Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskyy warns of hard winter as Ukrainian forces make progress in counteroffensive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a difficult winter season as the war is in its seventh month. Despite a hard winter season ahead, Zelenskyy also reported that Ukrainian forces made progress in their counter-attack.

During his nightly address Sunday, Zelenskyy thanked the Ukrainian forces for retaking control of two settlements in southern Ukraine and the third settlement in eastern Ukraine, along with the additional eastern territory. Zelenskyy added that he was receiving good reports from military commanders and the head of intelligence.

Zelenskyy warned European leaders that there would be a hard winter season ahead, advising the leaders to pursue ways to ease the impact of rising energy prices on the continent.

The deputy head of the president’s office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, shared an image on Facebook Sunday. The image was of soldiers raising the Ukrainian flag over a village that Tymoshenko labeled in the southern territory, which was the main focus of Ukraine’s counter-attack.

“Vyskopillya, Kherson region. Ukraine. Today,” said Tymoshenko in his post.

Ukrainian forces launched their counter-attack last week to retake southern Ukraine, which has been occupied by Russian forces, especially Kherson, which was seized by Russia in the early onset of the war.

Regarding the energy crisis, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his administration was planning a total halt on gas deliveries in October, pledging measures to lower gas prices and add social benefits to inflation.

During a news conference in Berlin, Scholz said Russia was no longer a “reliable” partner for energy. Finland and Sweden also announced plans Sunday to offer billions to power companies to avert the threat posed by insolvency in the face of the energy crisis.

The US Embassy in Russia said Sunday that its ambassador John Sullivan left the country after his tenure concluded. Sullivan was appointed by Donald Trump in 2019 and would be stepping down, having served as the country’s ambassador to Russia for nearly three years.

“US Ambassador to the Russian Federation John J. Sullivan has concluded his tenure as US envoy and departed Moscow today,” the embassy said on its website.

A US State Department official said Sullivan served the usual tour length for US ambassadors to Russia.