Here’s a look at the territory that Ukraine has recaptured through its counteroffensive

If you’re just joining us, here’s what you need to know about the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited recently liberated Izium: Ukrainian forces took back control of the northeastern region of Kharkiv on Saturday. On Wednesday, Zelensky thanked the military and held a minute’s silence to honor those who had been lost in the war.

The liberation of Izium is a major strategic blow to Russia’s military offensive in the east, as it had become a key hub for Moscow to launch attacks south into the Donetsk region and Kupyansk.

About 8,000 square kilometers (3,088 square miles) of territory has been liberated by Ukrainian forces so far this month, according to Zelensky. Most of this reclaimed land is in the northeast and south of the country, he added.

However, the counteroffensive is slowing down: Ukraine is liberating parts of territory from Russia’s occupation in the east, but presidential military adviser Oleksiy Arestovych says the country’s counteroffensive has “slowed down a bit because most of the Ukrainian forces are fighting to capture the city of Lyman, to open our way into Luhansk We will intensify our strikes and liberate new territories in a different way,” he told CNN’s Becky Anderson in an interview.

Lyman, an important railway junction, lies about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of the strategically important Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk.

US says Russian forces withdrew back across the border: “We have seen a number of Russian forces, particularly in the northeast, in the Kharkiv region, cross the border back into Russia as they have retreated from the Ukrainian counteroffensive,” said Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters during a briefing Tuesday. But Russian forces “still exist en masse in Ukraine,” he added.

But Russia has tried to gain ground in other parts of Ukraine: The Ukrainian military’s general staff said Ukrainian units had successfully repelled Russian attacks around the town of Bakhmut, while Russian artillery and air force pounded settlements near the front lines across Donetsk. There was also Russian mortar and tank fire in the Zaporizhzhia region, the General Staff said.

Looting Claims: The military claimed that in the south, around the town of Polohy, Russian troops also stole private cars. And in Nova Kakhovka, in the Kherson region, “the Russians began to massively remove furniture and household appliances from temporarily abandoned settlements.” CNN is unable to confirm the military’s claims, but there has been widespread evidence of looting in Kharkiv and other formerly occupied Russian territories.

Russian shelling killed at least two people and wounded six in Mykolaiv: The head of the region’s civil military administration provided this update, adding that educational institution, infrastructure facilities and residential buildings were damaged in the southern port city near the Black Sea on Wednesday. Ukrainian officials claim that they have so far retaken about 500 square kilometers of territory along the Mykolaiv and Kherson borders.