The Armed Forces of Ukraine are making progress in their counter-offensive efforts

newsweek.com:  According to a recent report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukraine's armed forces have been making progress in their counteroffensive efforts, despite facing limitations in territorial gains. The counteroffensive was initiated around June 4 with the objective of reclaiming territory occupied by Russian forces. However, the pace of advancement has been hindered, partially due to the formidable fortifications established by Russian troops along the front line.

In its Friday publication, the US-based think tank conveyed a more positive outlook, noting that Ukrainian military units had achieved "tactically significant successes" in the western part of the Zaporozhye region. This success was observed while counteroffensive operations persisted in multiple sectors of the front. The report presented geolocation evidence demonstrating Ukrainian troops approaching the outskirts of Robotino, although uncertainties remained regarding the stability and extent of these positions.

Despite Russian military bloggers documenting intense clashes in the vicinity of Robotino, featuring the Russian 7th Guards Airborne Division and Chechen fighters over several weeks, the ISW emphasized that the Ukrainian forces' ability to make headway towards the city's outskirts holds significance, even if their territorial gains remain constrained.

The ISW suggested that Ukraine's counteroffensive strategy prompted Russian forces to redistribute their troops in defense of the western region of Zaporizhia, indicating that Ukrainian actions might considerably weaken Russian defenses there. The practice of lateral troop relocations, commonly employed by the Russians, was projected to further erode their defensive lines. As both Russian and Ukrainian operations concentrate Russian units in specific areas, the defensive capabilities are likely to be compromised.

The analytical center also speculated that the continuous weakening of Russian defensive forces opens the possibility for a decisive breakthrough by Ukrainian troops. Additionally, there appeared to be an escalation of Russian offensive operations northeast of Kupyansk, a region from which residents were evacuated recently.

Geolocation footage from Friday displayed the advancement of Ukrainian troops into the village of Urozhnoye, situated on the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions. The Ukrainian General Staff reported on Friday that counteroffensive operations persisted in directions like Bakhmut, Berdyansk (border region of Donetsk-Zaporizhia), and Melitopol (western Zaporizhia).

Defense analyst Konrad Muzyka, who heads Rochan Consulting, commented that both Russian and Ukrainian forces had been engaging in relatively minor attacks in the past week, resulting in minimal territorial gains. Muzyka observed an uptick in the rate of Russian attacks in the Luhansk and Kharkiv regions, suggesting a shift in focus from the southern to the northern sections of the front line. The evacuation of civilians from these areas by Ukrainian authorities might signify an anticipation of heightened Russian operations, according to Muzyka's assessment.