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☆ Opinion: Ukraine is fighting Russia and making progress. Don’t give up on Kyiv.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Hilary Krieger | Opinion Sébastien Roblin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It’s true that the Ukrainian counteroffensive debuted with conspicuous setbacks and hasn’t advanced as much as hoped. Moreover, land seized by Russia earlier has been used to strike ever deeper into Ukraine, making restoring defensible borders an existential concern. But Kyiv got the ammunition needed to sustain the counteroffensive longer while awaiting expanded factory production of conventional shells in 2024. Putin miscalculated disastrously when he invaded in Ukraine, so he’s now hoping to outlast Western support for Ukraine to rescue what spoils he can. But failing to do so now could entail the US, Europe and Ukraine paying a much higher price later.

Persons: Sébastien Roblin, CNN —, Ukraine’s, Sebastien Roblin, wail, Vladimir Putin, hasn’t, Ukraine didn’t, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Biden, Bradley, Abrams, Putin miscalculated, he’s, Donald Trump, George McClellan, McClellan Organizations: Georgetown University, Peace Corps, CNN, Kremlin, GOP, Ukrainian, Engineers, British Royal United Services Institute, Defense, US, Lincoln Locations: China, Ukraine, Washington, Russia, Kherson, Ukrainian, Crimea, India, Robotyne, Verbove, Tokmak, Melitopol, NATO, British, Europe, Appomattox

Political Cartoons View All 1148 Images“The Russian authorities are trying hard to pretend that everything is going according to plan, everything is fine. In the occupied regions, early voting kicked off last week as election officials went door to door or set up makeshift polling stations in public places to attract passersby. As a result, Moscow has maintained control of about 70% of the Kherson region. “It looks like the Russian authorities know the result (of the election) already,” Fyodorov said. In the end, said Gallyamov, the Russian analyst, Russian authorities will not get “anything good in terms of boosting their legitimacy” in the occupied regions.

Persons: Russia “, Abbas Gallyamov, ”, Gallyamov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, we’ve, ” Sergei, we’re, Konstantin, ” Kostantin, Weeks, Yevgeny Balitsky, “, Ivan Fyodorov, Fyodorov, ” Fyodorov, —, Pavlo Lysianskyi Organizations: Russian, Kyiv, of Europe, Kremlin, United, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic, Associated Press, AP, Eastern Human Rights Locations: TALLINN, Estonia, Ukraine, Moscow, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, “, Russia, United Russia, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Siberia, Melitopol, Ukrainian

“They just come and say ‘vote.’ So people vote,” Baska told CNN. “Here, when you buy a SIM card for your phone, you immediately get an SMS from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and United Russia Party,” Baska said. The text messages carry pro-Kremlin messaging, informing voters that “about 90% of voters are ready to vote for Yedianaya Rossiya (United Russia),” or that “United Russia is helping Zaporizhzhia region,” she added. Guerrilla activity by Ukrainian partisans has taken place but is more difficult to achieve now, Baska told CNN. ‘Nothing to do with democracy’Few residents in Melitopol are interested in the bogus elections taking place, Baska told CNN.

Persons: ”, Alexander Ermochenko, ” Baska, Yedianaya Rossiya, ’, Vladimir Putin’s, “, Jens Stoltenberg, Baska, Melitopol, …, Republic Denis Pushilin, Yuriy Sobolevskyi, ” Sobolevskyi Organizations: CNN, Communist, National Resistance Center, Ministry of Internal Affairs, United Russia Party, Kremlin, “, NRC, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of, NATO, Yale Humanitarian Research, United Russia, Russian, Russian Guard Locations: Melitopol, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, United Russia, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk, Kyiv, of Europe, ”, Mariupol, Crimea, Republic

☆ Russia's infamous 'dragon's teeth' defenses are a joke and were easily overcome, says Ukrainian ex-commander
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Ukrainian military official said Russia's defensive lines have weak points. Russia constructed defensive lines known as "dragon's teeth" to protect its positions. He said the "dragon's teeth" defenses, in particular, had been easy to overcome. AdvertisementAdvertisementMaxar satellite imagery shows Russian "dragon's teeth" defenses and trenches along the beach just west of Yevpatoria, Crimea in March. Maxar TechnologiesIn the interview, Dyki also described the challenge faced by Ukrainian forces in breaking through Russia's three defensive lines.

