Ukrainian Armed Forces advance south of Bakhmut 

Hanna Maliar reported the information on Telegram on July 9.

"Intense battles continue in all directions of the enemy's offensive - Avdiivka, Marinka, Kupyansk, Lyman. No change in the situation," the message says.

In the Bakhmut direction, Russian troops are on the defensive. On the southern flank, Ukrainian troops are making significant progress. And on the northern flank, fighting continues with no significant changes in positions.

In addition, Maliar emphasized that intense fighting is also ongoing in the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions. Ukrainian troops are trying to gain a foothold on the lines they have reached. 

"Our troops are conducting aerial reconnaissance of the area, demining the area and applying artillery fire on the identified enemy targets, carrying out counter-battery measures; they are ready to continue offensive actions," the deputy wrote.

She also added that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are actively engaged in operations in the Tavria direction.

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.

Specialists of the Institute for the Study of War believe that the Russian military is likely to bring additional forces to Bakhmut from other directions in response to Ukrainian offensive operations in the area.

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 were advancing and consolidating their positions in 3 areas, namely Bakhmut, Melitopol and Berdiansk, while holding the defense 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 on Saturday, July 8, 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.

On July 9, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Land Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that Ukrainian troops continue to advance in the Bakhmut direction, and that Russian forces are getting trapped in some places.