Despite Russia's claims that the onslaught had failed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Russian troops to evacuate from an offensive launched by his forces close to the southern city of Kherson.
After weeks of deadlock in a conflict that has killed hundreds, displaced millions, wrecked cities, and brought on unprecedented economic sanctions, Ukraine has launched an attack.
Furthermore, it has increased concerns that shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in southern Ukraine could cause a radioactive disaster.
Late Monday, Zelenskiy promised that Ukrainian forces would pursue the Russian army "to the border" in his nighttime address.
It's time for the Russian military to flee and return home if they want to survive.
Zelenskiy declared, "Ukraine is reclaiming its own."
Russian defenses had been "beaten through in a few hours," according to Oleksiy Arestovych, a senior aide to Zelenskiy.
Additionally, he said that Russian ships that were supplying a location on the west bank of the Dnipro river in the Kherson region were being shelled by Ukrainian forces.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian forces tried an offensive in the Mykolaiv and Kherson districts but suffered heavy losses.
It stated that the "enemy's offensive attempt failed horribly."
Nova Kakhovka, a Russian-occupied town, lost both water and electricity due to a rocket bombardment from Ukraine, according to representatives of the Russian-appointed authorities who spoke to the RIA news agency.
At least two people were killed, 24 were injured, and residences were destroyed in the port city of Mykolaiv, which has remained in Ukrainian hands despite continuous Russian bombardments, according to local officials and witnesses on Monday.
Olexandr Shulga, the property's owner, claimed to have lived there all his life. He also mentioned that his wife died after being buried in the rubble. The shockwave that followed the impact "destroyed everything," he claimed.
On February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine, claiming to be conducting a "special military operation" to purge the country of nationalists and defend Russian-speaking populations. It is said to as an unprovoked war of aggression by Ukraine and its allies.
The struggle, the largest assault on a European state since 1945, has devolved chiefly into an attrition war, with heavy artillery and airstrikes concentrated in the south and east. Early on, Russia took large portions in the south.
The Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, is north of the Kherson area, according to the southern command of Ukraine, where its troops have begun offensive operations.