Persons: Dyki, Russia's, Tomak Organizations: Service, Aidar Battalion, Security Service, CNN, Maxar Technologies, Ukrainian, Russian, Tomak Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Tomak, Zaporizhzhya oblast, Yevpatoria, Crimea, Robotyne, Zaporizhzhya, Melitopol, Azov, Crimean

☆ Russia Bombards Ukraine, Killing at Least 1: Live Updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Andrew E. Kramer | Erin Mendell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Destruction near the village of Robotyne, in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, late last month. For their part, Ukrainian military officials refrained from making any sweeping claims. Ukrainians forces enjoyed surprising successes earlier in the war by holding Kyiv, the capital, and repelling Russian forces at the end of March last year. The Ukrainian military aims to reclaim land in the south and east of the country. To reach that city, Ukrainian forces would have to fully break through the defenses around Verbove and then breach additional layers.

Persons: Oleksandr Shtupun, Daniel Berehulak, Michael Kofman, Rob Lee, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gen, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelensky Organizations: Ukrainian Army, Black Bird Group, The New York Times, Presidential Press Service, Russian Locations: Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Verbove, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv, Dmytrivka, Azov, Melitopol, Crimea, Tokmak, Bakhmut, Donetsk

☆ Ukraine reports frontline success, Russian minister decries Kyiv's failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu chairs a meeting with the leadership of the Armed Forces in Moscow, Russia, in this picture released September 5, 2023. He was referring to a village located on heights south of Bakhmut, seen as critical to recapturing the city. Russian forces had been dealt "a good kick" near the village of Novoyehorivka which halted their advance, he said. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu dismissed the offensive as a failure, while admitting that things were far from easy in parts of southeastern Zaporizhzhia region that Moscow controls. "Ukraine's armed forces have not achieved their goals on any front," the defence ministry quoted Shoigu as saying.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Kyiv's, Ilya Yevlash, Yevlash, Ukraine's, Shoigu, Serhiy Zgurets, Natalia Humeniuk, Nick Starkov, Ron Popeski, Andrew Osborn, Lincoln Organizations: Russian Defence, Armed Forces, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Russian, Espreso, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Azov, Bakhmut, Lyman, Novoyehorivka, Melitopol, Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Western

☆ Video shows Ukrainian soldiers taking out a Russian aircraft with a missile in a critical area of its counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Ukrainian brigade released footage of a Russian plane being shot down on Monday. The footage was taken near Robotyne, which Ukrainian troops have recently retaken. The 47th Brigade claims to have shot down nine Russian aircraft in total. Several further clips in the released footage show how the soldiers took down the Russian aircraft, with one soldier celebrating as the missile strikes the plane. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the retaking of Robotyne, the soldiers evacuated six civilians using a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle while under fire from Russian troops, a crew commander told CNN.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: 47th Brigade, Service, 47th, Mechanized Brigade, RBS, CNN, Ukraine, Bradley Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Robotyne, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Sweden, Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia unleashes drone and missile attack on Ukraine; war becomes key topic for Russian school kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

"The Kiev [Russia uses this spelling for the Ukrainian capital] regime, despite colossal losses, has been trying to conduct a so-called counter-offensive for three months now. The Ukrainian armed forces did not achieve their goals in any of the directions," Shoigu said during a conference call to Russian defense officials, a statement released by the Ministry of Defense said. Ukraine has seen few territorial gains since launching its counteroffensive in June. Deep lines of Russian defenses, built in the winter and spring in the lead up to the counteroffensive, have proven tricky to surmount. It's hoped in Kyiv that momentum will build following the recent breakthrough in the south.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, It's, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Russia's, Ministry of Defense Locations: Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Kiev, Russia, Ukraine, Melitopol, Crimea, Kyiv

☆ Putin taught a lesson for Russia's new school curriculum, which includes instructions on how to handle a Kalashnikov
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin held a Q&A with hand-picked Russian students at the start of the new school semester. The session didn't mention the Ukraine war, but included several pupils from the occupied territories. It comes as Russia overhauls its curriculum to include rifle training and the history of the conflict. The showcase lesson appears to be part of another effort to naturalize Russia's claims to Ukrainian territories, and the war more broadly, to Russians. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia has placed an effective ban on maps that mark the occupied territories as Ukrainian and launched a brand new school curriculum.

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin, naturalize Russia's Organizations: Service, Russian, Kremlin, UN Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russia's, Crimea, Russian, Luhansk, Melitopol, Donetsk, Kherson, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ Russian infighting may have led to Ukraine retaking a key town in its counteroffensive: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Russian mercenary group refused to fight in Ukraine, reports say. It may have enabled Ukraine to seize back control of the village of Robotyne. Infighting has racked the Russian military in recent weeks. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. The Rusich was formed in 2014, and has fought in Syria, in conflicts in Africa, and in Ukraine.

