Ukrainian forces continue to advance in Zaporizhzhia region – ISW

This information comes from a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The report highlights that Ukrainian troops carried on with their offensive actions in the western Zaporizhzhia region, and the General Staff confirmed that these operations extended to the Melitopol direction.

As of September 2nd, Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian Defense Forces maintained a limited presence on the eastern (left) bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region. They stated that the Armed Forces held positions between Kozachi Laheri (23 km northeast of Kherson) and Pidstepne.

Furthermore, Ukrainian forces actively conducted offensive operations near Bakhmut on September 2nd and continued their advance. Geolocation data shows that Ukrainian forces have approached the area of Klishchiivka.

Concurrently, the Russians initiated offensive operations along the line from Kupyansk to Svatove. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that the occupiers did not succeed in the Novoyehorivka and Novoselivske areas.

According to geolocation images released on September 2nd, Ukrainian troops made progress north of Pavlivka, which is located 30 kilometers southwest of Donetsk. A Russian military officer claimed that fighting was ongoing near the village of Shevchenko, highlighting its significance as a Russian logistics center in the region.

The report also mentioned that Ukrainian troops attacked Priyutne, Urozhayne, and Staromayorske. Another Russian military blogger reported an increase in Ukrainian shelling of Russian positions on the Staromayorske-Priyutne line.

Ukrainian Armed Forces counteroffensive in the south

On June 12, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Myliar said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had liberated 7 settlements and advanced 6.5 kilometers.

Later, Ukraine's MoD officially confirmed the liberation of the village of Pyatikhatky in Zaporizhzhia region. Units in the Tavria sector advanced up to 7 km.

On June 24, the Ukrainian Defense Forces confirmed the recaptured territories near Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region, which had been under Russian control since 2014.

Later it became known 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 5, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy established ten military administrations in the Zaporizhzhia region and appointed their heads.

On July 27, the 35th Separate Marine Brigade, together with the 129th Brigade of the Arei Tank Corps, liberated the village of Staromayorske in the Donetsk region.

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

On August 4, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Myliar said that the Defense Forces had already broken through the first line of defense in the south and moved to the intermediate line.

On August 16, Maliar reported that the Ukrainian military had completely liberated Urozhayne in the Donetsk region. Defense forces are consolidating their positions.

On August 17, the General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops had succeeded near Urozhayne. Later it became known that the enemy tried to regain the lost position near the settlement in the Donetsk region, but to no avail.

On August 19, British intelligence said that the Defense Forces continued to advance along the Mokri Yaly River in the Donetsk region.

Ukrainian forces advanced north of Robotyne in the western Zaporizhzhia region. According to ISW analysts, this will allow the Ukrainian army to launch an offensive in less mined areas of the Russian defense line and help Ukraine reach the goal faster.

On August 23, the General Staff reported that the Defense Forces were gaining ground on the borders of Novodanylivka and Novoprokopivka in the Zaporizhzhia region.

On August 27, the spokesperson for the Tavria Defense Forces press center, Oleksandr Stupun, said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were advancing south of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia region to the village of Novoprokopivka.

On August 28, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malliar said that the Ukrainian military had officially liberated the village of Robotyne.

On August 29, the General Staff reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had succeeded in the direction of Novodanylivka-Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region.

On August 30, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba spoke in France about the success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region.

On September 1, the White House confirmed significant progress by Ukrainian defenders south of Zaporizhzhia over the past 72 hours.

Later, The New York Times reported that Russian occupiers had used a new tactic to hinder the Ukrainian troops' advance in Zaporizhzhia region by setting fire to minefields filled with flammable substances.