KYIV: Ukraine on Monday claimed that it had recaptured seven villages and made small advancements in a hard counter-offensive against Russian troops that France said could last for months.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the fighting is tough, but the Ukrainian forces moving forward, this is very important.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that the long-awaited drive, with weapons donated by Western allied countries, would run for weeks if not months, according to AFP.
Speaking alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, he said that they wanted it to be as successful as possible so that a negotiation phase could be started in good conditions.
Duda said that NATO had to “send a clear signal” about Kiyv’s desperate quest to join the group at its next summit on 11-12 July in Vilnius.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed hope that the counter-offensive would compel Russian leader Vladimir Putin into talks about ending its aggression.
Ganna Malyar, Ukraine’s defence minister, said in a Telegram post that 7 villages were recaptured, including Levadne, Novodarivka, and Lobkovo, in the southern Zaporizhzhia.
Malyar said Ukrainian troops had also retaken control of the Storozheve in the south of the Donetsk, near 3 villages retaken on Sunday.
Malyar said that the area of the territory taken under control amounted to ninety square kilometres.
Ukrainian defense ministry claims advancement
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian defence ministry said that its advanced had advanced about 250 to 700 metres towards the flashpoint eastern city of Bakhmut.
Moscow said earlier Monday that it foiled Ukrainian attacks in Donetsk region near Velyka Novosilka.
It also said it repelled Ukrainian attacks around the village of Levadne in Zaporizhzhia area.
The claims by both sides could not by verified independently.
