Ukrainian forces liberated 1.5 square kilometers of territory near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in the past 24 hours, Tavria grouping spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun said on Sept. 10.
He said that the Russians are clinging tenaciously to every square meter of captured soil, but Ukraine's defenders are making that very difficult for the enemy.
In a separate comment, the commander of Ukraine's southern forces, also known as the Tavria grouping, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, said they have advanced by another kilometer over the past day.
According to Tarnavskyi, the Ukrainian artillery conducted 1,391 engagements in the past 24 hours.
He said that 72 Russian personnel were taken out, 149 were wounded and five were taken prisoner, while 27 units of equipment were destroyed, including three tanks. Ukrainians also took out six Russian supply depots, he said.
After months of grueling combat, Ukrainians liberated Robotyne and pierced the first Russian defensive line in the past several weeks. Western OSINT observers have reported that Ukrainian forces are now engaging Russia's second line near Verbove.
The main prong of the southern counteroffensive is pushing onto the occupied city of Melitopol.
Western experts and Ukrainian commanders have noted that the Russians concentrated so much strength on the first line, their second line should be easier to penetrate.
Alexander Query
