Ukraine has confirmed that its forces regained control of three villages from Russian troops in the southeast of the country. This marks the first settlements declared liberated since launching a counteroffensive days ago. Soldiers raised the Ukrainian flag on a damaged building in an unverified video released by the 68th brigade, identifying the village as Blahodativka in the Donetsk region. A spokesperson for one of the Ukrainian army sectors stated on television, "We see the first results of the counteroffensive movements."
The spokesperson noted that the village is located at the edges of the Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions, just a few kilometers south of the village of Velyka Novosilka, which is under Kyiv's control. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar later stated in a statement that Kyiv's forces also regained control of Makaryivka, a neighboring village, and advanced between 300 to 1500 meters in two directions along the southern front. A Ukrainian defense unit also posted unverified footage on Telegram showing its soldiers raising the flag in Neskuchne, the closest village to the Ukrainian positions in the area.
Maliar added, "No positions have been lost in the directions where our forces are taking a defensive stance." Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled that Kyiv had launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive to reclaim territory in the east and south from Russian control, emphasizing that "counteroffensive and defensive operations" are already underway.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the Ukrainian military's offensive has been ongoing for some time but has failed to break through Russian defense lines and suffered heavy losses. Kyiv officials have imposed a strict silence regarding the operations and urged Ukrainians not to disclose any information that could jeopardize the efforts.
The occupied southeast is considered a potential priority for Kyiv's forces as they may try to threaten Russia's land bridge to the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which could divide Russian troops into two parts. Makaryivka is located about 90 kilometers northwest of the city of Mariupol, which overlooks the Sea of Azov at the southern end of the land bridge. Russia captured Mariupol last year after besieging and bombing it for several weeks.
Russia has built massive fortifications in the occupied areas to prepare for the counteroffensive by Kyiv, which involves thousands of Western-trained and armed troops. Maliar also stated that Ukrainian forces continue offensive operations in the east near the devastated city of Bakhmut, advancing 250 meters near the Birkhivka reservoir. Russia claimed to have taken control of Bakhmut last month after the longest and bloodiest battles since the invasion began in February 2022, but Kyiv stated that it is regaining control over some areas on the outskirts of the city.
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that an investigation by the International Criminal Court into the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam and the massive flooding it caused has already begun. In his evening video address, Zelensky stated, "Representatives of the International Criminal Court visited the Kherson region in recent days." He added, "On the first day after the disaster, the Office of the Prosecutor General sent a request to the International Criminal Court for an investigation into this disaster, and work has already begun." Zelensky emphasized the importance of international legal experts witnessing the disaster's aftermath, including the bombardment incidents in the flooded areas. Authorities reported that three people were killed on Sunday in Russian shelling of boats evacuating residents. The president noted that Ukrainian rescue teams had evacuated around 4,000 people from the affected areas, including areas on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River occupied by Russia.
