The Ukrainian military says Russian forces have been dealt a “good kick” as it claimed advances along several of the war’s frontlines.
“We are pressing our offensive in the Bakhmut sector and our defenders are advancing confidently metre by metre, namely [in] Klishchivka,” Ilya Yevlash, the spokesperson for Ukrainian troops in the east, told national television.
Russian forces halted their advance after being served a “good kick” near the village of Novoyehorivka, he said, referring to a village on heights south of Bakhmut that is seen as critical to recapturing the city.
It comes after Vladimir Putin’s forces destroyed a British Challenger 2 tank for the first time since they were deployed to the battlefield in Ukraine.
A video circulating online appears to show the burning wreck of the tank. It is unclear what caused the explosion.
Britain initially supplied 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine and then doubled that number to 28.