Ukrainian officials have warned that the operation to expel Russian forces from the south of the country will be long and hard, as Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of trying to deter a visit by international inspectors to a nuclear power plant on the frontline.
Heavy explosions continued on Tuesday in Russian-held parts of Kherson region near the Black Sea, a day after Ukraine launched a long-awaited counter-offensive in southern areas that were seized by Moscow’s military soon after its all-out invasion on February 24th.
Ukraine’s armed forces said they were targeting the Russian military’s command posts, fuel and arms depots and key bridges in Kherson region, to wreck its supply lines and hamper its ability to deploy reinforcements or withdraw units across the Dnieper river.
“The hottest news is yet to come, and for now battles are continuing. Therefore ... I urge everyone not to name the liberated settlements in the south of Ukraine, understanding that they remain within range of enemy aircraft and artillery. The local population shouldn’t be exposed to such danger,” said Ukrainian military spokeswoman Natalia Humenyuk.
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Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the nation’s forces had made “breakthroughs” in the south in what he called a “planned, slow operation to grind up the enemy, while preserving the lives of our soldiers and civilians”.
“This thing takes time and effort. So be patient. This process will not be very fast, but it will end with the Ukrainian flag being placed over all the settlements of Ukraine,” he added.
Mr Zelenskiy said there would be no premature announcements about the counter-attack, but told Russian troops that “if they want to survive, it is time ... to flee.”
“Go home. If you are afraid to return to your home in Russia ... then surrender, and we will guarantee compliance with all norms of the Geneva Conventions. If they do not listen to me, they will deal with our defenders, who will not stop until they liberate everything that belongs to Ukraine,” he added.
Moscow’s defence ministry said the Ukrainian military had “failed miserably” in its operation and lost more than 1,200 servicemen and dozens of armoured vehicles.
“The special military operation is continuing. It is continuing methodically, in accordance with existing plans. All aims will be achieved,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
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Moscow says it attacked Ukraine to eliminate “Nazi” elements in the pro-western democracy, to protect the country’s Russian speakers, and to stop it ever hosting Nato bases.
Thousands of civilians have been killed and millions displaced in an invasion that has taken a particular toll on eastern and southern Ukraine, largely Russian-speaking areas that are now partly occupied and where many cities, towns and villages have been devastated.
At least five people were killed and seven wounded on Tuesday when Russian missiles hit Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, and rocket fire killed at least one person in Mykolaiv in the south, a day after a similar attack killed two civilians and injured 24 others in the government-held city.
A team of inspectors from the International Energy Atomic Agency (IAEA) arrived in Kyiv ahead of a planned visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station near the frontline in Russian-occupied southeastern Ukraine.
The warring neighbours trade blame for shelling that has damaged radiation sensors and power lines at Europe’s biggest atomic power plant, and on Tuesday accused each other of escalating attacks in the area to hinder the IAEA safety inspection.
The Kremlin says it supports the IAEA mission but rejects calls from Ukraine, western states and the secretary general of the United Nations to withdraw its troops, heavy weapons and armoured vehicles from the six-reactor facility.
