Ukrainian forces recaptured a village, the first success claimed after the counter-offensive began
Ukrainian troops announced on Sunday the recapture of a village in southeastern Ukraine previously occupied by Russian forces, the first confirmed liberation since the launch of the counter-offensive this week. In an unverified video released by Ukraine's 68th Jaeger Brigade, which identified the settlement as Blahodatne in the Donetsk region, soldiers can be seen flying the Ukrainian flag on a shelled building, Reuters reports.
"We are seeing the first results of the counter-offensive actions, localised results," said Valeri Seršen, spokesman for Ukraine's "Tavria" military sector, adding that the village is located on the border of Donetsk and Zaporijia regions, a few kilometres south of the Kiev-controlled village of Velika Novosilka.
On Saturday, President Volodimir Zelenski gave the strongest signal yet that the Ukrainian military has launched a long-awaited counteroffensive to retake territory in the east and south, confirming that "counter-offensive and defensive operations" are underway.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that a Ukrainian military operation is underway but has so far failed to overcome Russian defensive lines and has suffered heavy losses.
Kiev officials have imposed a strict period of operational silence and urged the Ukrainians not to reveal any information that could compromise the operation. With so little information from Kiev and few independent reports from the front lines, it is almost impossible to assess the situation on the battlefield.
