KYIV Ukrainian forces are reinforcing positions they have reached in areas of the southern front line after having "partial success" fighting Russian forces, a military spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Ukrainian forces are conducting offensive operations in the direction of the Russian-occupied cities of Melitopol and Berdiansk in the Zaporizhzhia region, General Staff spokesperson Andriy Kovalev said, listing names of southeastern villages.

"They had partial success in the directions of Novodanilivka - Robotyne, Mala Tokmachka - Verbove, Vilne Pole - Makarivka, they are consolidating at the achieved boundaries," he was quoted as saying by the Ukraine Military Media Center.

Ukraine is also fighting to hold back an advance of Russian troops in the east, with "especially heavy fighting" taking place along near Lyman in the Donetsk region, he said.

Ukraine said on Monday it had recaptured eight villages in two weeks of counteroffensive operations in the occupied south but that the Kremlin's forces were trying to regain the initiative in the east by stepping up attacks.

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Timothy Heritage)