Russia redeploys airborne forces from Kherson to Zaporizhzhia region amid heavy losses – UK intelligence

This is stated in a report by the UK Ministry of Defense.

It is noted that some Russian units have faced particularly intense attrition and heavy fighting on the front lines.

According to British intelligence, there is a possibility that the arrival of airborne forces will finally allow some regiments to withdraw for rest and recovery.

However, according to British intelligence, the redeployment is likely to make Russia's defense along the eastern bank of the Dnipro River weaker.

More details on Ukrainian counteroffensive

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

On June 19, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Maliar reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated Pyatykhatky, Zaporizhzhia region, and advanced up to 7 km in the Tavria direction.

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.

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 27, Ukrainian soldiers 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 another 37 square kilometers in the Bakhmut direction.

On August 2, it was reported that the Russian occupiers are trying to reclaim their lost grounds in the Donetsk region, namely in the Bakhmut and Shakhtarsk directions.

Analysts at The New York Times reported that the Russian forces are overstretched, experiencing problems with logistics, supplies, personnel and weapons, and it is becoming apparent that they are beginning to retreat.

Brigadier General Dmytro Hereha, Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Support Forces, said that in the occupied territories, Russian forces have set up a multi-echelon system of engineering barriers, which consists of several strips of 10 to 40 km each with a fairly high density. This causes difficulties for the Ukrainian Defense Forces in conducting offensives in the southern direction.

On August 5, 30 clashes took place between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops at the front, and Russia lost 590 soldiers, 5 tanks, and a MLRS. 

On August 6, Budanov assessed the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive: the military's advance in the Bakhmut direction is slightly faster than in the south.

As of August 9, it was reported that Ukrainian Defense Forces have taken back over 40,000 square kilometers of our land from the Russian invaders since February 24, 2022.

On August 10, it was reported that the Defense Forces had partial success near Urozhayne and Staromayorske, and were entrenched near Bakhmut.