After visiting the southern cities of Mykolaiv and Odesa. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recorded a video address to the Ukrainian people on his way back to Kyiv.
Zelenskyy insisted that Ukraine “will not surrender our south to anyone.” Ukraine’s ports along the Black Sea coast are either blockaded by Russia’s navy or under Russian occupation.
Ukrainian forces are on the defensive in the eastern Donbas region, but they are tying up large numbers of Russian troops and inflicting heavy casualties. Russia is making only incremental advances there.
But this has created opportunities for Ukrainian forces in the south to mount counter-attacks and recapture some territory.
“We will return everything that’s ours, and the sea will be Ukraine’s once again – and it will be safe," Zelenskyy said. "Ukrainians have more hunger for life than Russia has missiles."
During his visit Saturday to southern Ukraine, Zelenskyy presented medals and promotions to male and female soldiers, visited wounded soldiers and civilians in hospitals, and met with regional officials.
One key point in discussion was safeguarding Ukrainian ports and finding ways to export Ukrainian agricultural products, Zelenskyy said.
“Our position is clear and remains unchanged: as soon as we can guarantee security [of shipping in the Black Sea , with the help of international intermediaries, Ukraine will do everything within its power to counteract the global food crisis the Russian war has created …"
Meanwhile, Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, reported that Ukrainian forces were advancing on two fronts in the south — towards the Russian-occupied cities of Kherson and Melitopol. Ukrainskaya Pravda quoted from a Telegram post by Fedorov.
“Today, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have made significant progress and are already on the borders of Kherson. I am confident that in the near future, in the coming weeks, the city of Kherson will be liberated [from Russian occupiers] by our heroic military.
The situation is the same in the area of Melitopol. Our Armed Forces have already advanced more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from Zaporizhzhia toward Melitopol".
Fedorov did not give more details about the counter-offensive.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said Sunday that Russian forces were strengthening their air defense systems in the Kherson region. Ukraine’s air force has been flying sorties against Russian positions in the region.
Russian forces captured Melitopol on Feb. 26. Fedorov was abducted from his office on March 11 after refusing to cooperate with the Russian occupiers. Ukrainian special forces rescued him in a daring mission less than a week later.
In the Donetsk region, the Ministry of Defense said Ukrainian forces had successfully repelled another Russian assault on the outskirts of the village of Berestove in the Bakhmut district. The Russian forces have been trying to drive north from Popasna in an effort to cut off supplies and encircle Ukrainian defenders in Lysyschansk and Severodonetsk.
Ukrainian special forces are also playing an active role in the defense of Severodonetsk. A press release by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, cited by Ukrainskaya Pravda, said the Russian forces were using a “scorched earth” tactic to drop large numbers of shells on Ukrainian civilians and soldiers before trying to advance.
But the Special Operations Forces said Ukrainian forces “have been continuing to take the punches” in Severodonetsk where house-to-house fighting is raging, and the Russians can’t drive out the Ukrainian defenders.
The Special Operations Forces posted this video of its troops in Severodonetsk. An English translation was not available, but I did catch one reference describing house-to-house fighting.