Ukraine claimed on Monday to have retaken 18 square kilometres of territory from Russian forces across the country, including seven square kilometres around the devastated eastern town of Bakhmut, which fell to Russian control in May after months of deadly clashes.
“Over the past week, as a result of improved operational (tactical) positioning and alignment of the front line towards Bakhmut, (a) 7-square-kilometre territory has been liberated,” Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram.
She added that 11 square kilometres had been recaptured in the south in a week, bringing the total area Ukrainians claim to have recaptured in the country in the past week to 18 square kilometres.
According to Maliar, Ukraine has recaptured 180 square kilometres in the south of the country since the launch of its counter-offensive at the beginning of June, and 30 square kilometres in the east, mainly around Bakhmut, making a total of 210 square kilometres recaptured.
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Despite the delivery of long-awaited Western weapons to Kyiv, the Ukrainian army is facing Russian troops who have time to build up solid defences, including formidable minefields, and still have plenty of firepower to direct at the Ukrainian forces.
On Friday, the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andrii Yermak, had admitted that the counter-offensive was “not moving that fast”. On Sunday, the Ukrainian General Staff said its army was continuing its offensive in the south-east, while Maliar referred to a situation that had “intensified” near Kupyansk, a town in the north-east of the country where the Ukrainian army is in a “defensive” position.
