Ukrainian forces enter Staromaiorske in Donetsk region, street fighting continues 

Major Valeriy Shershen, spokesman for the Tavria Defense Forces' Joint Press Center, said this on Espreso TV.

"The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct offensive operations in the Melitopol and Berdiansk sectors. They are consolidating their positions, conducting aerial reconnaissance, demining, and counter-battery operations. Heavy fighting is ongoing for Staromaiorske, we have the advantage here, we are talking about tactical success," he noted.

Shershen added that the General Staff confirms that the strike units have entered the village. 

"Heavy fighting is going on there, that is street fighting, there are advances through the streets. The Ukrainian Armed Forces control a certain part of this settlement. We are not in a hurry to share information about the control - we do not control it completely. There is no need to rush and practice wishful thinking. For tactical reasons, we have to delay the information. We are paying dearly for every meter of our advance in the face of such fighting and total mining," the spokesman summarized.

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 19, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Maliar reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated Pyatykhatky, Zaporizhzhia region, and advanced up to 7 km in the Tavria direction.

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, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar also said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had de-occupied the village of Rivnopil, Donetsk region. It is located in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region. The Russian army occupied the village in March 2022.

On July 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy established ten military administrations in the Zaporizhzhia region and appointed their heads.

According to the General Staff on July 13, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct offensive operations on three frontlines - Bakhmut, Melitopol, and Berdiansk. The General Staff reported that the Ukrainian army had some success in the areas of Novodanylivka - Shyroka Balka; Mala Tokmachka - Novopokrovka.

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 were de-occupied.