As Kyiv’s counteroffensive continues to struggle to make any real headway, Ukraine has declared “partial success” in a settlement on the southern front.
In another area, Russia is launching an attack close to Kupiansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region, which borders Russia. This is the first large Ukrainian evacuation in months, and the area has experienced heavy bombardment.
As Ukraine continues to descend into the Sea of Azov, heavy fighting is taking place on the front lines.
As moving deeply into the region would mean destroying Russia’s land-bridge between occupied Crimea and eastern Donetsk, the region is a key goal for Ukraine.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Ukraine declared “partial success” close to the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region. Social media videos and pictures on Friday appeared to show Ukrainian troops entering the area.
Even little improvements by Ukraine in this area, according to the Institute for the Study of War [ISW], are noteworthy.
Even if Ukrainian gains are now modest, the ISW stated that the ability of Ukrainian forces to advance to the outskirts of Robotyne, which Russian forces have devoted substantial effort, time, and money to defend, remains significant.
The General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted “unsuccessful attempts” to retake lost territory close to the settlement of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk area. Ukraine declared “partial success” in securing positions in the region on Thursday.
According to a local military official, Russian forces are also attempting to “escalate and take over the initiative” in an effort to “pull” Ukrainian troops from other frontline locations in Eastern Ukraine.
“The enemy is trying to escalate and take over the initiative at this direction and attacking our positions,” said Serhii Cherevatyi, the deputy commander of the Eastern Military Group for Strategic Communications, in remarks made on national television on Saturday. This is in reference to the Lyman-Kupiansk direction in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
According to the daily report from the Ukrainian General Staff, Russian forces tried offensives close to Kupiansk but were repelled in a number of nearby communities. Early in the fight, the city was taken, but it was freed last autumn.
This week, Russia increased its shelling of the region and claimed to have captured some Ukrainian positions; as a result, a mandatory evacuation order was issued for Kupiansk and the neighbouring territories.
Fighting has been concentrated on the eastern and southern fronts during Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive for weeks. Kyiv started the battle in an effort to retake land that Russia had taken. However, the benefits made thus far have been modest and difficult to get.