Ukrainian Troops Take Back Parts of Kherson from Russian Forces; Retake Towns 35km East of Kyiv; Russia Reframes War Goals as Ukrainians Advance Near Kyiv; Russia Refocuses on Ukraine’s East After Month of Heavy Losses, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

Ukrainian troops take back parts of Kherson from Russian forces: US

Ukrainian forces have retaken control of parts of the key port city of Kherson, the Pentagon said Friday — as the Kremlin appeared forced to change strategy after failing to capture Kyiv.

“Kherson is contested territory again,” a senior US defense official said, claiming Russian forces no longer control the area and Ukrainians were continuing to wage a fierce fight there.

Kherson, which sits at the mouth of the Dnieper River that bisects Ukraine and is directly north of the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, was the first and only major population center that had been taken by Russian forces since the start of the invasion last month.

The city has been the site of regular protests against Russian forces, who dispersed protestors with live rounds earlier this week.

The Kremlin denied that it had lost control of Kherson, with Russian Col. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy claiming Friday, “Kherson and most of the Zaporozhye region are under full control,” according to state-run news outlet Sputnik. —>READ MORE HERE

Russia reframes war goals as Ukrainians advance near Kyiv:

Moscow signalled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions in Ukraine to focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists in the East as Ukrainian forces went on the offensive to recapture towns outside the capital Kyiv.

In an announcement that appeared to indicate more limited goals, the Russian Defence Ministry said a first phase of its operation was mostly complete and it would now focus on the eastern Donbass region, which has pro-Russia separatist enclaves. read more

“The combat potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been considerably reduced, which … makes it possible to focus our core efforts on achieving the main goal, the liberation of Donbass,” said Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Russian General Staff’s Main Operational Directorate.

Reframing Russia’s goals may make it easier for President Vladimir Putin to claim a face-saving victory, military analysts said. Moscow had said its goals included demilitarising Ukraine. Western officials dismiss this as a baseless pretext for a war they say is aimed at toppling Ukraine’s government. —>READ MORE HERE

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