Kiev: It seems Ukrainian forces aren't on the back foot as it may appear. Russia's claims apart, they are fighting back.
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry has frequently claimed as much with the war continuing 15 th day on Thursday.
The latest feed from warfront by Ukrainian sources say they have blunted Russia's combat capacity in some places in the country.
Ukrainian authorities on Facebook said their forces are still holding out Russians in the eastern regions of Donetsk, Slobozhansky and part of the Tavrij operating districts.
The cities of Kharkiv and Okhtirku are still largely off-limits to Russian forces as well as efforts are on to prevent Russia's advancement in the southeastern direction, it said.
Even a fortnight after invading Ukraine, the nation's splintered forces continue to put up stiff resistance to Russia in the port city of Mariupol. They also fended of Russian offensive towards the cities of Kryvyi Rih, Mykolayiv, Voznesensk and the settlement of Novovorontsovka (Kherson region), according to the Ministry.
In the last two days, the country's fighter jets and anti-aircraft missile units have destroyed four Su-25 attack aircraft and two Russian helicopters, they claimed. The Ministry also reported of many cases of desertion and looting happening in the country.
"The night was quite difficult, but in general we can say that the Ukrainian army counterattacked near Kyiv," the BBC quoted Denysenko, who is an adviser to Ukraine Interior Ministry, as saying to public broadcaster Suspline.