Ukraine said on Monday its forces had gained ground along eastern and southern fronts in the past week in heavy fighting with Russian troops, reclaiming 14 square miles of territory.
President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: “ Last week was difficult on the frontline. But we are making progress.
“We are moving forward, step by step! I thank everyone who is defending Ukraine, everyone who is leading this war to Ukraine’s victory!”
Минулий тиждень на фронті був важкий. Але ми маємо успіхи.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 3, 2023
Рухаємося вперед, рухаємося крок за кроком. Дякую всім, хто боронить Україну, усім, хто веде цю війну до української перемоги!
Слава нашим героям!
____
Last week was difficult on the frontline. But we are making… pic.twitter.com/FMZp1ZeB8A
Ukrainian forces were advancing in the Bakhmut direction, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said, adding that Russian forces were attacking in the Lyman, Avdiivka and Mariinka directions in the Donetsk region.
“Heavy fighting is going on there now,” Ms Maliar said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine had reclaimed nine square kilometres (3.5 square miles) over the past week along the eastern front “as a result of improving the operational (tactical) position and aligning the front line,” she added.
In the south, Ukraine has regained 28.4 kilometres (11 square miles) of territory, bringing the total area of re-captured territory along that front to 158.4 kilometres (61 square miles), Ms Maliar added.
Over the weekend, Russia said its forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks near villages ringing Bakhmut and in areas further south, particularly near the hilltop town of Vuhledar. They also reported success in containing Ukrainian troops in the northeast.
The battlefield claims and counter-claims could not independent verified.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia’s navy on Monday that it is not safe around annexed Crimea from Ukraine’s fleet of drones.
In his overnight address, Ukraine’s president told of a new report from Ukraine’s Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, and Commander of the Odesa operational and strategic group of troops, General Moskalov.
“They spoke about the current security situation and the strategic tasks for our fleet, for the new direction - the fleet of naval drones - and for our coastal defence. We will implement everything! I am sure of it!” he said.
“The enemy will definitely not dictate the conditions in the Black Sea, and the occupiers will have to be as afraid of approaching our Ukrainian Crimea and our Azov Sea coast as Russian ships are already afraid of approaching our Black Sea coast.”
Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, in a move widely condemned as illegal.
Meanwhile, Russia’s envoy to the United Nations in Geneva said there were no grounds to maintain the “status quo” of the Black Sea grain deal that is set to expire on July 18, the Russian news outlet Izvestia reported on Monday.
In a wide ranging interview, envoy Gennady Gatilov told the outlet that the implementation of Russia’s conditions for the extensions of the agreement was “stalling.”
Those conditions included, among others, the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the SWIFT banking payment system.
“Russia has repeatedly extended the deal in the hope of positive changes,” Mr Gatilov told Izvestia. “However, what we are seeing now does not give us grounds to agree to maintaining the status quo.”
The Black Sea deal, brokered between Russia and Ukraine by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022, aimed to prevent a global food crisis by allowing Ukrainian grain trapped by Russia's invasion to be safely exported from Black Sea ports.
Last week, the United Nations said it was concerned no new ships had been registered under the Black Sea deal since June 26 - despite applications being made by 29 vessels.
