Russia continued to throw more troops into the Avdiivka meat grinder on the eastern front, while Ukraine began moving armored vehicles across the Dnipro River in the south, less than 90 kilometers from Crimea.
The Ukrainian military reports advancements in regions of Zaporizhzhia's Verbove and Donetsk's Bakhmut, while Russian attempts to move towards Kharkiv's Kupiansk are met with robust resistance and setbacks.
The commander of Ukraine's southern counteroffensive says Ukrainian forces broke through near Zaporizhzhia's Verbove in the direction of Tokmak, a strategic hub for Russia.
Based on ISW's findings, Ukrainian forces, in areas of Bakhmut and Robotyne in the country's east and south, continue their offensive operations, emphasizing their gains and breaches against Russian defenses.
Ukrainian troops break through the Russian defenses south of Verbove, capturing new trenches, despite resistance. Following the failure in the south of the village, Russians are reinforcing their positions in the east.
Ukraine infantry broke through Russia's anti-tank ditches and "dragon's teeth" in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukrainian forces are widening the breach made earlier in one Russian defensive layer, ISW says.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive is in full swing. Tens of kilometers of Russian multilayered defense lines, backed by heavy artillery, armored vehicles, and combat aircraft, are standing in the way. Whether it is possible to break through this defense without air superiority is a question that Ukraine’s General Staff is now trying to answer.