Ukraine liberated the villages of Makarivka and Blahodatne in the southeastern Donetsk region, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram, marking what may be the country’s first successes in its long-anticipated counteroffensive. The Washington Post could not confirm whether Russian troops remain in either area. Ukrainian forces continued their attack around the city of Bakhmut and slightly advanced in the northern suburbs, Maliar added.
Here’s the latest on the war and its effects around the world.
Analysis from our correspondents
Ukraine’s counteroffensive could dictate the fate of the war: The long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive appears to be underway, writes Ishaan Tharoor, with operations continuing on at least three fronts: around the besieged city of Bakhmut that Russia previously claimed it captured; in the southeastern Donetsk region of the country; and in parts of the Zaporizhzhia region, which is under Russian control.
Western weapons and firepower have bolstered Ukraine’s capabilities, but experts predict the conflict is likely to drag on. “The offensive will play out over weeks, and likely months,” tweeted Michael Kofman, director of the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses. He added that it is not something that can be judged from a few days of fighting.