The Ukrainian army has launched a long-awaited counteroffensive in the war with Russia, opening a decisive stage in the confrontation with Moscow’s troops, the Washington Post writes.

Ukrainian forces stepped up attacks on the southeastern front overnight Wednesday, according to several sources in the country’s armed forces, in a major push into Russian-controlled territory. Four military personnel told the Washington Post about this.

The Ukrainian forces include specialized amphibious assault units armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics.

According to the quoted source, the counteroffensive is beginning to intensify against the background of the crisis in the south of Ukraine, in Kherson, after the destruction of the Kakhovskaya HPP and the dam.

“In the conditions of an extremely complex operational picture, heavy battles continue in several areas of the front. In most areas, Ukraine holds the initiative,” the British assessment showed on Thursday morning.

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