Russia has executed at least 77 Ukrainian civilians since its massive invasion of its western neighbor in February 2022, according to a report by the United Nations monitoring mission in Ukraine issued on June 27.
In all, Russia detained at least 864 civilians in the areas it has occupied, the report found. The monitoring mission documented 178 cases in detail, finding that more than 90 percent of those detainees had been tortured.
Ukrainian forces detained 75 civilians, more than half of whom were subjected to torture or ill-treatment, according to the report.
Moscow, which has denied its forces have committed war crimes or targeted civilians despite compelling evidence to the contrary, did not cooperate with the UN investigation.
The report came as eight regions in eastern and central Ukraine declared an air-raid alert on June 27. Following the alert, the sound of explosions was heard in Kremenchuk, in the Poltava region, and in Sumy, regional officials reported, without giving details.
Russia has intensified almost-daily misisle and drone strikes on Ukraine over the past week as Kyiv kicked off its long-anticipated counteroffensive.
On June 26, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed optimism about the counteroffensive, describing the day in his nightly video address as a "happy day."
"Our soldiers, our advanced positions, are active in all directions at the front," he said. "Today, in all directions, our soldiers advanced, and it is a happy day. I wish the boys more days like this."
Earlier in the day, Zelenskiy visited troops fighting in the eastern part of the country, handing out medals and posing for selfies. It was unclear exactly where the visit took place, but Zelenskiy's office said he met units of the Khortytsia operational-strategic group in the Donetsk region.
In his video address, Zelenskiy said he met with military commanders and made "several operational decisions" based on the discussions. One decision was the creation of a marine corps, he said.
"We are strengthening the marines and all elements of our defense forces," he said. "This is a must."
In its daily briefing early on June 27, the Ukrainian General Staff said 38 clashes had taken place in the previous 24 hours, mainly in the areas of Lyman, Bakhmut, and Maryinka in the western part of the Donetsk region.
The military also reported carrying out air strikes against Russian positions in the southern Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions.
'We're Firing Shells All The Time': Ukraine Blasts Russian Positions Along Front Line
Ukraine has been making some advances since launching a counteroffensive earlier in the month. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on June 26 that both offensive and defensive operations were being conducted and the military had had some "tactical success."
The head of the Zaporizhzhya military administration, Yuriy Malashko, reported on June 27 that one civilian was killed and several injured by Russian shelling that struck 15 settlements in the region.
The head of the Donetsk military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, also reported that a civilian had been killed by Russian shelling in the settlement of Noviy Komar.
RFE/RL was not able to independently verify battlefield reports.
The New York Times reported on June 26 that U.S. officials were becoming concerned that the initial phase of the Ukrainian counteroffensive was proceeding too slowly. Russian forces, which have been entrenching for months, have proven successful at replenishing cleared minefields.
Zelenskiy told the newspaper the counteroffensive was not "a Hollywood movie," adding that "we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best."
