AFU expand breakthrough along occupiers' defense line near Robotyno

Over the past few weeks, the Ukrainian military was able to break through a significant tactical breach in the section of the current line of defense of the Russian invaders in the Robotyne region of the Zaporizhzhia region and continues to expand this bridgehead.

Such conclusions were reached by analysts of the Institute for the Study of War, reports RBC-Ukraine with reference to a new ISW report.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine continued offensive operations past the section of the Russian defensive strip west of Verbovoy since the breakthrough in this area on September 4, and expanded the breach in a 2.6-kilometer section of enemy positions.

At the same time, the publication says that the absence of heavy equipment and vehicles of the Defense Forces behind this protective layer continues to indicate that the Armed Forces still "have to complete the breakthrough" of it.

As Ukrainian officials have noted, a number of Russian defensive positions that are currently in front of the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine may be less complex than the initial defensive line of the enemy, which our military broke through in the north.

Experts point out that the Russian forces concentrated most of their combat power on these advanced defensive positions to protect against counterattacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and these Russian occupying forces likely suffered heavy casualties and conducted a combat withdrawal to prepared positions behind the current defensive layer.

The ISW draws attention to the fact that analysts have already calculated that the Russian army does not have enough manpower to man its entire multi-echelon system of defense fortifications in the south of Ukraine.

The report also states that the intervenors maintaining the current level of defense are most likely elements of formations that have been fighting in the area without operational support and rotation at the unit level since the beginning of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces, or elements of formations that have been transferred from other places of the front.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 17/09/2023