UKRaine Defies Odds by Advancing in Counteroffensive; AFU (Armed Forces of Ukr) Liberate 43 sqkm Near Bakhmut; RUssia Temporarily Closes All Moscow Airports After Drone Strike; UKR Media Say Kyiv Saboteurs Were Behind Drone Attacks On Air Bases Deep Inside RU, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

Ukraine defies odds by advancing in counteroffensive – senior official:

Ukraine has made progress in its counteroffensive against Russian forces simply by proving it can push back a better-armed and numerically superior enemy, a senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday.

Ukrainian troops have faced vast Russian minefields and trenches in the counteroffensive launched in early June, and a U.S. official said last week it looked unlikely that Kyiv would be able to recapture the strategic southern city of Melitopol.

But Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar brushed aside any suggestion that Kyiv’s progress was too slow, and said Ukraine had effectively defied military doctrine by attacking an enemy that has a numerical advantage in manpower and weaponry.

“It’s incorrect to measure this advance by metres or kilometres,” Maliar told Reuters in an interview. “What’s important is the very fact that despite everything, we’re moving forward even though we have fewer people and fewer weapons.”

She said she was unaware of any Western pressure being exerted on Ukraine’s military to accelerate operations, and challenged the idea of a universally “correct” tempo.

Maliar highlighted the grinding attrition in the war, particularly in Ukraine’s east, where she said Russian forces – who also enjoy air superiority – can fire 400,000-500,000 artillery shells each week or around 10 times more than Ukraine.

Acknowledging the vital role of Western military aid in the war, she added: “Needless to say, in order to reach parity with them we need this help.” —>READ MORE HERE

AFU liberate 43 sq km near Bakhmut – Defense Ministry:

In the Bakhmut sector, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already liberated 43 square kilometers of Ukrainian land from the Russian invaders. There is noticeable advance along the southern flank around Bakhmut.

Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said this on the air of the United News telethon on Ukrainian TV channels, Ukrinform reports.

“Our troops are advancing along the southern flank around Bakhmut. As of now, three more square kilometers have been liberated. In general, we can talk about the liberation of 43 square kilometers of our land in this direction,” said Maliar.

In the north of Bakhmut, according to her, the enemy is trying to knock the Armed Forces of Ukraine out of their positions, since the defenders have regained the dominant heights there and are holding back the Russians.

“In fact, the enemy is trapped there. The Russians cannot get out of Bakhmut and cannot fully advance there,” the deputy defense minister noted.

She also said that the enemy is trying to surround Avdiivka, but the defenders do not allow them to do so. —>READ MORE HERE

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