Ukraine announced on Tuesday, August 29,that its military had advanced further into Russian defensive positions in the vicinity of Robotyne, following their previous assertion of capturing the village on the southern front just a day earlier.
Ukraine said Tuesday that its forces had pushed deeper into Russian defensive lines near the village of Robotyne, a day after claiming control over the village on the southern front.
Kyiv also ordered children to be evacuated from five settlements near the focus of their assault, as Russia claimed to have repelled Ukrainian forces.
Kyiv launched a grinding counteroffensive in June after stockpiling Western-supplied weapons and building up assault battalions, but progress has been slow.
Military spokesman Andriy Kovalyov said Ukrainian forces were edging further in the Zaporizhzhia region, which Moscow claims is part of Russia.
He added that the troops were holding captured territory and attacking Russian artillery.
Ukrainian troops have also been trying to surround the eastern town of Bakhmut, which was captured by Russian forces in May.
The Russian-installed head of the Donetsk region, where Bakhmut is located, on Tuesday played down the Ukrainian push, after Kyiv claimed successes.
Compared to Ukrainian offensives last year in the Kherson and Kharkiv regions, this time Kyiv’s forces are crashing into Russian defensive lines of trenches and minefields that are kilometers deep.
But analysts say the capture of Robotyne is evidence that Ukrainian forces can puncture Russian lines as they push south.
The Ukrainian ministry responsible for reintegrating occupied territories announced an evacuation order in five settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region, citing the uptick in fighting.
The ministry also said that the remains of 84 killed Ukrainian soldiers had been recovered from Russia.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
