In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, sings Ukrainian national anthem during his visit in Izium, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Ukrainian troops piled pressure on retreating Russian forces Tuesday, pressing deeper into occupied territory and sending more Kremlin troops fleeing ahead of the counteroffensive that has inflicted a stunning blow on Moscow's military prestige.(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
Russia Ukraine War
IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a rare foray outside Ukraine’s capital and highlighted Moscow’s embarrassing retreat from a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Hand on heart, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy watched his country’s flag rise above the recaptured city of Izium on Wednesday. Russian forces left the city last week as Kyiv’s soldiers advanced in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Prosecutors found six bodies with traces of torture in recently retaken villages there. Moscow’s rout was its largest military defeat since Russian troops withdrew from the Kyiv area early in the war. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin he sees no signs from the Kremlin of any regrets.
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