Ukraine breaks through front line in east, nearing key town

By KARL RITTER and JOANNA KOZLOWSKA
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Western defense officials and analysts say Ukrainian forces have punched through Russian front lines south of the country’s second-largest city, taking thousands of square miles of territory and threatening to cut off Russian supply lines. The British Defense Ministry says it believes the Ukrainians have advanced as much as 30 miles in the advance south of Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine. The advance appears to be around Izyum, long a focus on the Russian front line and the site of heavy artillery and other fighting. The British describe Russian forces around Izyum as “increasingly isolated.” A Washington-based think tank likewise referenced sweeping Ukrainian gains on Saturday, estimating that Kyiv has seized around 965 square miles in its northeastern breakthrough.