Ukrainian Forces Advance Further Towards Tokmak As Russia Units Are Depleted

The offensive is proving to be methodical, systematic - and effective, as Russian troops and artillery are depleted with no operational reserves to permit rotation off the line or reinforcements when breaches occur. JL 

Matthew Bigg reports in the New York Times:

Ukrainian missiles struck near Tokmak on Wednesday. The head of Ukraine’s forces in the south, Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, said his troops had advanced and that Ukrainian artillery had opened fire more than 1,000 times over the previous day. Ukraine has poured troops and equipment into its counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia, and has also deployed long-range missiles donated by NATO allies to pound Russian targets behind the front lines, both in Zaporizhzhia and in Crimea further south.

Ukraine and Russia are fighting over villages and fields in the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine, as Kyiv aims to drive a wedge through Russian-occupied territory and reach the Sea of Azov. Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which began in June, has been impeded by minefields, troops dug into networks of trenches and Moscow’s artillery power.

Ukraine’s first big strategic target of the southern line of advance is recapturing the city of Tokmak. In August, it took back the tiny village of Robotyne, about 15 miles northeast of Tokmak, after weeks of combat that left already abandoned houses in ruins and surrounding fields pockmarked by shell craters. However, Ukraine has found it difficult to move farther in the face of Russian defenses.

THE LATEST: The head of Ukraine’s forces in the south, Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, said that his troops had advanced. In a message on Telegram late Tuesday, he said that Ukrainian artillery had opened fire more than 1,000 times over the previous day. It was not possible to verify his report.

A Russian occupation official in the region, Vladimir Rogov, said on Telegram that three Ukrainian missiles had struck near Tokmak on Wednesday, though he said they caused no damage.

WHY IT MATTERS: Ukraine has poured troops and equipment into its counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia, and has also deployed long-range missiles donated by NATO allies to pound Russian targets behind the front lines, both in Zaporizhzhia and in Crimea further south.

So far, however, Ukraine has made much slower progress than it had hoped, and relatively little ground has changed hands in the war this year. Some military experts argue that in a few weeks, fall rains will make it harder to use heavy military vehicles, which could slow the counteroffensive further. Ukrainian military officials have said that they can keep fighting through the winter.