Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said his troops have made gains pushing Russian troops out of four villages near Kharkiv.
The Ukrainian counter-attack near the northeastern city could signal a new phase of the conflict, making supply lines into Russia potentially vulnerable further crippling the Kremlin attack.
Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba added to this, suggesting that Ukraine could go beyond forcing Russia back to areas it held before the invasion began 11 weeks ago.
“Now if we are strong enough on the military front, and we win the battle for Donbas, which will be crucial for the following dynamics of the war, of course the victory for us in this war will be the liberation of the rest of our territories,” Mr Kuleba said.
It comes as Ukraine said it will block the flow of some Russian gas to western Europe, suspending a key transit point in the country’s eastern region.
