‘Now Russia fears us’: buildup to Ukraine's southern counteroffensive

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has vowed to liberate the south of the country that was captured by Russian forces in the first days of the invasion. But is this possible? The frontline 'hero city' of Mykolaiv, which came close to falling in those early weeks, lies less than 45 miles from Russian-occupied Kherson – and is still under daily bombardment. Mykolaiv has lost access to drinking water, but about half of the population still remain. With Ukraine making large territorial gains in Kharkiv in the north, the liberation of Kherson still remains a key target to ending the war. The Guardian's Luke Harding and Christopher Cherry visit Mykolaiv and speak to defiant Ukrainians ahead of the current counteroffensive  Russia-Ukraine war live