First U.S. Made Abrams Tanks Arrive in UKRaine; UKR Military Goes Deeper into Zaporizhzhia Oblast; UKR Forces Push Forward Near Melitopol; Saboteurs Hit RUssian Military Targets in Moscow, Kaluga Oblasts; UKR Repels RU Attacks on Bakhmut, Marinka, Melitopol Axes, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

First American-made Abrams tanks arrive in Ukraine: Zelensky:

The first batch of American-made Abrams tanks arrived in Ukraine on Monday months ahead of schedule, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced, thanking Washington for keeping its word to help in the ongoing counteroffensive against Russian forces.

The much-needed tanks came just in time to help Ukraine advance in its nearly three-month-old counterstrike, which may be hampered with winter fast approaching.

“Good news from Minister Umerov. Abrams are already in Ukraine and are being prepared to reinforce our brigades,” Zelensky said on Telegram, adding that he was “grateful to allies.”

Zelensky did not say how many of the tanks arrived, though the US is expected to deliver 31 of the vehicles over the next several weeks.

Unnamed US defense officials told the New York Times that two platoons worth of tanks — between eight and 10 — were delivered Monday, though more M1 Abrams tanks will be sent in the coming months.

The Abrams tanks will be added to Ukraine’s arsenal as the country attempts to reclaim Russian-held territory in Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions, where the fighting has dragged on incessantly for months without any major victories. —>READ MORE HERE

Ukrainian military goes deeper into Zaporizhzhia Oblast – ISW:

Ukrainian troops are moving deeper and deeper into Zaporizhzhia Oblast and are storming Novoprokopivka, a front-line village 1.5 km south of Robotyne.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: According to military analysts, a geolocation video released on 23 September shows two Ukrainian infantrymen being killed during a surprise attack by soldiers of the Russian 70th Regiment (42nd Motorized Rifle Division, 58th Combined Arms Army, Southern Military District) on the northeastern outskirts of Novoprokopivka, which shows that Ukrainian forces are likely to have cleared Russian positions between Robotyne and Novoprokopivka.

In addition, numerous Russian sources reported that on 22 September, Russian troops repelled a Ukrainian attack on the northern Novoprokopivka. This is Ukraine’s first confirmed attack on the ground directly in the vicinity of Novoprokopivka.

ISW also emphasised that Ukrainian troops have not overcome all Russian defensive positions near Verbove. The speed of the advance of Ukrainian troops in the breakthrough area remains unknown.

Quote: “Russian forces likely still control segments of the long trench line of Russian fighting positions between Robotyne (10km south of Orikhiv) and Verbove, especially near the tactical high ground to the south. Russian forces have reportedly established prepared fighting positions in almost every tree line that Ukrainian infantry are slowly and systematically fighting through. Russian forces have more field fortifications beyond Verbove; there are more anti-vehicle trenches and fighting positions north of Ocheretuvate (26km southeast of Orikhiv), for example. It is unclear the extent to which those positions are manned, however.” —>READ MORE HERE

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

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

+++++Ukrainian forces push forward near Melitopol+++++

+++++Military intelligence: Saboteurs hit Russian military targets in Moscow, Kaluga oblasts+++++

+++++Ukraine repels Russian attacks on Bakhmut, Marinka, Melitopol axes+++++

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