Ukraine regain Kherson villages from Russians

Ukrainian forces don free one key village for di southern region of Kherson, as dem fasten anoda Russian military retreat.

Di defence ministry for Kyiv post one video wey show di 35th marine brigade dey raise Ukrainian flag above Davydiv Brid, even wit reports say dem don recapture several oda nearby villages.

Russian forces don already dey forced to retreat for Ukraine north-east.

Now , dem don dey push dem back for di south as well.

Dia latest setbacks come as President Vladimir Putin bin dey due to sign into force decrees wey annex four Ukrainian regions, while war dey happun for all four of dem.

Di annexation no get legal backing under international law and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky don declare dem null and void.

President Joe Biden speak with Mr Zelensky on Tuesday and assure am say America no go ever recognise Russian annexation. Dem also discuss $625m (£550m) of US aid, including Himars rocket launchers.

Russia still dey control Kherson city, di regional capital, for di south. But im hold on am dey look like wetin dey shake on di entire area north of di River Dnieper, wey dey known as Dnipro for Ukrainian.

For di past 48 hours, Ukrainian forces don push south along di west bank of di river, and Russian units now don dey forced to pull back from several settlements for di north of Kherson region too.

Mr Zelensky say Ukrainian forces don make “fast, powerful movements” for southern Ukraine and free “dozens of settlements” dis week alone.

“Di Ukrainian flag fly again over di village of Davydiv Brid,” Ukraine defence ministry proclaim for social media. Residents film Ukrainian sojas dey waka through di village.

For im Tuesday evening address, Mr Zelensky say di villages of Lyubymivka, Khreshchenivka, Zolota Balka, Bilyaivka, Ukrainka, Velyka Oleksandrivka and Mala Oleksandrivka don also dey liberated and freed, and say dat na “far from being di whole list”.

Ukraine deputy interior minister Yevhen Enin say 50 towns and villages don dey recaptured and some 3,500 citizens don dey freed for Kherson, but e no say over what period.

Di defence ministry tok later say Russian forces bin dey demoralised and dey try to destroy bridges in an attempt to slow down di Ukrainian advance.

One Kremlin-installed official for Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, tell residents say: “There is no reason to panic.”

No immediate confirmation say villages to di north-east of Davydiv Brid don also fall and Russia military spokesman no mention am.

But on maps dem use to show Russian control, e dey clear say e no longer include di villages of Arkhanhelske and Velyka Oleksandrivka for di north-east of di region, and of Dudchany on di bank of di Dnieper.

Russian military blogger Rybar say di army decide to pull back becos e dey at risk of being encircled. “E no dey entirely clear wia di new line of contact go be,” e tok.

Kherson deputy Mayor Roman Holovnia wey dem exile say: “Many settlements destroy – some settlements almost no get undestroyed buildings left.”

E add say residents of di city dey wait for Ukrainian forces, for di knowledge dem dey advance.

Of di 320,000 pipo ey dey leave dia before di war, only 100,000 na im dey left, Mr Holovnia tok.

Ukrainian forces don target Russian supply lines for di Kherson area for weeks, destroying di few bridges across di river. But di advance southwards until now don dey slow. Russia capture Kherson sharp-sharp for di beginning of di war, as dem dey pour into di region from di Crimean peninsula, wey dey annexed for 2014.

Ukraine get success for Kharkiv for di north-east and for Donetsk, on Saturday dem seize di strategically important Lyman. Di town na part of Donetsk but e dey seen as di gateway to Luhansk, wey be region under almost complete Russian occupation.

BBC Orla Guerin, reporting from Lyman, say few civilians na im remain dia for now, while di bodies of several Russian sojas lay in dia uniforms outside di town.

Kherson, Luhansk and Donetsk dey among di Ukrainian regions wey dey illegally annexed by Russia, but di triumphalism of Vladimir Putin proclamation last Friday dey look increasingly premature.

One Russian blogger publish accounts by two men e describe as fighters from Luhansk Russian proxy force wey narrowly escape being surrounded near Lyman last week.

“We comot from Lyman, but na just us – no munitions, notin. Everytin dey burned up. All our friends and comrades stay dia [dead],” na so one of di men, Mikhei tok.

Russia so far don mobilise more dan 200,000 troops since President Putin give di order last month, according to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Di initial target of di “partial mobilisation” na 300,000, but di recruitment drive don dey overshadowed by stories of Russians wey dey try to escape di draft or wey dem dey give bad equipment wen dem join.

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Kazakhstan alone don report say more dan 200,000 Russians now don cross im borders for di past two weeks.