After major losses of territory since the Russian invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has replaced the commander of the armed forces in eastern Ukraine. The head of state fired Hryhorij Halahan by decree on Monday and installed Viktor Horenko in his place. Major General Halahan, 44, has led the special operation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since August 2020. The war there started in 2014.
In his evening video message, Zelenskyi announced that Halahan would be handed over to the Secret Service. Accordingly, he was appointed deputy head of the counter-terror center of the Ukrainian secret service SBU.
After the Russian invasion in February, Ukraine has now completely lost control of the Luhansk region. About 50 percent of the adjacent Donetsk region was captured by Russian forces. Before February 24, just under 30 percent of the areas were controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Selenskyj had recently complained that Kiev no longer controlled 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.
Meanwhile, the General Staff in Kiev reported that Russian units had had success at the Wuhlehirsk coal-fired power station. On the other hand, attacks towards the towns of Bakhmut and Siwersk were repulsed on the adjacent sector of the front. Russian attacks in the Kharkov region also failed. Several dozen places, especially in the Kharkov and Donetsk regions, were shelled by artillery or bombed by the Luftwaffe.
UN: More than 5200 dead civilians have been registered so far
Since the Russian invasion five months ago, the United Nations has officially recorded more than 5,200 civilian deaths. However, significantly more people died in the war.
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.
