After the withdrawal of Russian troops, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the liberated part of eastern Ukraine. “Our blue-and-yellow flag is flying over the liberated Izyum,” the head of state said on social networks on Wednesday. Selenskyj announced a further advance of the Ukrainian army. “We are only going in one direction – forward and to victory,” the 44-year-old emphasized.
Photos show Zelenskyy in Izyum with Ukrainian soldiers. “The President of Ukraine thanked the soldiers for liberating Ukrainian lands and solemnly hoisted the Ukrainian flag over the city parliament,” the Sicheslav 25th Separate Airborne Brigade said on Facebook.
Alongside the announcement, she posted photos of Zelenskyy, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar and senior military officials at the ceremony.
Izyum in the Kharkiv region was only recaptured last week as part of a Ukrainian counter-offensive. The important transport hub is considered the gateway to the industrial district of Donbass and had more than 40,000 inhabitants before the war.
Ukraine plans offensive on Luhansk
Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych had previously announced a new offensive in the eastern province of Luhansk. “There is now an attack on Lyman and there could be a push on Siversk,” Arestovych said.
More than 4000 square kilometers of land reclaimed
Ukraine now has full control of more than 4,000 square kilometers of territory recaptured from Russian forces. The country is also stabilizing its control of another 4,000 square kilometers, Zelenskyj said in his daily video address on Tuesday.
Putin wanted war despite possible NATO deal with Ukraine
Meanwhile, new explosive details about Vladimir Putin’s strategy have emerged. The Russian president apparently decided to attack the country despite concessions from Ukraine on the controversial issue of joining NATO. According to Reuters, his top envoy to Ukraine had told him he had reached an interim agreement with Kiev that would allay Russian concerns. Putin decided to invade anyway, said three people close to the Kremlin.
Before the war, Putin had repeatedly claimed that NATO was getting closer to Russia’s borders by admitting new members into Eastern Europe and that the alliance was preparing to bring Ukraine under his rule as well. This poses an existential threat to Russia and forces Russia to respond.
Fines and jail time for Ukrainian “battle song” in Crimea
Meanwhile, a court in the Russian-annexed Crimea peninsula has handed down prison terms for playing a Ukrainian song at a wedding. The court in the city of Bakhchisarai ordered six “wedding organizers and participants” to receive between five and 15 days in prison and fines of more than 800 euros, local media reported Wednesday. The song has been called a “battle song of Ukrainian nationalists”.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
