ISW reports Ukrainian advances in Zaporizhzhya as they push through Russia’s strongest defenses.
The Ukrainian armed forces are said to be ISW have made significant advances in Zaporizhzhya oblast. Different Ukrainian and Russian sources state that the troops advanced through prepared Russian defensive positions, which may be among the most complex, according to ISW. Geolocated footage released on August 25 indicates that Ukrainian forces advanced near Novoprokopivka.
On the same day, General Mark Milley, the chief of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced that Ukrainian troops were advancing specifically against the Russians’ main defense positions. Reuters then reported that a Ukrainian commander in southern Ukraine thinks they have breached key Russian defenses in the region. He believes their troops are now reaching areas where they are encountering Russian logistics teams in particular. ISW thinks this could lead to further successful advances.
A blogger from Russia wrote on August 25 that Ukrainian troops may be approaching the rear defense lines at Verbowe. This could mean that they are about to cross deeper Russian defensive positions. However, it must be stressed that this does not mean that they have penetrated larger rear Russian areas.
Image: RARESH MIHALESCU ION, Battle of Donetsk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made)