Persons: Samuel Ramani, Yan Petrovsky, Wagner, Jeff Hawn, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexsey Milkachov Organizations: Service, Sunday, Ukraine, The Telegraph, Oxford University, Twitter, Kremlin, New Lines Institute, France, Robotyne, Analysts, Group, for Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Robotyne, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Nazi, Finland, Washington, DC, Russia, Zaporizhia Oblast, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, Syria, Africa

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy says troops 'moving forward', rebuffs critics
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, August 21, 2023. Theodore Manolopoulos/Greek Presidency Press Office/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 2 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Kyiv's troops were "moving forward" in their counteroffensive against Russian forces, rebuffing Western officials who say that Ukraine is gaining ground too slowly. The White House said there had been "notable success" by Ukraine in the area, although Maliar warned that Kyiv's troops had reached even more heavily fortified positions on the other side after breaking through. It reported 45 combat clashes on the frontlines in the past 24 hours and said fighting raged in the east where Ukrainian troops had repelled multiple Russian attacks. Russia has already described the Ukrainian counteroffensive as a failure.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Theodore Manolopoulos, Zelenskiy, Hanna Maliar, Maliar, Olena, Tom Balmforth, Ros Russell Organizations: Press, REUTERS, Rights, Russian, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Melitopol, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Russia

☆ Ukraine Has Made ‘Notable Progress’ in the Last 72 Hours, the U.S. Said.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian forces notched victories this week against two lines of Russian defense, according to a White House spokesman, who called the advances “notable progress” in Kyiv’s counteroffensive. The spokesman, John Kirby, declined to discuss war plans for Ukraine but said the U.S. expected Ukrainian forces to continue to push farther south, which will require “tough fighting ahead.”Ukraine celebrated a tactical victory this week when its forces retook the southern village of Robotyne. A senior Ukrainian military official said today that Ukrainian units had successfully pushed about three and a half miles farther south of Robotyne toward Melitopol, a primary target of the counteroffensive. The White House comments came a day after Ukraine’s foreign minister sharply derided criticism of the counteroffensive as slow. “I would recommend all critics to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimeter by themselves,” he said.

Persons: John Kirby, ” Locations: Ukraine, U.S, Robotyne, Ukrainian, Melitopol

☆ Ukraine can score a striking victory over Russia if it advances 25 miles through its formidable defenses, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A military expert mapped out his suggestion for a Ukrainian counteroffensive strike. Thanks to the capture of Robotyne over the weekend, Tokmak is already within artillery range, Martin wrote. It would remain for Ukrainian forces to be close enough to the M14 to keep that, too, within artillery range, Martin wrote. That requires advancing roughly 25 miles further than Ukrainian forces have reached in several locations. It means slow, grinding progress, which saw Ukrainian forces retake the town of Robotyne, northwest of Melitopol, over the weekend.

Persons: Mike Martin, That's, Martin, Tokmak, David Petraeus Organizations: Service, Russian, Department of, King's College London, Ukrainian, Shadow Locations: Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia, Crimean, Ukraine's, Tokmak, Crimea, Kerch, Russia, Robotyne

☆ Ukraine Says It Retook a Village, a Win That Highlights the Rough Going
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Constant Méheut | More About Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine’s military said on Monday that its forces had retaken the southern village of Robotyne, a tactical victory that underlines the immense challenge Kyiv’s counteroffensive faces in punching through deep and dense Russian defenses. The capture of Robotyne would mean that Ukrainian forces have penetrated the first layer of minefields, tank traps, trenches and bunkers installed by the Russians since they invaded, military analysts say, potentially creating new strategic opportunities. The ultimate target of the thrust to Robotyne is the city of Melitopol, about 45 miles farther south, and more layers of Russian defenses lie in the way. “Robotyne has been liberated,” said Hanna Malyar, a Ukrainian deputy defense minister. She told the Military Media Center, a platform for Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, that Ukrainian forces were now advancing southeast toward the villages of Novoprokopivka and Ocheretuvato despite “fierce resistance” from Russian forces.

