Posted on 08/13/2023 7:12:08 AM PDT by Timber Rattler
After months of inching through minefields, villages and open steppes in grueling combat, Ukrainian forces are making somewhat bigger advances along two major lines of attack, according to analysts, Ukrainian officials and Russian military bloggers.
Although Ukraine has not advanced more than 10 to 12 miles on either vector of attack, its gains are important in that it is compelling Moscow to divert forces from other parts of the front line, military analysts say. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, called the advances “tactically significant,” saying Moscow’s redeployment would most “likely further weaken Russian defensive lines in aggregate,” creating “opportunities for any Ukrainian breakthrough to be potentially decisive.”
(snip)
In the ground war, the Ukrainians are advancing south along two principal lines of attack: through the eastern village of Staromaiorske toward the Russian-occupied city of Berdiansk, a port on the Sea of Azov; and farther west toward the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, a vital transportation hub near the coast.
Ukrainian forces have progressed about 10 to 12 miles along both lines from their starting places at the onset of the counteroffensive in early June. Kyiv’s goal is to reach the Sea of Azov and drive a wedge into the so-called land bridge between Russia and Crimea, which is vital to the Russian military’s supply routes to the west.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Ukrainian offensive didn’t break through Russian lines and result in taking of large scale territory and settlements, but Ukrainians are doing way better than Russians were during their own winter offensive. In the last 12 months the only pieces of Ukraine Russians were able to take was Soledar and Bakhmut, Ukraine liberated more land in the past 8 weeks than Russia advanced over in the past 12 months.
Finally? Nonsense. It has been nonstop progress for weeks:
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4174811/posts
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4168286/posts
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4160400/posts
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4160349/posts
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4160213/posts
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