Ukrainian forces launched a brand new effort to land troops on the left financial institution of the Dnipro river within the 77th week of the warfare, the place flooding after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June had made counteroffensive motion unimaginable.
Ukrainian forces additionally continued to make incremental territorial features 10 weeks after launching their counteroffensive.
Experiences recommended that Ukraine had at the least partially taken the city of Urozhaine on the Zaporizhia-Donetsk border, and superior on Robotyne within the western Zaporizhia area.
On the similar time, Ukraine has withstood a serious ongoing Russian offensive against the eastern town of Kupiansk, in what’s seen as an obvious try to weaken Ukraine’s advances elsewhere.
Ukraine additionally continued to focus on provide strains deep in Russian rear areas.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed to have foiled a Ukrainian assault on the Kerch bridge on the evening of August 11 and to have shot down 20 Ukrainian drones over Crimea.
The left financial institution
Russian navy reporters stated Ukrainian reconnaissance teams have been touchdown on the left financial institution of the Dnipro river west of Kozachi Laheri within the Kherson area within the days earlier than August 11.
“The village is beneath the management of the Russian Armed Forces. Nonetheless, the presence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine west of the camps is a reality,” one reporter wrote.
Russian positions have been reportedly firing on the suspected places of the Ukrainian models however weren’t sending floor forces.
Ukrainian particular forces additionally continued to function close to the Antonovsky bridge, the stories stated, even if Russia’s defence ministry claimed to have dislodged them on July 3.
Kherson is the place Ukraine scored one in every of its largest territorial features in September, however the space has been a largely ignored sector of the battlefield in the course of the counteroffensive that started on June 4. That’s as a result of space remaining inoperable after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam on June 6, which flooded hundreds of square kilometres on both sides of the river.
Ukraine’s common employees stated Russian forces, which had been in command of the dam, destroyed its engine room as a way to make it unimaginable for Ukrainian forces to counterattack within the space, regardless that this additionally compelled Russian models to drag again from their flooded defences for a time period.
A few month later, as soon as the flooding had subsided and the bottom had dried, Ukraine reported that Russian models have been returning to their positions and stepping up artillery assaults in opposition to the Ukrainian-held proper financial institution of the river as a way to deter crossings.
These artillery techniques continued final week, based on Russian reporters, however it was not clear if that they had been efficient.
“An efficient Russian mechanized counterattack may threaten this Ukrainian advance place, however it’s unclear if Russian forces possess the mechanized reserves needed to take action,” wrote the Washington-based assume tank the Institute for the Research of Battle.
If Ukraine’s creeping reclamation of the left financial institution succeeded in establishing a bridgehead and touchdown mechanised models, it may open a brand new entrance in opposition to Russian positions within the south.
Urozhaine
Geolocated footage posted on August 12 recommended that Ukrainian forces had entered the city of Urozhaine on the Zaporizhia-Donetsk border.
Russian navy reporters claimed the Vostok battalion, which was defending the world, had deserted positions within the northern a part of Urozhaine and was preventing a rear-guard motion within the south.
“For a number of days we withstood [Ukraine’s] onslaught, however someplace there was a failure,” the battalion posted on the Telegram messaging app. “We’re nonetheless preventing again, however the scenario will not be in our favour … it’s a matter of time.”
Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar confirmed that Ukrainian forces have been profitable in Urozhaine and within the space of neighbouring Staromayorske, a city they recaptured on July 27, and have been “taking maintain of achieved boundaries”.
“No extra forces from the reserve have been concerned on this sector, no new artillery battalions have been deployed – the battles are being fought with the forces which might be accessible. Let’s simply say – poor forces,” wrote Alexander Khodakovsky, commander of the Vostok, wrote on Telegram.
Ukrainian forces additionally appeared to advance in western Zaporizhia, the place they approached the city of Robotyne on August 11.
Russian reporters stated Chechen fighters had been redeployed to strengthen the world, one thing confirmed by Chechen chief Ramzan Kadyrov.
Ukrainian forces launched a big push in direction of Robotyne on June 26, and have saved Russian forces there on the defensive for seven weeks.
Russia’s reinforcement of Robotyne is uncommon. Its incapacity to shortly transfer reinforcements to harassed areas of the entrance has been famous many instances earlier than.
Russian armed forces chief Valery Gerasimov reportedly dismissed Basic Ivan Popov final month for complaining that his troops have been overstretched and in want of rotation in western Zaporizhia.
The japanese entrance
Russian forces continued an offensive in direction of Ukraine’s japanese metropolis of Kupiansk, with some stories of success.
Ukraine, too, claimed to have superior three sq. kilometres south of Bakhmut, an space that it’s making an attempt to encircle.
“Heavy battles proceed within the Bakhmut course. The enemy is making an attempt to cease the advance of our troops and restore misplaced positions within the areas west of Klishchiivka, Andriivka, and Kurdyumivka,” stated deputy defence minister Maliar.
“Previously week, the freed territory within the Bakhmut course has been elevated by 3sq km, and the whole freed space within the Bakhmut course is 40sq km.,” Maliar wrote.
Ukrainian Colonel Petro Chernyk advised Ukrainian military media that the Russian offensive in Kupiansk aimed to alleviate stress on Bakhmut, the place giant numbers of Russian forces are dedicated.
“Bakhmut is within the lowlands, and all of the dominant heights are beneath our management. So our defence forces are methodically exterminating their contingent there,” he advised the ArmyInform information website.
“It could come to such a situation that an actual encirclement will happen and their models could have solely two choices: be destroyed or give up. If this have been to occur, it will be a extremely severe step ahead and a breakthrough of their defence and, above all, motivation,” he stated.
Chernyk stated Russia had sufficient males to realize an ideal numerical superiority in personnel at Kupiansk, however not the equipment.
Vadym Skibitskyi, the deputy head of Ukrainian navy intelligence, downplayed the Kupiansk offensive as reactive.
“Operations carried out by Russia would not have a strategic navy nature, they’re solely localised assaults,” he advised the Monetary Instances.
