Ukraine says three villages liberated in counteroffensive 

Ukraine says its troops have liberated three villages in the country’s southeast in the first victories since launching a counter-offensive this past week.

Kyiv’s forces posted unverified videos showing soldiers hoisting the Ukrainian flag at a bombed-out building in the village of Blahodatne in Donetsk region and posing with their unit’s flag in the adjacent village of Neskuchne.

“We’re seeing the first results of the counter-offensive actions, localized results,” Valeryi Shershen, spokesperson for Ukraine’s “Tavria” military sector, said on television.

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar later said Ukrainian forces had “deoccupied” Makarivka, the next village to the south, and advanced between 300 and 1,500 metres in two directions on the southern front.

“No positions were lost on the directions where our forces are on the defensive,” Maliar added on Telegram.

Maliar also said Ukrainian forces were continuing assault operations in the east near the devastated city of Bakhmut and had advanced 250 metres near the adjacent Berkhivka Reservoir.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, praised his troops in his nightly video address, but made no reference to the specific areas where the fighting was reported.

Also Read: Ukraine Counter-Offensive Actions Have Begun- Zelensky

“Of course, I am thankful to our soldiers for this day,” Zelenskiy said, referring only to the two main sectors of the fighting in the east and the south.

“Each one of our combat brigades, each of our units,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that a Ukrainian military push was underway, but that it had failed to breach Russian defensive lines and taken heavy casualties.

The occupied southeast is seen as a likely priority for Kyiv’s forces that may aim to sever Russia’s land bridge to the annexed peninsula of Crimea and split Russian forces in half.

Makarikva is around 90 km (55.92 miles) northwest of the city of Mariupol, which lies on the Sea of Azov on the southern rim of the land bridge. Russia captured the major city last year after besieging and bombarding it for several weeks.

Russia has built vast fortifications across occupied territory to prepare for a Ukrainian counterattack using thousands of troops trained and equipped by the West.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said separately that a motorised infantry brigade had advanced on the front line around the eastern city Avdiivka in recent days and captured a Russian position, but it provided no further details.