As the advance continued, Ukraine’s border guard services said the army was in control of Vovchansk – a town just two miles (three kilometers) from Russia, and perhaps crucial for morale, which was captured on the first day of the war . Moscow acknowledged that it had recently withdrawn from areas in the northeastern region of Kharkiv – and that troops were also withdrawing from Melitopol, the second-largest city in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region. The city’s previous mayor, Ivan Fedorov, wrote on Telegram that Russian troops were heading toward Moscow-annexed Crimea. And he said columns of military equipment were reported at a checkpoint in Chonhar, a village that marks the border between the Crimean peninsula and mainland Ukraine. All Ukraine war updates – live Melitopolis has been occupied since the beginning of March. Taking it would give Kyiv the opportunity to disrupt Russian supply lines between the south and the eastern Donbas region, the two major areas where Moscow-backed forces hold ground. In his nightly address to his nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “stabilization measures” had been taken in liberated towns and villages. “Remnants of occupiers and sabotage groups are being identified, collaborators are being arrested and full security is being restored,” he said, adding that border guards had been sent to protect “the state border in the liberated area.” “It is very important that together with our troops, with our flag, an ordinary, normal life enters the occupied territory,” he said. Image: Ukrainian flags have been raised over buildings scarred by the fighting. Photo: Telegram via Reuters Read more: Ukrainian forces recapture 6,000 square kilometers of homeland – and thousands of Russian POWs, reports say The country’s officials were alarmed, releasing videos showing their forces burning Russian flags and inspecting abandoned, charred tanks. Image: A Ukrainian soldier tears down a Russian banner, in Vovchansk Pic: State Border Service of Ukraine In one video, border guards tore down a poster that read: “We are one people with Russia.” British intelligence reports said one of Russia’s top forces, the 1st Guards Tank Army, had been “severely degraded” during the invasion, along with conventional Russian forces designed to counter NATO. “It will likely take years for Russia to rebuild this capability,” officials said. The setback may renew Russia’s interest in peace talks, said Abbas Gallyamov, an independent Russian political analyst and former Putin speechwriter. But even if Putin were sitting at the negotiating table, President Zelensky has made it clear that Russia must return all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, Galyamov said. Eyewitness: Bodies left to rot as people describe burying neighbors – life in a liberated village Experts also warn that the momentum has shifted and Ukraine’s allies have been careful not to declare early victory, as Russian President Vladimir Putin still has troops and resources at his disposal. In Washington, President Biden told reporters it was clear the Ukrainians had made “significant progress.” But he stopped short of saying the recent successes were a turning point in the war, saying “the question is unanswered, it’s hard to say.” “I think it will be a long distance,” he added. Facing its biggest defeat since its failed bid to capture Kyiv early in the war, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said troops were retaliating with “massive blows” on all fronts. But there were no immediate reports of a sudden increase in Russian attacks. In the wake of the apparent retreat, Ukrainian authorities have moved into various areas to investigate alleged atrocities committed by Russian troops against civilians. Image: Volodymyr Zelenskyy with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Kyiv The consolidation of territorial gains comes as the US State Department revealed that more than £260 million has been secretly spent by Russia to try to influence politicians and other officials in more than a dozen countries since 2014. The department took the unusual step of releasing a diplomatic cable signed by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that was sent on Monday to several US embassies and consulates abroad, many of them in Europe, Africa and South Asia, outlining the concerns. The cable, which was marked “sensitive” and not intended for a foreign audience but was not classified, contained a series of talking points that US diplomats were instructed to raise with their host governments regarding alleged Russian interference.
