A major Ukrainian offensive against Russian forces in the south of Ukraine has had “some successes”, a senior official has told Sky News.
Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the military administration in the central-southern city of Kryvyi Rih, said he was confident all of Ukraine would be “liberated”.
He said he was restricted in what he could say about the operation, which was launched this week from multiple directions, including his city.
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Kryvyi Rih, one of the biggest cities in Ukraine, is about 100 miles north of the occupied city of Kherson, which was seized by Russian forces in the initial days of the war and is a key prize for Ukraine to win back.
“I can say that in the direction of the south there are offensive operations by the Ukrainian forces,” Mr Vilkul, dressed in military fatigues, said, speaking at an undisclosed location from where he plans and discusses military operations.
“There are some successes but I think we need to wait a bit until the official information is released,” he said.
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Asked what part Kryvyi Rih was playing in the operation, he said it “is definitely a key city both in terms of being the gateway to central Ukraine and to support the offensive operation in the south”.
As for how important the long-awaited offensive is for Ukraine, the top official said: “Any offensive for the liberation of our territory is very important. I am confident the whole of Ukraine’s territory will be liberated.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who grew up in Kryvyi Rih, on Tuesday night said Ukrainian troops have attacked Russian positions along the entire front – across the east as well as the south.
Urging Russian forces to flee for their lives, he used a nightly video address to say: “Active military engagement is now happening along the whole frontline: in the south, in the Kharkiv region, in Donbas.”
Russia’s defence ministry, however, claimed without evidence that its troops had beaten back Ukrainian forces, claiming that air defence units had shot down dozens of missiles near Kherson.
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Access to the frontline is being heavily restricted so it has not been possible independently to verify the state of the battle from on the ground.
Video footage posted on social media has shown evidence of multiple Ukrainian strikes against Kherson and the surrounding area.
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Mr Vilkul, echoing the words of all senior Ukrainian officials, said the continued supply of Western weapons to Ukraine’s military was vital in this fight.
“I would like to thank you for the help from all of our Western partners and I would like to say for victory we need weapons, weapons, weapons. This is the main message,” he said.
“I would like to remind you of course we are fighting for our motherland but we are fighting for the common values of Europe and the whole world as well. (People) shouldn’t succumb to Russian propaganda and blackmail.
“Russia is the invader who has worse behaviour than the Nazis during the Second World War and evil should be punished.”
