KYIV: Ukrainian armed forces have successfully retaken the strategically important village of Urozhaine from Russian forces as part of an ongoing counteroffensive, according to Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar. The village, situated in the eastern Donetsk region, had been under Russian control, and Ukrainian troops are now consolidating their positions following the liberation.
Deputy Defence Minister Malyar announced the development on the Telegram social messaging app, stating, “Urozhaine has been liberated. Our defenders are consolidating their positions. The offensive continues.” This achievement comes after recent gains by Ukrainian forces in the direction of the Russian-held city of Bakhmut.
Reports from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US think tank, indicate that Ukrainian troops are maintaining their counteroffensive efforts across multiple sectors of the front. Advances have been reported in the eastern Luhansk region and the southeastern Zaporizhzhia province. The Ukrainian forces are also continuing their counteroffensive operations towards the southern ports of Melitopol and Berdyansk.
Swarm of Russian Army Drones Detected
The counteroffensive in the southern sector had to overcome a complex three-part defensive line established by Russian forces, according to Ukraine’s Col. Petro Chernyk. The Russian defenses include minefields, artillery, equipment, personnel concentrations, and rear positions designed to preserve resources.
In a separate incident, a swarm of Russian army drones was detected entering the mouth of the Danube river, heading towards the Izmail port near Ukraine’s border with Romania. Air defense systems were activated in response, causing local authorities to issue a temporary air-raid alert.
The significance of the Danube ports to Ukraine’s economy has grown since Russia withdrew from the United Nations-backed Black Sea Grain Initiative. These ports now serve as a crucial route for Ukrainian grain exports, with a quarter of the country’s grain exports passing through these facilities before being transported to Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta for further shipment.
