Ukraine claims advances made by its forces in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia regions

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Ukraine on Tuesday claimed that its forces made advances on the front line with Russia in the regions of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, amid “counteroffensive actions” announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend.

“In the course of the offensive operation, during the past day, our troops advanced 250 meters (820 feet) in the direction of Bakhmut in the area of the Berkhiv Reservoir and 200 meters (656 feet) in the Toretsk direction,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said in a statement on Telegram.

Maliar further claimed that Ukrainian troops advanced between 500 meters to 1 kilometer in the direction of Berdiansk in the Zaporizhzhia region, claiming that the area taken under control was up to 3 square kilometers (1.2 square miles).

The enemy is doing everything to keep the positions captured by it, using aviation and intense artillery fire, Maliar said.

She added that Ukrainian forces have been encountering minefields and anti-tank ditches, as well as “constant counterattacks by enemy units on armored vehicles and the massive use of ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles) and kamikaze drones” during the counteroffensive.et

She also said that fighting is ongoing in the direction of Orikhiv, Marinka, Bakhmut and Lyman.

Russian authorities have not yet commented on the claims.

Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that the Ukrainian army is taking “appropriate counteroffensive and defensive actions” against Russia on the front line.