Ukraine's Southern offensive: tough battle with modest gains 

The Economist writes about it. 

A senior Ukrainian military officer told The Economist that drawing significant conclusions at this stage would be premature.

“It is fifty-fifty,” the officer said. “Sometimes we have successes and sometimes we have had to take our units back.” 

Russians have prepared their defense well

While Ukrainian forces managed to break through heavily defended Russian lines on July 26th in the southern Zaporizhzhia sector and made some progress, the overall impact remains limited for now, according to the article. 

The Russians, well-prepared for the counter-offensive, have constructed formidable barriers spanning tens of kilometers deep. These defenses include millions of mines, FPV drones for surveillance, Lancet loitering munitions, jamming of Ukrainian drones, long-range rockets, attack helicopters, and a dense network of sensors and data links.

Retired Australian army general, Mick Ryan, described the Russian obstacle design as "much more complex and deadly" than anything seen in the past 80 years. Breaking through these defenses demands exceptional combined-arms operational skills, which the Ukrainians have yet to fully demonstrate at scale, according to military analyst Michael Kofman.

Both Russia and Ukraine are looking for weaknesses

Despite the challenges, the Russian manpower behind the lines has been stretched due to Ukraine's strategy of attrition. “Russian units, says the source, are “becoming smaller…companies that used to be 150 men are now only 20-30 and battalions of 500-600 are now 200 or 250.” If the breaches in the line that the Ukrainians have achieved can be carried farther, the Russians may have difficulty finding reinforcements,” the article reads. 

Both sides are continually probing for weaknesses along the 1,000km-long front. The Ukrainians are making potential gains around the city of Bakhmut, where Russian defenses are not as strong. Conversely, the Russians still have aspirations to regain control of annexed Ukrainian territories in Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.

The situation remains tense, with Russia shelling Ukrainian towns and Ukraine retaliating. Despite the lack of major successes, Ukrainian troops remain highly motivated.

Commander in the Lyman sector told The Economist his men were preparing their defenses. “This was a good thing, he explained: Russian troops will move forward, exposing themselves and allowing the Ukrainians to hit them with artillery and force them back,” the article reads. “Everyone is in a good mood!” he shouted, undiscouraged by the slow progress.