Unverified footage showed Kyiv's forces hoisting the Ukrainian flag at a building in the village of Blahodatne in Donetsk region and posing with their unit's flag in the adjacent village of Neskuchne.
The troops also reportedly retook Makarivka, the next village to the south, and advanced between 300m and 1,500m in two directions on the southern front, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said in a statement.
“No positions were lost on the directions where our forces are on the defensive,” Ms Maliar added.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukrainian “counteroffensive and defensive operations” were taking place.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Friday that a Ukrainian military push was well underway, but that it had failed and had so far suffered “significant losses”.
Kyiv has kept information of its counteroffensive secret and urged Ukrainians not to disclose any information that could compromise the operation.
The video from Blahodatne showed Ukrainian troops inside a heavily damaged building as the sound of artillery rumbled in the distance.
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Denne historien er fra June 12, 2023-utgaven av The Independent.
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