Ukraine Launches Major Offensive to Dislodge Russian Forces as Fighting Intensifies in Southeast
Ukraine has started an aggressive push to remove Russian forces from its southeast, with a focus on the Zaporizhzhia region. The fighting intensifies as Ukraine aims to disrupt Russian supply lines and split their forces. However, the independent verification of details remains challenging. Furthermore, the US expresses patience and confidence in Ukraine's abilities while a missile strike causes civilian casualties and damage in Ukraine's Odesa region.
Ukraine has launched a major push to dislodge Russian forces from the country's southeast as part of its ongoing counteroffensive, deploying thousands of troops and advanced weapons, according to reports from Western officials and analysts.
The surge in troops and firepower has focused on the Zaporizhzhia region, and fighting has intensified along the front line in recent weeks. Ukrainian officials have been relatively silent about the details of their operations, but it is believed that their goal is to punch through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula.
After months of slow progress, #Ukraine is ramping up its counteroffensive against Russian forces. Thousands of additional troops have been deployed to the southern front, indicating a new phase in the operation. pic.twitter.com/5muRrvuP2o
— MY Temur (@mytemur) July 27, 2023
If successful, this move could split Russian forces and disrupt their supply lines. The fighting is taking place in the south and east of Ukraine, away from the capital Kyiv, making it difficult to independently verify the claims from both sides.
The Institute of Study of War has reported that Ukrainian forces broke through Russian defensive positions in the Zaporizhzhia region. Western officials, who have provided Ukraine with weapons and intelligence, have declined to comment publicly on the latest developments but have expressed confidence in Ukraine's ability to recover territory taken by Russia.
Russian officials and military bloggers say that Ukraine has launched a major offensive in the Zaporizhzhia region, to the south of Orikhiv. Ukraine is yet to comment on this reported offensive but has made moderate advances in the area in recent days.
— jegatheeswaran (@Jegassl) July 26, 2023
The United States has urged patience, acknowledging that the effort will be tough and long but expressing belief in Ukraine's equipped and trained forces. Meanwhile, a missile strike on Ukraine's Odesa region has resulted in one civilian death and further damage to the region's port infrastructure. The attack used Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea.