Seven settlements have been liberated in the Dobropillia and Pokrovsk sectors during the operation, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Editor’s note: This story is being updated.

Ukrainian forces have liberated 160 square kilometers (60 square miles) of territory during an ongoing “counteroffensive operation” in eastern Donetsk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 18.

Seven settlements have been retaken in the Dobropillia and Pokrovsk sectors during the operation, Zelensky said, citing a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Ukrainian troops have also captured nearly 100 Russian soldiers, according to the president.

“Ukraine is rightfully defending its positions and its land,” Zelensky said. “We are disrupting all of Russia’s plans — plans to destroy our state.”

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