Ukrainians Breach Six Kilometers of Russian Defenses in One Day

The Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south is accelerating in the south while Ukrainian forces continue to make tactically significant gains around Bakhmut. 

The speed and thoroughness of the assaults against what appear to be Russia's best remaining troops is another sign that the Ukrainian strategy of attacking artillery and supply centers as well as the front lines is beginning to crack Russian defenses. JL 

Yuri Zoria reports in the Euromaidan Press:

The Ukrainians conducted a powerful attack in the direction of Verbove. Geolocated footage shows Russians shelling Verbove, which indicates Ukrainians are storming the settlement. (This reveals) the Russians lost control over 6 km of trenches in one day. And these were supposed to be the most powerful fortifications to stop the Ukrainian advance. If Ukraine holds and repel Russian counterattacks, the second line of defense (may) collapse. South of Bakhmut, Ukrainian forces advanced south of Klishchiivka (6km southwest of Bakhmut) and in the direction of Volodyne (13km south) on the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia border. Russian forces had to retreat from heights in the area.The biggest news comes from the Tokmak direction. Just several days ago, we were talking about how Ukrainians reached the second line of defense, and today, Ukrainian fighters from the 82nd and 47th Brigades have already breached it. Russian sources reported that Ukrainians basically ignored the region, where Russians deployed thousands of troops over the last few days and conducted a powerful attack in the direction of Verbove. Geolocated footage shows how Russians are shelling the northern part of Verbove, which indicates that Ukrainians are already storming the settlement. Such a development indicates that Russians lost control over 6 km of trenches virtually in one day. And these trenches were supposed to be the main and the most powerful fortifications that were supposed to stop the Ukrainian advancement completely.

Robotyne-Verbove area as of 30 August 2023. Map: screenshot from the video

Right now, Ukrainians are trying to consolidate control over as many fortifications as possible. If Ukrainians manage to hold the ground and repel Russian counterattacks, the second line of defense will collapse completely.

Geolocated footage published on August 30 shows Ukrainian infantry on the northwestern outskirts of Verbove, indicating that Russian control over the outskirts of the settlement is degraded.

The footage, however, does not indicate that Ukrainian forces established control over the area at this time, and Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces have not yet breached the defensive line around Verbove.

The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces were successful in the Novodanylivka-Novopokropivka (4-15km south of Orikhiv) and Mala Tokmachka-Verbove (7-18km southeast of Orikhiv) directions.

Ukrainian officials reported that Ukrainian forces continue offensive operations south of Bakhmut, and geolocated footage published on August 28 shows that Ukrainian forces marginally advanced south of Klishchiivka (6km southwest of Bakhmut).

A Kremlin-affiliated milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces advanced in the direction of Volodyne (13km south of Velyka Novosilka) on the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia Oblast border and that Russian forces had to retreat from several heights in the area.