Ukrainian forces may have "broken through the most difficult line of Russian defenses" in the contested Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine, where Kyiv has been focusing much of its counteroffensive efforts, according to a new assessment.
Kyiv had made new "tactically significant gains" in the Russian-annexed southern region, with its fighters pushing through some of the "most challenging" of Moscow's defensive positions, the Washington D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said on Saturday.
Ukraine's counteroffensive, now almost at the three-month mark, has seen Kyiv peel back small amounts of territory from dug-in Russian troops. The push has focused on the front lines in the east and south of the country, with an increasing number of strikes on targets in occupied Crimea.
A Ukrainian commander in the south of the war-torn country told Reuters in an article published on Saturday that it had broken through Russia's most difficult defenses in the south, and would now progress towards the Zaporizhzhia port city of Berdiansk and onto the Sea of Azov.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian and Ukrainian Defense Ministries for comment.
In the run-up to the launch of the counteroffensive, Russia heavily mined the territory Kyiv would need to retake and prepared several layers of defenses which have significantly slowed down Ukraine's progress. It had said it intended to start its push earlier to stop Moscow forces from building effective defenses, but delayed operations to receive Western-made weapons.
The grinding counteroffensive, which some have criticized as slow-paced, has now placed Ukrainian forces "within striking distance of the next series of prepared Russian defensive positions," the ISW said.
Although these defenses may be weaker than those Ukraine has already passed through, they will still pose "a significant challenge," the think tank added.
Moscow has poured "considerable manpower, materiel, and effort" into creating and holding the "dense layers of minefields and fortifications" Ukraine is slowly passing through, the ISW said.
The next phase of defenses will likely mirror Russia's first lines, with "dragon's teeth" fortifications, anti-tank ditches and more mined territory ahead, the assessment said, although it is difficult to tell just how heavily defended they will be compared with those Ukraine has already overcome.
On Sunday, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said Russia had shelled more than 20 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia area, including Robotyne, in the previous 24 hours. Kyiv said last week that it now controlled the town.
Ukrainian forces were carrying out operations and moving towards the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia city of Melitopol, including counterbattery resistance measures, the General Staff said in a statement.
The previous day, Russia's Defense Ministry said its units had repelled three attacks from a Ukrainian air assault brigade near Robotyne.
