Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his military commanders are in a “positive mood” as a long-anticipated counteroffensive gets underway. Official details on the counteroffensive are scant; Ukraine’s military has repeatedly said it wants to preserve the element of surprise. Analysts said Ukraine appears to be attacking on several fronts, including Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region and Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region.
In Moscow, a U.S. citizen has been taken into custody, according to a court statement.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
Putin wanted Kherson. Now, residents say Russia is trying to destroy it: Kherson was invaded by Russians and occupied for months. A billboard, echoing a sentiment of Russian President Vladimir Putin, once read: “Russia is here forever,” reports Samantha Schmidt and Serhii Korolchuk.
But once Ukraine refused to surrender Kherson, Putin seemed determined to destroy it.
“Russia is using a tactic of scorched land,” said Serhii Kindra, a Kherson resident and former emcee whose 13-year-old son was killed by a cluster bomb in November, just days after they celebrated the liberation of their city.
Natalia Abbakumova, Francesca Ebel, Samantha Schmidt and Serhii Korolchuk contributed to this report.
