Ukrainian forces push forward near Melitopol.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive continues operations in the Melitopol sector, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces announced on Sept.

24. "The Defense Forces continue their offensive in the Melitopol sector. Our defenders successfully repelled enemy attacks near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast," the report said.

Ivan Fedorov, Melitopol's exiled mayor, said via Telegram that residents reported loud explosions in Tokmak. He also uploaded footage claiming to show "a direct hit" on a Russian observation post near Tokmak. Sept.

24 marks the celebration of Melitopol's City Day. President Volodymyr Zelensky noted the occasion, shared among 17 Ukrainian cities, in a Telegram post. "We will liberate Melitopol," he said.

Melitopol has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. The city has been turned into a Russian military base under the occupation. Fedorov also said that he hoped every exiled resident of Melitopol would be able to return home soon.

"Together we will raise our yellow and blue flag over the city!" he said.

News Editor

Abbey Fenbert is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent.

She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University.

Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.