Ukraine says it shot down 5 Russian missiles.

"This morning alone, five out of six Russian X-101 missiles were shot down. This is a major loss for Russia and has saved many Ukrainian lives. Four of these missiles were destroyed by air forces in the south," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the evening of September 6.

Russia has not commented on this information.

In eastern Ukraine, President Zelensky did not announce any military successes by Ukrainian forces. Earlier, a Ukrainian presidential advisor tweeted about the "great news" Zelensky would provide regarding the fighting in the Kharkiv region.

Several social media posts from military bloggers and witnesses indicated fighting had occurred around Balakliia, an eastern town of 27,000 people located between the Russian-controlled Kharkiv and Izyum regions.

Ukrainian military vehicles move through the Donetsk region on September 5. Photo:Reuters

After more than six months of military operations, Russian forces control approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, Kyiv has increased its use of high-precision weapons supplied by the West to attack Russian forces. Last month, Ukraine announced a counter-offensive, launching multiple attacks in the south, including in the Kherson province.

There is little information available about Ukraine's main counteroffensive in the Kherson region, as Kyiv has barred journalists from the front lines and released only limited reports to maintain the element of surprise. Russia claims to have repelled Ukrainian counterattacks in Kherson, but Kyiv says it has achieved steady successes.

Western military experts believe that Ukraine's objective in the south appears to be to encircle thousands of Russian troops along the western bank of the Dnieper River and isolate them by disrupting their supply lines.

The battlefield situation in Ukraine after more than 6 months of fighting. Graphic:WP

Ukrainian forces are also increasing their attacks against Moscow-established administrations in the areas they control.

On September 6, the vehicle carrying Artem Bardin, the head of the Berdyansk military command, exploded in the center of the city in Zaporizhzhia province, according to Vladimir Rogov, an official of the Moscow-established provincial administration. Rogov called it a "terrorist attack," adding that Bardin was hospitalized in serious condition.

Thanh Tam