Ukrainian Armed Forces counteroffensive - Defense Forces breach the Surovikin line
The Ukrainian Armed Forces breached the 'Surovikin Defense Line' (photo: Getty Images)
The Ukrainian army has breached the so-called "Surovikin Line" in the Zaporizhzhia region, with the fiercest battles currently taking place in the areas of Verbove and Novoprokopivka, says Colonel Eero Rebo, Chief of the General Staff of the Defense Forces, according to ERR.
According to him, Russian forces are attempting a counterattack, aiming to divert Ukrainian forces from Zaporizhzhia toward Lyman and Kreminna.
"But the Russians have not succeeded there. For several months, Ukrainians have managed to keep all breakout attempts under control," he said.
The situation near Bakhmut
Furthermore, from a morale standpoint, what is happening in the Bakhmut area is crucial, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces have achieved certain territorial gains.
"They hold settlements to the south of Bachmut, which, in all likelihood, gives them a significant tactical advantage, puts pressure on Russian forces, necessitates the deployment of additional Russian reserves, and, in essence, supports Ukrainian operations on the Zaporizhzhia front and in the offensive," said Rebo.
Strikes against Russian logistics
The Chief of the Estonian General Staff also noted that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are targeting military facilities to exert pressure on Russia's logistics system.
"The Russian side is trying to do roughly the same, and in addition to that, there have been several terrorist attacks. They occurred every time the Ukrainians achieved any success," he said.
Rebo also added that for further success in breaking through the Russian defense, the Ukrainian Armed Forces need to rapidly deploy additional reserves and forces.
Ukrainian Armed Forces
For several weeks now, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been engaged in a counteroffensive, attacking on all fronts, but the most crucial directions of the strikes are currently in the Bakhmut area and the Zaporizhzhia region.
There, according to analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian forces are successfully wearing down the Russian occupiers. They could achieve significant gains by the end of the current year.
Meanwhile, the Intelligence Directorate of the US Department of Defense believes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have 6-7 weeks of opportunity for conducting an offensive. However, experts assert that it is premature to draw conclusions about possible outcomes today.
