Ukrainians continued to mount a spirited defense, saying they had recaptured the town of Makariv.
...Ukrainians...said they had raised the blue and gold Ukrainian flag over Makariv, a town about 40 miles away, where control has gone back and forth between Russian forces and Ukrainians. Tuesday’s announcement reflected Ukrainian efforts to keep Russian forces from encircling Kyiv. After 26 days of fighting, a senior U.S. defense department official said that the Russians had not been able to advance beyond nine miles northwest of Kyiv or 18 miles from the city’s east — essentially where they were last week.
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The Ukrainian military is mounting an aggressive counteroffensive to reclaim territory captured by Russia in southern Ukraine, hoping to capitalize on public defiance. The efforts are most evident in captured towns and cities like Kherson...
