The US think tank made the assessment in its latest report on the war in Ukraine, published on Wednesday night.
“Ukrainian forces advanced in western Zaporizhia Oblast and reportedly advanced near Bakhmut amid continued counteroffensive operations on both sectors of the front on September 13,” the ISW wrote.
According to geolocated footage released on Tuesday, Ukrainian forces had made limited gains south of the strategic village of Robotyne, 12 km south of Orikhiv, in the western part of Zaporizhzhia, the US think tank added.
Moreover, Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Wednesday that Ukrainian troops had achieved “partial successes” near Robotyne as well as in the Bakhmut direction, specifically near Klishchiivka (7 km southwest of Bakhmut), Andriivka (10 km southwest of Bakhmut), and Kurdyumivka (13 km southwest of Bakhmut), the Ukrainska Pravda website reported.
Ukraine is seeking to encircle and recapture Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region, while its push through Zaporizhzhia in the southeast is intended to reach the port of Melitopol on the Sea of Azov, splitting Russian forces, according to news outlets.
Ukraine strikes Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea
Meanwhile, Ukraine conducted missile strikes on occupied Sevastopol in the Crimean Peninsula on Wednesday, damaging a Russian landing ship, a submarine and port infrastructure, the ISW reported.
The Ukrainian army’s department of strategic communications said that “Ukrainian forces successfully conducted missile strikes on Russian naval means and port infrastructure in occupied Sevastopol,” as cited by the ISW.
Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) spokesman Andriy Yusov said the missiles had struck and damaged the Russian state-owned ship repair facility Sevmorzavod.
Yusov added that the strike had also hit a landing ship and a submarine, both of which he said were “unrecoverable,” the ISW reported.
On Thursday morning, explosions rang out in occupied Yevpatoria, Crimea, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
It quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying that there was a drone attack on Crimea and an attempt to attack the Black Sea fleet patrol ship Sergei Kotov by unmanned surface vessels (USV).
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Thursday is day 568 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, ISW, Ukrainska Pravda