Struggle for control: Inside Ukraine’s risky southern advance amid Russian pushback

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has cautioned the nation about Russia‘s commitment to preventing Ukraine‘s troops from proceeding with their counter-offensive.

His warning comes amidst reports of Ukraine’s advances on the southern front. However, Ukrainian military analysts indicate that the progression southward is proving to be challenging for Ukrainian forces.

Earlier in February 2022, after an invasion by Russian forces, Ukraine initiated a counter-offensive to regain control over territories in southern and eastern Ukraine. This operation targets the recapture of villages in the southeast, aiming to move towards areas near the eastern city of Bakhmut and the Sea of Azov, seized by Russian forces in May after months of conflict.

Ukrainian President Zelensky anticipates Russian resistance to southern counter-offensive. Photo courtesy of Luaks Johnns from Pixabay.

Russia, on the other hand, reports that its forces have thwarted Ukrainian assaults in the eastern Donetsk region, which includes territories surrounding Bakhmut. Zelensky, in his daily video address, emphasized that the Russian forces are striving to impede Ukrainian soldiers’ progress in the southern and eastern regions. He stated that every small advance and every successful combat brigade deserves acknowledgment.

Following a meeting with high-ranking commanders, General Oleksander Tarnavskyi, Commander of Ukrainian forces in the south, shared that his troops were steadily driving the enemy out of their positions. He reported enemy losses equivalent to at least 200 in the past 24 hours.

Military analyst Serhiy Hrabskyi highlighted the complexity of advancing towards Berdiansk, a port on the Sea of Azov, during a conversation with Ukrainian NV radio. Ukrainian forces aim to sever the land bridge that Russian forces established with the annexed Crimean peninsula. Hrabskyi further noted the resistance encountered by the Ukrainian forces aiming to move towards the village of Robotyne.

In a daily report, Russia’s defence ministry announced the repelling of 16 Ukrainian attacks on the eastern front, including near the fiercely disputed town of Maryinka and in Klishchiivka, a strategic village on the southern edge of Bakhmut.