The Ukrainian army has seized almost 2,500 km2 of territory held by Russian forces during its latest counter-offensive launched in late September, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.
“This week alone, our soldiers have liberated 776 km2 of territory in the east of our country and 29 localities, including six in the Luhansk region. In total, 2,434 km2 of our territory and 96 localities have already been liberated since the beginning of this offensive operation,” he greeted in his daily speech published on social networks.
In recent days, the Kyiv troops have made a second big push, in the Kharkiv region (northeast) but also in the south, near Kherson, a city controlled by the Russians.
Biting setbacks for the Russian military
In mid-September, the Ukrainian president had indicated that his army had occupied nearly 6,000 km2 in a first counteroffensive launched in early September.
The Ukrainian army had announced in early September a counteroffensive in the south, then in the Kharkiv region, bordering Russia in the northeast of the country, forcing Moscow’s soldiers to withdraw to other positions.
Russian forces claimed their first gains in eastern Ukraine on Friday after a series of bitter setbacks on several fronts, but Kyiv appears to be holding the initiative, calling on Russian soldiers to opt for surrender.
Source: BFM TV
