UKRaine Probes RUssian Defenses for Weak Spots; UKR Troops Dig In After ‘partial success’ in South, Fighting Rages in East; UKR Downs 10 Drones Over Past Day; UKR Forces Advance In South, Firm Defense On Eastern Front, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

By admin On Jun 24, 2023

Ukraine probes Russian defenses for weak spots – Estonian Intelligence:

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are seeking vulnerabilities in Russian defenses with the aim to collapse the frontline – just as they did during the Kharkiv operation in the fall of 2022 – according to Margo Grosberg, commander of the Estonian Defense Forces’ intelligence center.

Only a third of the Ukrainian forces trained in the West have been deployed to the fight, Grosberg stated in an interview Estonian news outlet ERR on June 20.

He noted that the counteroffensive from the Ukrainian military is taking place in the areas of Bakhmut, southern Donetsk Oblast, and Zaporizhzhya Oblast. The majority of territories liberated by the Ukrainian forces are located in Zaporizhzhya Oblast and in the direction of Orikhov in Donetsk Oblast.

However, Grosberg pointed out that Ukrainian forces are yet to reach the primary Russian defensive positions.

“No necessary breach point has been found yet, where the entire frontline could collapse under pressure,” he said.

“At present, Ukrainians are looking for weak spots, where defense is slightly weaker and troop saturation is lower.”

Grosberg also stated that a major offensive isn’t expected this week.

“The Ukrainians apply a measured, calm approach,” he added. —>READ MORE HERE

Ukrainian troops dig in after ‘partial success’ in south, fighting rages in east:

Ukrainian forces are digging in and attacking on the southern front after having “partial success” in the last day, and are weathering a big Russian assault in the east, a senior defence official said on Wednesday.

Ukraine has reported recapturing eight villages in the south in the last two weeks. Though small, the advances are the biggest by the Ukrainian military since November as they push into heavily fortified and mined Russian-held areas.

“They had partial success over the past day, they have consolidated at the boundaries that were reached and they have evened up the front line,” Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said.

She said Kyiv’s forces were continuing offensive operations towards the city of Melitopol, a Russian stronghold deep in occupied territory, and towards Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov.

Kyiv has prepared for months for a counteroffensive seen as a crucial juncture in Russia’s war, but has imposed a communications blackout and independent reporting is scarce.

Military analysts say it is too early to draw conclusions about the success or otherwise of the two weeks of operations.

They say Kyiv is yet to commit the bulk of its forces, a chunk of which were trained and equipped by the West, but that Ukraine’s forward positions remain some distance from Russia’s main defensive line. —>READ MORE HERE

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