Kiev counterattacks and tries to break through the Russian defenses in the Zaporizhzhya region

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu already stated this a day earlier, and this Friday various sources referred to by the Russian media confirm that The Ukrainian army launched a strong counter-offensivefor three days, in the southern part of the region Zaporozhye with the aim of pushing out the Russian forces and breaking through to the Sea of ​​Azov.

“Ukrainian troops have launched a large-scale counter-offensive in the Zaporizhia region. They tried several times to break through our defense lines in various sectors of the front and fierce fighting is currently taking place,” pro-Russian activist Vladimir Rogov told the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti. According to his information, “the main attack of Ukrainian troops is concentrated in the direction of Tokmak.”

Rogov claims that “so far, such an amount of forces and equipment has not been used in the Zaporizhzhya region”, although he assures that the attempts of the Ukrainian armed forces to break through the defense line. they failed “after suffering colossal losses and being forced to retreat”. The pro-Russian official, however, adds that the Kiev army managed to “establish itself on a hill near the city of Robotino (…) the fighting continues”, adding that “the main assault brigades of the forces of Ukraine have not yet entered the fight.

The Ukrainian advance started from the city of Orekhov and intends to reach the city of Tokmak and continue towards Melitópol. Rogov believes that “the goal of the Ukrainian troops is to capture the city of Tokmak and break through to the Sea of ​​Azov in order to cut off the land corridor to Crimea.”

On Thursday, Shoigu said that Russian troops had thwarted an attempt by the Ukrainian army to break through its defense line in and above Zaporozhye. They lost 30 tanks, 11 combat vehicles and up to 350 soldiers.. On Thursday evening, according to the Russian publication Baza, “Ukrainian troops continued their offensive with massive artillery support and dozens of armored vehicles (…) although with no apparent progress,” except for some Russian forward positions between Orekhovo and Tokmak. . The Ukrainian agency Unian shows photos of German Leopard tanks on the front in Zaporozhye without specifying the exact location.

According to the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), “the first echelon of Russian troops slows down the Ukrainians with the help of minefields and fortifications, and then, in the event of a breakthrough, retreats to reinforcement positions. Then the Armed Forces of Ukraine encounter a counterattack from the second echelon.” ISW therefore cautions that daily reports of the recapture of territory by Ukrainian troops “should not be misinterpreted as a final result.” It is also noted that electricity fighting in Zaporozhye “perhaps only the initial phase of the counter-offensive or preparations From the same”. ISW further believes that the current fighting “does not reflect the full capabilities of Ukraine” on the battlefield.

For his part, the former Minister of Defense of the Donetsk separatists, Igor Guirkin, better known by the pseudonym Strelkov, derived from the word Strelok (that shoots), states on his Telegram channel: “Now we can say with certainty that the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine began 5-6 years ago days. First, with an attack west of Vugledar, in the direction of Volnovaya. Later, attacks for tactical purposes on the Donetsk front (…) and in the Bakhmut area. Now they launched the main offensive in Orehovo towards Melitopol». However, Strelkov assesses that until today these ” “auxiliary” attacks by the Ukrainian army “don’t give any results, except for heavy losses”. At most, they had small tactical successes, measured in a few kilometers”, says the former head of the pro-Russian militia of Donetsk.