Evacuation of Russian special services begins in Tokmak

He said this on Espreso TV. 

"Tokmak is one of the key centers for the occupying Russian forces. The enemy used the city as a base for amassing ammunition and manpower. The advance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the south already allows us to attack logistics centers and the accumulation of enemy soldiers. Evacuation of Russian special services and some so-called authorities has already begun from Tokmak. Despite the fact that Tokmak has not yet been liberated, our military has already solved an important strategic task," he emphasized.

According to him, Tokmak is being used less and less by the Russian forces as a base for a large number of troops and ammunition.

"Tokmak is already within the range of Ukrainian artillery. And this significantly reduces the enemy's defense capabilities. Russians can no longer accumulate large amounts of ammunition close to the front line. The enemy's logistics chains are growing, and the defense line is weakening. Taking into account military tactics, the Ukrainian Armed Forces may not need to fight to liberate the city. Perhaps the Defense Forces will bypass the city and force the Russian troops to withdraw from Tokmak," Ashurbekov noted.

• On September 17, UK intelligence reported that Russian troops were reinforcing the defense of the strategically important town of Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region.

• During another week of full-scale war, Ukrainian defenders liberated 2 square kilometers of the Bakhmut sector and 5.2 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory on the southern front.