UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 522 - JULY 28, 2023

The Ukrainian Armed Forces conducted counteroffensives in at least three sectors of the front and reportedly advanced near Bakhmut on July 28.

Ukrainian military officials state that Ukrainian forces continued their counteroffensive on the northern and southern flanks of Bakhmut, and Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar stated on July 27 that Ukrainian forces were advancing south of Bakhmut. A Russian military blogger claimed on July 28 that Ukrainian forces were advancing near Kurdumivka and Andriivka. Russian military bloggers say that Ukrainian forces continued their ground attacks along the border between Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions near Staromayorske (9 km south of Velyka Novosilka) and Urozhaine (9 km south of Velyka Novosilka), and some bloggers confirm that Ukrainian forces took Staromayorske on July 27. A Ukrainian source claims that Ukrainian forces have come within 10-12 kilometers of the Russian main defense line towards Berdyansk. Russian military bloggers say that Russian forces repelled Ukrainian ground attacks near Robotne (10 km south of Orikhiv), Verbove (17 km southeast of Orikhiv), and Pryatkiv (25 km southwest of Orikhiv) in the west of Zaporizhzhia region.

Commander of the Russian 'Vostok' Battalion, Alexander Khodakovsky, states that Ukrainian forces are capable of conducting attacks across the entire depth of the defending Russian forces, and that these attacks have killed Russian commanders and disrupted Russian command. The Ukrainian General Staff reports that the 247th VDV Regiment (7th VDV Division) refused to engage in combat near Staromayorske due to heavy Russian losses and Ukrainian victories on the battlefield.

Full Russian Offensive Update 522 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR