The General Staff claimed “the command of the Russian occupying forces in the Kherson region is trying to strengthen the city of Kherson by deploying reserves. Thus, new enemy units have been spotted in the regional center.”

It also said the Russians were trying to restore traffic across one of several damaged bridges on the river Dnipro, but the bridge remained under the “fire control” of Ukrainian artillery.
 


Several social media videos show Ukranian forces in different parts of Kharkiv and Kherson mounting Ukraine’s flags. Another video shows locals welcoming Ukranian forces in the city. A separate photo shows Ukranian forces psoing in front of Izium’s sign post.

 
In its first response to the military gains made by Ukrainian forces in the last few days, the Russian Defense Ministry said that “the decision was made to regroup Russian troops” and redirect to Donetsk region.
The most senior Russian government official in the Kharkiv region, Vitaly Ganchev,  provided a bleak assessment of the situation.
In a video message published on Telegram, Ganchev said:
“I again recommend to all citizens of Kharkiv region to leave the territory in order to preserve their lives. It is dangerous right now to be inside of your own homes.”

Ganchev, speaking from an undisclosed location, said, “We are ready to provide you with all the