Ukraine Reclaims Half of Seized Territory from Russia, Blinken Confirms

The Ukrainian military has retaken over 12 square km of territory in southern Ukraine in the past week, bringing the total recaptured since the counteroffensive began to more than 192 square km. The main focus of fighting in the east is around the city of Bakhmut, with Ukrainian forces advancing on its southern flanks while Russian forces cling to the north. The Ukrainian military reported 35 combat clashes in the eastern direction over the past 24 hours. Russia still holds swathes of territory in southern and eastern Ukraine.