Russian forces retreat following short Ukrainian offensive

Ukrainian forces have liberated the southeastern village of Rivnopil from Russian control, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Monday.

Rivnopil lies west of a cluster of settlements that Ukraine says it recaptured from Russian forces earlier this month after launching a counteroffensive.

“Ukrainian Defence forces have brought Rivnopil back under our control. We are moving ahead,” Maliar wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

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Maliar said in an earlier statement that Ukrainian forces had liberated about 130 square km (50 square miles) in South Ukraine since the counterattack began.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, still holds swathes of territory in the east and south.