Front-line victories may pave way for Crimea – Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers are making progress on the southern front, which may allow them to push the Russian forces back to Crimea, according to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

He said that this became possible after Kyiv set free the village of Robotyne, which was very important for military reasons, in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Russia’s military says its troops are still keeping control of the village.

Ukraine wants to block the land route to Crimea, which Russia took control of in 2014.

By doing this, Kyiv would divide the land that Russia controls in southern Ukraine, making it harder for Moscow to deliver supplies.

There is no confirmation from a neutral source about the recent statements made by Ukraine and Russia.

Mr Kuleba spoke at a recent meeting of French ambassadors in Paris. He said that Robotyne has started to surround an area called its “flanks”. This means that they are starting to gain control of the area. By doing this, they are preparing to advance towards Tokmak and eventually a place called Melitopol. Once they reach Melitopol, they will be at the border with Crimea.

The cities of Tokmak and Melitopol are important places for Russia because they are used for military and logistical purposes. Russia has control over these cities.

Mr Kuleba emphasized that Ukraine’s counter-attack, which began in early June, is still ongoing. However, he acknowledged that it is a very challenging task.

The amount of minefields and fortifications is higher than ever before. Russian drones, helicopters, and planes are in control of the sky. But we are slowly making progress.

He explained that a group of 31 Ukrainian fighters had crawled on their stomachs through long stretches of dangerous minefields. This brave act allowed a larger group of soldiers to recapture Robotyne.

In the report on Wednesday, Ukraine’s military mentioned that they had some success in the south and southeast area of Robotyne.

However, the Russian military stated that their soldiers successfully defended against nine assaults carried out by Ukrainian forces in the Robotyne area and also near the Verbove village in the southeast.

Moscow says they have made three lines to protect themselves in the south. They keep saying that the Ukrainian counter-attack has been a complete disaster, with many soldiers dying and very little progress being made.

The Institute for the Study of War in the US stated that Ukrainian forces are still moving forward to the east of Robotyne. On August 29th, they continued to gather and secure places in Robotyne.

Ukraine says they have made progress in breaking through Russia’s first line of defense near Robotyne. Now, their goal is to move even closer to all the towns along the Sea of Azov coast that are controlled by Russia.

Russia is thought to have made a long system of ditches and tunnels, along with artillery spots and concrete barriers to stop tanks. Moscow wants this to stop Ukraine from advancing further.

Kyiv started its counter-attack after getting new weapons from its friends in the West and preparing special battalions for the assault.

But, the progress has not been fast, and there have been reports of disagreements on how to fight the war between important Ukrainian and American generals.

Kyiv wants more weapons from the West, like tanks, equipment to remove mines, and war planes such as the US-made F-16 fighter jets. This is because they want to have a stronger military presence and compete with Russia’s dominance in the skies.

On Wednesday, there was more fighting in the northeastern part of Ukraine. Russian forces are trying to move closer to the important city of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region.

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, attacked Ukraine with a large military force in February 2022.