Zelenskiy says Ukrainian troops advance in Zaporizhzhia region
(Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that Ukraine’s counteroffensive had made gains in both the southern Zaporizhia region and the Donetsk region, the focal point of the conflict, where Kiev reported success.
Kiev has said for several weeks that its forces have been advancing around the town of Dobropillia, near the logistics center of Pokrovsk, one of the main targets of Russian troops slowly advancing west from the Donetsk region.
In his nightly video speech, Zelenskiy said Kiev forces had gained more than 3 km (1.8 miles) south of the Zaporizhzhia region.
“Currently, Ukrainian units continue counter-offensive actions near Dobropillia, but also in other sectors, in particular in the Zaporizhzhia region near Orikhiv,” he said.
“There, our forces advanced more than 3 km today.”
The 24th Separate Assault Battalion of the Ukrainian army reported on the Telegram messaging application that it, together with another unit, took control of the village of Mali Shcherbaky, between Orikhiv and the Dnipro River.
A report by the Russian Ministry of Defense did not mention the Ukrainian advance or whether Mali Shcherbaky had changed hands. However, it was stated that Moscow troops hit Ukrainian troops and equipment in the Zaporizhzhia region, including Mali Shcherbaky and the village of Novoandriivka near Orikhiv.
Reuters could not independently verify battlefield reports from either side.
Ukraine and Russia last week issued conflicting statements about the situation on the front lines in the more than 3-1/2-year war, which Ukraine’s top commander estimated would stretch 1,250 km (775 miles).
Russian President Vladimir Putin told senior military officers last week that Moscow’s forces have captured 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square kilometers) of territory this year and have a strategic advantage in all sectors of the front line.
A day later, Zelenskiy said that Ukrainian forces had inflicted heavy losses on Russian troops near Dobropillia and were “defending ourselves in all other directions.”
(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Bogdan Kochubey; Editing by David Gregorio)
