War between Russia and Ukraine: Live news updates

Ukrainian forces claimed control of their territory on Saturday in their surprise counterattack in the northeastern part of the country.

Ukrainian forces moved south from positions in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine Their biggest gain Since the expulsion of Russian forces from the capital, Kyiv, in April. Since the offensive began earlier in the week, Ukrainian forces have advanced up to 50 kilometers, or about 31 miles, into territory formerly held by Russian forces.

The British Ministry of Defense said: “The Russian forces were probably surprised.” Daily intelligence update on Saturday. “There was little control over the strip and Ukrainian units captured or besieged several towns.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his overnight speech that the army had recaptured more than 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region.

“Measures to check and secure the area are continuing,” he said. “We are gradually taking over control of new settlements – everywhere we are returning the Ukrainian flag and protection to all our people.”

On Saturday, the Ukrainian military appeared to be moving quickly to isolate the city of Izyum, a logistical hub for Russian military operations.

Britain’s MoD said in the update that “a Russian force around Izium is likely to be increasingly isolated,” adding that Ukrainian units “are now threatening Kobyansk town“North of Isium, which is on the main supply routes to the eastern front line.

“Its capture would be a major blow to Russia,” the ministry added.

The exact locations of Ukrainian troops in the area around Izyum and Kubyansk could not be determined independently. But satellite data, independent military analysts, photos and videos of Ukrainian forces indicated their presence I moved quickly towards Kobyansk.

Ukrainian soldiers on Friday post pictures Which is allegedly located near Kobyansk, which was the capital of the Russian occupation in the region. The head of the city administration installed by the Kremlin, Vitaly Ganchev, urged women and children to evacuate as Ukrainian forces approached.

Ukrainian and Western officials warned that offensive operations were in their early days, that the situation was volatile and that the gains were not secure. Not all claims of progress by Ukraine can be independently verified, and much is shrouded in mystery about the state of fighting in both eastern and southern Ukraine as the government in Kyiv imposes a media blackout, limiting journalists’ access to the fore.

But the new offensive in the north appears to have taken the Russian forces by surprise. On Friday, the Defense Ministry said on the messaging app Telegram that it was moving troops to reinforce the Kharkiv region, without specifying their exact numbers or locations.

The counterattack of Ukraine in the east came in parallel with batch in the south Which she had prepared for months, around the Kherson region.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Moscow’s defensive front was under pressure from both sides as fighting continued in the south.