Even Putin admits Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia’s forces – but progress will be slow

Ukrainian officials are cautious over the fresh push in their counteroffensive but say steady progress is being made in the south and east, writes Askold Krushelnycky from Kyiv

Ukrainian forces prepare to fire a mortar towards Russian positions on the front line near Bakhmut (Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters)

Ukraine is believed to be pushing hard to punch through heavily fortified Russian defences in the country’s southeast – with even President Vladimir Putin admitting that “hostilities have intensified significantly”.

Kyiv is seeking to move towards the coast of the Sea of Azov – to break through the land corridor between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. The aim would be to split Russian forces into two and cut supply lines to units farther west. Ukraine’s military has said that Russia was launching intense artillery and aerial bombardments to try and slow down Kyiv’s troops.

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar has said that her country’s forces are advancing toward the city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region, which sits near the Sea of Azov. Russia’s Defence Ministry also reported attacks on the town of Robotyne, around a two-hour drive from Melitopol, with Kyiv’s troops appearing to have broken through some Russian defensive positions in the area.