Ukrainians clear minefield and advance. ISW confirms significant counteroffensive gains by Ukraine.
Military advances by Ukraine in areas near the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhya border and in the western Zaporizhzhya oblast could be considered “tactically significant,” according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The Kyiv Independent quoted from ISW’s August 19 report, which noted that such advances could give Ukrainian troops the advantage of operating in areas less heavily mined.
One example of this progress cited by The Kyiv Independent was Ukrainian actions in the vicinity of Robotyne. There, according to a CBS News report on August 18, Ukrainian units would have successfully cleared a Russian minefield, allowing counteroffensive forces to move toward Tokmak, which currently serves as a Russian army logistics base. On August 19, there would also have been further military advances north of Robotyne, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Progress strategically important
In addition, Ukrainian troops would intensify their counteroffensive in the Berdyansk, Melitopol, and Bachmut sectors. Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty, a representative of the armed forces, is reported to have stressed that Ukraine was maintaining the upper hand toward Bachmut.
The Kyiv Independent also notes that minefields pose a significant problem for Ukrainian units when it comes to liberating Russian-occupied cities. Nevertheless, according to ISW, these advances are strategically important because of the structure of Russian defenses.
Image: RARESH MIHALESCU ION, Battle of Donetsk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made)