Ukrainian Armed Forces advance near Klishchiivka, Bakhmut sector - AFU General Staff

The General Staff spokesman, Andriy Kovalov, shared the information.

“Near Klishchiivka, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are having partial success, consolidating their positions," he said.

He also said that to the north and south of Bakhmut, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to put pressure on Russian troops, driving them out of the previously captured positions. The invading forces are putting up strong resistance, using reserves, and suffering heavy losses. There is heavy fighting. 

In addition, the Ukrainian army is holding back the Russian offensive in the Lyman, Avdiivka and Marinka directions.

Ukraine’s counteroffensive

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

On June 11, the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced the liberation of Blahodatne, Neskuchne, and Makarivka settlements, near the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. On the morning of June 12, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that the Ukrainian state flag was raised again over Storozhove, Donetsk region.

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 June 26, Hanna Maliar reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced 1 to 2 kilometers on the eastern frontline in the past week. During the offensive in the southern direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated 130 square kilometers. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also de-occupied the village of Rivnopil, Donetsk region. 

British Defence Minister Ben Wallace stated that Ukraine has already liberated more territory as part of the summer counteroffensive campaign than Russia had captured during the entire winter offensive.

But Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated that the already liberated settlements were not the "main event" but rather the prelude to a major counteroffensive.

On the morning of July 3, Hanna Maliar reported that the Defense Forces advanced in the southern and eastern directions. Over the past week, the Ukrainian military liberated about 38 square kilometers. 

Defense Express CEO and military expert Serhiy Zgurets said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces recently drove Russian troops off near Bakhmut, close to Klishchiivka, and the Russian defense crumbled at key strongholds.