Zelenskiy tells Russians to run for their lives from Ukraine offensive in south

View of damage after the shelling of a private residential complex, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 29, 2022 in this picture obtained from social media. SES Ukraine/via REUTERS

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine/KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Russian soldiers to flee for their lives after his forces launched an offensive to retake southern Ukraine, but Moscow said it had repulsed the attack and inflicted heavy losses on Kyiv's troops.

Ukraine said on Monday its ground forces had gone on the offensive for the first time after a long period of aerial strikes on Russian supply lines, especially ammunition dumps and bridges across the strategically-important River Dnipro.