As Ukraine's campaign to reclaim Russian-held areas in the southeast enters its 500th day, Ukrainian forces have taken the initiative in their counteroffensive.

Equipped with increasingly sophisticated Western weaponry, Ukraine has launched an anticipated counteroffensive focusing on capturing a cluster of villages in the southwest and attempting to retake areas around the eastern city of Bakhmut.

500 days of the full-scale war.

Snake Island. The free island of free Ukraine.

I am grateful to everyone who fought here against the occupiers. We commemorated the heroes who gave their lives in this battle – one of the most important during the full-scale war.

Glory to… pic.twitter.com/RODccfWkWm

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 8, 2023

Heavily contested by Russian mercenary Wagner forces, the line of contact between the two sides runs between two hills, making the fighting difficult. Reports by Russian accounts suggest that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's unit is deployed in the area, and Ukrainian military analyst Denys Popovych has said that Ukrainian forces have taken “important positions” near Klishchiivka.

As President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged in broadcast comments, his country’s forces had “taken the initiative” after an earlier slowdown, and Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, said that heavy fighting raged in two areas of the southeast, but that Ukrainian forces had registered “a certain advance” on the city’s southern flank.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the conflict has resulted in the displacement of over 1.4 million people, severe economic disruption, and the loss of more than 13,000 lives. In the hopes of receiving support and guarantees for its security, Kyiv has turned to the West with the NATO summit in Lithuania later this week.

On day 500 of the war, Zelensky visits Snake Island, which Ukraine regained last summer after months of fighting, and after sinking the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. pic.twitter.com/uVYNFyJFNo

— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) July 8, 2023

Mr. Zelensky hopes to see the counteroffensive accomplished in a shorter period of time, but acknowledges that there is a reality that the initiative is on Ukraine's side. The resilience of the Ukrainian forces over the past 500 days has been remarkable, and as they press on with their campaign, there is hope that the current counteroffensive will result in a successful end to this long and bloody conflict.