Day 189 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Active Hostilities Continue on All Fronts

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Zelensky: Active hostilities continue on all fronts

The Ukrainian offensive to recapture the Kherson region occupied by Russian units continues.

Active hostilities continue on all fronts, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address. Earlier in Kyiv, he met with the team of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is supposed to inspect the Zaporizhzhia NPP this week. Europe's largest nuclear plant is under Russian control, with Moscow and Kyiv exchanging accusations in recent weeks about strikes on it that could lead to a nuclear disaster.

"Unfortunately, Russia does not stop the provocations in precisely those places from which the mission must reach the station. But I hope that the team of the international agency will be able to start its activities. The situation at the plant and at Energodar remains extremely dangerous. The risk of a nuclear disaster has by no means decreased," said Volodymyr Zelensky and reiterated the position that only returning the plant to Ukrainian control will ensure its safe operation.

Yesterday, Kyiv announced a breakthrough in the first line of Russian defenses but also that the battle for the district and the city of Kherson itself - one of the early successes of the Russian offensive in Ukraine - will be protracted. The Ukrainian army continues its strikes on 3 key bridges over the Dnieper River, with the aim of cutting off Russian supply lines.

According to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, Ukrainian forces were overwhelmed in one of their attempted attacks in the Kherson region and suffered heavy casualties. Russian...