UKRAINE has smashed through Russian front lines in a huge tank assault.
President Zelensky said his “guys had very good results”.
He promised: “More details later.”
Russia’s Vladimir Putin admitted fighting had intensified significantly.
Terrified Russian officials in occupied Zaporizhzhia in the south claimed thousands of Ukrainian troops had launched a lightning push on Wednesday with 100 German Leopard tanks and US Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
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Moscow insisted its troops had repelled the assaults.
But think tank The Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine had broken through pre-prepared defensive positions in a “significant mechanised counteroffensive”.
Analysts said Ukraine’s force was smaller than Moscow had claimed.
Footage showed troops advanced several kilometres around the village of Robotyne.
Pro-war Russian blogger Rybar said fierce battles were raging.
Ukraine's forces are understood to be advancing in the direction of Novoprokopivka and Verbove in Zaporizhzhya region.
Ukraine is trying to cut supply lines to Crimea.
US officials said the blitz was the main thrust of Ukraine’s summer push.
But Western sources insisted Kyiv had still not committed its main reserve force, which includes UK Challenger 2 tanks.
Progress has been slow due to well-made Russian minefields and trenches.
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Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar reported more progress near Bakhmut.
Putin’s Russia-Africa summit appeared to flop in St Petersburg. Just 17 leaders attended, down from 43 two years ago.
Moscow claimed officials from 49 of Africa’s 54 nations were there.
It comes as Ukrainian forces pressed their counteroffensive through the Russian-occupied southeast on Thursday.
Troops claim to have captured the village of Staromaiorske in a campaign to drive a wedge through Russian defensive positions.=
A video posted on Zelensky's Telegram channel showed Ukrainian soldiers celebrating the capture of Staromaiorske in the southeast.
The village lies to the south of a cluster of small settlements that Ukraine recaptured along the Mokri Yaly River as the counteroffensive began.
Zelensky has said that the counteroffensive is proceeding more slowly than he would like but warned people not to expect rapid results akin to a movie scene.
On Wednesday he hailed "very good results" on the battlefield, while giving no details.
