Servicemen of Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade prepare to conduct a reconnaissance mission, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Sept. 7.STRINGER/Reuters
Ukraine said on Monday its troops had regained more territory on the eastern and southern fronts in the past week of its counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said in televised comments that Ukraine had retaken nearly 2 square kilometres of land around the eastern city of Bakhmut, captured by Russia in May after months of fighting.
She later added on the Telegram messaging app that the Ukrainian army had in the past week also recaptured 4.8 square kilometres in the southern Tavria sector.
In her televised comments, Ms. Maliar said Ukrainian forces had captured part of the village of Opytne, south of the eastern city of Avdiivka, and had “partial success” near the village of Novomaiorske in the eastern region of Donetsk.
She reported “some success” near the villages of Andriivka and Klishchiivka south of Bakhmut.
Ukrainian troops have regained control of about 49 square kilometres near Bakhmut since the start of the counteroffensive in early June, Ms. Maliar said. In the Tavria direction, over 256 square kilometres had been recaptured, she said.
Kyiv has retaken a series of villages and settlements in the counteroffensive, but its soldiers have been hampered by vast Russian minefields and trenches.
Reuters was not able to verify the reports and Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February, 2022, rarely comments on gains reported by Kyiv.
Ukrainian forces have also regained control from Russia of several gas and oil offshore drilling platforms close to Crimea, Ukraine’s military intelligence (GUR) said on Monday.
It said on the Telegram messaging app that Kyiv’s forces had retaken the drilling platforms known as the “Boiko Towers” in a “unique operation.”
It said the platforms had been occupied since 2015 by Russia, which seized and annexed Crimea in 2014, and had been used by Moscow for military purposes since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Russia did not immediately comment on the report. Reuters was unable to independently verify the GUR’s information.
“For Ukraine, regaining control of the Boiko Towers was of strategic importance and, as a result, Russia lost the ability to use them for military purposes,” GUR said in a video posted on Telegram.
“Russia has been deprived of the ability to fully control the waters of the Black Sea, and this makes Ukraine many steps closer to regaining Crimea,” it said.
During the operation, GUR said, there was a clash between Ukrainian special forces on boats and a Russian fighter jet, which was damaged and forced to retreat.
GUR also captured other “valuable trophies” such as helicopter munitions and a radar system that can track the movement of ships in the Black Sea, it said.
Before Russia seized the Crimea peninsula, Ukraine extracted a significant part of its natural gas from the Black Sea shelf, providing gas not only for Crimea but also to mainland regions of Ukraine.