Kyiv regains territory from Moscow amid Russia-Ukraine war

As the Russia-Ukraine war is claiming lives on both sides, forcing millions to flee to Eastern Europe, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that his soldiers had taken control of territory from Moscow's forces in an eastern village on the south of Bakhmut. 

During his video, Volodymyr Zelensky said: "Today I would like to particularly commend the soldiers who, step by step, are returning to Ukraine what belongs to it, namely in the area of Bakhmut."

The regained area was acquired by the Russian forces after the heavy fighting in May, after Russia's special military operation began in February 2022.

Ukrainian President's chief of staff wrote on Telegram: "Ukraine always gets its own back."

While thanking his forces, Zelensky applauded the successful units which he said were the 80th airborne assault brigade, the 5th assault brigade, the "glorious 95th" and a national police assault brigade. "Klischiivka," he said. "Well done."

In a video shared by Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar, it showed Ukrainian forces displaying flags including the blue and yellow national flag with ruined buildings and the sound of ongoing fighting in the background.

She wrote on the Telegram: "Russia was still trying to regain lost positions despite the village's liberation. Today we had to fight off enemy attacks all day."

Commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, also confirmed the gains which Russia claimed control of in January, had a pre-war population of around 400, and is around six miles (nine km) south of Bakhmut.

Ilia Yevlash, the spokesperson for Ukrainian troops in the east, said: "The battle inflicted powerful damage on Russian airborne units, the Akhmat battalion of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Storm-Z made up of Russian criminals, the Russian General Staff's military intelligence, and motorised rifle units."

"So, now we have gained a base that will allow us to continue to develop offensive actions and liberate our land from the invaders," he wrote on the Telegram.

Russia shoots down drones

Separately, Russian news agency TASS reported Sunday that the Russian Defence Ministry has thwarted three Ukrainian drones with the help of the air defence systems over Crimea.

The Russian ministry was quoted as saying in the report: "At about 8:30am Moscow time on September 17, the Kyiv regime’s attempted terrorist attack on facilities in Russia’s territory with the use of plane-type unmanned aerial vehicles was thwarted." 

The statement of the ministry added: "Two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by air defence systems over the southwestern part of the Crimean Peninsula." 

The outlet also stated in its report that at about 9:30pm another Ukrainian drone was downed over southwestern Crimea.

Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev wrote on his Telegram channel that no damage to the city’s infrastructure was reported.

Earlier this month, amid Russia-Ukraine, Kyiv confirmed that its forces carried out a drone attack on the city of Pskov’s airport saying its military intelligence (GUR) was behind the assault that caused damage to four Il-76 transport planes.

Media reports underline that the damaged Russian planes were long-range cargo ones that are crucial to supplying troops and equipment to the battlefield at long distances, proving to be an asset for Moscow’s forces.

At the time of the attack Wednesday, Regional Governor Mikhail Vedernikov said an airport in the Russian city of Pskov came under attack by drones, and the defence forces have thwarted the assault.

Pskov is located about 700 kilometres north of Ukraine, and 30 kilometres from the border of Nato member Estonian. Latvia is about 60 kilometres southwest of the city.