Ukrainian forces have been capable of regain management of a Russian-occupied village the place kids lived in a kindergarten basement for greater than two months, in response to the commander in chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi mentioned Monday in a Fbput up that Kutuzívka, which is situated within the Kharkiv area, was free of Russian forces in early Could. About 170 residents have been dwelling within the college's basement, together with 40 kids between the ages of three months and 12 years, the commander in chief wrote.

"Ukrainian troopers who liberated the village offered first help to the locals, shared with them every thing they wanted - water, meals, garments," a translated model of the put up learn. "Our responsibility is to guard our folks and our state. And we carry out it with honor."

Frequent assessments of the Ukraine conflict from the Institute for the Examine of Struggle (ISW) point out that Russian progress in its offensive within the Donbas area has been slow-moving and even dropping floor in some areas due to the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russia, in the meantime, has been touting purported successes within the conflict, such because the destruction of arms equipped to Ukraine by the West. It has additionally asserted that its "particular navy operation" in Ukraine is going fully to plan.

Newsweek reached out to Russia's Protection Ministry in search of affirmation that Kutuzívka had been retaken by Ukrainian troops.

Kharkiv Village Freed From Russian Forces
Ukrainian forces have been capable of regain management of a Russian-occupied village the place kids lived in a kindergarten basement for greater than two months, in response to Ukraine's navy commander. Above, uninhabited condominium buildings in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Could 21.John Moore/Getty Photos

Zaluzhnyi additionally mentioned in his put up that 24 settlements have been free of Russian management within the Kharkiv area, the place the Ukrainian counteroffensive has reported a number of successes in current weeks.

"Day by day, destroying the enemy, liberating cities and villages from the invaders, rebuilding infrastructure, troopers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine put an finish to the crimes of the Russian Federation in opposition to the civilians and stop the fee of recent ones," he wrote.

Zaluzhnyi didn't listing the names of any of the opposite settlements he mentioned had been freed.

As of Monday, the ISW's steadily up to date map on territorial management in Ukraine confirmed that Russia nonetheless holds a strip of land operating from japanese to southern Ukraine. This consists of the self-declared, Russian-backed Donetsk and Luhansk folks's republics within the Donbas within the east and the Kherson area north of Crimea.

The ISW's Russian marketing campaign evaluation for Sunday mentioned that Russian forces have made "solely minimal good points" in japanese Ukraine.

"New reporting confirmed that Russian troops beforehand recaptured Rubizhne in northern Kharkiv Oblast, on Could 19," the evaluation learn. "Russian forces are probably committing extra reinforcements to carry their positions on the west financial institution of the Siverskyi Donets River in northern Kharkiv—slightly than withdrawing throughout the river to make use of it as a defensive place—to stop any additional Ukrainian advances to the north or the east that might threaten Russian strains of communication to the [Izium] axis."

Ukraine has mentioned that the conflict will solely finish as soon as it has regained management of all territory that was taken by Russia.

Newsweek reached out to the protection ministries of Russia and Ukraine for remark.