By Michael Baruah, North America Corespondent.
Moscow has lost its “offensive potential” and is being forced to call in reinforcements from the “depths” of Russia as it retreats in key battles and loses troops to desertion, according to Ukraine.
Ukraine’s armed forces said in an update that Russian troops had been “repelled” from Makariv, a strategically important Kyiv suburb, and the Ukrainian flag was raised over the town “thanks to the heroic actions of our defenders”.
The recapture of Makariv, about 37 miles west of Kyiv, could prevent Russian forces from encircling the capital from the northwest.
A counterattack was also launched by Ukrainian forces in the south, which had forced Russia to “retreat to unfavourable boundaries” in the direction of Mykolayiv, a city near the Black Sea.