Ukraine claimed Monday that it took several more villages, pushing Russian forces right back to the northeastern border, part of a lightning counteroffensive that forced Moscow to withdraw troops from some areas in recent days.
KHARKIV, Ukraine —
It was not yet clear if Ukraine's latest blitz could signal a turning point in the war — though some analysts suggested it might be while also cautioning there would likely be months more fighting. Momentum has switched back and forth before.The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Monday that its troops had liberated more than 20 settlements within the past day.
“Do you still think you can intimidate, break us, force us to make concessions?" Zelenskyy asked. “Cold, hunger, darkness and thirst for us are not as scary and deadly as your ‘friendship’ and brotherhood.’"Meanwhile, in Russia, there were some signs of disarray as Russian military bloggers and patriotic commentators chastised the Kremlin for failing to mobilize more forces and take stronger action against Ukraine.
In a reminder of the war's toll, a council member in Izium — one of the areas that Russia said it has withdrawn troops from — accused those forces of killing civilians and other committing atrocities. The Russians continued shelling Nikopol across the Dnieper from the Zaporizhzhia power plant, damaging several buildings there and leaving Europe's largest nuclear facility in a precarious position. The last operational reactor in that plant has been shut down in a bid to prevent a radiation disaster as fighting raged nearby.