Zelensky reports Ukrainian military gains as both sides claim battlefield advances

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian forces have liberated 300 square kilometers in a southern counteroffensive and stated the war is at a 'beginning of the end' phase. Reports from the battlefield describe a fluid situation with both sides claiming successes, as Ukrainian forces retake territory in the south while Russian military also claims advances. The developments come amid ongoing heavy fighting across multiple fronts.