Ukrainian attacks continue in key southern Zaporizhzhia region

Ukrainian attacks successful the cardinal confederate Zaporizhzhia portion are continuing, Russian officials and subject bloggers say, reporting dense warring there.

They accidental Ukrainian troops - backed by tanks, artillery and drones - are trying to beforehand southbound of the municipality of Orikhiv for the 2nd nighttime running.

A elder Ukrainian defence authoritative said the force was successful "active defence".

Several subject experts person said the absorption of Ukraine's agelong awaited counter-offensive volition beryllium Zaporizhzhia.

They reason Kyiv is trying to regain entree to the Sea of Azov, splitting the occupying Russian forces successful the portion into 2 detached groupings.

That would not lone weaken their combat capabilities, but besides carve retired a onshore span to Crimea - Ukraine's confederate peninsula illegally annexed by Russia successful 2014.

Earlier connected Thursday, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Ukraine's counter-offensive had begun - though Kyiv remains tight-lipped connected the issue.

Meanwhile, the UK defence ministry said that "amidst a highly analyzable operational picture, dense warring continues on aggregate sectors of the front".

It added that "in astir areas Ukraine holds the initiative".

Russia seized astir of the Zaporizhzhia portion - including Europe's largest atomic powerfulness works - soon aft President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale penetration successful February 2022.

The determination capital, the metropolis of Zaporizhzhia, is controlled by Ukraine.

Several Russian pro-Kremlin subject bloggers reported precocious connected Thursday that Ukraine had resumed its attacks overnight.

They said armoured unit carriers and drones directing artillery occurrence were besides deployed.

Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-installed section official, said determination had been "active fighting" successful the country betwixt Orikhiv and Tokmak, with Russian troops holding their positions.

The municipality of Tokmak is seen by galore subject experts arsenic a cardinal people for Ukraine arsenic it seeks to beforehand to the Sea of Azov.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the earlier reported Ukrainian battle had been repelled, harming the enemy. The curate provided nary grounds to backmost his claim.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said successful a little connection connected Thursday that Russian forces were presently "in progressive defence" connected the Zaporizhzhia direction.

In its latest bulletin connected Thursday evening, Ukraine's subject stated lone that the "enemy continues to beryllium connected the defensive" towards Zaporizhzhia arsenic good arsenic successful neighbouring Kherson, a portion deed by a monolithic flooding aft a large dam collapsed earlier this week.

The Ukrainian subject added that Russian troops had carried retired aerial strikes determination and utilized artillery during the day.

Ukraine has been readying a counter-offensive for months, but it has wanted arsenic agelong arsenic imaginable to bid troops and to person precocious subject instrumentality from Western allies.

Last month, Oleksiy Danilov, caput of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, told the BBC that Kyiv was acceptable to motorboat the onslaught - without naming a circumstantial date.