Battles for Robotyne: Experts discuss Ukrainian Armed Forces' offensive tactics
Illustrative photo (Photo: Getty Images)
The Ukrainian Armed Forces' offensive near the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region is ongoing, but the battle tactics have become more cautious. The military is refraining from launching direct frontal assaults against the enemy.
This assessment was provided in a commentary to RBC-Ukraine by military-political expert Oleksandr Kovalenko from the "Information Resistance" group, along with military expert Vladyslav Seleznov.
Attack on Robotyne at the beginning of the Ukrainian counteroffensive
The offensive on Robotyne in June 2023 started with an unfavorable episode. In one of the initial attacks, while approaching the village, several units of Western military equipment were lost.
According to DeepState, on June 7th, the adversary managed to detect a convoy in its early stages and inflicted artillery strikes. The Russian side published footage confirming the damage to several Leopard 2 tanks and Bradley armored vehicles.
What this achieved for the Ukrainian side
According to Oleksandr Kovalenko, the protected armored vehicles were used in reconnaissance by combat in June, and they managed not only to identify the supply line of the Russians but also the second line of defense of the Russian Federation with concealed artillery positions.
"By the way, we saw a record number of destroyed Russian artillery. They compensated by starting to use rifles and rocket artillery on a massive scale. Therefore, the losses in Western equipment were anticipated as part of the reconnaissance by combat," the expert is confident.
Change in battle tactics for the village
Following this, the offensive plan changed. Now the Defense Forces are attacking to the east and west of Robotyne. This cautious tactic is being applied not only here. For example, at the confluence of the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions, our forces are also advancing along the Mokri Yaly River to the south of Urozhaine in the direction of Staromlynivka, expanding footholds on the left and right banks.
Military expert Vladyslav Seleznov highlights the semi-encirclement of Robotyne.
"Our units act this way because a head-on approach is risky. The slow advance is explained by the incredibly dense minefields. The Minister of Defense (Oleksii Reznikov - Ed.) recently spoke about up to 5 mines per square meter," he added.
Battles for Robotyne
According to data from DeepStateMap, Ukrainian defenders are gradually advancing in the vicinity of Robotyne. As Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar notes today, planned combat operations are ongoing in the village.
For more details about the situation in Robotyne, its tactical significance, and the developments of the counteroffensive after its liberation, read RBC-Ukraine article.
