Ukraine claims its troops are within 30 miles of Russian border as Kyiv makes further gains

‘The Russian army ... is demonstrating the best that it can do, showing its back’, crows President Zelensky

Ukraine’s attack in the Kharkiv region came as a surprise for Moscow (AP)

Ukrainian troops pushed to within 30 miles of the Russian border on Sunday, said officials, as Kyiv’s counteroffensive continued to make gains on the 200th day of the war.

A jubilant Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky mocked Moscow in a video address, saying “the Russian army in these days is demonstrating the best that it can do, showing its back”.

Ukraine’s quick action to reclaim Russia-occupied areas in the northeastern Kharkiv region forced Moscow to withdraw its troops to prevent them from being surrounded and leave behind significant numbers of weapons and munitions in a hasty retreat.