Ukraine’s military reported on Aug. 29 that it made gains southeast of recently liberated Robotyne toward the village of Verbove, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Ukrainian soldiers are entrenching themselves at retaken territory and carrying out counter-battery fire, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in its counteroffensive update.
The advance is part of Ukraine’s larger offensive operation in the direction of Melitopol, a strategically important city for cutting off the land bridge between Russia and occupied Crimea.
A day before, Kyiv announced the liberation of Robotyne, which should allow Ukrainian troops to continue advancing south toward the Russian-occupied Tokmak and Melitopol. The settlement of Verbove lies around 18 kilometers southeast of Robotyne.
Ukrainian troops are also on the offensive south of Bakhmut, holding back Russian advances in the area simultaneously, according to the General Staff.
Francis Farrell
Russia reportedly conducted unsuccessful assaults near Klishchiivka south of Bakhmut, Marinka, and Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.
Ukraine's military also continues holding back Russian advances in the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, reads the General Staff’s update.
On Aug. 27, Eastern Force Grouping press officer Illia Yevlash said Russia had concentrated over 100,000 troops in the Kupiansk-Lyman axis.
Moscow has reportedly ramped up its offensive in the area, trying to retake the territories lost during a Ukrainian surprise counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast last autumn.
