Ukraine continues its counter-offensive against Russia after reeling under Russian strikes for almost seven months, Ukraine is fighting back to regain its territory. The war-torn country has now claimed that it has taken back six thousand square kilometers of the area which was captured by Moscow after the war began in the month of February.

Russian invasion: Ukraine continues its counter-offensive, claims 6,000 sq km of land retaken

In pics: Russians abandon armoured vehicles, weapons after Ukraine's counteroffensive

Ukraine claims to have taken back control of nearly 2000 sq. km of land from Russian troops, including 20 villages ad towns and the strategic city of Izium. Russian troops continue to control early a fifth of Ukraine.

Ukraine continues its counter-offensive, Kyiv claims 6,000 sq km of land retaken

Ukraine claims to have taken back control of nearly 2000 sq. km. of land from Russian troops, including 20 villages and towns and the strategic city of Izium. Russian troops continue to control nearly a fifth of Ukraine. Is this a turning point in the war? Listen in to Molly Gambhir.

Gravitas: Ukraine claims to have taken back control of nearly 2000 km of land

As European Union and Britain battle to mitigate what is dubbed as the energy war with Russia, energy prices are skyrocketing making Europe sweat and pushing Britain towards a risk of recession.

EU readies energy package, countries split over gas price cap

Ukraine's military says its forces have retaken over 3,000 square km during a rapid counter-offensive in eastern Ukraine. Will this end up being a potential breakthrough in the war?

Ukrainian troops claim 20 settlements recaptured in 24 hours

WION Fineprint | Russia loses key Ukrainian city, may prove to be war's turning point

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

The region of Kharkiv has emerged as the latest conflict zone in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. After Ukraine gained some ground thanks to their resistance forces, Russia retaliated with coordinated attacks of various infrastructural facilities in eastern Ukraine on Sunday.

The attacks on Kharkiv continued for a long time and it ended up damaging the power and water supply for most parts of the city. The mayor of Kharkiv city, Ihor Terekhov, described it as an “act of revenge” on the part of Russia who were left reeling after losing their foothold in the region.

According to Reuters, a number of eastern Ukrainian cities like Dnipro and Poltava were experiencing major blackouts due to the attack. However, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukrainian forces, maintained that they were making steady progress in the region

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“In the Kharkiv direction, we began to advance not only to the south and east, but also to the north. There are 50km to go to the state border [with Russia],” Zaluzhnyi told Reuters.

Zaluzhnyi also accused Russia of deliberately targeting the power grids in Kharkiv in order to cause problems to the civilians. The situation will just worse in the run out to the winter as lack of power can cause serious issues in a region which is known to experience extremely cold temperatures.

All top authorities in the eastern part of the country were on high alert after the strikes and most of them asked the people to unplug electrical devices in anticipation. &nbsp;“Electric tension has fallen in the network through the region,” Dmytro Zhyvytsky wrote on Telegram. “I recommend disconnecting electrical devices as much as possible.”

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Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. The region of Kharkiv has emerged as the latest conflict zone in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. After Ukraine gained some ground thanks to their resistance forces, Russia retaliated with coordinated attacks of various infrastructural facilities in eastern Ukraine on Sunday. The attacks on Kharkiv continued for a long time and it ended up damaging the power and water supply for most parts of the city. The mayor of Kharkiv city, Ihor Terekhov, described it as an “act of revenge” on the part of Russia who were left reeling after losing their foothold in the region. According to Reuters, a number of eastern Ukrainian cities like Dnipro and Poltava were experiencing major blackouts due to the attack. However, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukrainian forces, maintained that they were making steady progress in the region Also read | Biden lays wreath at Pentagon to honour 9/11 lives lost on 21st anniversary “In the Kharkiv direction, we began to advance not only to the south and east, but also to the north. There are 50km to go to the state border [with Russia],” Zaluzhnyi told Reuters. Zaluzhnyi also accused Russia of deliberately targeting the power grids in Kharkiv in order to cause problems to the civilians. The situation will just worse in the run out to the winter as lack of power can cause serious issues in a region which is known to experience extremely cold temperatures. All top authorities in the eastern part of the country were on high alert after the strikes and most of them asked the people to unplug electrical devices in anticipation. “Electric tension has fallen in the network through the region,” Dmytro Zhyvytsky wrote on Telegram. “I recommend disconnecting electrical devices as much as possible.”

