UKRainian Forces Breach RUssian Defensive Line Near Bakhmut; UKR Says It Breached RU Lines by Recapturing 2 Eastern Villages; UKR Forces Repel Enemy Attacks Near Klishchiivka, Marinka, Robotyne; UKR Liberates 51 sq km On Bakhmut Axis, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

Commander: Ukrainian forces breach Russian defensive line near Bakhmut:

Ukrainian troops have broken through one of the Russian defensive lines near Donetsk Oblast’s Bakhmut, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces who heads the military operations in the east, reported on Sept. 18.

Fierce battles are underway around Bakhmut, with Russia conducting multiple counterattacks from various directions, trying to regain lost positions following Ukraine’s liberation of Andriivka and Klishchiivka, according to Syrskyi.

“After all, these small, at first glance, settlements were important elements of the enemy’s defensive line, which stretched from Bakhmut to Horlivka,” the military official said.

However, the general battlefield situation in the east “remains difficult” as Russia is actively preparing for offensive operations in the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, added Colonel General Syrskyi.

Ukrainian military announced on Sept. 17 that it had liberated Klishchiivka after more than three months of counteroffensive operations on the Bakhmut axis. The village of Klishchiivka, which lies about nine kilometers south of Bakhmut, was occupied by Russia in January.

Soldiers with Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade deployed in the area earlier told the Kyiv Independent that advancing toward Klishchiivka was highly challenging due to heavily mined fields and Russia’s constant artillery fire.

On Sept. 15, Ukraine’s General Staff announced the liberation of Andriivka, another small settlement located nearly three kilometers south of Klishchiivka and less than 10 kilometers from occupied Bakhmut. —>READ MORE HERE

Ukraine says it breached Russian lines by recapturing two eastern villages:

A top Ukrainian general hailed the recent recapture of two eastern villages as an important breakthrough on Monday, saying it had enabled Kyiv’s troops to breach Russian lines near the shattered city of Bakhmut.

But General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s ground, said fighting remained heavy around the two villages as Russia tried to recover positions it had lost. Moscow has not acknowledged losing control of either village.

President Volodymr Zelenskiy announced the recapture of Klishchiivka on Bakhmut’s southern flank on Sunday, two days after Kyiv said its forces had regained control of nearby Andriivka. Both villages lie on higher ground than Bakhmut.

“These settlements, at first glance small, were important elements in the enemy’s defensive line which stretched from Bakhmut to Horlivka,” Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app, referring to a town about 40 km (25 miles) from Bakhmut.

“As a result of our troops’ successful actions, the enemy’s defensive line – which it tried to close by throwing all available reserves into battle – was breached.”

Military spokesperson Ilia Yevlash also underlined the tactical importance of Klishchiivka, saying in televised comments that its recapture exposed the southern flank of Bakhmut and was “a favourable springboard for further progress”.

But Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, still controls vast swaths of Ukrainian territory in the east and south. —>READ MORE HERE

Follow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:

+++++Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES: (REUTERS) (AP) (NY POST) and (WSJ)+++++

+++++War update: Ukrainian forces repel enemy attacks near Klishchiivka, Marinka, Robotyne+++++

+++++Ukraine liberates 51 sq km on Bakhmut axis – deputy defense chief+++++

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