The ISW made the assessment in its latest report on the war in Ukraine, published on Wednesday night.
The US think tank said: “Ukrainian forces launched a significant mechanized counteroffensive operation in western Zaporizhia Oblast on July 26 and appear to have broken through certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions south of Orikhiv.”
Russian sources, including the Ministry of Defence, said that Ukrainian troops had mounted “an intense frontal assault” towards the village of Robotyne, 10 kilometres south of Orikhiv, and broke through Russian defensive positions northeast of the settlement, the ISW reported.
“We came close to Robotyne. Have not yet entered the settlement itself. Fighting continues in trench positions in front of Robotyne,” Ukraine’s 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade, which is taking part in the operation, told the US broadcaster CNN.
The ISW said: “Geolocated footage indicates that Ukrainian forces likely advanced to within 2.5km directly east of Robotyne during the attack before Russian forces employed standard doctrinal elastic defense tactics and pushed Ukrainian troops back somewhat, although not all the way back to their starting positions.”
The attack on Robotyne represents “an inflection in Ukraine’s counteroffensive effort,” according to Western and Ukrainian officials, the US think tank reported.
The “main thrust” of the Ukrainian counteroffensive has begun in earnest, America’s The New York Times newspaper reported, citing two anonymous Pentagon officials, as quoted by the ISW.
Ukrainian troops are also “gradually advancing” in the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions in Zaporizhzhia, as well as consolidating its positions in the Staromaiorske area, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are also edging closer to the Russian-held city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region, Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reported.
Ukraine shoots down 36 Russian missiles on Wednesday
Russia on Wednesday continued its aerial attacks on Ukraine, with Ukrainian air defences intercepting 36 missiles targeting various regions of the country, Ukraine’s state Ukrinform news agency reported.
“Today, Ukraine’s air defense destroyed 36 air targets: three Kalibr cruise missiles; 33 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles,” said Lieutenant-General Mykola Oleshchuk, the Commander of Ukraine’s Air Force, as quoted by Ukrinform.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Thursday is day 519 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: ISW, CNN, The Guardian, Ukrinform