Ukrainian troops have secured foothold in the south, senior official says

Ukrainian forces have secured a foothold on the east bank of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff said on Tuesday.

Andriy Yermak's remarks were the first official acknowledgement that Ukrainian troops were established on the Dnipro's east bank in Kherson region. "Against all odds, Ukraine's Defense Forces have gained a foothold on the left (east) bank of the Dniepro," Andriy Yermak said in an address to the Hudson Institute thinktank in the United States.

"Step by step, they are demilitarizing Crimea. We have covered 70% of the distance. And our counteroffensive is developing."

The remarks were posted on Zelenskiy's website.