Ukraine accuses Russia of attacking power grid after losing ground in Kharkiv

As tensions over Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant continues to escalate, Russian President Vladimir Putin has now warned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron of potential catastrophic consequences because of the repeated attacks at the facility from Ukraine's side.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron hold talks over nuke plant

Two hundred days after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces kept pushing north in the Kharkiv region and advancing to its south and east.

200 days of Russia-Ukraine war: Russian strikes hit Kharkiv power plant

A Russian official says that Kyiv's troops have outnumbered Moscow's forces. Ukrainian forces have previously captured Russian-held areas, over the weekend Ukraine took the key Russian supply hubs.

Russia: Ukraine outnumbered Russia in Kharkiv battle

Following Russian missile attacks that resulted in widespread outages on Sunday, September 11, firefighters were seen battling a fire at a thermal power plant in Kharkiv.

Firefighters battle flames at thermal power plant after missile strikes in Kharkiv

Firefighters battle flames at thermal power plant after missile strikes

Large areas of eastern Ukraine were experiencing electricity cuts, Ukrainian officials said, across regions where Kyiv’s forces have recently clawed back territory from Russian troops.

Electricity blackouts hit swathes of eastern Ukraine, Kyiv blames Russia

Shelling has caused blackout in the Ukrainian town of Enerhodar and offsite power supply to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has curtailed. IAEA has appealed for shelling to stop near nuclear power plant.

WION Fineprint: Shelling causes Blackout in Ukrainian town of Enerhodar

It has been more than 200 days and the war in Ukraine seems to be changing. Kyiv appears to be getting bolder with its counter attacks, the most intense fighting is happening in Kharkiv. Ukrainian general said huge gains made in lightning counter-offensive.

Ukraine seizes the initiative in East; Moscow sends reinforcements to Kharkiv

World at War | Episode 19: China builds the world's biggest navy to dominate the Pacific Ukraine fields mercenaries in its counter-offensive to retake Kherson Erdogan accuses Greece of occupying demilitarized islands in the Aegean Sea & Israel's second air attack in less than a week on Aleppo international airport puts it out of service. Mohammed Saleh gets you an indepth report of the world's biggest warzones of the week in World At War

World at War | Episode 19: China builds the world's biggest navy to dominate the Pacific

As Russia's invasion continues in Ukraine, Ukraine forces Russian troops to retreat from Izium. Meanwhile, Russia is planning to 'regroup' its troops as Izium had become key strategic city for Russian troops.

Rapid advance of Ukrainian forces take Russia by surprise

As Russia's invasion continues in Ukraine, Russia pulled out troops from Izium. Meanwhile, Russia has regrouped its troops in east as Izium had become key strategic city for Russian troops.

Russia pulls back from Izium; Ukraine encircles regions around Kharkiv

Moscow has abandoned one of its main bastions in Northeastern Ukraine after the Ukrainian forces made rapid advances. Russia's defense ministry said on Saturday that it was pulling troops out of its main stronghold in Northeastern Ukraine.

Ukraine: Rapid advance of Ukrainian forces take Russia by surprise, draws back from Izium

Ukraine President&nbsp;Volodymyr Zelensky is elated ever since the staunch defence of his troops forced the Russians to fall back and leave the&nbsp;Kharkiv region. He took to Facebook to post a message where he stated that the Russian army was best at showing its back. In other news, to reduce gun-related violence cases in the US,&nbsp;credit card purchases of firearms in the US will now be tracked. Meanwhile, Polish sensation and world no.1 Iga&nbsp;Swiatek won the third grand slam of her career by beating&nbsp;Ons Jabeur in the US Open final.&nbsp;

Click on headlines to read more:

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-army-is-showing-its-back-zelensky-gloats-after-russia-calls-back-its-troops-515038">'Russian army is showing its back', Zelensky gloats after Russian pullback</a>

Hours after Russia's Defence Ministry announced on Saturday that the country was pulling back its troops from two areas in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed it as a victory and talked down the Russians.

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According to a new provision adopted by an agency that sets guidelines for commercial transactions, credit card purchases of firearms in the US can now be tracked, and purchases deemed suspect can even be shared with law authorities.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has fueled a rather wild conspiracy theory after reports emerged suggesting that top chess player Hans Niemann, 19 might be cheating to win his matches.

