Military: Ukrainian forces advance 2 km in Berdiansk direction

Ukrainian troops have advanced up to 2 kilometers in the Berdiansk direction, the military's Tavria command spokesperson Valerii Shershen said on July 4.

"Along the southern front line, the Defense Forces are systematically knocking the enemy out of their positions and continue to advance," Shershen said.

According to the spokesperson, Ukrainian forces are solidifying the newly taken positions, conducting aerial reconnaissance, clearing out mines, and targeting enemy positions with artillery fire.

Russian causalities from the skirmishes in the sector over the past day include 72 dead, 166 wounded, and 36 pieces of equipment destroyed, including two tanks and nine armored vehicles, Shershen said.

In the Rivnopil district in Donetsk Oblast, Russian forces are attempting unsuccessful offensive operations, according to the spokesperson. At the same time, Russia is reportedly attempting to fend off Ukraine's advance in the Zaporizhzhia direction.

On July 3, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that the ongoing counteroffensive has liberated 28.4 square kilometers in the south and 9 square kilometers in the east over the past week.

Despite criticism of the reportedly "slow" progress of the counteroffensive, Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said that Ukrainian troops are advancing at least 500 meters every day.

Zaluzhnyi: Counteroffensive underequipped but advances daily

Ukrainian forces are advancing “at least 500 meters” every day in the counteroffensive despite the lack of crucial hardware like F-16 fighter jets, the Ukrainian armed forces’ commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said in an interview the Washington Post published on June 30.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek