Ukrainian soldiers shell the Russian trenches with a Soviet-made BM-21 multiple rocket launcher in the Bakhmut direction, Donetsk Oblast, on Aug. 07. (Photo credit: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Ukraine made a "tactically significant" advance along two lines of attack towards the southern coast, according to the Russian and Ukrainian sources.
The Ukrainian troops seized 16 to 20 kilometers of territory, which the Institute for the Study of War says will likely weaken Russia's defenses in aggregate, raising the chances of a breakthrough.
Ukraine has been fighting a very tough battle in the south, against Russia's dense minefields and well-fortified defensive lines anchored by captured population centers.
The two routes of advance run through Robotyne and Staromaiorske. Ukrainian forces are conducting counterbattery fire near Robotyne, as their scouts have reportedly reached the settlement.
Igor is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously covered conflict in the Middle East, investigated corruption in Ukraine and man-made environmental damage in Southeast Asia. He has a Master’s in Journalism from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and was published in the Kyiv Post, USA Today, The Atlantic, Daily Beast and Foreign Policy.
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