UKRaine Reaches RUssia’s Last Defence Line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast; UKR Missile Strikes Headquarters of RU’s Navy in Crimea; UKR Aviation 17 Times Strikes RU Targets, Including Black Sea Fleet HQ; RU Troops TRIED to Attack on 4 Fronts, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

Ukraine reaches Russia’s last defense line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast − ISW:

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has reported that Ukrainian armored vehicles are already operating beyond the last line of Russian defensive fortifications, which Ukrainian forces are currently breaking through in the west of Zaporizhzhia Oblast – although it is too early to claim that Ukraine’s Armed Forces have completely broken through this Russian defensive layer.

Source: the ISW

Quote from the ISW: “Geolocated footage posted on September 21 indicates that Ukrainian armored vehicles advanced south of the Russian anti-tank ditches and dragon’s teeth obstacles that are part of a tri-layered defense and engaged in limited combat immediately west of Verbove (18 km southeast of Orikhiv). It is unclear if Ukrainian forces retain these positions, however.”

Details: The ISW reported that they have seen for the first time that Ukrainian forces are using armored vehicles outside Russia’s three-layer defense.

The ISW emphasizes that this presence of Ukrainian armored vehicles beyond the last line of the current Russian defense layer indicates that the Ukrainians have sufficiently breached the first two lines of this layer to move their vehicles forward.

“The Ukrainian ability to bring armored vehicles to and through the most formidable Russian defenses intended to stop them and to operate these vehicles near prepared Russian defensive positions are important signs of progress in the Ukrainian counteroffensive,” the ISW noted.

The ISW noted that additional geolocation footage posted on 20 and 21 September indicates that Ukrainian forces have also advanced to the west and southwest of the settlement of Verbove. —>READ MORE HERE

A Ukrainian missile strikes the headquarters of Russia’s navy in Crimea:

Ukraine struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in a missile attack Friday that left a serviceman missing and the main building smoldering, according to military officials on both sides of the war and images from the scene in Crimea.

The Russian Defense Ministry initially said one servicemember was killed but then issued a statement saying he was missing following the attack in the port city of Sevastopol.

The Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been a frequent target since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost 19 months ago.

Crimea has served as the key hub supporting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Sevastopol, the main base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet since the 19th century, has had a particular importance for navy operations since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted naval facilities in Crimea in recent weeks while the brunt of its summer counteroffensive makes slow gains in the east and south of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said Thursday. Military experts say it is essential for Ukraine to keep up its attacks on targets in Crimea to degrade Russian morale and weaken its military.

The attack came a day after Russia pounded cities across Ukraine with missiles and artillery strikes, killing at least five people as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Joe Biden and congressional leaders in Washington while a $24 billion aid package is under consideration. Zelenskyy was in Canada on Friday to address its Parliament in his ongoing effort to bolster support from Western allies.

Previous attacks in Crimea resulted in several civilian deaths, but Russian officials haven’t yet reported any military personnel killed. Six people were reported wounded following a July 2022 attack on the fleet’s headquarters, but it wasn’t clear whether they were civilians or servicemembers.

The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said no one was injured Friday outside of the burning headquarters building. —>READ MORE HERE

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

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

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+++++Russian troops tried to attack on four fronts – Ukraine’s General Staff+++++

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