a ‘victory’ at the southern front.
In an attempt to disrupt logistics for Russia’s military, several strikes have been launched in the area in recent weeks.
Khlan claimed that Kyiv’s forces would recapture the region by late July.
Natalia Humeniuk from the Southern Command stated that the recent attacks on Russia’s Southern logistical routes by Ukraine have ‘unquestionably weakened the enemy’ and that there had been more than 10 Russian ammunition dumps in the area over the course of the week.
But she refused to divulge more about the new offensive.
“Any military operation requires silence,” she stated, noting that Russia’s south forces are ‘rather strong’ and had been built up for a while.
Russia captured vast swathes in Ukraine’s South near the Black Sea Coast, including Kherson in the initial phase of war, contrasted with its unsuccessful attempt to capture Kyiv.
Ukraine is using Western-supplied sophisticated weapons to strike Russian ammunition dumps.
Humeniuk said Monday in a briefing, that Ukraine had destroyed more than 10 of these ammunition dumps during the week. He also stated that they had “unquestionably weakened the enemy”.
Although she declined to provide details about the counter-offensives, she stated that Russian forces in south Ukraine were still ‘quite strong’.
Today’s rocket bombardment in Kharkiv saw the destruction of buildings.
Sergei Aksyonov was the governor of Ukraine’s Russian-annexed Crimea Peninsula. He dismissed Telegram’s announcement of a counter-offensive, calling it a ‘fake of Ukrainian propaganda. The Kherson region is bordered by Crimea.
As a U.N. watchdog for nuclear safety, a group headed to Ukraine in order to inspect Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant. The plant was captured by Russian forces but remains under control by Ukrainian staff. This nuclear facility has been a major focus of the conflict.
Moscow and Kyiv exchanged accusations about shelling near the nuclear plant. It is Europe’s biggest and most important weapon of war. There are also fears of a radiological disaster for a nation still haunted from the 1986 Chornobyl catastrophe.
The IAEA said the mission would assess physical damage, evaluate the conditions in which staff are working at the plant and ‘determine functionality of safety & security systems’. It will also perform ‘urgent safeguards activities’ which are responsible for keeping track of any nuclear material.
On Monday, the Kremlin stated that the IAEA mission was “necessary” and asked the international community for pressure on Ukraine to lower military tensions at this plant.
United Nations, USA and Ukraine called for the immediate withdrawal of all military personnel and equipment from the nuclear facility to prevent it becoming a potential target. However, the Kremlin has ruled out exiling the facility.
Unidentified location in Ukraine, a Russian military serviceman launches a man-portable antitank guided ballistic missile called ‘Kornet’.
During the fight for Blagodatnoye in Mykolayiv, Russian soldiers stand by
Zaporizhzhia officials are giving out iodine tablets to residents in preparation for a possible nuclear accident.
The Ukrainian military had earlier reported that it shelled nine other towns located on the Dnipro side from the plant.
Russian news media reported that Russia’s defense ministry had claimed it shot down the Ukrainian drone trying to target its nuclear power station. The ministry said that no significant damage had occurred and that radiation levels are normal.
Reuters was unable to independently confirm the claims.
Shelling caused two reactors of the plant to be disconnected from the electric grid last week.
Energoatom, the Ukrainian nuclear state company Energoatom stated that it has no additional information regarding attacks against the plant.
Russian forces attacked civilian and military infrastructure in the Donetsk area of eastern Ukraine.
Pavlo KYrylenko, the governor of Donetsk said that eight civilians were killed by Russian bombings on Sunday.
Russia denies targeting civilians.