KYIV, Ukraine

The Ukrainian army recaptured from Russian forces four settlements in the Kherson region and one settlement in the Kharkiv region, according to local media on Tuesday.

Ukraine took control of the Davydiv Brid, Starosillya, Novopetrivka, and Dudchany settlements in the Kherson region as well as the village of Bohuslavka in Kharkiv.

The Ukrainian army launched an offensive against Russian forces in the Kharkiv, Kherson, and Donetsk regions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that since last month, more than 450 settlements in Kharkiv alone have been recaptured from Russian forces.

After the holding of referendums condemned by the international community as a "sham," last week parts of Kherson and all of Donetsk were declared annexed by Russia, along with other regions of Ukraine.

Türkiye has firmly rejected the annexation, calling it "a grave violation of the established principles of international law.”

*Writing by Gozde Bayar