On southern front, Ukraine's struggle to pierce Russian lines

ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION (Ukraine) (AFP) –When Ukraine announced it had re-captured the village of Robotyne, its message to the world was that it had found a way to pierce Russian lines on the southern front.

Issued on:12/10/2023

Six weeks on, no such breakthrough has materialised and soldiers from the 65th brigade that led the assault admit they do not fully control the village.

The recapture of the small village in the Zaporizhzhia region was announced in August as a strategic victory in the counteroffensive.Yet eight Ukrainian soldiers involved in the fighting told AFP their forces were only inching forward with heavy losses against a Russian army entrenched behind heavily fortified positions.

Speaking in an area usually closed to media, they complained of a lack of manpower, ammunition and drones.Igor Korol, the heavily tattooed commander of the brigade's first battalion, spoke calmly but did not mince his words.For him, the announcement of the capture of Robotyne on August 28 was primarily a PR move, since the village, occupied since early in the war, has no strategic value.

Korol said his men are still not able to move freely around the area because of Russian fire, even though they hold the territory, calling it a "gray zone".

While Russian forces are no longer in Robotyne, the area is within their range so large-scale infantry operations with armoured vehicles are impossible.

"Poltava", a deputy commander of the first battalion, said the Russian army "spares nothing in terms of ammunition or bombs".As a result, the Ukrainian advances are slow, with heavy losses.

Soldiers from the 65th brigade said Russia fires 10 shells for every "one or two" from their side. The same goes for drones.

Mykola or "Doc", a combat paramedic, acknowledged "the cost is very high", describing evacuations of wounded men under fire.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231012-on-southern-front-ukraine-s-struggle-to-pierce-russian-lines