Ukraine takes back village from Russia in Donetsk during strong counterattack.

In a big win for Ukraine, their forces took back the village of Urozhaine from Russia in the Donetsk region. This happened after some tough fights as part of Ukraine’s push back against Russia.

Andrii Kovalov, who speaks for the Ukrainian military, said on TV that Ukrainian soldiers now control Urozhaine. They’re making their position strong there.

Urozhaine is about 60 miles from the Russian-held city of Donetsk. It’s close to another village called Staromaiorske, which Ukraine freed earlier this month.

Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, also said Urozhaine is free now and their push is still going.

We saw videos from Kyiv’s soldiers and CNN showed it. They put up the Ukrainian flag in Urozhaine next to a memorial for soldiers who fought in World War II. The military said soldiers from the 35th and 38th Separate Marine Brigades and other groups helped take Urozhaine. Russian forces in Urozhaine were stuck and couldn’t defend it for much longer. Russian soldiers hinted this would happen because Ukraine was attacking from different sides.

In other places in the east, Ukraine’s forces keep pushing back. Kovalov said there’s still tough fighting south of Bakhmut.

Russia is putting up a strong fight. They’re moving their units and troops and using their extra soldiers in the areas of Marinka and Krasnohorivka. These places are in ruins and have been on the front lines since the start.

Ukraine is also holding off Russia at Kupiansk, Lyman, and Bakhmut. These are important places in the fight.

CNN can’t check these reports on its own, and Russia hasn’t said anything yet. Ukraine has been trying hard for months to push back Russia and take back their land. But it’s been tough because Russia has strong defenses with lots of mines and trenches. Ukraine has lost a lot of people trying to break through.

Taking back Urozhaine is a step forward for Ukraine. They want to move closer to the Sea of Azov. This area is important because it would break Russia’s path between Crimea (which Russia took) and eastern Donetsk.

Ukraine said they’re not just attacking towns. They’re focusing on destroying Russia’s power and making it hard for them to fight. This is better for Ukraine than big battles for every town. They’re using long-range missiles to hurt Russia’s army and save their own soldiers.

Mykhailo Podolyak, who helps the president, said this is a big deal. Long-range missiles make Russia weaker and help Ukraine move faster. They’re also trying to save lives and make things calmer.

So, Ukraine’s fight to push back Russia is like a big story. They’re making progress, step by step, against tough odds.