Ukraine war: US sees 'notable progress' by Ukraine army in south

Ukraine's forces person made "notable progress" successful their propulsion against heavy fortified Russian positions successful the south, the US authorities says.

White House information spokesperson John Kirby said those gains were made successful the past 72 hours southbound of Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN that Kyiv's forces were advancing, but "it's a pugnacious fight".

Russia claims to person taken strategical heights adjacent the metropolis of Kupiansk successful north-eastern Ukraine.

None of the claims person been independently verified.

Mr Kirby said Kyiv itself had admitted that the propulsion successful the southbound - aimed astatine splitting the Russian onshore corridor to Crimea - was going slower than had been hoped.

"They person achieved immoderate occurrence against that 2nd enactment of Russian defences," helium said.

Earlier successful the week, Ukraine's subject said it had captured the colony of Robotyne successful the Zaporizhzhia region.

In the north-east, Russia has massed forces to recapture territory that Ukraine liberated eastbound of Kharkiv.

In the south, Russia is believed to person built up an elaborate strategy of trenches and tunnels, defended by minefields, arsenic good arsenic artillery positions and alleged "dragon's teeth" anti-tank factual barriers.

Kyiv launched its counter-offensive aft securing much precocious weapons from its allies successful the West and preparing battle battalions.

But advancement has been dilatory and Kyiv continues to impulse Nato countries to present tanks, de-mining instrumentality and warplanes - notably US-made F-16 combatant jets.

On Thursday, Mr Kuleba voiced irritation with those who criticised the gait of Ukraine's counter-offensive.

"I would urge each critics to unopen up, travel to Ukraine and effort to liberate 1 quadrate centimetre by themselves," helium said astatine a gathering of EU overseas ministers successful Spain.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022. Russian forces had seized the Crimea peninsula and overmuch of Ukraine's Donbas portion successful 2014.

President Putin told pupils connected Friday, astatine the commencement of the schoolhouse year, that Russia's triumph successful World War Two proved that their federation was invincible.

"I understood wherefore we won the Great Patriotic War," helium said successful a lecture designed to fortify patriotism successful schools. "It is intolerable to decision this benignant of federation with this benignant of attitude. We were perfectly invincible. And we are the aforesaid now."

The Kremlin's alleged "important conversations" were introduced successful schools aft the Russian full-scale penetration began.

Russia's subject besides announced connected Friday that it had enactment a caller strategical atomic rocket system, called Sarmat, "on combat duty".

The long-range missiles person aggregate warheads. Their deployment has not been independently confirmed.