Ukrainian forces have reportedly recaptured three villages within the southeast from Russian control, marking the first liberated settlements since launching a counteroffensive. In an unverified video published by Ukraine’s 68th Jaeger Brigade, soldiers raised the Ukrainian flag within the Donetsk region’s village of Blahodatne. Valeriy Shershen, spokesperson for Ukraine’s “Tavria” navy sector, introduced the initial outcomes of the counteroffensive actions on television.
The village of Blahodatne is positioned on the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions, just south of the Kyiv-controlled village of Velyka Novosilka. Myroslav Semeniuk, spokesman for the brigade, knowledgeable The Associated Press that an assault group captured six Russian troops after getting into buildings where approximately 60 soldiers were hiding. The subsequent village targeted for reclamation is Urozhayne, adopted by further advances southward.
In response, Russian navy bloggers with close ties to the Kremlin claimed that Blahodatne was abandoned because of fears of encirclement. Ukrainian forces also regained control of Makarivka, the neighbouring village, and advanced between 300 and 1,500 metres alongside two instructions on the southern front, according to Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar. Additionally, a Ukrainian territorial defence unit shared unverified footage on Telegram of soldiers raising their flag in Neskuchne, the village closest to Ukrainian positions within the area.
Despite these stories, the Russian defence ministry maintained that it was repelling Ukrainian attacks in the area. Economical stated that Ukrainian offensive operations on the southern Donetsk and Zaporizhia entrance lines over the previous 24 hours had been unsuccessful. However, with restricted info and minimal independent reporting from the entrance traces, verifying the battlefield scenario stays challenging.
The southeastern region, presently occupied by Russian forces, is taken into account a priority for Kyiv’s forces, who might goal to threaten Russia’s land bridge to the annexed Crimean Peninsula and divide Russian forces. In the meantime, Russia has constructed in depth fortifications throughout occupied territory in preparation for a possible Ukrainian counterattack utilizing troops skilled and outfitted by the West..