Thursday saw intense fighting in southeastern Ukraine, with a Western official reporting that Kyiv had initiated a major push, and Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledging that “hostilities have intensified significantly.”

Over the past few weeks, battles have erupted at various points along the more than 1,000-kilometer front line, the Associated Press has reported.

Ukraine is engaging in a counteroffensive, utilizing Western-supplied weapons and troops trained by Western forces, in response to the Russian invasion that occurred 17 months ago.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy conveyed his congratulations to the troops for reclaiming control of a village. In contrast, Putin praised Russian troops for their heroism in repelling attacks in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.

Putin asserted on state TV that the Ukrainian troops’ push was not successful and claimed heavy casualties on their side.

However, independent verification of his statement was not possible. During this time, Putin was attending a summit of African leaders in St. Petersburg.

Since initiating their counteroffensive in early June, Ukrainian troops have made only incremental gains in their efforts to reclaim territory.

The situation remains highly fluid and tense, with both sides engaged in fierce and ongoing clashes.

Written by staff