Ukraine says it retakes eastern territory as Blinken visits with more aid

Ukraine has recaptured over 700 sq kms (270 sq miles) of its territory in the east and the south during a lightning counter offensive, a Ukrainian general said on Thursday, offering the first official assessment of the operation.

The gains, if confirmed and held, are a serious blow for Russia which Western intelligence services say has suffered huge casualties. It also would represent a significant boost for Kyiv, which is keen to show its Western backers that it can change the facts on the ground by force and deserves continued support.

Some of the biggest gains appear to have been made this week during a surprise Ukrainian counter offensive in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine which saw Kyiv's forces make a sudden and deep thrust behind Russian lines.

Brigadier General Oleksiy Gromov told a news briefing that Ukrainian forces had advanced up to 50 kms (30 miles) into Russian lines and recaptured more than 20 villages in the Kharkiv region during an operation, which is ongoing.