Kiev (EFE).- The Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister, Hanna Maliar, announced today that the Ukrainian forces have recovered 113 square kilometers in the south of the country since they began their counteroffensive two weeks ago.
In a statement on the national television news service, Maliar has assured that in the directions of Berdyansk and Melitópol “8 towns have been liberated”, adding to the list of recovered towns the town of Piatijatki, in the southeastern province of Zaporizhia, which she was released over the weekend.
In addition, the deputy minister explained that the Ukrainian forces in that part of the country have managed to push the Russian occupiers back a distance of 7 kilometers in a straight line: “the liberated area in the south is 113 square kilometers.” Maliar added.
According to Ukrainian policy, fighting continues in the eastern Donetsk province, the other region where Ukraine is carrying out its counteroffensive.
Specifically in Bakhmut, Mailar has reported that Russia continues to accumulate troops to stop the Ukrainian advance on the flanks.
Russia attacks Odessa again with missiles
Separately, the Ukrainian military authorities have pointed out that Russia again attacked the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa last night with four cruise missiles that were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.
The region’s military authority has also assured that Russian troops launched 4 Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones against the Dnipropetrovsk region, one of the most important Ukrainian logistics knots near the front, which were intercepted by the Ukrainian army.
Moscow denounces a new Ukrainian bombardment against Belgorod
On the Russian side, at least seven people, including a child, were injured today by Ukrainian artillery fire against the town of Valuisk, in the Russian region of Belgorod, according to the governor of this federated entity bordering Ukraine.
In addition, the governor has stated that five apartment buildings and four houses were damaged.
The Belgorod region was recently attacked by members of the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom for Russia Legion, raids for which Russia blamed Ukraine.
Two towns in the Russian border region of Kursk were also attacked with artillery fire today, with no casualties reported, the governor of that entity reported on his Telegram channel.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that if Ukraine continues its attacks on the border, Russia will be “forced” to create what it called a “sanitary zone” on the neighboring country’s territory.