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Ukraine's commander on the southern front reports some success in developing counteroffensive

29 July 2023 04:03 (UTC +04:00)

Ukraine's top commander on the southern front says his forces are making some progress in driving back Russian troops, as Kyiv's counteroffensive appears to be entering a more aggressive new phase, APA reports citing CNN.

"The defense forces are systematically driving the enemy back and are having some success," Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said.

"In particular, Ukrainian troops have liberated Staromaiorske in Donetsk region and are consolidating their positions," he added, referencing a village in southeastern Ukraine which Kyiv's troops claimed Thursday.

The general described intense, ongoing combat in the area he commands, which encompasses southern parts of Donetsk and the Zaporizhzhia region.

Russia launched at least 17 attacks on Ukrainian positions there over the past day, and fired on Kyiv's forces hundreds more times, according to Tarnavskyi. Meanwhile, Ukraine's artillery units are on the offensive, carrying out more than 1,500 firing missions during that same period, he said.

Tarnavskyi claimed "19 units" of Russian military equipment were destroyed in the most recent fighting, including tanks and armored personnel carriers.