Ukraine claims 8 villages have been retaken from Russian forces in 2 weeks
Ukraine said on Monday it has reclaimed a new village from Russia — its eighth over the course of two weeks of “offensive operations.”
Kyiv’s soldiers held up yellow and blue national flags in a video, which claimed they were in Piatykhatky, a village en route to one of the most heavily fortified Russian positions in the south.
“The forces of 128 assault brigade chased out the Russians from the village of Piatykhatky. The Russians ran away leaving equipment and ammunition. Glory to Ukraine!” an unidentified soldier said.
Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-installed official, also said Sunday that Ukraine had taken control of the village of Piatykhatky in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
Rogov later said Moscow pushed them out — but by Monday morning Ukraine was attacking again.
Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar on Monday refuted the claim that Moscow had pushed Ukrainian forces out, asserting that Ukraine had not only taken back Piatykhatky but advanced over four miles into Russian lines in two weeks.
Ukrainian forces have reclaimed an area of about 44 square miles in the south, Maliar said.
“In the course of two weeks of offensive operations in the Berdiansk and Melitopol directions, eight settlements were liberated,” Maliar said on Telegram, referring to two significant cities on the Russian-held coastline.
The two villages are substantial gains for Ukraine, as the country has started breaking through lines Moscow has spent months strengthening.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy lauded the efforts of the troops and said he would continue talks with Western allies to get additional weapons and ammunition supplies.
“Our troops are advancing, position by position, step by step, we are moving forward,” he said on Sunday. “The main thing is the speed of supply.”
Meanwhile, Russia has said its repelled numerous attacks and released a video showing what it claims is captured Western equipment.
Another video showed Russian soldiers packing defunct, Soviet-era tanks with devastating explosives and rolling them directly into Ukrainian positions in the latest desperate attempt by the Kremlin to gain an advantage on the battlefield.
With Ukraine’s counteroffensive underway, both sides are suffering high numbers of military casualties, with Russia experiencing the highest level since the battle for Bakhmut in March, according to UK military officials.
“The enemy’s ‘wave-like’ offensives yielded results, despite enormous losses,” Rogov said on Telegram.
According to Rogov, heavy fighting has persisted in the region, though there has been no official word on the action from Ukraine.
With Post wires.