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World number one Iga Swiatek swept to a 6-2 7-6(5) victory over Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in the US Open final on Saturday to clinch her maiden trophy at Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam crown.

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is elated ever since the staunch defence of his troops forced the Russians to fall back and leave the Kharkiv region. He took to Facebook to post a message where he stated that the Russian army was best at showing its back.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is elated ever since the staunch defence of his troops forced the Russians to fall back and leave the Kharkiv region. He took to Facebook to post a message where he stated that the Russian army was best at showing its back. In other news, to reduce gun-related violence cases in the US, credit card purchases of firearms in the US will now be tracked. Meanwhile, Polish sensation and world no.1 Iga Swiatek won the third grand slam of her career by beating Ons Jabeur in the US Open final. Click on headlines to read more: 'Russian army is showing its back', Zelensky gloats after Russian pullback Hours after Russia's Defence Ministry announced on Saturday that the country was pulling back its troops from two areas in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed it as a victory and talked down the Russians. Guns purchased in the US using credit cards will now be trackable According to a new provision adopted by an agency that sets guidelines for commercial transactions, credit card purchases of firearms in the US can now be tracked, and purchases deemed suspect can even be shared with law authorities. Elon Musk jumps in on the 'anal beads' chess championship conspiracy theory Tesla CEO Elon Musk has fueled a rather wild conspiracy theory after reports emerged suggesting that top chess player Hans Niemann, 19 might be cheating to win his matches. Iga Swiatek downs Ons Jabeur in straight sets to win maiden US Open title World number one Iga Swiatek swept to a 6-2 7-6(5) victory over Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in the US Open final on Saturday to clinch her maiden trophy at Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam crown. WATCH: The challenges before King Charles: Will recent controversies cast their shadow? × WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Morning news brief: Zelensky taunts Russia, guns purchased in US to be tracked & more

As Russia's invasion continues in Ukraine, the Ukrainian forces seem to have caught Russian troops off guard. In the latest, Ukrainian troops are making lightning gains in the northeast of the country.

Kyiv launches fierce counter-offensive; Russia withdraws from northeast Ukraine

After repeated accusations over shelling, operations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine have been halted and final unit has been disconnected from the grid. Meanwhile fighting near the plant have raised concerns of nuclear disaster.

Concerns over Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant; last working reactor shut down

The last operational reactor at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine has been shut down amid fears of radiation disaster, the Ukraine government announced on Sunday.

The nuclear operator Energoatom said that the No6 reactor has been disconnected. It said they are preparing for the reactor to be cooled and transferred to a cold, safer state.

“Today, September 11, 2022, at night, at 03.41 am (0141 GMT), unit No. 6 of the ZNPP was disconnected from the power grid. Preparations are underway for its cooling and transfer to a cold state," it said in a statement.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, which was running on six reactors, was cut off from the electricity grid last and all its power lines were disconnected following intense shelling in the area, reports AFP.

It was running on only one reactor and that too in “island mode” for several days, essentially powering the rest of the plant's crucial cooling systems.

The state agency said the plant was restored to operational capacity, allowing the plant to be powered by Ukraine’s energy system long enough to initiate the shutdown.

It said that the nuclear plant’s shutdown was because the risk of further damage to the power lines “remains high”, which would disconnect the plant completely from the power grid again, in which case the plant would have to fire up emergency diesel generators to keep the reactors cool and prevent a nuclear meltdown.

The nuclear plant was occupied by the Russian forces in the early stages of the invasion. It is one of the 10 biggest atomic power stations in the world.

Russia and Ukraine traded blame for shelling around the plant that has caused significant damage to the power lines connecting it to the grid.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The last operational reactor at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine has been shut down amid fears of radiation disaster, the Ukraine government announced on Sunday.

