Ukraine makes breakthrough in south against Russia

Ukrainian troops have retaken more territory in regions illegally annexed by Russia, with Kyiv's forces advancing near the southern city of Kherson and consolidating gains in the east.Russian-installed officials in Kherson confirmed the advance, but said Moscow's forces were digging in.Ukrainian troops also moved towards Russian-held Luhansk in the east.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said "there are new liberated settlements in several regions".Speaking during his nightly address, President Zelensky said "fierce fighting continues in many areas", but he did not give details. The progress of Ukraine's counterattacks have been closely guarded and reporters have largely been kept away from the front lines.But in the south, Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed leader in the Kherson region, admitted that Ukrainian forces had broken through near Dudchany, a town on the Dnipro river about 30km (20 miles) south of the previous front line. The river is called Dnieper by Russians."There are settlements that are occupied by Ukrainian forces," Mr Saldo said. Some Russian reports say the Ukrainians have now taken Dudchany.Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said "numerically superior" Ukrainian tanks had "driven a deep wedge" south of Zolota Balka, a village that marked the previous front line on the Dnipro. He claimed the Russians had killed about 130 Ukrainian troops in that fighting.According to Mr Saldo, two Ukrainian battalions tried to reach the Kakhovka hydroelectric station, about 70km (44 miles) east of Kherson. The power station is in the port city of Nova Kakhovka.The Ukrainian advance is targeting supply lines for as many as 25,000 Russian troops on the west bank of the Dnipro, Reuters news agency reports.