AFU advances on Bakhmut direction - Malyar

The Russians are trying to hold ground and spread fakes to distract their population from defeat. This was reported by Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Anna Malyar on Telegram.

According to her, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to defend and switch to offensive actions in certain directions. In particular, in Bakhmutsk, which remains one of the most difficult areas on the front.

In particular, the Bakhmut direction remains the epicentre of hostilities. There we are moving along a fairly broad front. There is success. We take the dominating heights. In the south, the enemy is on the defensive. Fighting of local importance continues," Malyar reported.

She added that Russian fakes about the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive are related to the desire of the occupants to divert attention from their defeat.

We shall remind you that today the Russians spread information about Ukraine launching an offensive in Donetsk Region. The General Staff denied the rumours and called them fake.

The Defence Ministry earlier said that it would not disclose information about the launch of a counteroffensive. At the same time, Ukraine's goal remains unchanged - to liberate and return all the territories within the 1991 borders.