Ukraine has recaptured nearly 2,500 square kilometers of territory held by Russian forces in its latest counteroffensive, launched in late September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday.
“This week alone, our soldiers liberated 776 square kilometers of territory and 29 villages in the east of the country, including six in Lugansk province. In total, 2,434 square kilometers of our territory and 96 villages have been liberated since the start of this offensive. ” , Zelensky said during his usual video message, published on social networks.
Ukraine has made a second major attempt in recent days to reclaim territory in the Kharkov region to the northeast, as well as to the south, near Kherson, a city controlled by Moscow forces.
In mid-September, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had managed to reclaim 6,000 square kilometers of Russian-controlled territory.
However, Russian forces announced this Friday that they had succeeded in taking control of territory in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, in what is the first claim of new conquests since Kiev advanced with a lightning-fast counteroffensive that shook the country. attempt.
Also this Friday, Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized in an interview with the BBC station that the regime led by Vladimir Putin began to “prepare his society” for the possible use of nuclear weapons.
“They don’t know if they’re going to use them or not. In fact, I think it’s dangerous to talk about it,” Zelensky insisted during a taped interview in his Kiev office, adding that the Kremlin isn’t ready yet, but they already have started communicating their intent.
Zelensky further clarified that he was not calling for preemptive strikes against Russia, but was advocating preemptive strikes, citing economic sanctions.
with Lusa
News updated at 00:29
Source: DN
