Reports of fighting in southern Ukraine suggest heavy fighting in the area around the villages of Verbove and Novoprokovika, with both Russian and Ukrainian units attempting to capture territory, according to CNN.
Self-propelled gun of the 57th Ukrainian Artillery Brigade on the Donbas frontPhoto: Lev Radin / Zuma Press / Profimedia
“We had partial success in the areas west of Robotîne, in the Zaporizhia region. There, our soldiers saw that the occupying forces suffered losses both in terms of personnel and equipment,” Oleksandr Stupun, spokesman for the Ukrainian forces in the south, said on Wednesday.
“We continue to assert ourselves in the defended areas and continue to exhaust the enemy in this direction. Let’s just say that we advanced from 100 to 600 meters in certain areas,” Stupun said on Ukrainian television.
In recent weeks, gains and losses in the area have been measured in hundreds of meters as Ukrainian forces attempt to break through multiple Russian defensive barriers and advance towards the important center of Tokmak.
Stupun said that “in the direction of Melitopol, we are slowly applying pressure,” and 25 Russian soldiers have surrendered in recent days.
“But the enemy is not giving up, the enemy is trying to recover the lost position, especially west of Verbove, southeast of Mala Tokmacika, so they are throwing other reserve troops into the assaults. We also see that elite airborne troops are being sent to attack but are suffering losses,” he added.
On the Russian side, a prominent military blogger, WarGonzo, stated that “Ukrainian troops, with massive artillery support, are attacking (the village of) Novoprokopivka.”
“The Russian armed forces had to level the front line in the northern part of the settlement. In turn, they counterattacked from Verbove and Novofedorivka. In the first of the listed areas, they managed to repel the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the blogger said.
Ukraine’s strategy was to hollow out Russian defensive units in the area with long-range artillery. On Tuesday, the Ukrainian military said Russian forces had tried unsuccessfully to recapture lost positions west of Verbove and southeast of Mala Tokmacika, according to CNN.
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