Ukraine likely to have retaken land occupied by Russia since 2014, UK's MoD says

Ukrainian forces are "highly likely" to person recaptured onshore successful the country's eastbound Donbas portion occupied by Russia since 2014, the UK says.

On Saturday, a Ukrainian commandant said onshore had been retaken adjacent the Russian-occupied colony of Krasnohorivka.

Airborne forces person since made "small advances" eastbound from that village, successful Donetsk, the UK's MoD says.

It comes arsenic Ukraine's person said his country's counter-offensive was making advances connected each fronts.

Speaking during his overnight address, Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a "happy day" for Ukraine but did not springiness details oregon speech astir immoderate areas specifically.

In 2014 Russia illegally annexed the confederate Crimean peninsula and Russia-backed forces took power of parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

In its regular quality briefing, the UK defence ministry said Ukraine's advances eastbound of Krasnohorivka constitutes "one of the archetypal instances since Russia's February 2022 penetration that Ukrainian forces person highly apt recaptured an country of territory occupied by Russia since 2014".

The defence ministry adds that "recent aggregate concurrent Ukrainian assaults" passim the Donbas - portion of its counter-offensive efforts - are apt to person "overstretched Donetsk People's Republic and Chechen forces operating successful this area".

The BBC has not verified the assessment.

Earlier this month, Mr Zelensky confirmed Ukraine's long-awaited counter-offensive to recapture areas occupied by Russia had begun. Last week, helium acknowledged battlefield advancement has been "slower than desired".

On Monday, the commandant of Ukraine's forces connected the confederate beforehand line, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, said Ukrainian forces were "moving forward" successful the confederate direction.

"There are already liberated territories and our question continues," helium said, without giving further details of which circumstantial areas helium was talking about.

Earlier connected Saturday, Mr Tarnavskyi said troops had "liberated the territories adjacent Krasnohorivka successful Donetsk region".

Russia has made nary notation of Krasnohorivka.

Ukrainian forces person besides reportedly made gains successful the Kherson region, making moves to effort to instrumentality power of the near slope of the Dnipro, according to pro-Russian warfare bloggers.

Writing connected Telegram, subject blogger Sasha Kots said successful the past week, Ukrainian enactment connected the Dnipro successful the country of the Antonivskiy Bridge has grown.

The near broadside of the Dnipro has been nether the power of Russian-occupying forces, portion the close broadside has been nether Ukrainian control. The Antonivskiy Bridge did nexus the 2 sides - though it has been significantly damaged during the people of the conflict.

Mr Kots said Ukrainian troops person present "entrenched" themselves connected the near slope and are trying to grow the foothold further south.

The BBC has not verified this and Ukraine has not made immoderate authoritative notation of its movements there.