Persons: “ Robotyne, ”, Hanna Malyar Organizations: Military Media Center, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense Locations: Robotyne, Melitopol, Ukrainian, Novoprokopivka

☆ Ukraine will speed up advance on southern front -commander
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Vladyslav Smilianets | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Ukrainian soldiers of the Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' enter the embattled village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on August 25, 2023. Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in June, but well-prepared Russian defence lines reinforced by minefields have slowed their southward advance towards the Sea of Azov. "We don't stop here," said a commander who led some of the troops into Robotyne and uses the nom de guerre "Kombat". Both are occupied by Russian forces following Moscow's full-scale invasion in February last year. A U.S. official said last week that Ukrainian forces did not appear likely to be able to reach and retake Melitopol in their counteroffensive, intended to split Russian forces in the south.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladyslav Smilianets, Pavel Polityuk, Timothy Heritage, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Separate, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Robotyne, U.S, Thomson Locations: Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Azov, Ukrainian, Orikhiv, Berdiansk, Melitopol, Moscow

☆ Russia may 'suddenly break' under pressure from Ukraine's counteroffensive, former US general Petraeus says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's arduous counteroffensive is "far from over," General David Petraeus has said. Nonetheless, with enough pressure the Russian line can "suddenly break," he wrote. Faced with this, even the US would struggle, Petraeus told CNN. "Ukraine is applying pressure on their opponent until something breaks, at which point they will commit their reserves and strike," Petraeus and Kagan wrote. "When the conditions are right, they're picking their way through these minefields now," Petraeus told CNN.

Persons: David Petraeus, Frederick Kagan, Petraeus, Kagan, Tony Radakin, Patrick Bury Organizations: Service, CIA, CNN, Washington Post, SPG, Getty Images, Air Assault Brigade, Facebook, Air Assault Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Iraq, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Roman, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Melitopol

☆ Amid a slogging counteroffensive, Ukraine sees a day of good fortune: a Russian air defense system was destroyed, one Russian pilot successfully defected, and, now, the Wagner leader may be dead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wednesday brought a string of good news for Ukraine amid the 3-month-long counteroffensive. That same day, a Russian helicopter pilot defected to Ukraine, landing a Mi-8 AMTSH helicopter at the Ukrainian Poltava military air base. An official for HUR, the military intelligence agency, told local media that this was the result of a planned six-month operation. But the most significant turn of events that came Wednesday was the possible death of the Wagner Group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Social media channels associated with Wagner claimed that the plane was shot down by an air-defense system.

Persons: HUR, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Angela Stenet, Vladimir Putin's, Stenet, Mykhailo Podolyak, Putin Organizations: Service, Ukrainian, Directorate of Intelligence, Wagner Group, National Intelligence, PBS, New York Times, Washington Post, Institute for Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Russian, Crimean, Ukrainian Poltava, Moscow, Tver, Eurasia, The U.S, Melitopol, Washington, DC

☆ Ukraine forces raise national flag in Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia region
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian forces raise the national flag in the settlement of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, in this screen grab taken from a social media video released August 23, 2023. Telegram Valerii Zaluzhnyi/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces have raised the national flag in the settlement of Robotyne in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, Kyiv's military said on Wednesday, though it was not clear whether the entire community had been liberated from Russian forces. Soldiers of the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade set up the flag of Ukraine in the village of Robotyne, in one of the hottest destinations – Melitopol," the brigade said in a post on its Telegram channel. In a video published by General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, the Ukrainian flag is seen on a roof of a badly damaged building surrounded by burnt trees. "A blue and yellow flag signed by the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was raised on the school destroyed by the Russian invaders on the National Flag Day!"

Persons: Valerii, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Mark Heinrich, David Evans, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Mechanised Brigade, Armed Forces, 47th Brigade, Reuters, Russia's, Thomson Locations: Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Melitopol

☆ Western defense officials urge Ukraine to focus counteroffensive resources on southern push — even if it means heavy troop and equipment losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Western officials think Ukraine misallocated its counteroffensive resources, The New York Times reported. Defense strategists want Ukraine to focus its efforts on pushing toward the south. But a southern push could result in troop and equipment losses, the outlet reported. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. But Ben Hodges, a retired lieutenant general and former commander of US Army Europe, cautioned against counting Ukraine out too soon.

Persons: Ben Hodges, Hodges, Mark, Ukraine's Organizations: New York Times, Defense, Service, US Army, Ukrainian, Times, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Crimea materializes Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Crimea, Bakhmut, Zaporizhzhia, US Army Europe

☆ The West is wrong to criticize Ukraine for not focusing its counteroffensive in one area, say experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Western officials criticized Ukrainian counteroffensive tactics. Ukraine is making slow progress in its counteroffensive to drive back Russian forces. It also defended Ukrainian tactics on the southern front, where troops are trying to break through in the direction of occupied Melitopol. But as Ukraine struggles to make a decisive breakthrough, differences are emerging with Western allies over the tactics it's using. Some analysts believe that Ukraine has to achieve a decisive breakthrough in its counteroffensive soon, as a protracted conflict would be to Russia's advantage.

