The Ukrainian flag has been raised at one of the entrances to the town of Lyman in the eastern part of Ukraine.
A video posted on social media and shared by President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff shows two Ukrainian soldiers standing on a military vehicle attaching the flag with tape to a large sign with the word Lyman. The town - an important rail network hub since late May - has been in Russian hands and has been a focus of Ukraine's counteroffensive in the east for at least a week.
Ukrainian officials caution that heavy fighting continues even though Ukrainian soldiers appear to have a firm presence on the outskirts of the town.
Serhii Cherevatiy, a military spokesman, told CNN that while Russian forces were de-facto encircled, the situation remained dynamic. Russian forces tried to break through the encirclement, but their attempts had failed, he told CNN.
On Friday, Ukrainian forces claimed control over the village of Drobysheve, a settlement that neighbors Lyman.
Retaking Lyman would give Ukrainian forces a platform to push further east towards towns like Kreminna and Rubizhne in the Luhansk region.