Ukrainian Forces advance and force Russia to retreat - ISW
Ukrainian Armed Forces force Russia to retreat (GettyImages)
Ukrainian forces continue their counteroffensive operations on multiple fronts. The Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully forced Russian troops to retreat from positions northeast of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Kharkiv and Luhansk regions
Russian forces persisted in offensive operations on the Kupiansk direction. Sources from Russia claimed progress, but ISW did not observe any visual confirmation of these claims.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces maintained their positions on the Kupiansk direction. On July 18, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that the Russian advance on this front proved unsuccessful, with Ukrainian forces holding the initiative.
Former head of the Luhansk Regional Military-Civilian Administration, Serhii Haidai, said that Russian forces repeatedly attempted to advance towards Svatove-Kreminna and constantly attacked Ukrainian positions in Bilohorivka to establish a new defensive line for the defense of Lysychansk. He said that the situation in the Svatove-Kreminna direction had stabilized.
A Russian source claimed that Russian forces achieved success near Karmazynivka (12 km southwest of Svatove), but ISW did not find visual confirmation of this claim.
Another Russian "war correspondent" claimed that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian troops northwest of Novovodiane (17 km southwest of Svatove).
Donetsk region
On July 19, Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive actions on the northern and southern flanks of Bakhmut, achieving successes on specific sectors. Geolocation images published on July 19 showed Ukrainian forces advancing west of Andriivka.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces continued offensive actions north and south of the city of Bakhmut, compelling Russian troops to retreat from positions northeast of Orikhovo-Vasylivka.
Russian "war correspondents" claimed on July 18 and 19 that Ukrainian forces slightly advanced in the area of Klishchiivka and liberated new positions on dominating heights on the western outskirts of the village.
Russian forces conducted limited counterattacks on July 19 in the Bakhmut area but did not achieve any confirmed successes. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repelled Russian assaults near Bohdanivka (6 km northwest of Bakhmut).
A Russian "war correspondent" claimed that Russian forces unsuccessfully counterattacked in the direction of Minkivka, Hryhorivka, Berkhivka, and Ivanivske.
On July 19, Ukrainian forces continued limited offensive actions along the Avdiivka-Donetsk frontline and achieved various successes. A Russian "war correspondent" claimed that Ukrainian forces also conducted attacks near Kamyanka and Kurtyna Balka.
Geolocation images published on July 19 purportedly showed Russian forces slightly advancing northwest of Marinka. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attacks near Nevelske, Krasnohorivka (22 km southwest of Avdiivka), and Marinka.
Ukrainian Major Valerii Shershen, spokesperson for the Tavriisk Operational Command, reported that Russian airborne assault unit "Storm-Z" conducted unsuccessful offensive actions between Oleksandrivka (26 km southwest of Avdiivka) and Maryinka. The Russian "war correspondent" claimed that Russian forces unsuccessfully attacked Ukrainian strongholds near Avdiivka.
"The Southern Axis"
Ukrainian forces continued their counteroffensive operations in the region near the western border of the Donetsk and eastern Zaporizhzhia regions and made progress in this area.
Geolocation images published on July 18 showed Ukrainian forces advancing north of Staromykhailivka (9 km south of Velyka Novosilka). The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces achieved success on the Velyka Novosilka-Staromykhailivka directions, gaining control over new unmarked positions.
Spokesperson for the Tavriya Operational Command, Major Valerii Shershen, reported that Ukrainian paratroopers carried out a significant number of offensive actions on the Velyka Novosilka-Staromykhailivka direction. He said that Russian forces lost fire control in this area, indicating the vector of Ukrainian progress towards Berdiansk.
Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Maliar said on July 18 that Ukrainian forces also achieved success on the line Velyka Novosilka-Urozhaine.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near Rivnopillia, Novodariivka, and north of Pryiutne.
Shershen reported that Ukrainian forces advanced more than a kilometer in an undefined area in the direction of Melitopol. Maliar said that Ukrainian forces achieved success on the Mala Tokmacha-Novopokrovka direction.
A Kremlin-affiliated "war correspondent" claimed that Ukrainian artillery struck Russian military depots in Burchak (42 km southwest of Orikhove).
Russian sources continue to spread images suggesting that Ukrainian forces maintain positions on the eastern (left) bank of the Kherson Oblast.
During the night of July 20, Russian forces launched a combined attack on Ukraine, using missiles and kamikaze drones. Explosions were reported in Mykolaiv, Odesa and the surrounding regions, as well as in Sumy.
