Ukraine has kept pace with its territorial gains from last week, liberating the strategic village of Novoselivka in the Donetsk region and enabling the Ukrainian Armed Forces to move further forward and clear several other villages. The area covered by the UAF is said to measure up to 46.4 square kilometres, bringing Ukraine’s total territorial gains this year to more than 600 square kilometres.
Russia is now effectively losing more territory in Ukraine than it is capturing, reversing its winning trend, with Ukraine fighting to gain the upper hand in the frontlines.
Meanwhile, Russia is escalating its airstrikes against Ukrainian civilians by adding more ballistic missiles to its attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated in an interview with CBS that there is not enough anti-ballistic equipment available, and said he is trying to convince the US government to manufacture Patriot air-defence missiles in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president said that the supply of Patriot missiles has been cut short due to the war in Iran.
In the interview, conducted by Face the Nation, President Zelensky also said that Russia proposed the exchanged of Ukrainian children with Russian prisoners of war. Ukraine refused this proposal citing legal reasons and President Zelensky said that Russia should return the abducted children instead of using them as a means of exchange. You can watch the full interview here.
Russia has continued striking Ukrainian cities and civilians, with its attacks on Saturday hitting the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Zakytne, in the Donetsk region.
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