Ukraine's forces are reportedly advancing near Bakhmut and in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and attacking in western Donetsk Oblast, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its latest assessment on June 19.
Kyiv's forces are conducting offensive action in the northwest, northeast, and southwest of Bakhmut, successfully advancing near Krasnopolivka (12 kilometers northeast of Bakhmut), the ISW said, citing Russian military bloggers.
Russian sources claim that Ukraine also attacked south of Velyka Novosilka in western Donetsk Oblast.
Referencing Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar, the ISW noted Ukrainian advances in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The troops reportedly pushed 7 kilometers in Tavriisk direction and liberated 113 square kilometers over the past week.
The experts commented that geolocated footage confirmed the liberation of Piatykhatky (25 kilometers southwest of Orikhiv), announced by Kyiv on June 19.
According to the ISW, fighting was reported south and southwest of Orikhiv over the day of June 19.
Ukraine is conducting intensive military actions in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts amid the ongoing counteroffensive, which started around June 5.
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported that Ukrainian forces have so far liberated Novodarivka, Levadne, Storozheve, Makarivka, Blahodatne, Lobkove, Neskuchne, and Piatykhatky.
Daria Shulzhenko
On June 19, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported that Russia had begun relocating its forces from the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast to strengthen the Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut sectors.
Later in the same day, Maliar said that Russia had deployed more troops to Ukraine's eastern front line, trying to advance toward Lyman and Kupiansk and "seize the initiative."
Ukrainian forces "do not allow the enemy to advance" amid the difficult situation in the region, intensified Russian shelling and heavy fighting, she added.
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