"Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region has been liberated. Our defenders are currently carrying out clearing operations" of Russian troops, she said on Telegram.

President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video on Telegram showing a group of soldiers with a Ukrainian flag, saying they had "liberated the village of Staromaoirske".

"Our south. Our guys. Glory to Ukraine," Zelensky wrote.

The expulsion of Russian forces from the village would mark one of the first such victories on the southern front since Ukraine started its counter-offensive in June, aiming to evince Russian troops from Ukrainian territory they have occupied.

On the sidelines of a summit with African leader in Saint Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin said "fighting has intensified significantly" in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.