Ukraine says some forces advancing ‘dozens of kilometers’ in south

Ukrainian troops along the southern frontline in some regions are advancing dozens of kilometers into territory captured by Russian troops at the beginning of the invasion, a military spokeswoman said Saturday.

“Our troops are advancing along the southern frontlines in various sections from between two and several dozens of kilometers,” Nataliya Gumenyuk, a spokeswoman for southern command of the Ukrainian army told local media.

Separately on Saturday, Ukrainian forces said they had entered the town of Kupiansk in east Ukraine, a key supply hub that had been held by invading Russian forces for several months.

Kyiv’s army in recent days has been pushing deeper into the east of the country, routing Russian forces in a counter-offensive that officials say has seen some 30 towns and villages in the northeastern region of Kharkiv liberated.

Ukrainian special forces published images on social media, which they said showed their officers “in Kupiansk.”

A regional official separately posted an image of Ukrainian soldiers in the east Ukrainian town of around 27,000 people alongside the text: “Kupiansk is Ukraine.”

The town was captured by Russian forces less than one week after Moscow launched its full-scale of invasion of Ukraine on February 24.