Military initiative on frontline is regained by Ukraine – Defense Ministry

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported this on Telegram.

"In general, the entire initiative is now on our side. This is important for our partners, especially the military. They understand all the challenges associated with changes and other issues, there is a constant exchange of information with partners, consultations on this topic," Havrylov said.

He added that the Russians' attempts to advance in the Kupiansk direction were only "a desperate attempt to somehow pull Ukrainian forces away from other areas."

"It is important that we are advancing every day. Sometimes by 100 meters, sometimes by a kilometer. Every day we are taking back our territory, we are seizing the first and second lines of defense where Russia managed to build something," the Deputy Defense Minister emphasized.

He also added that everyone understands that Ukraine has not yet used its full resources, so no one has any doubts about continuing the assistance and that sooner or later we will succeed.  

"It is clear that people sitting in warm rooms watching the Internet and television would like everything to happen faster, but the reality is that we need to take into account what is happening on the ground," the Deputy Defense Minister emphasized.

What is known about the Ukrainian counteroffensive

On June 4, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a counteroffensive on the southern frontline, continuing a series of offensives near Bakhmut and Belgorod directions.

On June 24, the Ukrainian Defense Forces officially confirmed the liberation of the territories near Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region, which had been under occupation since 2014.

On the morning of July 3, Hanna Maliar reported that the Ukrainian military liberated about 38 square kilometers. 

On July 4, it was reported that Ukrainian military forces were advancing on the southern flank around Bakhmut in Donetsk region and in the south.

On July 6, the Ukrainian Armed Forces advanced and consolidated their positions in three areas - Bakhmut, Melitopol and Berdiansk - while the Ukrainian forces continued to hold the line in Kupyansk.

On July 7, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported that the Defense Forces were advancing on the flanks of Bakhmut and grinding the enemy to a halt in the south, with the ratio of Russian army losses being more than five times higher. Also it was reported that the Ukrainian military had achieved tactically significant gains in the area of Bakhmut. At the same time, Ukrainian forces continued their counteroffensive in at least three other areas of the front.

Later, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said that the Chechen special forces Akhmat had been redeployed to the Bakhmut direction: the Kadyrov soldiers were allegedly in Klishchiivka.

On July 10, the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, emphasized that Bakhmut was under the fire control of the Defense Forces. The General Staff emphasized that since the beginning of the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had liberated 169 km² of Ukrainian land in the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions, an area commensurate with the size of Odesa. In the Bakhmut sector, the Defense Forces have recovered 24 km² of Ukrainian territory.

On July 12, the General Staff reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had hit the Duna hotel in Berdiansk, as previously reported. Russians were taking away the bodies of the killed soldiers by truck. Ukrainian aviation launched 6 strikes on the Russian forces' military positions and 2 on enemy air defense systems. Over the course of the day, missile and artillery units destroyed 1 control center, 16 artillery pieces at firing positions, 4 anti-aircraft missile systems and 2 enemy electronic warfare stations.

On July 14, Maliar announced that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were advancing on the southern flank of the Bakhmut direction.

However, on July 16, it became known that the situation in the east had escalated - the enemy had been actively advancing in the Kupyansk direction in Kharkiv region for two days in a row.

On July 19, Russia lost more than two companies of soldiers and 15 pieces of military equipment in the Tauride direction. According to the General Staff, the Russian army has lost a total of 530 soldiers, 6 tanks, and 33 UAVs over the course of the war in Ukraine.

On July 21, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive was progressing slowly because it began later than planned. He noted that despite the difficulties, Ukraine was making progress. 

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has lost at least 241,330 personnel in the war in Ukraine. Over the course of July 21, 40 military engagements took place in five frontline areas.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russian military in Luhansk region are demotivated due to heavy losses and lack of weapons and noted that the number of people willing to leave their units and return to the Russian Federation from the combat areas is increasing.