The last operational reactor at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine has been shut down amid fears of radiation disaster, the Ukraine government announced on Sunday. The nuclear operator Energoatom said that the No6 reactor has been disconnected. It said they are preparing for the reactor to be cooled and transferred to a cold, safer state. “Today, September 11, 2022, at night, at 03.41 am (0141 GMT), unit No. 6 of the ZNPP was disconnected from the power grid. Preparations are underway for its cooling and transfer to a cold state," it said in a statement. The Zaporizhzhia plant, which was running on six reactors, was cut off from the electricity grid last and all its power lines were disconnected following intense shelling in the area, reports AFP. It was running on only one reactor and that too in “island mode” for several days, essentially powering the rest of the plant's crucial cooling systems. The state agency said the plant was restored to operational capacity, allowing the plant to be powered by Ukraine’s energy system long enough to initiate the shutdown. It said that the nuclear plant’s shutdown was because the risk of further damage to the power lines “remains high”, which would disconnect the plant completely from the power grid again, in which case the plant would have to fire up emergency diesel generators to keep the reactors cool and prevent a nuclear meltdown. The nuclear plant was occupied by the Russian forces in the early stages of the invasion. It is one of the 10 biggest atomic power stations in the world. Russia and Ukraine traded blame for shelling around the plant that has caused significant damage to the power lines connecting it to the grid. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant’s last reactor shut down amid radiation fears: Ukraine

After repeated accusations over shelling and threat of a nuclear disaster, operations at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine have been completely stopped. The state agency in charge of the plant said that they had disconnected the sixth and the final unit from the plant.

Energoatam: Final unit disconnected from grid, operations halted as part of safety measures

Hours after Russia's defence ministry announced on Saturday that the country was pulling back its troops from two areas in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed it to be a victory and talked down the Russians.

Hours after Russia's defence ministry announced on Saturday that the country was pulling back its troops from two areas in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed it to be a victory and talked down the Russians. Reportedly in a video post on Facebook, Zelensky gloated that the Russians were running scared ever since the Ukrainian soldiers gained access to a vital Russian supply hub. “These days, the Russian army is showing its best showing its back. And, in the end, it is a good choice for them to run away. There is and will be no place for the occupiers in Ukraine,” he said. The Ukrainian President further added that his troops had swept and liberated more than 2,000 square kilometres (770 square miles) of area since the month started. “The movement of our soldiers in different directions of the front continues. As of now, as part of active actions since the beginning of September, about 2,000 square kilometres (770 square miles) of our territory has already been liberated,” he said. × "I'm thankful to the troops of the 214th separate rifle battalion for securing the situation in Balakliya, who, together with units of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Special Operations Forces, special forces of the National Guard and the police, returned full control to the city. “I’m thankful to all our defenders, who during these weeks made the approach of our victory even more tangible!” Zelensky signed off as saying. As reported by WION, following the significant advances made by Ukrainian soldiers in Kharkiv, Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the troops would be regrouped from the Balakliya and Izyum areas. Read more: Kharkiv: After Kyiv severs supply line, Russian grip on northeast Ukraine collapses "To achieve the stated goals of the Special Military Operation for the liberation of Donbas, it was decided to regroup the Russian troops located in the districts of Balakliia and Izium for the purpose of increasing efforts in the Donetsk direction," Russian defence ministry was quoted as saying by state-run news agency TASS. Since bursting through the frontline earlier this week, Ukrainian forces have recaptured dozens of towns and villages held by Russia for months. Marking Russia's biggest battlefield defeat since its forces were forced to abandon their assault on the capital Kyiv in March, the claim of pullback to concentrate on Donetsk is similar to the justification given by Kremlin for Ukraine's capital. Read more: Zelensky says some settlements near Kharkiv region retaken from Russian forces (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

'Russian army is doing what it does best, showing its back,' gloats Zelensky after Russia pullback

War is not just a military battle, it is also a battle of wits. As per new report, Ukrainian hackers created profiles of 'conventionally attractive' women on Facebook to lure Russian troops into sharing location.

Report: Ukraine 'Honeytrapped' Russian troops into giving details

It has been nearly 200 days and the war in Ukraine seems to be changing. Kyiv appears to be getting bolder with its counter attacks, the most intense fighting is happening in Kharkiv. Ukrainian troops claimed to have recaptured more than 1000 square kilometers.

Russia sends reinforcement to Kharkiv; Kyiv claims 'substantial victory'

Russia deploys more troops to repel Ukraine counterattack

In a sudden apparent collapse of one of the war's principal front lines, Russia’s Defence Ministry said Saturday that it is pulling back forces from two areas in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

Following the significant advances made by Ukrainian soldiers in Kharkiv, Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the troops would be regrouped from the Balakliya and Izyum areas.

After Ukrainian troops captured the city of Kupiansk further north, the power supply of thousands of Russian troops was abruptly cut off.

Since bursting through the frontline earlier this week, Ukrainian forces have recaptured dozens of towns and villages held by Russia for months.

