krainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has marked the five hundredth day of struggle by hailing the nation’s troopers in a video from a Black Sea island that turned a logo of Ukraine’s resilience within the face of the Russian invasion.

Speaking from Snake Island, Mr Zelensky honoured the Ukrainian troopers who fought there and all different defenders of the nation, saying that reclaiming management of the island “is a great proof that Ukraine will regain every bit of its territory”.

“I want to thank - from here, from this place of victory - each of our soldiers for these 500 days,” Mr Zelensky stated. “Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine!”

Russian forces took management of the tiny stony island on February 24 2022, the day Moscow launched its invasion, within the obvious hope of utilizing it as a staging floor for an assault on Odesa, Ukraine’s largest port and the headquarters of its navy.

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The island took on legendary significance for Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion, when Ukrainian troops there reportedly obtained a requirement from a Russian warship to give up or be bombed. The reply supposedly got here again: “Go f**k yourself.”

Ukraine has celebrated the story with patriotic fervour, issuing a postage stamp in commemoration.

The island’s Ukrainian defenders had been captured by the Russians however later freed as a part of a prisoner alternate.

After the island was taken, the Ukrainian army closely bombarded the small Russian garrison there, forcing the Russians to drag again on June 30 2022.

The Russian retreat decreased the specter of a seaborne Russian assault on Odesa and helped pave the way in which for a deal to renew Ukrainian grain exports.

“Let the freedom that all our heroes of different times wanted for Ukraine and that must be won right now be a tribute to all those who gave their lives for Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky stated. “We will definitely win!”

Intense battles continued to rage on Saturday within the nation’s east and south as Ukrainian forces pressed their assaults towards multi-layered Russian defences within the preliminary levels of their counter-offensive.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of the jap Donetsk area, stated {that a} Russian rocket strike on town of Lyman killed six civilians and wounded one other 5 early on Saturday.

The UK Ministry of Defence stated in its newest intelligence replace that the jap city of Bakhmut that was captured by the Russians in May has seen a number of the most intense preventing alongside the entrance over the last week.

It stated that Ukrainian forces have made regular good points to each the north and south of Bakhmut within the Donetsk area, noting that “Russian defenders are highly likely struggling with poor morale, a mix of disparate units and a limited ability to find and strike Ukrainian artillery”.

The Russian army insisted that it has efficiently fended off Ukrainian assaults in numerous sections of the entrance and inflicted heavy losses on the attackers.

The Russian Defence Ministry on Saturday launched footage of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visiting firing ranges the place volunteer troopers are being skilled.

Pitched battles alongside the entrance line are raging as Nato leaders are set to satisfy in Vilnius for a two-day summit subsequent week to supply extra assist in modernising Ukraine’s armed forces, create a high-level discussion board for consultations and reaffirm that it's going to be part of their alliance at some point.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed help early on Saturday for Ukraine becoming a member of Nato, saying it deserves to affix the alliance.

He made the remark at a joint news convention with Mr Zelensky, who visited Turkey as a part of a European tour to rally help for Ukraine’s entry into the army alliance after the struggle with Russia involves an finish.

Ahead of the Nato summit, the US has introduced that it's going to present Ukraine with cluster munitions, a transfer that President Joe Biden described as a “difficult decision”.

Two-thirds of Nato members have banned the munitions which have a observe file of inflicting many civilian casualties, however the US sees their supply as a means to assist bolster Ukraine’s offensive and push by means of Russian entrance traces.