The advances brought the total territory recaptured so far during the counter-offensive to more than 210 sq km, she said in updates on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in June, aiming to retake occupied territory and seize the initiative in Russia’s full-scale invasion, now in its 17th month.

Maliar said troops had retaken 7 sq km in the past week in the direction of Bakhmut in the east, a small city captured by Russian forces in May after the bloodiest combat of the war. That brought the total recaptured in the area to 31 sq km.

In the south, where Ukrainian forces are trying to advance towards the cities of Berdyansk and Melitopol, they had recaptured nearly 11 sq km in the past week, bringing the total territory recaptured there to nearly 180 sq km.

Maliar added that Russian forces have been advancing since the end of last week towards the city of Kupiansk in the eastern Kharkiv region.