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Russia's state-run TASS news agency quoted Russia's defence ministry as saying, "To achieve the stated goals of the Special Military Operation for the liberation of Donbas, it was decided to regroup the Russian troops located in the districts of Balakliia and Izium for the purpose of increasing efforts in the Donetsk direction."

Marking Russia's biggest battlefield defeat since its forces were forced to abandon their assault on the capital Kyiv in March, the claim of pullback to concentrate on Donetsk is similar to the justification given by Kremlin for Ukraine's capital.

Highlighting that at least 30 settlements had been liberated in the Kharkiv region during the advance of recent days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky applauded the "very sharp and rapid" advance.

According to experts, the picture of grapes posted by Zelensky's chief of staff on social media was an indirect confirmation as the word "Izium" means "raisin" in Ukrainian and Russian.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In a sudden apparent collapse of one of the war's principal front lines, Russia’s Defence Ministry said Saturday that it is pulling back forces from two areas in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

In a sudden apparent collapse of one of the war's principal front lines, Russia’s Defence Ministry said Saturday that it is pulling back forces from two areas in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Following the significant advances made by Ukrainian soldiers in Kharkiv, Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the troops would be regrouped from the Balakliya and Izyum areas. After Ukrainian troops captured the city of Kupiansk further north, the power supply of thousands of Russian troops was abruptly cut off. Since bursting through the frontline earlier this week, Ukrainian forces have recaptured dozens of towns and villages held by Russia for months. × Russia's state-run TASS news agency quoted Russia's defence ministry as saying, "To achieve the stated goals of the Special Military Operation for the liberation of Donbas, it was decided to regroup the Russian troops located in the districts of Balakliia and Izium for the purpose of increasing efforts in the Donetsk direction." Marking Russia's biggest battlefield defeat since its forces were forced to abandon their assault on the capital Kyiv in March, the claim of pullback to concentrate on Donetsk is similar to the justification given by Kremlin for Ukraine's capital. Highlighting that at least 30 settlements had been liberated in the Kharkiv region during the advance of recent days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky applauded the "very sharp and rapid" advance. According to experts, the picture of grapes posted by Zelensky's chief of staff on social media was an indirect confirmation as the word "Izium" means "raisin" in Ukrainian and Russian. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Kharkiv: After Kyiv severs supply line, Russian grip on northeast Ukraine collapses

A Chinese cyberespionage group named Bronze President, which also goes by the name Mustang Panda, has been using a malware named PlugX to target the computers of political leaders across the globe.

A Chinese cyberespionage group named Bronze President, which also goes by the name Mustang Panda, has been using a malware named PlugX to target the computers of political leaders across the globe. Secureworks Counter Threat Unit (CTU), a company that analyses threat data across the planet, observed a series of attacks in the month of July that used the LuhX malware. Government officials in Europe, West Asia, and South America were reportedly targeted. Read more: China launched cyberattack against Ukraine before Russian invasion: Report According to CTU, the footprint of the attack bore similarities to previous attacks by Bronze President. The Chinese espionage group imitated official diplomatic notices and lured the government officials. “Several characteristics of this campaign indicate that it was conducted by the likely Chinese government-sponsored Bronze President threat group, including the use of PlugX, file paths and naming schemes previously used by the threat group, the presence of shellcode in executable file headers, and politically themed decoy documents that align with regions where China has interests,” the CTU research team wrote in a statement. Explaining that the PlugX malware had capabilities beyond just information gathering, the CTU team further added. "PlugX is modular malware that contacts a command and control (C2) server for tasking and can download additional plugins to enhance its capability beyond basic information gathering," it said. It is pertinent to note that the malware usually arrived in the victim's computer, embedded within RAR archive files. Upon opening the file, the user is shown a Windows shortcut (LNK) file. Once the user clicks on the LNK file, the Plux malware is loaded, decrypted and executed in the system. The group stated that recently a Turkish official was targeted using a similar modus-operandi. The official received a notification letter, supposedly from the UK government, informing about the appointment of a new ambassador. However. the truth is there has been no change in the personnel. Opening the mail could have compromised the official. The cybersecurity firm advised that countries and organisations that China has an interest in could be at the most risk of being targeted and thus they needed to be aware of the group's activities. “Organisations in geographic regions of interest to China should closely monitor this group’s activities, especially organisations associated with or operating as government agencies,” read the statement. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Chinese hackers target foreign government officials using a new malware

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