Ukraine round-up: Inside liberated Lyman and Ukraine makes further ground against Russia

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Mother and son
Image caption,

A mother and son Orla Guerin spoke to in Lyman

Victory can look desolate.

So writes BBC News Correspondent Orla Guerin, from the liberated Ukrainian town of Lyman.

The town - which had a population of 20,000 before the war - was retaken from the Russians at the weekend, and is full of the raw scars of its brief occupation.

The streets are mostly deserted, lined by boarded-up, burned-out or smashed-in buildings.

There were few people about, save for a few rejoicing Ukrainian soldiers, quietly busy humanitarian volunteers, and the abandoned bodies of Russian troops.

One 66-year-old woman told the BBC team that she used to live well. "And in one moment it was turned upside down."

Read Orla's report here.

Media caption,

Watch: Flags being raised in retaken areas of Ukraine

Ukraine has continued to make ground against Russia.

Davydiv Brid, a strategically key village in the southern region of Kherson, has been liberated, reportedly along with several other villages nearby.

Russian forces have already been forced to retreat in the north-east of Ukraine.

This development means they are being pushed back in the south as well.

Read this report from the BBC's online Europe Editor Paul Kirby.

And to help you keep track of the war, and Ukraine's recent gains, the BBC Visual Journalism Team have created some new maps.

This map shows Ukrainian advances in the southern region of Kherson.

In Donetsk, Ukrainian forces are pushing east, having taken the town of Lyman featured in Orla's report above.

Both Kherson and Donetsk are regions that Russia has recently attempted to annex, following self-proclaimed referendums.

Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia are the other two regions subject to annexation.

View the maps and explanation from the Visual Journalism team.

Image source, Olga Valeyeva/Instagram

And in news following a previous annexation, Russian authorities have fined a beauty queen in Crimea for singing a Ukrainian song.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Olga Valeyeva, who won the "Mrs Beauty Queen - Crimea" competition in May, was arrested and fined 40,000 roubles (£609) after she appeared in a video on social media singing Red Viburnum.

The 19th-Century military march is popular with Ukrainian nationalists - but Ms Valeyeva said she was not aware of its association.

Read the full story here.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Elon Musk has faced criticism after his poll

Finally, there are some dilemmas in life which are best solved by Twitter poll.

But this does not extend to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Multi-billionaire Elon Musk asked his followers to vote on ideas for resolving the crisis, with options including ceding territory to Russia.

Mr Zelensky responded with his own poll, asking users if they liked Mr Musk more when he supported Russia or Ukraine.

Read the full story here.