Ukrainian counteroffensive breaks through Russian lines in southeast
Ukrainian forces have broken through the main Russian defensive line in the southeastern part of the country, raising hopes for a revival of the counteroffensive that has been seen as moving too slowly in the three months since it began, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Ukrainian paratroopers are fighting in the area of Russian trenches dug at the edge of the village of Verbove, a Ukrainian officer on the front told the newspaper. Ukrainian forces have also reached the main defensive line south of the nearby village of Robotyne, the source said.
The Ukrainian military confirmed the advances towards Verbove and south of Robotyne, but did not provide details.
The significance of the advance is that it marks the first time Ukraine has penetrated the main Russian defensive line, which is an extensive system of minefields, trenches, and anti-tank obstacles covered by artillery, the Journal explains.
Ukrainian forces are now working to widen the cracks in the defensive line to create a large enough gap for Western-supplied armored vehicles to pass through with enough logistical support.
However, the advance is facing fierce resistance. The Ukrainian officer who spoke to the Journal said that the Russians are so well-entrenched in the trenches that his men found carpets and paintings hanging on the walls of the shelters they have captured. They are facing elite Russian forces.
Russia is targeting Ukrainian troops and vehicles with heavy artillery fire guided by drones and explosive drones controlled from the ground by pilots wearing video goggles. In some places, so many drones are flying that Ukrainians call the phenomenon "Borispil," after the country's main international airport in Kyiv.
Cluster bombs provided by the United States are having a significant impact, soldiers say. Ukrainians in the offensive are using these munitions - which release dozens of smaller bombs and can cause destruction over a wider area than conventional artillery shells - to target Russian troops moving in open terrain, either to flee or to bring reinforcements.
Ukraine's goal is to create a corridor through Russian lines, pushing enemy artillery far enough away to allow Western-supplied armored vehicles to move through the gap and receive supplies.
Widening the front line south of Orikhiv could allow Ukraine to advance with artillery and target Russian positions that were previously out of range.
A breach at Verbove could open a path to the Russian-occupied port cities of Berdiansk and Mariupol, while progress south of Robotyne could threaten Tokmak.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
