The Ukrainian army has recaptured close to 6,000 square kilometres of territory, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskyy announced on Monday evening.
"Since the beginning of September, we have liberated 6,000 [square] kilometers of territory, mainly in the east and south, and we are still moving forward," Zelenskyy said in a recorded video message relayed on social media networks.
The Ukrainian president separately thanked three military units, praising their courage in the operation which, if consolidated, will have led to the one of the biggest territorial gains in the war for Ukraine since the withdrawal of Russian troops from the outskirts of Kyiv in late March.
The Ukrainian army had first launched a counter-offensive in the south, before carrying out a successful lightning advance into the northeastern region of Kharkiv, on the border with Russia, forcing the Russian military to withdraw to other positions.
The Ukrainians also reported successes in the Russian-occupied southern region of Kherson, which borders on the annexed peninsula of Crimea, as well as parts of the East, under control of pro-Russian separatists since 2014.
For its part, the Russian army said on Saturday that was regrouping its troops in eastern Ukraine and therefore withdrawing troops from the towns of Izhum and Balaklia and shifting them to nearby Donetsk region.
In this way, Russia wants to focus more on Donetsk and neighbouring Luhansk region.
There is currently heavy fighting in Donetsk, according to reports from various sources.
