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"We
had very fierce battles in the Kupiansk and Lyman directions,
but our soldiers stopped the enemy there," Deputy Defence
Minister Hanna Maliar told Ukrainian television.
Ukraine is in the early stages of its most ambitious
counterattack since Russia's full-scale invasion in February
2022 and says it has retaken eight villages, its first
substantial gains on the battlefield for seven months.
But Russia still holds swathes of territory in eastern and
southern Ukraine, and Ukrainian forces have yet to push to the
main defensive lines that Russia has had months to prepare.
"Indeed, we still have the main events ahead of us. And the main
blow is still to come. Indeed, some of the reserves - these are
staged things - will be activated later," Maliar said.
She said Russian forces still aimed to gain control of the whole
of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine's military operation in the south was going according to
plan and its forces were advancing, even if minefields were
slowing them down, she said.
"In the military, according to their reports and positions,
everything is moving according to plan. It is not necessary to
expect the offensive to be something very fast," Maliar said.
"Every day we are advancing, every day. Yes, it is gradual, but
our forces are gaining a foothold on these borders and they are
advancing steadily."
Reuters was unable to verify the situation on the battlefield.
Each side says the other has suffered heavy losses since Ukraine
began its counteroffensive, and Moscow has not acknowledged
Ukraine's recent military gains.
(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka and Kyiv Newsroom, Editing by
Timothy Heritage)
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