Russian troops warned 'Go home or die' as Ukrainian bombardment crushes key lines in hours

Ukrainian troops broke through Russian defenses in several areas as President Zelensky warned his invaders to return to the country's border "if they want to survive "

Ukrainian weapons destroyed Russian defenses in Donetsk (

Image: Newsflash)

Ukraine has warned Russian troops to 'go home or die' after crossing key battle lines in hours in a devastating counteroffensive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told soldiers in Moscow that the new Kyiv mission would bring them back to the Russian border.

Zelensky said, "If they want to survive, it's time for the Russian army to run away. Go home.

"Ukraine takes back its own land."

Heavy fighting broke out around occupied Kherson in the south, as Ukrainian troops broke through Russian defenses in several areas.

Russia captured the key region early in the invasion, but Ukraine launches devastating strikes with Western-supplied missiles to hit Russian positions.

The latest update from the Ministry of Defense showing the situation in Ukraine

Oleksiy Arestovych, Ukraine's top presidential adviser, said Russian defenses in the Kherson region were "breakthrough within hours".

Ukrainian troops were also calling for artillery strikes on the ferries that were used to supply Russian forces on the Dnipro, threatening to cut them off.

The attack comes after weeks of Ukrainian operations that destroyed more than 20 huge dumps of ammunition and weapons used by the Russians,

Battles were raging all along the southern front and Ukraine was stepping up its artillery barrage after weeks of preparation. Vitaly Kim, governor of the Mykolaiv region, told Ukrainian television: "Heavy fighting continues. Our army is working around the clock. The liberation of the Kherson region is coming soon."