Ukraine has secured a serious breakthrough inside simply 48 hours of its long-awaited counter-offensive, based on the British Ministry of Defence. The MoD confirmed that Ukraine had already penetrated Russia’s first line of defence in a number of locations. This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed for the primary time in the present day that the counter-offensive was underway.

Speaking at a press convention alongside Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, the Ukrainian President mentioned that his army commanders have been “in a positive mood” after the counter-attack was launched.

The MoD's intelligence briefing revealed that Ukrainian forces have “likely made good progress” and compelled Russia right into a disorderly retreat in some locations.

However, progress in its offensive in different areas "has been slower".

Summing up the Russian response to the offensive, the MoD said: “Some models are seemingly conducting credible manoeuvre defence operations whereas others have pulled again in some dysfunction."

JUST IN: Children found alive weeks after plane crashed in jungle

It noted that there had been a huge increase in Russian casualties after several retreating troops had been blown up by their own minefields.

The major focus of the Ukrainian military’s attacks has been on the Zaporizhzhia region in the south of the country.

It is thought that Ukraine could try to recapture the town of Tokmak, around 10 miles to the south of the current front line.

This would split Russia's forces into two groupings and disrupt break Russian transport links between occupied parts of Donbas and Crimea.

Meanwhile, alongside Zaporizhzhia, fights have also been reported near Bakhmut, which Russia said it had fully captured last month.

Serhiy Cherevaty, a Ukrainian military spokesperson, claimed that the country's forces had advanced up to 1,400 metres near the eastern city in the past day.

Bakhmut had become the bloodiest and longest battle since Russia started its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Mr Cherevaty additionally claimed that Ukraine had inflicted heavy Russian troop casualties and destroyed army {hardware} within the space.

However, earlier in the present day Russia's defence ministry claimed that it had repelled a Ukrainian offensive within the east and south of the nation.

The defence ministry mentioned Ukrainian forces have made additional "unsuccessful" makes an attempt to launch assaults within the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia areas, in addition to round Bakhmut.

This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned yesterday that the counteroffensive had begun, claiming all makes an attempt had failed up to now.

Vladimir Putin's dialogue of the Ukrainian counteroffensive marks a "notable departure" from his previously "distanced strategy to discussing battlefield realities", based on the Institute of the Study of War (ISW).