Kyiv: In the midst of continued Russian aggression and back-to-back missile strikes by Russian forces, local news reports claimed that Ukrainian forces had retaken key vital towns. 

According to The Kyiv Independent, Zelenskyy soldiers have retaken many towns, including Trostyanets in Sumy, which was occupied on March 1 this year. "On March 1, the Russian military took control of the city, which is located in the northern Sumy Oblast. Trostyanets returned to Ukraine on March 26 under the Ukrainian flag". 

Apart from Trostyanets, the Ukrainian forces liberated two more towns in Zaporizhzhia's south-eastern territory, Poltavka and Malynivka. Ukrainian soldiers successfully counterattacked Russian troops, driving them out of briefly seized villages in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Heavy violence broke out in both villages, according to a tweet from the Kyiv Independent.

At least six explosions were heard in Lviv city on Saturday, around 70 kilometres from where US President Joe Biden had a closed-door meeting with his Polish colleagues at Poland's Presidential Palace. In response to the event, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy questioned the timing of Biden's visit, saying, "The aggressors wanted to say hello to President Biden because they knew he was in Poland." 

"Lviv is only 70 kilometres from the Polish border, and I think the world needs to understand that the threat is very, very serious," Sadovy told the BBC. The time was critical since the US President had already attacked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin and said that he "can not remain in power."

On February 24, Russia initiated a war against Ukraine. Since then, Russia has been bombarding several cities in Ukraine despite several sanctions by western countries and the US. Lakhs of people have fled the war-torn country since the invasion of Russia began. Several thousand civilians have been killed in the conflict so far.