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Putin’s Humiliation Deepens as Ukraine Gains Ground in Kherson—Which Russia Wants to Annex

Even though four areas were illegally claimed by Moscow last week, Kyiv doesn’t appear to have got the memo.

Ukrainian troops claim to have gained ground in one of four regions Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to annex. The despot already suffered an embarrassing battlefield defeat on Friday in the strategic city of Lyman in Donetsk—despite Moscow’s claims that the region is now officially part of Russia. On Monday, Ukrainian forces have continued offenses in Kherson, which the Kremlin also wants to claim as its own, with some reports suggesting that ground has been reclaimed. Ukrainian media outlets pointed to a picture of Ukrainian soldiers unfurling flags at a marker for the town of Khreshchenivka, which is in the same part of Kherson where troops have reportedly broken through Russian lines. In a video statement Monday, Russian-installed Kherson official Kirill Stremousov admitted Ukrainian forces had “broken through a little deeper,” before insisting “everything is under control.”