Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that Ukrainian forces have liberated several settlements in the Kherson region, as the country counts more battlefield gains.
Kherson is one of the four regions that Russia recently admitted into its territory following referendums that Kyiv has condemned.
"On this day alone in the Kherson region, settlements such as Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka and Petropavlivka were liberated from the sham referendum and stabilized," Zelenskyy said in a speech on Wednesday night.
He also confirmed in the speech that Ukraine is starting accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The OECD Council said it has decided to recognize Ukraine as a prospective Member country following Ukraine's request, and the agency's secretary-general will engage in an initial accession dialogue with Ukraine before it considers the opening of accession discussions and the preparation of a draft accession roadmap.