Second day continues The long-awaited counter-offensive of Ukraine on the Southern Front in order to recapture Kherson and other areas conquered by the Russians in the early days and weeks of the invasion, bringing the conflict out of the stalemate that had reigned in recent times.

According to Kyiv, the Ukrainian army “broke through the lines” of the Russians and fighting rages in the region.

“Strong explosions occurred during the day (last Monday) and during the night in the Kherson region. “Violent conflicts rage almost throughout the region,” the Ukrainian president noted at a morning briefing.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an offensive in various directions,” the president continued, saying that “a number of ammunition depots” and “all the main bridges” through which vehicles can cross the Dnieper have been destroyed.

For its part, the Kremlin responded to what Zelensky mentioned earlier. The President of Ukraine stressed that Ukraine would liberate all occupied territories and called on Russian soldiers to leave the region if they wanted to survive.

Commenting on the above, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, said that “the special operation continues and continues methodically, in full accordance with what was planned. All goals will be achieved.”

Last night, Moscow said it had “repulsed” an “attack attempt” by Ukrainian forces in Kherson and Mykolaiv regions in southern Ukraine, saying it had dealt “heavy blows” against Ukrainians.

Why is Kherson important?

Kherson has been at the center of the fighting in recent weeks. But why are the Ukrainians fighting so hard to get it back against the Russians who are fighting to maintain control?

According to the BBC, the obvious explanation is the location of the city in the south of Ukraine, on the Black Sea and at the mouth of the Dnieper.

Considered an important port city, Kherson is located just 100 kilometers from Russian-occupied Crimea, providing access to vital shipping lanes.

A little to the east of the city is the beginning of the North Crimean Canal, through which significant volumes of water enter the Russian-annexed peninsula.

Kherson effectively acts as a bridge between the Crimean peninsula and the rest of Ukraine. In addition, Kherson is still the only major city captured and held by the Russian army throughout the war.

Russians attack Kharkov.

At the same time, at least five people were killed and seven injured today as a result of Russian shelling of the center of Kharkiv (northeast), Ukraine’s second largest city.

“The Russian occupying forces shelled areas in the center of Kharkov. There is damage, ”Oleg Sinegubov, the governor of the region, said on Telegram, citing initial data on four dead and four wounded and urging residents to seek shelter.

Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov later spoke on Telegram about five dead and seven wounded.

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city with nearly 1.4 million inhabitants before the war, is often bombarded by Russian troops, who never succeeded in capturing it. Authorities estimate that hundreds of civilians have died in Kharkiv Oblast, which borders Russia, since the start of the war.

with information from Reuters, BBC, AFP