Kyiv says it has retaken Klishchiivka as drones target Crimea and Moscow

Putin’s forces said to be building new defences in southern Ukraine amid ‘growing concern’

Ukraine has claimed the recapture of the eastern village of Klishchiivka on the southern flank of Bakhmut after a period of reported heavy fighting.

It follows the recapture of Andriivka, another village in the region, earlier in the week and Kyiv forces are said to be gaining ground. On Sunday they sent drones to disrupt air traffic in Moscow and causing a fire at an oil depot, according to Russian reports.

"Klishchiivka was cleared of the Russians and liberated," Alexander Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said Russia is likely building new defences in southern Ukraine amid “growing concern” among Vladimir Putin’s forces about Kyiv’s success in breaching its first defensive line.

Moscow’s troops are believed to be “deploying additional checkpoints, ‘hedgehog’ anti-tank defences and digging new trenches” near the Zaporizhzhia village of Tokmak, which is situated just 16km from Ukraine’s forces, and is set to become a “lynchpin” of Russia’s second defensive line, the ministry said.

Recapture of Klishchiivka a ‘springboard’ for more action, says Kyiv

Ukraine’s military claims its latest recapture of a key village in Bakhmut will act as a “springboard” for further offensive actions against Russia’s continuing invasion.

Ukraine scored another victory recently when it recently recaptured village Klishchiivka that lies in the southern flank of Bakhmut, as its forces fought off Russian attempts to get back into the area.

The war-torn country’s forces had last week also recaptured Andriivka, another village a few kilometres to the south of Klishchiivka, after earlier criticism alleged Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces had slowed.

Both settlements have been reduced to ghost towns and destroyed in the months of fighting for Bakhmut that had fallen into Russian hands in May this year.

Nato chief warns Putin eyes ‘long war’

Nato’s secretary general has warned Ukraine it is in for a “long war” with Russia while a Kyiv chief has called for the swift provision of weapons to halt Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Ukraine has been continuing its counteroffensive, claiming to have taken the eastern village of Klishchiivka. Kyiv soldiers reportedly continued their counteroffensive on Sunday, using drones to disrupt air traffic in Moscow and causing a fire at an oil depot in the southwest of Russia.

Ukraine has not yet commented on the attacks. In addition, an anti-Moscow guerilla group claims to have destroyed two Russian vehicles in Kherson.