KYIV: Ukraine said on Monday its forces had recaptured 37 square kilometres (14 square miles) from Russian forces last week.

Kyiv announced a highly-anticipated counteroffensive several weeks ago after it accumulated stockpiles of Western arms and ammunition.

“Over the past week … the area liberated (in the east) was increased by nine square kilometres,” Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar said, adding that Ukrainian forces had wrested another 28 sqaure kilometres in the south.

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Ukrainian forces are coming up against heavily entrenched Russian defensive positions both along the southern and eastern fronts.

Malyar said Ukrainian troops were fighting “fierce” battles with Russian forces around the eastern flashpoint city of Bakhmut.

In the south, Ukrainian forces had “successes” along the front towards the Melitopol and Berdyansk sectors.

Ukraine’s military commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny expressed frustration in an interview published Friday at the slow deliveries of weaponry promised by the West.