Ukrainian Forces Report Progress in Eastern and Southern Theatres of Counteroffensive

Ukrainian military forces have reported progress in both the eastern and southern theatres of their ongoing counteroffensive, marking developments in their efforts to regain control of territories previously captured by Russian forces.

In the eastern theatre, Russian reports have indicated that Moscow’s forces successfully repelled Ukrainian attacks near the war-torn city of Bakhmut, resulting in significant casualties on Ukrainian positions outside the city. Bakhmut was seized by Russian forces in May after months of intense battles.

Ukraine’s counteroffensive strategy in this region seeks to secure control of areas surrounding Bakhmut as a precursor to recapturing the town itself. Ukrainian military spokesperson Ilia Yevlash stated that Ukrainian forces have achieved “partial success” near Andriivka, a location captured by Ukrainian troops last month, along with the nearby locality of Klishhiivka. Yevlash emphasized that Ukrainian forces are continuously repelling attacks near Klishchiivka and Andriivka while making incremental advances in the Bakhmut sector. However, he noted that it is too early to discuss achieving specific objectives.

In the southern theatre, Ukraine aims to advance to the Sea of Azov to disrupt a Russian land bridge connecting the areas it occupies in the south and east. General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of forces in the south, confirmed that Ukrainian troops are actively conducting offensive operations in their southward drive. Tarnavskyi reported “partial success” to the west of Verbove, referring to one of the villages in Ukraine’s targeting plan. The larger town of Tokmak is identified as the next significant target in this region.

Reports from Ukrainian prosecutors in the Donetsk region, a focal point of Russia’s campaign in the east, indicated that Russian forces had shelled areas east of the Russian-held town of Donetsk, resulting in one fatality. Additionally, the town of Avdiivka, which has steadfastly resisted Russian advances for months, was also subjected to shelling.

Despite the slow progress of Ukraine’s counteroffensive in both theatres, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials have rejected Western critics’ suggestions that Ukraine has failed to achieve its objectives and attributed the challenges to strategic considerations.

Approximately nineteen months after Russia’s invasion, Western estimates suggest that Russian forces control around 18% of Ukrainian territory.