Kyiv says it has liberated four villages - the first since President Zelensky announced the offensive.
  • Ukraine says it has liberated four villages in the south-east, calling these the first settlements won back from Russia since Kyiv’s counter-offensive began
  • On Monday morning, officials reported that “the national flag is once again waving” over Storozhove, in the Donetsk region
  • A day earlier, footage showed Ukrainian troops celebrating in Blahodatne and Neskuchne - and a minister said nearby Makarivka was also taken
  • The settlements are relatively small - and Moscow is yet to confirm any retreat
  • The Institute for the Study of War backs up Kyiv’s claims, saying Ukraine captured “multiple settlements” along the frontline over the weekend
  • On Saturday, President Zelensky acknowledged that the long-awaited counter-offensive was under way