Ukrainian forces have started a long-awaited counteroffensive to regain territory in the south seized by Russian forces since their invasion six months ago, the country’s southern command spokeswoman has said.
“Today we started offensive actions in various directions, including in the Kherson region,” Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne cited Natalia Humeniuk as saying.
She declined to give details of the counteroffensive, saying Russian forces in southern Ukraine remained “quite powerful”.
Humeniuk also said that Ukraine had struck more than 10 ammunition dumps in the past week, adding they had “unquestionably weakened the enemy”.
The governor of Ukraine’s Russian-annexed Crimea Peninsula, Sergei Aksyonov, dismissed her announcement as “another fake of Ukrainian propaganda”. Crimea is adjacent to the Kherson region.
