Ukraine counter smashes Russian defence line as child torture chamber uncovered

Ukraine has broken the first line of Russian defences in a major counteroffensive win, but it comes as prosecutors say Vladimir Putin’s men tortured 75 children in a spate of twisted cases. Kyiv’s troops have made two major advances in counteroffensive operations near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War. They also used NATO-provided artillery systems as ‘ranges of 30km to 40km allow Ukrainian forces to destroy Russian artillery systems and force Russian forces to move their artillery further from the frontline’, the August 31 assessment claimed. Confirming the reports, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that Ukraine ‘s Armed Forces achieved success in the directions of Bakhmut, Melitopol and Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Earlier this week, Ukraine liberated the village of Robotyne, which has been described as the first line of Russian defence. It is located along the T0408 road leading to Tokmak, a town viewed as a gateway to Melitopol and Berdiansk. For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to Daily Express US   Prosecutors say they found evidence of child torture in occupied territory (Image: President’s office ) These are two large cities close to the Sea of Azov in the occupied territory Ukraine is hoping to re-take. But the counteroffensive gains have been somewhat tainted by a chilling discovery. Ukrainian prosecutors found that Russian forces had tortured 75 children over the course of the Kremlin’s illegal war, according to a report by Interfax Ukraine . Yuliya Usenko, a top Ukrainian prosecutor, told the outlet: “Today, pre-trial investigation bodies and prosecutors document such crimes in more than 3,200 criminal proceedings. These include murders, mutilations, child abduction, forced displacement, deportation, sexual violence against children, and attacks on institutions and facilities for children. Ukraine made two major advances (Image: GETTY ) Usenko, who heads the Department for Protection of Children’s Interests and Combating Violence of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine , added that kidnapping is often accompanied by torture and illegal deprivation of freedom. This comes after a shocking investigation exposed the brutal torture tactics used at detention centres in Russian-occupied Kherson. Almost half of Ukrainian detainees were subjected to excruciating methods such as rape and electrocution, the Mobile Justice Team of investigators discovered. Russia is also enacting a mass deportation of Ukrainian children in an attempt to wipe out their Ukrainian identity with forced Russification, Kyiv and multiple NGOs have said. Moscow claims it has ‘evacuated’ 744,000 children from Ukraine . But a staggering 200,000 to 300,000 children are estimated to have been deported. Due to a lack of documentation, the current official number is around 19,600. Of these, only 385 children have been returned to Ukraine and reunited with their families. Follow our social media accounts here on facebook.com/ExpressUSNews and @expressusnews