Live updates: Russia’s war in Ukraine, Zelensky hints at counteroffensive

There are few reports from the battlefields between the southern Zaporizhzhia region and Donetsk in the east Sunday morning, but snippets from Russian journalists and propagandists suggest further Ukrainian advances.

The Rybar Telegram channel — one in a network of Russian pro-war military blogs that publish updates on Moscow’s invasion — reports Ukrainian forces regained control of two villages south of the town of Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk, “almost without a fight.”

In the same area, the Wargonzo Telegram channel reports “certain tactical successes” for Ukraine’s forces in the same area. A couple miles further south, Rybar reports fighting around the village of Urozhaine.

Further west, there were consistent reports of very heavy Ukrainian artillery fire Saturday toward Russian positions south of Orikhiv, a battered southern town where Ukrainian forces have also stepped up activities over the last week.

Keep in mind: CNN is unable to independently verify battlefield reports.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense had not issued any detailed statements Sunday on the latest fighting, while Ukraine’s latest General Staff report said only that Russian forces in the area were carrying out defensive operations.

More background: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave his clearest indication yet on Saturday that Ukraine’s long-awaited push to liberate territory still held by Russia’s occupying forces is underway, saying “relevant counteroffensive defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine.”

Pushes along the front between Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk are consistent with what is seen as a primary objective for Ukraine, which is to break the Russian “land bridge” to Crimea, by regaining control of the coastline of the Sea of Azov.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and has held it since.