Ukraine liberates Robotyne village, Russia launches Black Sea strikes

The military said last week that its forces had raised the national flag in Robotyne, but also said at the time that they were still coming under fire in the settlement.

 Ukrainian soldiers of the Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' enter the embattled village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on August 25, 2023. (photo credit: Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS)
Ukrainian soldiers of the Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' enter the embattled village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on August 25, 2023.
(photo credit: Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS)

Ukraine said on Monday its troops had liberated the southeastern settlement of Robotyne and were trying to advance further south in their counteroffensive against Russian forces.

"Robotyne has been liberated," Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar was quoted as saying by Ukraine's military.

The military said last week that its forces had raised the national flag in Robotyne, but also said at the time that they were still coming under fire in the settlement.

Ukrainians killed in Russian missile attack

The news of Robotyne's liberation comes on the heels of reports that three people were killed in an overnight Russian missile strike on Ukraine, and a fourth was killed in shelling on Monday morning, Ukrainian officials said.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said the three people killed overnight were workers at an industrial facility that was hit in the central Poltava region. Five others were wounded and another person was unaccounted for, he said.

 Ukrainian soldiers of the Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' enter the embattled village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on August 25, 2023. (credit: Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS)
Ukrainian soldiers of the Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' enter the embattled village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on August 25, 2023. (credit: Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS)

Presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak described the facility as a vegetable oil factory in the Myrhorod district of Poltava region, and posted photos showing the plant in flames. Klymenko said the fire had later been extinguished.

"The people were working the night shift," Yermak said on the Telegram messaging app.

Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of the Kherson region, said a 63-year-old woman had been killed in shelling of the village of Sadove at around 10:40 a.m. (0740 GMT) on Monday.

The Ukrainian military said Russia had launched four missiles from the Black Sea overnight, two of which were shot down.

The military also said the Kryvyi Rih region in central Ukraine had been struck in a missile attack. Local authorities said several private houses had been damaged, but reported no casualties.

Russia, which sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine 18 months ago, did not immediately comment on the reports.