Ukrainian Defense Forces advance from 500 meters to 1 km daily - General Syrskyi

Commander of the AFU Ground Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said this, BBC reports.

"Every day we advance by 0.5 to 1 km," the commander said.

The counteroffensive is more difficult to advance because the main forces of the Russian army are concentrated around Bakhmut, in the Lyman direction.

"This area is full of engineering barriers, and many units have been fighting defensive battles there for the past year. In fact, the entire large area is prepared in terms of engineering, there are many strongholds. That's why all the advances are really not going as fast as we would like," said Syrskyi. 

He also emphasized that the Russian forces have an advantage in numbers, especially in artillery. And most importantly, they have a significant advantage in the ability to supply ammunition.

"That is, we can now respond with one shot to seven or eight shots from the Russians. Unfortunately, this is our cruel reality. But we plan our operations very carefully. That is why we are able to succeed. And now we are moving forward," the commander added.

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 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. On the same day 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.

The Defense Ministry reported that as of July 17, since the beginning of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive in the Bakhmut sector, the military had liberated an area of more than 30 km². In the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions, almost 180 km² of Ukrainian land remains de-occupied.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has lost 240,010 soldiers in the war in Ukraine. As of July 20, Russia has intensified its main efforts on five frontlines. Over the past day, about 30 combat engagements took place in these areas.