The Ministry of Defense in London said that Ukrainian forces had counterattacked in many parts of the country and were able to retake cities and defensive positions up to 22 miles east of Kiev, as Russian troops retreated to their overcrowded supply lines. In the south, logistical problems and the Ukrainian resistance are slowing down the Russians as they try to drive west to the port of Odessa, Finance Ministry officials said. Any recapture of the Peninsula by the Ukrainians would come as the Kremlin has indicated it plans to limit its invasion by focusing on the “liberation” of the Donbass region, on the eastern border with Russia. General Sergei Rudskoi said that “the main objectives of the first phase of the operation have generally been achieved”, although Vladimir Putin had previously stated that he wanted to occupy Kyiv, the capital, and overthrow the government of Volodymyr Zhelensky. If Ukrainian forces regain control of the city, which lies at the mouth of the Dnieper River, Russian troops around Mikolaiv would be “squeezed” between Ukrainian forces defending Mykolaiv and those in Kherson. A Pentagon staffer who assisted in compiling the report, said: The people of Hersonissos have staged persistent protests against Russian control of the city, with repeated demonstrations in the center in recent weeks. Russian troops responded with tear gas grenades and live ammunition, injuring several protesters on Monday. Footage taken last week shows protesters in Kherson dressed in Ukrainian flags and playing the popular resistance song Bayraktar in loud intensity in the direction of Russian troops. The song, named after a Turkish drone used by the Ukrainian army to attack Russian forces, has become a rallying cry of continuing opposition to the invasion.
