Fierce battles have been reported as Ukraine tries to retake the Russian-occupied southern Kherson region, however, military experts have told the BBC it “won’t happen quickly”.
Ukraine earlier said it had broken through Russia’s first line of defence.
But Russia said Ukrainian troops had been defeated during a failed attack.
The defence ministry in Moscow also said there had been heavy casualties among the Ukrainian forces, though the claims by both Ukraine and Russia have not been independently verified.
Kherson became the first major Ukrainian city to fall into Russian hands in the opening days of Moscow’s invasion that began on February 24.
Top Ukrainian military officials have been tight-lipped about giving too many details about its reported counter-offensive, urging the wider public to be patient.
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