Russia has problems with flank support, lack of reserves in southern Ukraine - UK intelligence

This was reported by the UK Defense Ministry. 

"Across the south, common problems for Russian commanders are highly likely to include shortage of artillery ammunition, a lack of reserves and problems securing the flanks of units in the defense," the ministry tweeted. 

UK intelligence notes that south of Orikhiv, Ukrainian attacks were aimed at Russia's 58th Combined Arms Army (58th CAA). The Ministry of Defense believes that this army is severely depleted, as its frontline units have been engaged in intense fighting for over eight weeks.

Further east, south of Velyka Novosilka, Russian forces are being pulled together from the Eastern and Southern Military Districts, which is likely to create coordination problems.

In addition, the units of the 5th Combined Arms Unit are likely to be under particular pressure and also feel that it is high time for them to rotate from the front line.

Ukraine's counteroffensive

On June 4, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a counteroffensive on the southern frontline, continuing a series of offensives near Bakhmut and in other directions.

On June 11, the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced the liberation of Blahodatne, Neskuchne, and Makarivka settlements, near the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

On June 24, the Ukrainian Defense Forces officially confirmed the liberation of the territories near Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region, which had been under occupation since 2014.

On June 26, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar also said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had de-occupied the village of Rivnopil, Donetsk region. It is located in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region. The Russian army occupied the village in March 2022.

British Defence Minister Ben Wallace stated that Ukraine has already liberated more territory as part of the summer counteroffensive campaign than Russia had captured during the entire winter offensive.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, July 23, that the Defense Forces have recaptured half of the territory that Russia has occupied since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

On July 25, the Ukrainian Defense Forces drove the Russians out of their positions near Andriivka in the Bakhmut direction, and in the Staromayorske area, they succeeded and are consolidating their positions. The Ukrainian Armed Forces restrained the Russian offensive near Marinka and repelled enemy attacks in other areas.

On July 26, the General Staff reported that the Defense Forces continued to advance in three directions. Instead, the Russian occupiers are trying to regain the lost position near Robotyno in Zaporizhzhia region. Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said that the Defense Forces continue to successfully conduct offensive actions on the southern flank around Bakhmut. Fierce fighting continues in the area of Klishchiiivka, Kurdyumivka and Andriivka.

U.S. officials said on 26 July that Ukrainian officials told them that the army was now engaged in a major counteroffensive, moving more troops and equipment to the westernmost of the three fronts, near Zaporizhzhia. In turn, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that our soldiers had launched a mechanised counter-offensive in Zaporizhzhia region and had probably broken through enemy defence positions near Orikhiv.

On July 27, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled several enemy attacks in the Kupyansk sector without losing ground, and in the Bakhmut sector our soldiers gradually moved forward. The fighting was quite fierce. The enemy was firing intensively. The General Staff reported that the Defense Forces were conducting an offensive at the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions.

On the same day, it became known that Ukrainian soldiers had liberated the village of Staromayorske in Donetsk region.

On 28 July, it was reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelling numerous assaults on the Lyman and Kupyansk directions every day, and that no positions had been lost.

On 29 July, Deputy Minister of Defence Hanna Maliar reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued to advance on the southern flank around Bakhmut. There are some advances. The northern flank - fighting continues without changing positions. The enemy is now deploying additional forces and means to the Bakhmut direction

On the same day, it became known that Ukrainian soldiers had liberated the village of Staromayorske in Donetsk region.

On July 31, it was reported that during the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military liberated more than 204 square kilometers of territory in the south, and about 37 square kilometers in the Bakhmut direction.

And the commander of the Ukrainian National Guard commented on the offensive operations of the Defense Forces and said that Ukrainian troops could make an unexpected breakthrough.