Ukraine claims counteroffensive success to ‘starve the Russians’

Counterattack on Russian-held territory in southern Ukraine has succeeded in wrestling again cities from Moscow’s troops, president says.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed battlefield successes throughout this forces’ counteroffensive towards Russian troops within the occupied southern area of Kherson.

Zelenskyy thanked his troopers for taking two settlements within the south together with extra territory within the east, citing “good stories” from his army commanders and intelligence chief.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president’s workplace, posted a picture of troopers on Sunday elevating the Ukrainian flag over a village he mentioned was within the southern space, which is the primary focus of the counteroffensive.

“Vysokopillya. Kherson area. Ukraine. At present,” Tymoshenko wrote on Fb over {a photograph} of three troopers on rooftops, certainly one of them fixing a Ukrainian flag.

‘Starve the Russians’

Ukraine started the counteroffensive final week, concentrating on the south, notably the Kherson area, which Russia seized early within the battle.

After Ukrainian forces’ intense shelling of clusters of Russian troops within the area, the Russians banned the motion of residents, the Ukrainian army mentioned on Monday.

“The Ukrainian counteroffensive is making verifiable progress within the south and the east,” mentioned the Institute for the Research of Battle, a Washington, DC-based think-tank.

“The tempo of the counteroffensive will possible change dramatically from day after day as Ukrainian forces work to starve the Russians of crucial provides, disrupt their command and management, and weaken their morale whilst counteroffensive floor assaults proceed.”

Ukrainian Telegram channels reported explosions on the Antonivsky bridge close to the town of Kherson, occupied by Russian forces.

Ukrainian missiles have severely broken the bridge over the previous weeks, however Russian troops had been attempting to restore it or arrange a pontoon crossing or barges to take care of provides to their models.

Russia has launched 25 missile assaults and greater than 22 air raids on army and civilian targets in Ukraine within the final 24 hours, the Ukrainian army assertion added, maintaining its deal with establishing full management over the Donetsk area.

Moscow denied any army progress by Ukrainian troops through the begin of the counterattack final week, saying lots of Kyiv’s troopers had been killed and wounded.

It was not potential for Al Jazeera to independently affirm the claims made by both facet.

Besieged nuclear plant

Russian authorities mentioned the state of affairs was calm across the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine after UN inspectors mentioned it had once more misplaced exterior energy.

Three sturdy explosions had been heard in Enerhodar, the curfew-bound metropolis the place the plant is positioned, however there have been no quick particulars of injury and casualties, Russia’s official TASS information company mentioned on Monday.

Ukrainian troops made two makes an attempt to deploy assault groups within the neighborhood of the town, it mentioned, including they had been utilizing drones, heavy artillery, and rocket-launching techniques.

The final important exterior energy line was reduce off, though a reserve line stored up the electrical energy provide to the grid, the Worldwide Atomic Power Company (IAEA) mentioned. Solely certainly one of its six reactors remained in operation, it mentioned.

Russian troops seized the plant shortly after President Vladimir Putin despatched his military over the border on February 24. It has turn out to be a focus of the battle. Both sides has blamed the opposite for shelling, which has raised fears of a nuclear catastrophe.

Vladimir Rogov, a pro-Russian official within the Zaporizhzhia area, advised Komsomolskaya Pravda radio there had been no shelling or incursions, and IAEA specialists had been anticipated to work on the plant till at the least Monday.