The Institute for the Study of War reported on Sept. 2, citing Ukrainian General Staff, that country's forces continued offensive operations south of Bakhmut. Obtained geolocated footage shows that Ukrainian forces marginally advanced northwest of Klishchiivka, some seven kilometers southwest of Bakhmut.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces achieved unspecified success in the Novodanylivka-Novopokropivka direction (five to 13 kilometers south of Orikhiv) in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Russian sources claimed that Russian troops repelled Ukrainian attacks near Robotyne (10 kilometers south of Orikhiv) and Verbove (18 kilometers southeast of Orikhiv).
Howeever, U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said on Sept. 1 that the White House has observed notable Ukrainian progress in the “Zaporizhzhia area” (likely meaning the western Zaporizhia Oblast direction) in the past 72 hours and that Ukrainian forces have achieved some success against the “second line of Russian defenses” in southern Ukraine.
On the same day, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN that Ukrainian forces are "not failing" but "moving forward" in their counteroffensive.
Kate Tsurkan
