With counter-attacks, Ukraine has re-occupied towns near Kyiv: UK

Russia-Ukraine war: In its fresh intelligence update, the UK's ministry of defence further said that in Ukraine's south as well, the Russians are facing stiff resistance.

In its latest update on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the UK’s ministry of defence said on Friday Ukrainian armed forces have solidified their positions near the nation’s capital, Kyiv. “Ukrainian counter-attacks, and Russian forces falling back on overextended supply lines, has allowed Ukraine to re-occupy towns and defensive positions up to 35 kilometres east of Kyiv,” the UK defence ministry posted on its Twitter handle.

A Ukrainian service member walks, as the Russian invasion continues, in a destroyed village on the front line in the east Kyiv region, Ukraine. (Reuters)

It also said the Ukrainian forces are likely to push the Russian troops further away from Kyiv, towards the Hostomel Airfield, adding that in the country’s south, too, the Russians are facing stiff resistance.

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“In the south, Russian forces are still attempting to circumvent Mykolaiv as they look to drive west towards Odesa with their progress being slowed by logistic issues and Ukrainian resistance,” the UK said.

The development, if true, comes as a further setback to Russia which, despite its numerical advantage and technological edge, has, thus far, failed to capture Kyiv. It also comes just days after Ukrainian soldiers guarding the capital pushed Russian soldiers out of Makariv, a suburb in the city.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, US President Joe Biden arrived in Brussels, Belgium, where he attended an emergency summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and met fellow government heads from the G7 nations, to discuss the crisis. On Friday, Biden will travel to Poland to meet his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda to hold talks on the conflict.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, with President Vladimir Putin describing the offensive as a ‘special military operation.’ The military action, according to Putin, is needed to ‘de-Nazify’ the east European nation.