[News] Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia

[BirSaNN]

Ukraine has been widening the breach in Russia's defences in the southern Zaporizhzhia region as its counter-offensive continues to make slow progress against Moscow's forces.

Here are the latest developments:

Ukraine has brought heavy equipment beyond Russia's first line of defences in the Zaporizhzhia region for the first time, analysts say
It has also made advances around Bakhmut after Russia moved some of its most experienced troops from the city to the Zaporizhzhia region
Meanwhile, Russia has maintained drone attacks on Ukraine's River Danube ports, damaging the country's grain export infrastructure
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Ukraine's armoured vehicles advance
Ukrainian forces have been widening their breach of Russian defensive lines near the village of Robotyne for several weeks and analysts say they may be preparing for a new push.

The tiny village, some 56km (35 miles) south-east of the city of Zaporizhzhia, has been a focal point since Ukraine's counter-offensive began at the start of June.

Progress has been slow but analysts at the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say they have confirmed that Ukrainian forces are operating armoured vehicles beyond the Russian anti-tank ditch and dragon's teeth obstacles in the area for the first time - just to the west of nearby Verbove.

War in maps: Ukraine widening Russia defences breach

The ISW describes this as an "important sign of progress" but adds it is not prepared to say that Ukraine has broken through as its forces have not breached the last visible defensive positions.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says this is the most strategically important part of the Ukrainian counter-offensive and, if it is successful, could cut off Russia's supply lines that connect the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don to Crimea.

Doing so would make it all but impossible for Russia to maintain its huge garrison in Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, he adds.

Has Ukraine broken through the dragon's teeth?
However, the advance so far has been restricted to the area around Robotyne and Ukrainian forces have a long way to go if they are to achieve this aim by reaching the Sea of Azov.

The battle for Bakhmut
As Ukraine has been trying to widen the breach near Robotyne, Russia has been bringing reinforcements into the region - including some of its best trained soldiers that had previously been deployed elsewhere.

The UK Ministry of Defence says the redeployments of Russia's paratroop formations, known as the VDV, have probably weakened its defences around the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, which has endured some of the heaviest fighting of the war.

It has been under Russian control for several months but Ukraine has gained some ground in the surrounding areas and the MoD says Ukraine has now secured the villages of Klishchiivka and Andriivka, about 8km (five miles) south of the city.

link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60506682