Ukraine claimed a major victory Sunday against invading Russian forces, saying its military had fought back and retaken full control of the nation’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, amid heavy warfare.
“Control over Kharkiv is completely ours!” regional Gov. Oleh Synyehubov crowed in a triumphant Facebook post.
Russian forces had intensified their assault on the northeastern city over the weekend, with soldiers and armored vehicles roaring in and widespread reports of gunfire and explosions.
A Ukrainian state news agency said that before daybreak Sunday, Russian troops blew up a natural gas pipeline in the city of nearly 1.5 million people, sending a burning cloud up into the darkness.
But Synyehubov, in his victory post Sunday, insisted, “The city is being completely cleansed of the enemy.”
Synyehubov also shared photos of six handcuffed men, claiming they were soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces.
“The Russian soldiers, who were taken captive, talk about total extortion and demoralization,” he claimed, saying the invading troops were surrendering in groups of five to 10 and throwing their equipment in the middle of the road.
