Over 40 Kharkiv region settlements liberated

As the Russian retreat into the Kharkiv region continues, a senior Ukrainian official said more than 40 settlements have now been liberated.

Roman Semenukha, deputy head of the Kharkiv region’s military administration, told Ukrainian television: “We can officially announce the liberation of more than 40 settlements. The situation is changing incredibly rapidly and there are many, many more. [de-occupied] settlements. »

Semenukha said the 40 only referred to places where the situation was completely under control, and there were others where the Ukrainian flag had been raised.

“The situation is dynamically positive. And indeed, the situation is changing,” he said.

Semenukha said it was wrong to suggest the Russians were just leaving. “There are fierce, fierce battles in many areas of the front and everything is very, very difficult. If we talk about the military component, then you just have to be patient,” he said.