Persons: Vitaliy, Insider's Sinead Baker Organizations: Service, New York Times, Times, Adam Tactical Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Washington, DC, Bakhmut, Ukrainian, Melitopol, Velyka, Crimea

☆ Wounded Ukrainian soldiers are returning to the battlefield as heavy casualties shrink platoons
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Ukrainian counteroffensive has resulted in some victories against Russia — and many casualties. As platoon sizes shrink due to the heavy losses, wounded veterans are returning to the battlefield. Some soldiers too disabled from their injuries to continue fighting now work in recruitment offices. Some platoons, so diminished by their losses, are now made up almost entirely of soldiers who have been wounded and returned to fight, The New York Times reported. Insider previously reported that Ukrainian troops are taking heavy damage from old-fashioned wartime tactics, including mines and booby traps, high-tech drone attacks, and advanced weapons systems.

Persons: Russia —, Zelenskyy Organizations: Russia, Service, New York Times, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Ukraine, intel Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Melitopol

☆ Ukraine defies odds by advancing in counteroffensive - senior official
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian servicemen of the 108th Separate Brigade of Territorial Defence fire small multiple launch rocket systems towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 19, 2023. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Ukraine began counteroffensive in early JuneUkrainian troops encountering minefields and trenchesDeputy defence minister says Ukraine defying the oddsKYIV, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine has made progress in its counteroffensive against Russian forces simply by proving it can push back a better-armed and numerically superior enemy, a senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday. Ukrainian troops have faced vast Russian minefields and trenches in the counteroffensive launched in early June, and a U.S. official said last week it looked unlikely that Kyiv would be able to recapture the strategic southern city of Melitopol. Armed with Western tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, Ukraine has retaken a string of villages but no larger settlements. SOUTHWARD PUSHMaliar, a war crimes lawyer, has served as a deputy defence minister since 2021.

Persons: Viacheslav, Hanna Maliar, Maliar, Dan Peleschuk, Anna Dabrowska, Tom Balmforth, Timothy Organizations: 108th, Brigade, Territorial Defence, REUTERS, Russian, U.S, Reuters, Ukraine, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian, Melitopol, Ukraine's, Russian, Robotyne, Tokmak, Azov, Berlin, Kharkiv, Kherson

☆ US intel believes Ukraine's counteroffensive will fail to reach Melitopol, one of its key goals: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US intelligence believes Ukraine won't reach the key city of Melitopol, The Washington Post reported. Retaking the city is a landmark goal for Ukraine's counteroffensive. Reaching and even retaking Crimea is a hallowed objective in Ukraine's counteroffensive, with the peninsula under Russian occupation since 2014. Ukrainian troops are trying to push through these deadly lines from the town of Robotyne, 50 miles to the north, per The Washington Post. Ukraine has switched to pummelling the Russian lines with artillery fire, before painstakingly attempting to move forward with infantry and sappers.

Persons: Ukraine's, recriminations, Patrick Bury, Bury, Melitopol, Oleksiy Danilov Organizations: The Washington Post, Ukraine's, Service, Washington Post, Post, Democrats, UK's Bath University, Russia, Dnipro, Bradley Locations: Ukraine, Melitopol, The, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Azov, Dnipro, Crimea, Kerch, Robotyne

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy meets troops in frontline Zaporizhzhia region
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy awards a Ukrainian service members at a pre-hospital medical aid centre, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 15, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia and met troops fighting in the counteroffensive against Russian forces in the south, the president's office said on Tuesday. Ukraine launched a counter-offensive against Russian forces in the south and southeast at the start of June, hoping to cut Russian forces in half by advancing south towards the Sea of Azov. "The military emphasised the need for electronic warfare and frontline air defence systems to counter enemy aircraft and drones. There is also a need for drones, as they are quickly consumed in offensive operations," the office said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Nick Macfie Organizations: Presidential Press Service, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Russian, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Zaporizhzhia, Orikhiv, Azov, Kyiv, Melitopol

☆ Ukraine military reports 'partial success' at Robotyne in south
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 12 (Reuters) - Ukraine's military said in a regular update of fighting and casualties on Saturday that its forces had made progress near Robotyne on the front line in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. It said 33 combat clashes had taken place and noted that Ukraine's defence forces continued an offensive operation in Melitopol and Berdyansk directions. It said they had "partial success in the Robotyne area of the Zaporizhzhia region." It said the Ukrainians had dug in at the point of their advance and were conducting defensive attacks from there. Reporting by Elaine Monaghan; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elaine Monaghan, Daniel Wallis Organizations: General Staff of, Armed Forces, Thomson Locations: Robotyne, Ukraine, Melitopol

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