Ukraine claims it has taken back 14 square kilometre of territory within a week

The Ukrainian military said on Monday (July 10) that it had recaptured 14 square kilometres (five square miles) of territory from Russian forces in the south and east of the country over the last week.

"Over 10 square kilometres of Ukrainian land had been recaptured in the south of Ukraine last week. In the Bakhmut sector last week, the Ukrainian military liberated four square kilometres of territory from the Russian invaders," Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Kovalyov told state media, as reported by AFP.

Ukrainesays it has recaptured a total of 193 square kilometres since launching its counter-offensive last month.

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Russia attacked Ukraine in February last year. After sustained gains in the initial months of the campaign, the Russian forces had to retreat in the face of Ukrainian resistance.

The Western bloc, led by the US, has poured millions and millions of dollars into Ukraine as humanitarian as well as military aid. In addition to the fortitude of Ukrainian forces, this help, which included ammunition, tanks, missile systems and more, has been credited for turning the tide in the Ukraine conflict.

With all this help, Ukraine has started a counteroffensive which is aimed at recapturing territory lost to Russia. Although predictions favour Ukraine at the moment, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that the counter-offensive is progressing slower than expected.

Russia shells aid hub killing people

The governor of Orikhiv, a Ukrainian aid hub in the south of the country, said on Monday that Russian shelling killed four people. The regional governor called this a "war crime".

"They hit a humanitarian aid delivery spot in a residential area... Four people died on the spot: women aged 43, 45 and 47 and a 47-year-old man," Governor Yuriy Malashko said on social media.

Orikhiv had a pre-war population of around 14,000 people. The town is in the frontline Zaporizhzhia region. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed the region last year.

The images released showed a red-brick two-storey building partially collapsed and surrounded by debris. Orikhiv is near the frontline where Ukrainian forces last month were pushing to recapture heavily fortified positions from Russian forces.

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