Ukrainian troops are accelerating their advance in the south; is Berdyansk the new target?

A commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (VSU) in the south of the country said Kyiv believes it has breached strong Russian defenses there.

Photos provided by VSU show Ukrainian soldiers advancing into the village of Rabotino, Zaporizhzhia. (Source: Reuters)

On August 26, Reuters quoted the commander of the group that entered Rabotino, using the partisan alias "Kombat," as saying: "We are not stopping here. Next we have Berdyansk, and beyond. I have made it clear to the soldiers: Our goal is not Rabotino, our goal is the Sea of ​​Azov." He emphasized: "We have crossed the main roads that are mined… I believe we will advance faster from here."

Earlier, on August 23, the VSU announced that they had hoisted the Russian flag in Rabotino in South Zaporizhzhia, 10 km south of the town of Orikhiv. The Ukrainian commander also stated that only two houses in Rabotino remain under Russian control, but the VSU will soon achieve its goal.

However, Russia has not yet confirmed this information.

Rabotino is located approximately 100 km from Berdyansk, a port on the Azov Sea coast, and 85 km from the strategically important city of Melitopol. Both locations are currently under Russian control.

Last week, a U.S. official said there was “no indication” that the VSU could advance and regain control of Melitopol, thereby “dividing” Russian forces in the south.

On the Russian side, on August 26, the Ministry of Defense announced that it had destroyed a drone over the Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quan-doi-ukraine-tang-toc-o-phia-nam-berdyansk-la-muc-tieu-moi-239789.html