General Staff: Ukraine advances in Bakhmut, Melitopol directions

Ukrainian forces continue offensive operations in the Bakhmut direction in the east and in the Melitopol direction in the south, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Sept. 27.

"Ukrainian defense forces continue carrying out offensive operations in the Melitopol direction and... in the Bakhmut direction, inflicting losses on occupying troops in manpower and equipment, and wearing out the enemy along the entire front line," the report said.

Russian troops reportedly launched unsuccessful attacks near Sieverne and Marinka in Donetsk Oblast and south of Novodarivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Over the course of the past day, there were 26 engagements with Russian forces, and Russia launched 10 missile strikes, 77 air strikes, and 44 strikes from multiple-launch rocket systems against both military targets and civilian areas, the General Staff said.

General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of Ukraine's forces fighting in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, said last week that the military has breached through Russian lines near the southern village of Verbove.

Tarnavskyi lauded the success at Verbove but also noted that the true breakthrough on the southern front would be the liberation of Tokmak, which he stated was "the minimum goal" of the counteroffensive.

Overcoming setbacks, NATO-trained brigade breaches Surovikin line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Editor’s note: The soldiers featured in this article are identified by first name and callsign only for security reasons. ZAPORIZHZHIA OBLAST – Even months before it started, just the idea of Ukraine’s large-scale counteroffensive in 2023 carried on its shoulders a historic weight. Having held bac…

The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell