Ukraine's army has liberated almost 2,500 Km2 of territory in the counter-offensive it launched in late September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.
"This week alone, our soldiers liberated 776 Km2 of territory in the east of our country and 29 locations, six of which are in Luhansk Region," he said in his weekly address on social media. "A total of 2,434 Km2 of our territory and 96 locations have already been liberated since the beginning of this offensive operation."
In recent days, Ukrainian forces have made two major advances, in the northeastern region of Kharkiv and, in the south, near Kherson.
In mid-September, the Ukrainian president said his army had recaptured nearly 6,000 Km2 in a first counter-offensive conducted in early September.
Russian forces claimed their first gains in eastern Ukraine on Friday after a series of heavy defeats on several fronts, but Kyiv appears to be holding the initiative and is calling on Russian soldiers to surrender.
