Defense Ministry: Ukrainian forces make further gains in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Ukraine’s military has advanced southeast of Robotyne and south of Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on Aug. 21.

“The enemy tried to regain lost positions east of Robotyne, but unsuccessfully,” Maliar said on Telegram.

The village of Robotyne is a tactically important Russian strongpoint the Ukrainian military needs to reconquer to be able to continue pushing south toward Tokmak and Melitopol.

On the southern front line, Ukrainian forces continue offensive actions in the Berdiansk and Melitopol directions.

In Ukraine’s east, Russian troops are on the offensive in the areas of Kupiansk, Lyman, Avdiivka, and Marinka, according to Maliar.

Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attacks near Pershotravneve, Synkivka, and Petropavlivka in Kharkiv Oblast, the official said.

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The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell

Russia also reportedly conducted unsuccessful assaults near Luhansk Oblast’s Serebrianske forestry lands, Kreminna and Bilohorivka, as well as recently liberated Urozhaine and Staromaiorske in Donetsk Oblast.

As for Bakhmut, Russian forces are trying to regain lost positions in Zaliznianske, Vasylivka, and Bohdanivka north of the city, as reported by Maliar. The fighting is ongoing on Bakhmut’s southern flank as well — in central Klishchiivka, north, and west of Andriivka and north of Kurdiumivka.

Earlier the same day, Maliar said that Ukrainian forces had liberated three square kilometers of land near Donetsk Oblast’s Bakhmut over the past week.

Ukraine has regained a total of 43 square kilometers around the eastern city since the summer counteroffensive started.