(Reuters) – Ukrainian troops went on Friday with a frontline counter -offensive around two cities in the east of the country, where President Volodymyr Zenskiy said that heavy losses were inflicted on Russian troops.
Russia said that his armed forces had imprisoned two new villages in their slow advance through Ukraine in East and South, but the Ministry of Defense did not refer to the Ukrainian drive near the cities of Pokrovsk and Dobropillia.
Zelenskiy said in his nocturnal video address that it had disrupted counter -offensive Russian plans in their long -term objective to grab the logistics center of Pokrovsk.
“There was one of the most important indications of the Russian offensive and they were unable to launch a fully -fledged offensive there. Our army destroys their troops,” said Zenskiy.
“The Russians have suffered considerable losses and the 'exchange fund' for our country has been supplemented considerably – more Russian prisoners are taken every day.”
The top commander of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, wrote on Telegram that his troops had improved from three to seven km (two to four miles) by Russian defenses.
In his video address Zenskiy also said that Ukrainian troops held their positions near Kupiansk -an area of the Noordoost -Kharkiv region in Ukraine that has been subject to Russian attacks for months.
On Thursday, Zenskiy said that the Ukrainian troops had recaptured seven settlements and since the operation started with 160 square km (62 square kilometers) around Pokrovsk and Dobropillia. Another nine settlements were “liberated” from enemy troops.
The Donetsk region, which is only partially occupied by Russia, but of which Moscow wants Kiev for a peace scheme, remains the site of the most intense fights.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that his troops had taken two more places – Muravka, southwest of Pokrovsk and Novoivanivka, further southwest in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Muravka's general staff of the army of Ukraine mentioned as one of the many settlements where the forces had stopped 87 attacks near Pokrovsk.
A senior official in the administration appointed by Russia in areas of the Donetsk region in the possession of Moscow, told the Russian Tass press office that Russian troops now had effective control over all roads and other logistics around Pokrovsk.
Reuters could not verify Battlefield reports independently from both sides.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar, editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
