Ukrainian counteroffensive has made ‘notable’ progress in south over past three days, US says

Ukrainian servicemen fire rockets towards Russian troops near a frontline in Zaporizhzhia region. The White House says Ukraine has made ‘notable progress’ in its counteroffensive in the south over the past three days. Photograph: Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters

Ukraine has made “notable progress” in its southern offensive over the past 72 hours, a top US security official has said, as Kyiv said its troops had broken through Russia’s first line of defences in several places.

In Washington, White House national security council spokesman John Kirby said the US had “noted over the last 72 hours or so some notable progress by Ukrainian armed forces ... in that southern line of advance coming out of the Zaporizhzhia area”.