Ukraine’s airborne forces have regained ground in eastern Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the troops.
The gains have taken place in an area occupied by Russia since 2014, reports say British Ministry of Defence.
– Today our fighters have advanced in all directions, this is a day of joy, says Volodymyr Zelensky.
At the same time that Russia is forced to deal with the internal chaos that the Wagner Group has brought about in the country, Ukraine is claiming conquests in the East. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited frontline soldiers in eastern Ukraine and claims continued progress in the war. Which is also confirmed by notification to the British Ministry of Defence.
“It is one of the first times since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 that Ukraine has very likely retaken territory occupied by Russia since 2014,” the ministry writes.
Attack in three directions
Zelenskyy paid an unannounced visit to front-line soldiers outside Bakhmut on Monday, the Ukrainian presidential office announced.
In an appearance on social media, Zelensky later highlighted Monday as a successful day.
– Today our fighters have advanced in all directions, this is a day of joy, he said.
Ukraine is currently attacking in three directions, targeting three cities along the Russian-occupied strip of land in the southeast: Melitopol, Berdyansk and Bakhmut. But Russia has been setting up strong defenses in recent months, especially in the direction south towards Melitopol and by extension the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Secured bridge attachment
In recent days, Russian sources have also sounded the alarm that Ukraine appears to be preparing a bridgehead in Kherson County, for a possible landing on the eastern side of the Dnieper River. The river has so far been an obstacle in the west, not least because of the dam collapse a couple of weeks ago and the huge floods that followed.
On Monday, there were 45 Russian airstrikes, two robot attacks and a series of drone attacks against Ukraine, the Ukrainian military announced on Tuesday morning.
Figures and successes officially reported by the parties to the war are in principle regularly exaggerated.