[1/2]A man walks past a house recently destroyed by shelling during the Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on September 11, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko Get license rights
KYIV, Sept 11 (Reuters) – Ukraine said on Monday that its troops had retaken large swathes of territory on its eastern and southern fronts in the past week following a counter-offensive against Russian forces.
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malier said in televised remarks that Ukraine had recaptured nearly 2 square kilometers (0.77 square miles) of land around the eastern city of Baghmut, which was captured by Russia in May after months of fighting.
Later on the Telegram messaging app, the Ukrainian army recaptured 4.8 square km of territory in the southern Davria sector last week.
In his televised remarks, Maliar said Ukrainian forces had captured part of the village of Obidne, south of the eastern city of Avdiyivka, and “partial success” near the village of Novomyorsk in the eastern region of Donetsk.
He reported “some success” near the villages of Andrivka and Klishivka, south of Pakmut.
Maliar said Ukrainian troops have regained control of about 49 square kilometers near Baghmut since the counteroffensive began in early June. In the direction of Davria, he said, more than 256 square km had been recaptured.
Kiev has retaken a series of villages and settlements in a counterattack, but its soldiers have been hampered by extensive Russian minefields and trenches.
Reuters could not verify the reports and Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, has rarely commented on Kiev’s reported gains.
(Reporting by Anna Bruchnicka, Additional reporting by Yulia Tyza, Gerry Doyle and Timothy Heritage Editing
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