Ukrainian forces have scored more gains in their counteroffensive across a broad front. The troops advanced Monday in the very areas Russia is trying to absorb. Their breakthroughs challenged Russia’s effort to engage fresh troops and its threats to defend incorporated areas by all means, including with nuclear weapons. Ukrainian forces penetrated Moscow’s defenses in the strategic southern Kherson region, one of the four areas Russia is annexing. Ukraine’s advances have become so apparent that even Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman admitted the gains. He cited Ukraine’s numerically superior tank units. Also Monday, Russia released from detention the head of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
As the front lines shifted, the political theater in Moscow continued, with Russia’s lower house of parliament rubber-stamping annexation treaties for Ukraine's Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions to join Russia. The upper house will follow suit Tuesday. This follows annexation “referendums” that the Kremlin orchestrated last week that the U.N. chief and Western nations have said were illegal and fraudulent.
In addition to the Kherson areas that Russia's Defense Ministry cited, other sources showed Ukrainian flags, soldiers deployed or other signs that Kyiv's forces had retaken the villages of Arkhanhelske, Myroliubivka, Khreshchenivka, Mykhalivka and Novovorontsovka. There was no immediate confirmation from Kyiv on the gains.
Still, Russia claimed some success at pushing back. The Moscow-appointed chief of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said Ukrainian troops tried to advance toward Dudchany along the Dnieper’s western bank, seeking to reach a key dam at Nova Kakhovka, but that Russian warplanes destroyed two Ukrainian battalions and halted the offensive. Saldo also said Russian forces fended off Ukraine's attempted inroads into the Kherson region from Mykolaiv and Kryvyi Rih.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ukrainian troops claim gains in Russia-annexed regionUkraine has pressed its counteroffensive in the Kherson region since the summer.
Read more »
Ukrainian troops claim gains in Russia-annexed regionUkrainian troops pushed forward Monday with their offensive that has embarrassed Moscow, with Kyiv officials and foreign observers hinting at new gains in the strategic southern region of Kherson that the Kremlin wants to annex. Kherson has been one of the toughest battlefields for the Ukrainians, with slower progress when compared with Ukraine's breakout offensive around the country's second largest city of Kharkiv, in the northeast, that began last month. Kherson is one of the four regions illegally annexed by Moscow last week after a “referendum” orchestrated by the Kremlin.
Read more »
Russia smuggling Ukrainian grain to help pay for Putin's warWhen the bulk cargo ship Laodicea docked in Lebanon last summer, Ukrainian diplomats said the vessel was carrying grain stolen by Russia and urged Lebanese officials to impound the ship.
Read more »
Russia saw staggering losses in a single day, according to UkraineUkrainian officials said Russia has lost more than 60,000 troops since the war began.
Read more »
Recovery from Hurricane Ian continues; Russia smuggling Ukrainian grain; ‘Smile’ leads box office | Hot off the Wire podcastFlorida recovering from Ian's devastation, a report finds Russia has stolen $530 million in Ukrainian grain and 'Smile' is the weekend's top movie. Those stories and more on our daily news podcast.
Read more »