Ukraine war: Kremlin forces launch new attacks in Zaporozhye. On the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President Zelensky was in the Donetsk region
During the night, the Russians attacked two towns in Zaporozhye with drones and missiles. Three people were injured, including a 15-year-old girl. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday, on the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, that when such a state holiday is one of gratitude, such a country cannot be defeated.
Russian and Ukrainian officials reported on Tuesday that Russia had released 60 Ukrainian soldiers, while Ukraine had surrendered the same number of Russian troops. The announcements were made by the Russian Ministry of Defense and Andriy Yermak, the head of the presidential office of Ukraine. The prisoner exchange comes as Ukraine marks Armed Forces Day.
“Mom, aunty, hello everyone! Hello Donetsk! All is well. I'm alive and well, I'll be home soon. We were well received.";
"Hello to all relatives and loved ones, my wife and children! All is well. We were released. Thank you very much, everything is fine. I hope to be home soon.”;
On the occasion of the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky went to the Donetsk region, met with the servicemen and awarded them medals. The leader in Kyiv has vowed to drive Russian forces out of all of Ukraine.
"We are in the east of our country. Probably today, the situation in this region is the most difficult. Donetsk protects not only eastern Ukraine, but the entire country. I want to thank you for this stability and strength. Everything we say, we say from the heart, from the soul. I think it is the duty of all Ukrainians to want to help you because you are the ones fighting for our independence," the Ukrainian president said.
Six people were killed and at least 10 wounded in yesterday's attacks on Donetsk, authorities in the Russian-controlled region said. Among the victims is a former parliamentarian of the Russian-controlled area.
Children's writer and activist Volodymyr Vakulenko, who was killed during the Russian occupation near Izyum, was buried in Kharkiv on Tuesday. He disappeared in March 2022. His body was exhumed from a mass grave in the Izyum forest after the liberation of the city in September by Ukrainian forces. The date of death is May 2022, when the writer's body was probably found on the street. After a DNA examination, it was determined that Vakulenko had been shot. Vakulenko was an active participant in the 2014 revolution, was on the Maidan and actively expressed a pro-Ukrainian position. During the occupation of the Izyum region, he urged residents not to receive Russian humanitarian aid, not to speak Russian, not to cooperate with the occupiers.
"In particular, we will think about how to publish Volodymyr Vakulenko's diary, which he kept in Kapitolivka near Izyum during the occupation. We will think about how to properly present this material, since it is a manuscript," noted Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina.
Prosecutors have already opened more than 430 war crimes cases, including cases of torture, abuse and murder, in the Kherson region.
