On southern front, Ukrainian forces aim to smash through Russian defenses

KYIV, Ukraine — Intense fighting raged along Ukraine’s front lines Thursday, according to officials in Kyiv, as Ukrainian troops made slow but steady gains in their ongoing counteroffensive to drive a wedge through the Russian-occupied south.

To the south of the eastern city of Bakhmut — which fell to Russia in May after months of vicious fighting — Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, said Kyiv’s forces were “gradually moving forward.” North of the city, Ukrainian troops were “repelling enemy attacks,” she said.