Ukraine's troops have repelled Russian forces all the way back to their border from the country’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, it was claimed on Monday.
They have also repelled incursion by a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group in the northeastern region of Sumy, in another major blow to Moscow.
Defending troops are driving Russian forces back in a new counter-offensive as it emerged that Moscow has lost a third of its ground forces in just 82 days since the invasion started.
Latest official Ukraine battle loss figures suggest Russia ’s death toll and destroyed military hardware is far worse than has been reported by western intelligence figures.
Ukraine estimates revealed Russia has now lost 27, 400 soldiers, 1200 tanks, 200 warplanes, 164 helicopters, and 13 warships in a stunning blow to Vladimir Putin ’s faltering attack.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia’s new offensive in Donbas had stalled and Ukraine could win the war, adding “Russia’s war in Ukraine is not going as Moscow had planned.”
Kyiv’s commanders have now deployed many new U.S. M-777 howitzers to the front lines, and Washington has delivered all but one of the 90 artillery pieces it promised to send.
The grinding down of Russia’s advance suggests the new Ukraine counter-offensive is having increasing success in pushing back Russian forces in the northeast and the Donbas assault is also ailing.
Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a Facebook post that the 227th Battalion of the 127th Brigade of Ukraine’s Territorial Defence Forces had reached the border with Russia after driving them out of Kharkiv, adding: “Together to victory!”
The ministry published a video on Facebook purportedly showing Ukrainian troops by a border post in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
Kharkiv region governor Oleh Sinegubov wrote on the Telegram messaging app that the troops had restored the post on the border, adding: “We thank everyone who, risking their lives, liberates Ukraine from Russian invaders.”
Ukraine has scored a series of successes since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, forcing Russia’s commanders to abandon an advance on the capital Kyiv before making rapid gains around Kharkiv.
On the Sumy failure a Russian reconnaissance group entered Ukrainian territory under the cover of mortar shells, grenades and machine gun fire.
But they were forced to retreat after Ukraine’s border guards fought back.
But in Mariupol Russian ground troops were believed to be blocking exit routes out of the besieged Azovstal steel works complex where hundreds of Ukrainian troops, many of them wounded, are holed up.
Ukraine also believes Russia is preparing another false narrative that Mariupol was destroyed by the defending troops.
Petro Andryushchenko, who is adviser to Mariupol’s Mayor, said residents were being invited to apply for compensation.
He said first they must claim their property “was destroyed by the Ukrainian military” and that their relatives were “killed by the Ukrainian Army.”
And people across the world in more than 100 cities have recorded video appeals to support the Mariupol defenders.
Within two days of the global appeal #World4Mariupol, thousands of Ukrainians and others globally have expressed their gratitude and support to the Ukrainian heroes.
The videos with hashtag #World4Mariupol continue pouring in from every corner of the planet: from Finland to Antarctica, from the USA to Japan.
On the initiative’s website you can watch all the appeals and a video in support of the defenders: #World4Mariupol | Save Mariupol
News of Ukraine's successes comes as McDonald's has said it will permanently leave Russia after 30 years and has started to sell off its restaurants there.
The move comes after it temporarily closed its 850 outlets in March following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The fast-food giant said it made the decision because of the "humanitarian crisis" and "unpredictable operating environment" caused by the ongoing war.
The chain opened in Moscow in 1990 as the Soviet Union was opening its economy to Western brands, and its departure carries similar symbolic weight.
The move places pressure on other western brands to consider their future in Putin's Russia.
Once the sale of the company is finalised - possibly to a local buyer - the Russian restaurants will be "de-Arched," meaning they will no longer be allowed to use the McDonald's name, logo or menu.
The company yesterday (MON) said its 62,000 staff will still be paid until the transaction closes and that "employees have future employment with any potential buyer.”
CEO Chris Kempczinski said: “We have a commitment to our global community and must remain steadfast in our values. And our commitment to our values means that we can no longer keep the Arches shining there.
