Ukraine makes 1st small gains in counteroffensive
Ukraine is making its first notable advances since the start of its counteroffensive, in the past two days rapidly compelling Russian forces to pull back from three villages on the southern front line.
Russian and Ukrainian public sources confirm Ukraine has liberated the villages in the area known as the Vremeyevskoe salient, at the border of the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.
![](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/52fa75dd-eddf-4416-b3ce-ff2db75f68c8/ukraine-tank_hpEmbed_20230612-111426_7x5.jpg)
The advances are still small but notable because they show Ukraine beginning to pierce Russia’s defensive line. Since liberating the villages, Ukraine is continuing to push south toward another village, according to Russian pro-war bloggers linked to Russia’s military.
![](https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/ukraine-tank-man_hpMain_20230612-111601.jpg)
Russia’s pro-war military bloggers are sounding the alarm about the Ukrainian advances. Russian units were forced to pull back from two villages, Neskuchnoe and Blagodatnoe, almost without a fight because of the risk of encirclement.
-ABC News' Patrick Reevell