Ukraine says 8 settlements recaptured in southern region in past two weeks

Amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukrainian forces have recaptured eight settlements from Russian forces in the south of Ukraine in the past two weeks, CNN reported citing Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar.

In a Telegram post, Hanna Maliar said offensive operations in the Berdiansk and Melitopol directions in the Zaporizhzhia region have liberated the communities of Novodarivka, Levadne, Storozheve, Makarivka, Blahodatne, Lobkove, Neskuchne and Piatykhatky.

The status of Piatykhatky was in dispute on Sunday after the Russian government denied a report from its own installed leader in southern Ukraine and refuted his claim that Ukrainian forces had recaptured the village, CNN reported.

On Monday, Hanna Maliar said the Ukrainian army had advanced 7 kilometres into Russian-occupied territory in the southern Tavria sector, recapturing an area of 113 square kilometres (44 square miles, according to CNN report. She praised the "professionalism and courage" of Ukrainian soldiers for the advances in the frontline.

Hanna Maliar said that Russian forces in eastern Ukraine launched over 5800 attacks and used over 277,000 munitions over the past week, the report said. She said that Russian soldiers had been more active against a Ukrainian advance near Bakhmut and Lyman-Kupyansk, Avdiivka and Mariinka.

Earlier on June 13, Ukrainian forces recaptured seven villages from Russian forces in the past week, CNN reported while quoting Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar.

Hanna Maliar in a post on Telegram said the "advance of the offensive troops amounted to 6.5 kilometres" in Donetsk and Tavria. She further said, "The area taken under control amounted to 90 square kilometres," CNN reported.

Maliar said that the villages that have been recaptured including Lobkove, Levadne, Makarivka Novodarivka, Neskuchne, Storozheve and Blahodatne were liberated.

Earlier on June 13, three people were killed and thirteen others sustained injuries in a Russian missile attack on Odesa, a Black Sea port in Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported citing Ukraine's military.

Russia fired four cruise missiles towards the city, according to the southern military command of Ukraine. Two missiles were reportedly destroyed by the military before they could reach their objectives, reported Al Jazeera.

As per the Al Jazeera report, as a result of air combat and blast waves, a business centre, an educational institution, a residential complex, food establishments and shops in the city centre were damaged," the southern command of the Ukrainian military said.