Ukraine: General talks about decisive breakthrough on southern front

In battles that resulted in losses, the Ukrainian troops bit their teeth against the Russian defenses for weeks. Now Ukraine’s counter-offensive is apparently progressing at a critical point. On the southern front near Zaporizhia, his forces decisively breached the Russians’ first line of defense, Ukrainian General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi reported in an interview with the Guardian’s Observer. From now on he expects faster progress.

In the past few days there had been reports of Ukrainian army successes around the strategically important location of Robotyne. () At this focal point of the counter-offensive, the Ukrainians are attempting to break through to the south in order to recapture the strategically important land bridge between Crimea and Russia.

“Between the First and Second Lines of Defense”

The Russians had fortified this area with strong defensive positions, including massive minefields, in anticipation of the counter-offensive. After painstaking clearing of mines, the Ukrainians have now pushed through the first and strongest line. “We are now between the first and second line of defense,” Tarnavskyi said in the interview. Ukrainian forces would now advance on either side of the breach to consolidate the terrain. “At the heart of the offensive, we are now completing the destruction of the enemy units covering the retreat of Russian troops behind their second line of defense.”

Tarnavskyi estimates that the Russians spent about 60 percent of their time and resources building the first line of defense. The second and third line accounted for only 20 percent of the effort each. Moscow didn’t expect the Ukrainians to be able to break through the first line, says the general, who also led the troops to recapture Kherson last year.

But it also took the Ukrainians longer than initially thought to get through the minefields, says the general. “Unfortunately, evacuating the wounded was difficult for us. That also complicated our advance.”

Moscow is bringing in reinforcements

In weeks of painstaking work, engineers had paved a route through the minefield on foot while the Russians fired at them with grenades and drones from their positions. But now that the obstacle has been overcome, the Ukrainians are back in their battle tanks and armored vehicles and the Russians are forced to manoeuvre.

In response, Moscow is already drawing in troops from other fronts near Kherson in the west and Lyman in the north-east, as well as from Russia, to reinforce the Zaporizhia front. “The enemy is withdrawing reserves, not only from Ukraine but also from Russia. But sooner or later the Russians will run out of the best soldiers. This will give us an impetus to attack more and faster,” said Tarnavskyi. “Everything is before us.”

For all the optimism that Tarnavskyi spreads, he also names the difficulties that lie ahead for the Ukrainians. “The closer victory gets, the more difficult it is,” says the general. “Because, unfortunately, we’re losing the strongest and the best. That’s why we have to focus on certain areas now and get the job done. No matter how difficult it is for all of us.”