Ukrainian troops have broken through the Russian defense line near Bakhmut, the commander of kyiv’s ground troops, General Oleksandr Syrsky, said on Monday, September 18. After the recapture in recent days of the villages of Andriïvka and Klichtchiïvka “the enemy’s defense line has been pierced”, declared the latter, quoted by the army press center. Engaged since the beginning of June in a difficult counter-offensive against Russian fortified lines, Ukrainian forces have increased their pressure over the past two weeks. Follow our live stream.
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kyiv shoots down drones and claims an advance. The Ukrainian army announced that it had shot down 18 drones and 17 missiles launched by Russia overnight from Sunday to Monday. kyiv also claimed the liberation of 7 km2 in the east and south of the country occupied by the Russian army. Since the launch of the counter-offensive, kyiv says it has recaptured 51 km2 around Bakhmut and 262 km2 in the southern part of the front..
Drones shot down by Russian authorities. Russia claimed, during the night from Sunday to Monday, to have shot down several Ukrainian drones in annexed Crimea, in the Moscow region, as well as in those of Belgorod and Voronezh, close to Ukraine. No casualties or damage were reported. “The production workshops of the Kharkiv armored plant were hit by a missile strike”added the Ministry of Defense.
Kim Jong-un delighted with his visit to Ukraine. The North Korean dictator expressed his “heartfelt thanks” to Vladimir Putin after his six days in Russia, the official North Korean agency KCNA reported on Monday. Kim Jong-un wished “prosperity to Russia and well-being to its people”. This visit further consolidated “militant unity” of the two countries, while “opening a new chapter” of their relations, Pyongyang wants to believe.
The human rights situation “has deteriorated significantly” in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, underlined the first report of the expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council.