Ukraine breaks through major Russian defense lines as counteroffensive picks up pace
Ukrainian forces have broken through major Russian lines of defense in the southeastern region, where a slow counteroffensive has struggled for months to make rapid progress but could soon see a major breakthrough.
Ukraine is moving deeper into the Zaporizhzhia region after securing a major foothold past Russian lines, advancing forward in the direction of towns that could anchor troops even more in the southeast: Verbove and Novoprokopivka.
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces reported Wednesday that troops have succeeded in a march toward both towns, strengthening their position and firing waves of artillery at Russian lines.
Ukraine may also have pierced the first line of defenses of what is known as the Surovikin line, named for the infamous Russian Gen. Sergei Surovikin who ordered construction of thick defenses, such as anti-tank obstacles and mine fields, ahead of Kyiv’s counteroffensive operation.
George Barros, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, shared geolocated images of Ukrainian forces just outside of Verbove — but cautioned that they did not mean the military had breached the Surovikin line of defense.
“The available evidence does not mean this is a ‘confirmed breach’ of the Surovikin line,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Ukrainian forces very well may have breached it, but we need more evidence.”
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Ukraine breaks through major Russian defense lines as counteroffensive picks up pace https://t.co/5vR40koWLd pic.twitter.com/UaPmKL7N0N
— The Hill (@thehill) August 31, 2023
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