Ukrainian forces make gains in couteroffensive on multiple fronts
Ukrainian military (Photo: GettyImages)
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to engage in counteroffensive operations on several fronts, including the liberation of an unpopulated settlement in Donetsk region and advancing in the western part of Zaporizhzhia and the Bakhmut direction.
Situation in Kharkiv and Luhansk regions
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian troops conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near Nadiya (14 km southwest of Svatove) and to the south of Novoselivka.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that units of the 7th Motorized Rifle Regiment (part of the 11th Army Corps of the Baltic Fleet) allegedly captured undefined advantageous positions west of Kuzemivka (13 km northwest of Svatove). However, the ISW has not observed visual confirmation of such claims, and it's possible that Russia is exaggerating to divert attention from Ukrainian counteroffensives on other fronts.
The Ukrainian General Staff also reported that Russian forces unsuccessfully attacked in the area south of Dibrova.
Clashes in Donetsk region
Geolocation footage from July 26 showed Ukrainian forces advancing north of Klyshchiivka (7 km southwest of Bakhmut).
The Ukrainian General Staff stated that the Armed Forces continued their offensive actions to the north and south of Bakhmut. Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted assaults near Zaliznyanske, Berkhivka, Klyshchiivka, Andriivka, and Pivnichne.
On July 27, Russian troops launched a counterattack around Bakhmut, but did not achieve any confirmed successes. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that the Armed Forces repelled Russian attacks to the north of Khromove, to the north and south of Klyshchiivka, and to the east of Druzhba.
Russian sources alleged that on July 27, Ukrainian forces carried out limited ground attacks in the Avdiivka-Donetsk area.
The Ukrainian General Staff informed that Russian troops conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near Avdiivka and Maryinka. On July 26, Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar stated that the Russians continue their attempts to encircle Avdiivka, and the battles in this area are as intense as in the Bakhmut direction.
On July 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released footage showing Ukrainian forces liberating Staromaiorske (9 km south of Velyka Novosilka) after fierce fighting in the region.
Some Russian sources, including the commander of the "Vostok" battalion, Aleksandr Khodakovsky, expressed concerns about Russia's ability to hold Urzhyne.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces made unsuccessful ground attacks to recapture lost positions near Staromaiorske.
On July 27, Ukrainian military forces extended their offensive operations in the western part of Zaporizhzhia region, and there are indications of possible advancements in this region. Geolocation footage suggests that Ukrainian forces additionally pushed eastward from Robotyne (10 km south of Orikhiv).
Mykola Urshalovych, the Acting Director of the Department of Planning and Application of the Main Operational Directorate of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, stated that on July 27, Ukrainian forces made significant progress in the Melitopol direction.
It is likely that Ukrainian forces have advanced further into western Zaporizhzhia Oblast than visually confirmed by ISW at present. Geolocation footage published on July 27 shows that one Ukrainian armored vehicle reached Russian anti-tank positions northwest of Verbivka (17 km southeast of Orikhiv), approximately 3.5 kilometers beyond the current ISW frontline estimate.
The fact that this sole Ukrainian vehicle advanced so far into Russian defensive lines without encountering Russian fire suggests that Ukrainian forces might have made progress in the southeastern vicinity of Orikhiv.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that only rescuers and defense personnel may enter Arabat Spit. The Russian and occupation authorities may be attempting to restrict civilian access to ensure broader efforts in restoring the road connecting the spit with the occupied Kherson region and Crimea, serving as a reliable Ground Line of Communication (GLOC) to support Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
The Russian authorities persist in trying to solidify their military position in the Black Sea, potentially paving the way for a blockade or some lesser campaign against Ukraine.
