Ukrainian military says that it had recaptured 14 square kilometres of territory from Russian forces

On Monday, the Ukrainian military announced that it had regained control of 14 square kilometers (five square miles) of territory from Russian forces in the southern and eastern regions of the country over the past week.

According to Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Kovalyov, “Last week, over 10 square kilometers of Ukrainian land were recaptured in the south of Ukraine. In the Bakhmut sector, the Ukrainian military liberated an additional four square kilometers of territory from the Russian invaders.”

Since initiating its counteroffensive last month, Ukraine claims to have recaptured a total of 193 square kilometers.

Russia launched an attack on Ukraine in February of the previous year. Although the Russian forces initially made significant gains, they eventually faced resistance from the Ukrainian military and were forced to retreat.

The Western bloc, led by the United States, has provided Ukraine with substantial humanitarian and military aid, including ammunition, tanks, missile systems, and more. This support, combined with the determination of the Ukrainian forces, is credited with shifting the tide in the conflict.

With the assistance received, Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming territory lost to Russia. Although current predictions favor Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged that the progress of the counteroffensive is slower than expected.

In a tragic incident, the governor of Orikhiv, a Ukrainian aid hub in the south of the country, reported that four people were killed by Russian shelling. The governor, Yuriy Malashko, referred to the incident as a “war crime” and stated that the shelling targeted a residential area where humanitarian aid was being delivered. The victims were identified as three women aged 43, 45, and 47, as well as a 47-year-old man, according to the governor’s social media post.