Ukrainian military moves along Russian fortifications in Zaporizhzhia – ISW

The Ukrainian military has advanced in the Robotyne area and is also advancing along the line of Russian fortifications in Verbove.

Source: The Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: ISW reports that Ukrainian troops continue advancing in the west of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Geolocation videos released on 5 September show Ukrainian positions northwest and west of Robotyne being struck by Russian troops. This indicates that Ukrainian forces have advanced into an area that was supposedly controlled by Russia.

Ukrainian forces also advanced south of Robotyne and northwest of Verbove. 

The forces northwest of Verbove are advancing along the line of Russian fortifications running along this settlement, additional geolocation data shows.

ISW’s sources in the Ukrainian military also confirmed the success of Ukrainian forces in the Robotyne-Novoprokopivka direction south of Orikhiv, and reported that Ukrainian forces were conducting successful offensives south of Bakhmut.

"Russian sources continue to complain that Russian forces lack sufficient counterbattery capabilities and artillery munitions in the face of ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive activities," ISW writes.

Ukrainian counteroffensive operations on the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts are likely successful in trapping units of Russia’s 7th Guards Mountain Airborne Division and are not allowing them to relocate to critical areas of the front in the western part of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

On 5 September, a Russian blogger published an audio recording allegedly from a soldier of the Russian 247th Regiment, in which the soldier says that he "has to retrieve bodies of Russian personnel near Staromayorske because the Russian command is not overseeing the retrieval of bodies." The soldier claims that his unit lost 49 people in one day of fighting.

To quote ISW's Takeaways for 5 September:

• Ukrainian forces continue to advance in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
• Russian sources continue to complain that Russian forces lack sufficient counterbattery capabilities and artillery munitions in the face of ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive activities, which the Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) are reportedly attempting to combat.
• Ukrainian counteroffensive operations in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area are likely succeeding in pinning elements of the 7th Guards Mountain Airborne (VDV) Division and preventing them from laterally redeploying to critical areas of the front in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
• Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reiterated boilerplate rhetoric intended to dismiss recent Ukrainian advances and highlight the beginning of a new academic year for Russian military institutions during a meeting with Russian military leadership on 5 September.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin drew historical parallels between Soviet participation in the Second World War and the current war in Ukraine to set ideological expectations for a prolonged war effort.
• The Armenian government appears to be seriously questioning its decades-long security relationship with Russia, amid reports of Armenian humanitarian aid to Ukraine and increasing public dissatisfaction with Russia’s security guarantees.
• Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, in the western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast and advanced in some areas on 5 September.
• Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations in at least two sectors of the front and advanced near Bakhmut, in the western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast on 5 September.
• Russian sources continue to report on Russian efforts to recruit volunteers amid continued rumors of general mobilisation.
• The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) reportedly attempted to assassinate a Russian occupation official in occupied Luhansk Oblast on 5 September.

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