Ukraine war: Ukrainian army claims Kharkiv success, Blinken visits Kyiv, UN nuclear plant warning

Ukrainian forces were charging through an expanding area of previously Russian-held territory in the east on Friday after bursting through the frontline in a surprise breakthrough that could mark a major turning point in the war.

After keeping silent for a day, Moscow effectively acknowledged that a section of its frontline had crumbled southeast of Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv.

"The very fact of a breach of our defences is already a substantial victory for the Ukrainian armed forces," the head of the Moscow-installed administration for occupied areas in Kharkiv province, Vitaly Ganchev, said on Russian state TV.

The Russian defence ministry released video of military vehicles speeding along a highway, saying they showed reinforcements rushing to defend the area. The Kremlin declined to comment on the Ukrainian advance.

Ukrainian officials released a parade of videos showing soldiers raising flags and posing in front of street signs in villages and towns across a swath of previously Russian-held territory.

Western military analysts say the advance could shut the supply lines Moscow has relied on to sustain its force in eastern Ukraine and potentially leave thousands of Russian troops encircled.

Meanwhile, Moscow was said to be sending reinforcements to repel the counteroffensive and shelled the centre of Kharkiv on Friday, injuring at least ten people, according to Ukrainian officials.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on Thursday, stating that the Biden administration increased military aid by more than US$ 2.8 billion (€2.77bn) to Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia.

The new assistance came as the US sought to boost momentum in Ukraine’s