Ukraine advancing in the south: military chiefs

Kyiv [Ukraine], June 17: Ukrainian forces are advancing in southern sectors of their counter-offensive against Russian occupation troops, Ukrainian military officials said.
The latest report on the counter-offensive, as well as an account of "desperate resistance" by Russian troops in the east, was issued as President VolodymyrZelenskiy said movement in the counter-offensive was "the most important thing".'
Reuters could not verify the battlefield situation. Russia has not officially acknowledged Ukrainian advances in the early stages of a counteroffensive and said it had inflicted heavy losses on Kyiv's forces in the previous 24 hours.
Deputy Ukrainian Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on the Telegram messaging app that troops were "engaged in active moves to advance in several directions at once.
In Ukraine's east, Maliar said Russian forces were trying to dislodge Ukrainian forces from established positions.
Ukrainian forces around the devastated city of Bakhmut, captured by Russia last month, were trying to push Russian forces out from the outskirts of the town.
Colonel General OleksandrSyrskyi, who is in charge of Ukrainian ground forces, had earlier described the situation in the east as tense, with Russia bringing its best divisions into the Bakhmut sector with backup from artillery and aircraft.'
Bakhmut has seen some of the fiercest fightings since Russia's February 2022 invasion. The Ukrainian military said last week it had begun pushing back Russian forces near Bakhmut.
Kyiv said on Thursday it had regained control of about 100 square km (38 square miles) of territory in just over a week of its counter-offensive.
Brigadier General OleksandrTarnavskyi, commander of Ukrainian troops in the southern Tavriia sector, said there had been 36 combat engagements and 578 attacks in the past 24 hours in the sector.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation