If the Russian defenses there collapse, it would open the way for the Ukrainian forces to push southward toward the coast. Russian military bloggers say that the latest Ukrainian push has focused Staromaiorske near an area separating Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia provinces. “Our South! Our guys! Glory to Ukraine!” Zelensky declared. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video Thursday in which a group of Ukrainian soldiers said they had taken control of the village of Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region next to the Zaporizhzhia province. Russia currently controls the whole Sea of Azov coast. That could split Russian forces into two and cut supply lines to units farther west. The seizure of Melitopol near the Sea of Azov would be a major success for Ukraine, which hopes to punch through the land corridor between Russia and the Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. However, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Wednesday that troops are advancing toward the city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region. Ukrainian authorities have kept operational details of the counteroffensive under wraps, and they have released scant information about its progress. The Russian army has set up vast minefields to stymie Ukrainian advances and used combat aircraft and loitering munitions to strike Ukrainian armor and artillery. It was unclear how the current effort differs from previous ones by the Ukrainian military to break through deeply entrenched Russian defenses. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pentagon reporters last week that Ukraine was “preserving their combat power” and that a “significant” amount of it had not yet entered action as Ukrainian forces slowly and deliberately worked their way through the Russian minefields. official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing military operations.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |