The Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated four settlements in the Donetsk Region

Last weekend, the Ukrainian Armed Forces succeeded in liberation of Makarovka, Blagodatnoye, Neskuchnoye and Storozhevoye Villages from Russian forces. Moscow and Kyiv also exchanged prisoners of war. The Ukrainian side claims to have liberated four settlements in the Donetsk Region. According to Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar, the villages of Storozhevoye, Makarovka and Blagodatnoye have been de-occupied. Earlier, the Ukrainian military posted a video from Neskuchnoye Village. At the same time, Kyiv claims not a single position to be lost in the areas where Ukrainian troops are on the defensive. These successes were the first since the beginning of the counteroffensive launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At the same time, Russia continues shelling Ukrainian territory. According to local authorities, cluster bombs were dropped on the outskirts of Kharkiv the day before. Over the weekend, Moscow and Kyiv also exchanged prisoners of war, i.e. about 100 people from each side. Members of the Ukrainian National Guard, border guards and defenders of Azovstal, Mariupol and the Chernobyl nuclear power plant returned home. Meanwhile, Moscow says its forces repulsed an attack by Ukrainian unmanned boats on the Priazovye Ship, which was securing the Turkish Stream and Blue Stream gas pipelines in the southeastern part of the Black Sea. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the ship sustained no damage and all the drone boats were destroyed.