Ukraine says it has recaptured 113 square kilometers of territory in the south

Kyiv, June 19 (EFE).- Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Monday that the Ukrainian forces have recovered a total of 113 square kilometers in the south of the country since launching a counter-offensive two weeks ago.

In a post on Telegram, Maliar said that a total of 8 villages had been liberated in the course of the two-week long operations in the Berdyansk and Melitopol directions in Zaporizhzhia region, including Novodarivka, Levadne, Storozheve, Makarivka, Blagodatne, Lobkovo, Neskuchne and Pyatikhatky.

The deputy minister added that the Ukrainian forces had managed to push back the Russians 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) in the Tauri direction, taking the total area freed in the south to 113 square kilometers (44 square miles).

The Ukrainian minister said that fighting continued in the eastern part of the country where too Ukraine has launched a counter-offensive.

A total of 41 clashes have taken place amid efforts by Russia to stop the advance of Ukrainian troops in the direction of Bakhmut, located in the Donetsk region, she added.

The Russians have also been unable to gain ground in the Kupyansk, Avdiivsk and Marinsk directions, also in the east, according to the deputy minister.

Maliar said that more than 4,600 Russians had been killed or wounded during the past week and more than 80 captured by Ukraine.

The Ukrainian defense forces also destroyed more than 400 units of enemy equipment and weapons, including helicopters, tanks, howitzers, anti-tank missile systems, she added. EFE

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