Here’s What Happened Tonight: Ukraine Reports Success Over Kherson, Zelensky Fires Two Generals | War Ukraine

Ukraine also reports recaptures in the south, in the region of the city of Kherson. Russia had previously announced that it had completely taken the region around the strategically important city.

Last night, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that a number of villages had been recaptured, including the strategically important Novovoronzowka, near a large dam. An advance of Ukrainian troops into the Kherson region could also ease pressure on other key cities like Kryvyi Rih and especially Mykolaiv, military experts say. According to Ukrainian President Zelensky, Russia wanted to re-establish a pro-Russian “people’s republic” around Kherson, following the example of the eastern Ukrainian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

All this, according to observers, can give a distorted picture. In recent days, Russia has been mainly ‘regrouping’, bringing in new reinforcements, including ‘volunteers’ from Syria. At the same time, the Russians would dig in strategically for a prolonged battle.

The first Syrian troops are currently being trained in Russia for deployment on the Ukrainian battlefield, Western sources said.

In his overnight video message, Ukrainian President Zelensky said the fighting is not over and “tough days lie ahead.” In the eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, the situation is currently “extremely difficult,” said Zelenski, who also said he had fired two “anti-heroes”. The Ukrainian president gave no further details, but it would be two generals of the Ukrainian security services.

Zelensky said he doesn’t have time now to “deal with all the traitors, but eventually they will all be punished.” According to the BBC, his anger provided a rare glimpse into the internal dissension in the Ukrainian camp, despite all the unanimity radiated by the president. Earlier, the president accused a number of Ukrainian ambassadors for not being militant enough in gaining support for the Ukrainian cause.

Today, Ukrainians and Russians resume their arduous peace talks online. Ukrainian negotiators are still pushing for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin. This was rejected by Moscow, which believes that a better concept for a peace agreement should first be drawn up on paper. Observers believe that the Russians mainly want to buy time while the Russian armed forces in Ukraine are being supplemented and strengthened. The latter then to focus the battle on the east and south of Ukraine, with a land bridge between Donbas and the previously annexed Crimea seems to be a main goal.

In still hard-fought Mariupol, also in the south, Russian forces are said to have blocked 45 buses carrying civilians. The humanitarian convoy is grounded at Berdyansk, about 75 km west of Mariupol. The US government has released aerial photos showing Russia deliberately bombing grain storage complexes. At least six grain warehouses are said to have been affected in the last week.