Ukraine ‘breaks by means of Russian defences’ as counter-offensive gathers momentum
Ukraine has reportedly damaged by means of Russian defences as its counter-offensive in opposition to Vladimir Putin‘s invading forces seemingly gathers momentum.
The Ukrainian navy’s forty seventh Mechanised brigade breached Russian strains to succeed in the outskirts of Robotyne, a village 12 miles to the north-east of Tokmak within the Zaporizhzhia area. And long-range Himars missiles – developed within the late Nineteen Nineties for the United States Army – have reportedly hit an ammunition dump in Tokmak.
Vladimir Rogov, the pinnacle of the Moscow-installed administration in Zaporizhzhia, described the missile assault as “huge” and admitted that Ukrainian forces had breached Russian strains close to Robotyne. And a member of Ukraine‘s forty seventh reportedly instructed a UK newspaper that it was utilizing Western weapons to “destroy the enemy”.
It come as a part of a “significant counteroffensive” that could last up to three weeks as Kyiv makes an attempt to punch a gap by means of deep Russian defence strains. Russia has fortified miles of occupied territory with mines and tank traps, in a bid to decelerate the thrust of Ukraine’s three-point counteroffensive.
However, Rogov has now stated that Ukraine has indeed breached Russian lines near Robotyne – using 100 armoured vehicles, including US Bradley fighting vehicles and German Leopard tanks. However, other Russian sources put the number of armoured vehicles at between 30 and 50, reports The Telegraph.
US-based think-tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said it was likely that Kyiv had “managed to penetrate and drive through tactically challenging defensive positions”. It comes after Pentagon officials said that Ukrainian forces had managed to secure a pathway through the heavy minefields in Zaporizhzhia, and were piling into attack through the channel.
Putin himself had confirmed that Ukraine‘s counter-offensive has “intensified significantly”. But the Russian president claimed his forces had destroyed 26 tanks – and that Russian “heroism” had repelled he Ukrainians on all fronts.
The Russian MOD had additionally claimed that each the assaults in Zaporizhzhia Oblast had been crushed again, however supplied no proof of this. It is believed Ukraine will no attempt to advance in direction of town of Tokmak, earlier than staging a ultimate push to the coastal metropolis of Melitopol by the Sea of Azov.
Mellitopol has been thought of a central intention of the Ukrainian counteroffensive for months. Reclaiming town would sever Russian provide strains to their troopers within the jap areas.