UKRAINE

Russia on Monday fired 84 missiles targeting cities across Ukraine. At least 43 missiles were reportedly neutralized by Ukraine's missile defense systems.

In addition to civilian casualties, more than 1,300 Ukrainian settlements also lost power following the missile attacks.

Following battlefield losses by the Russian forces, the former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman believes Putin is now like a "cornered animal."

As the blasts tore through the capital and several other cities, Russia fired at least 75 missiles, said Ukraine's commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny.

"They have to win because for Ukraine, it's an independence war. It's not just a regional conflict, and that's why they are highly motivated," said the Estonian spymaster.

The Russian soldiers fled from the newly-liberated village of Torske in occupied Donetsk Oblast.

About 20 Russian soldiers who were deployed as part of the platoon were killed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Russia's army general Sergei Surovikin will now lead all military actions in Ukraine for the invasion.

The Russian military's death toll is now estimated to be at 61,000, according to the UAF General Staff.

Ukrainian officials also found a gas mask that was supposedly "put on the head of a victim who was covered with a smoldering rag and buried alive."

Maps shared by the Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday showed that the country's army in Kherson had retreated toward the border of Luhansk Oblast.

The newly-liberated settlements in Kherson Oblast were located in the region's Beryslav district.

"In a few weeks, we have already [received] more than 2,000 such requests," said a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised Elon Musk for "looking for a peaceful way out of" the war in Ukraine.

In a Twitter post, Musk suggested re-doing referendums in annexed territories of Ukraine "under UN supervision."

Russia President Vladimir Putin's allies also suggested that Moscow's military commander should be sent to the frontlines armed only with a machine gun.

Former National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster made the remarks following Ukraine's liberation of the city of Lyman.

A report by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that the Ukrainian soldiers also successfully hit five Russian command posts over the weekend.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also called Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear threats "illegal" and "irresponsible" during an interview with CNN.

The Biden administration on Friday added further sanctions on Russia and Russian entities following Putin's annexation of four regions in Ukraine.

Tactical nuclear weapons, sometimes called battlefield or nonstrategic nuclear weapons, were designed to be used on the battlefield.