Ukraine retakes village in ‘first outcomes’ of counterattack

By Tom Balmforth

KYIV (Reuters) – Kyiv’s troops stated on Sunday that they had recaptured a village from Russian forces in Ukraine’s southeast, the primary liberated settlement they’ve claimed since launching a counterattack this week.

Troopers hoisted the Ukrainian flag at a bombed-out constructing in an unverified video printed by Ukraine’s 68th Jaeger Brigade, which recognized the settlement as Blahodatne in Donetsk area.

“We’re seeing the primary outcomes of the counter-offensive actions, localized outcomes,” Valeryi Shershen, spokesperson for Ukraine’s “Tavria” navy sector, stated on tv.

He stated the village lay on the sting of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzia areas just a few kilometres south of the Kyiv-controlled village of Velyka Novosilka.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday gave his strongest sign but that Kyiv has launched its long-awaited counterattack to grab again land within the east and south, confirming that “counteroffensive and defensive operations” had been happening.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Friday {that a} Ukrainian navy push was nicely underway, however that it had failed to date to breach Russian defensive traces and brought heavy casualties.

Kyiv officers have imposed a strict interval of operational silence and urged Ukrainians to not disclose any info that might compromise the operation.

‘KICKING THE ENEMY OUT’

With so little info out of Kyiv and scant unbiased reporting from the entrance traces, it has been virtually unattainable to evaluate the battlefield scenario.

The video from Blahodatne confirmed Ukrainian troops inside a closely broken constructing because the sound of artillery rumbled within the distance.

“We’re kicking the enemy out from our native lands. It is the warmest feeling there’s. Ukraine goes to win, Ukraine above all the pieces,” an unidentified soldier stated within the video on Fb (NASDAQ:).

Russia stated no less than twice this week that it had repelled Ukrainian assaults shut by the close by settlement of Velyka Novosilka.

The occupied southeast is seen as a possible precedence for Kyiv’s forces which will goal to threaten Russia’s land bridge to the annexed peninsula of Crimea and break up Russian forces in half.

Blahodatne is round 95km northwest of town of Mariupol, which lies on the Sea of Azov on the southern rim of the land bridge. Russia captured the foremost metropolis final yr after besieging and bombarding it.

Russia has constructed huge fortifications throughout occupied territory to organize for a Ukrainian counterattack utilizing hundreds of troops educated and outfitted by the West.