UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 196 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2022

Ukrainian officials stated on September 3 that the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive in southern Ukraine is an intentionally methodical operation aimed at weakening Russian forces and logistics, and not focused on the immediate recapture of large portions of territory.

Ukrainian President's adviser Oleksiy Arestovych told the Wall Street Journal on September 3 that the current goal of Ukrainian forces in the south is the "systematic demolition of Putin's army" and that Ukrainian troops are slowly and systematically exposing and destroying Russia's operational logistical support system with artillery and precision weapons attacks. Arestovych's statement reflects ISW's assessment that the ongoing counteroffensive is unlikely to lead to immediate gains and that Ukrainian forces are attempting to disrupt key logistical nodes that support Russian operations in the south and weaken Russian military capabilities.

Ukrainian military officers reported that Ukrainian forces continued their positional battles along the front line between Kherson and Mykolaiv, focusing on hitting Russian ground lines of communication (GLOCs), equipment and personnel concentrations, as well as logistics nodes along the southern axis. Social media footage shows evidence of effective Ukrainian strikes in the western and central Kherson Oblast.

Russian Mi-bloggers claim that Ukrainian forces are fighting in the western Cherson area, along the Inhulets River, and in northern Kherson south of the Dnipropetrovsk region border.

Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks northeast and south of Bakhmut, as well as north and southwest of Donetsk city.

The full Russian Offensive Update 196 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR on the internet