After months of speculation, Ukraine’s counteroffensive has kicked off with the recapture of 3 small villages on the war’s frontline from Russian forces. Blahodatne, Neskuchne, and Makarivka – all settlements in Ukraine’s east – have been liberated from Russian occupation, according to videos on social media and Ukraine’s military leaders. Over the weekend, President Volodomyr Zelensky said that “counteroffensive and defensive actions are taking place”, confirming that the actions are part of the long-awaited effort to push Russia out of the country. But it hasn’t gone all Ukraine’s way with some heavy losses, according to independent analysts. Elsewhere in the country, the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam is being investigated by the International Criminal Court, with the death toll from the flooding estimated to be more than 10 people.