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The Ukrainian and Russian sides have given conflicting statements on whether or not Ukraine’s counteroffensive has begun, amid fierce preventing for the jap metropolis of Bakhmut. The top of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, stated his forces management a lot of the metropolis however {that a} Ukrainian counteroffensive is “in full swing,” with profitable assaults on Russian forces. Later Friday, Prigozhin known as on Russia’s protection leaders to “cease mendacity” concerning the battlefield state of play.
Russia’s Protection Ministry denied experiences of Ukrainian forces breaking by way of on the entrance traces, whereas Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated his nation wanted to attend for extra gear to reach earlier than beginning a spring offensive. Some Ukrainians worry that, if the counteroffensive is perceived as falling quick, stress will develop on Zelensky to barter a peace cope with Moscow, or Western help might wane.
Right here’s the most recent on the conflict and its ripple results throughout the globe.
Ukraine’s cultural counteroffensive: The push to erase Russia’s imprint: In one other signal of how Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion has backfired, Ukrainians are erasing traces of Russian tradition, language and monuments from their nation, Ruby Mellen, Zoeann Murphy, Kostiantyn Khudov and Kasia Strek report. Russian books have been pulped. Russocentric museums have been shuttered. Landmarks named after Russian figures have been marked for renaming.
“Nobody has completed extra de-Russify Ukraine than Putin,” stated Rory Finnin, an affiliate professor of Ukrainian research at Cambridge College. Ukrainians had been in a position “to handle their, at occasions, overlapping” and layered cultures, Finnin added, however Putin’s aggression has pushed many to hunt the entire elimination of Russian tradition and historical past.
Loveday Morris and Stefano Pitrelli contributed to this report.
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