By — Amna Nawaz Amna Nawaz By — Teresa Cebrián Aranda Teresa Cebrián Aranda Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/ukrainian-forces-continue-counteroffensive-as-putin-lays-false-claim-to-more-land Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript Audio The war in Ukraine is grinding towards winter more than seven months after Russia invaded. Even as Vladimir Putin lays false claim to more Ukrainian land, Ukraine's forces continue their counteroffensive across the east and south. But the cost in human life and terror for the people of Ukraine continue to mount. Amna Nawaz reports. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. Amna Nawaz: The war in Ukraine is grinding towards winter. Now, even as Vladimir Putin lays false claim to more Ukrainian land, Ukraine's forces continue their counteroffenses across the east and the south.But the cost in human life and terror for the people of Ukraine continue to mount day by day.In a region that Russia claimed as its own, targets today once again were civilians. Emergency workers rushed to save anyone stuck underneath the rubble after seven Russian missiles hit the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, entire residential buildings crushed in another brutal attack; 13-year-old Vladyslav survived, but is now homeless. Vladyslav, Zaporizhzhia Attack Survivor (through translator): I didn't understand what was happening. It was as if I were in the middle of a fog. I don't know how to describe this feeling. I was very afraid. Amna Nawaz: Zaporizhzhia's regional governor said at least three people were killed, but he remained defiant.Oleksandr Starukh, Governor of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine (through translator): The enemy is terrorizing a peaceful population. We will hold on and will win. All will be Ukraine. Amna Nawaz: President Vladimir Putin invaded to prevent that and signed laws this week that illegally annex four Ukrainian regions into Russia, including Zaporizhzhia. Europe's largest nuclear plant is there, seized by Russia in early March. The plant is still operated by Ukrainian engineers, but, yesterday, Russia's leader declared it was — quote — "federal property."For months, Ukrainian and U.N. officials have warned of a potential nuclear catastrophe after explosions inside the plant. Today, the director of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, said an accident was still possible. Rafael Grossi, Director General, IAEA: We are here in a conflict. We are here in a war. We want this war to stop. The war should stop immediately. And, of course, the position of the IAEA is that this facility is a Ukrainian facility. Amna Nawaz: Speaking in Prague to a new club of European nations, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia's actions. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President (through translator): Absolute meanness, absolute evil. There have already been thousands of manifestations of such evil. Unfortunately, there may be thousands more. Amna Nawaz: Russia's recent drafting of more than 200,000 reservists means newly mobilized soldiers like these are now training to join the war. Yevgeny, Russian Reservist (through translator): The guys are in combat mode. Everybody understands that the motherland asked for their help, and we will fulfill our duty. Amna Nawaz: Ukraine's military sees its duty as liberating territory seized by Moscow and unleashed a new counteroffensive in the southern Kherson region, where officials say they have retaken more than 150 square miles of territory in less than a week.These soldiers near Kherson filmed the moment Russian forces surrendered to Ukrainian troops, but the bulk of their advances have been in the east, where Ukrainian troops last weekend claimed victory in Lyman. There, Russian troops retreated so quickly, they even left the bodies of their own dead lying on the ground.The city is now in ruins after more than four months of Russian occupation. Hundreds of hungry residents who survived weeks sheltering inside have now emerged for the first time, desperate to receive humanitarian aid. Mykola, Lyman Resident (through translator): We want the war to come to an end, want the pharmacy and shops to start working as they used to do, as well as hospitals. Everything is destroyed and pillaged, a complete disaster. Amna Nawaz: A Russian disaster that has left millions of Ukrainians internally displaced in need of food and shelter and now heat for the long and hard winter to come. Listen to this Segment Watch Watch the Full Episode PBS NewsHour from Oct 06, 2022 By — Amna Nawaz Amna Nawaz Amna Nawaz serves as co-anchor and co-managing editor of PBS News Hour. @IAmAmnaNawaz By — Teresa Cebrián Aranda Teresa Cebrián Aranda Teresa is a Producer on the Foreign Affairs & Defense Unit at PBS NewsHour. She writes and produces daily segments for the millions of viewers in the U.S. and beyond who depend on PBS NewsHour for timely, relevant information on the world’s biggest issues. She’s reported on authoritarianism in Latin America, rising violence in Haiti, Egypt’s crackdown on human rights, Israel’s judicial reforms and China’s zero-covid policy, among other topics. Teresa also contributed to the PBS NewsHour’s coverage of the war in Ukraine, which was named recipient of a duPont-Columbia Award in 2023, and was part of a team awarded with a Peabody Award for the NewsHour’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.