kraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday mentioned “battles are fierce, but we are moving forward” after his army chiefs mentioned seven villages had been recaptured in the summertime counter-offensive.

Fighting has been taken place in a collection of places on the frontline within the japanese Donetsk province and extra southern Zaporizhzhia province.

In his in a single day handle after assembly defence chiefs, Mr Zelensky mentioned: “The key reports were from the commanders of the operational directions that are the most important and hottest - Khortytsia and Tavria.

“The battles are fierce, but we are moving forward, and this is very important. The enemy’s losses are exactly what we need.”

But he added that “unfavourable” climate circumstances had hampered advances within the long-awaited counter-offensive.

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He defined additional: “Generals Syrskyi and Tarnavskyi reported..on the successes we have already achieved, on the points of the front where we need reinforcement, and on the actions that can break more Russian positions.

“Thank you to our guys for every Ukrainian flag that is now returning to its rightful place in the villages of the newly de-occupied territory!”

Kyiv says seven villages have been recaptured within the nation’s south east, together with Storozheve within the Donetsk space, in addition to the settlements of Blahodatne, Neskuchne, Makarivka as Vladimir Putin’s troops have been pushed again.

Ukrainian forces have additionally gained territory across the japanese city of Bakhmut, however different assaults have been much less profitable, with experiences of losses of kit and casualties in some locations.

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar mentioned the nation's troops recaptured a complete of seven villages spanning 90 sq. kilometres (35 sq. miles) over the previous week - small successes within the early phases of a counter-offensive.

Russian officers didn't verify these Ukrainian good points, which had been unattainable to confirm and might be reversed within the to-and-fro of warfare.

The Institute for the Study of War mentioned: “Ukrainian forces continued counter-offensive operations in at least three sectors of the front and made territorial gains on June 12.”

But the Washington-based suppose tank additionally highlighted experiences of Russian counter-attacks.

Meanwhile, Russia launched a “massive missile” assault in a single day on the central Ukrainian metropolis of Kryvyi Rih, killing no less than three individuals and wounding 25 and damaging civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian officers mentioned early on Tuesday.

Rescue operations had been underway in a burning five-storey condo constructing and in a destroyed warehouse, mentioned Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk area the place Kryvyi Rih is situated.

“There are still people under the rubble of a building. There was a fire there,” he added, giving the preliminary casualty figures, and posting {a photograph} of the condo block with smoke pouring out of a few of the blown out home windows.

City mayor Oleksandr Vilkul mentioned no less than seven individuals had been believed to be trapped underneath the rubble.

Mr Zelensky who was born in Kryvyi Rih, additionally condemned the assault on his hometown.

“Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people,” he mentioned on Telegram messaging app.

During the early hours of Tuesday, air raid sirens blared throughout the entire of Ukraine, with Kyiv’s army officers saying air defence forces destroyed all Russian missiles focusing on the Ukrainian capital.

Ukraine’s prime army command mentioned that air forces destroyed 10 out of 14 cruise missiles Russia launched on Ukraine and one of many 4 Iranian-made drones.

It was not instantly clear what number of missiles hit Kryvyi Rih and the place the Russia-launched drones struck their targets.

There was no speedy remark from Russia in regards to the reported strikes.

The mayor of the town of Kharkiv in Ukraine’s east mentioned on his Telegram channel that Russian drones hit civilian infrastructure there, hanging a warehouse and a utility agency’s constructing. There was no speedy details about casualties.