- By Laurence Peter
- BBC News
September 1, 2023
Updated 1 hour ago
image description,
Ukrainian troops in the south (pictured) face massive Russian defenses
According to the US government, Ukrainian forces have made “remarkable progress” in their push against heavily fortified Russian positions in the south.
White House security spokesman John Kirby said these gains were made south of Zaporizhzhia in the last 72 hours.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN that Kiev’s forces were advancing but “it’s a tough fight.”
Russia claims to have captured strategic heights near the city of Kupiansk in northeastern Ukraine.
None of the claims have been independently verified.
Mr Kirby said Kiev itself had admitted that the push in the south – aimed at carving up Russia’s land corridor to Crimea – was progressing more slowly than hoped.
“They have had some success against the Russian second line of defense,” he said.
Earlier this week, the Ukrainian military announced that it had captured the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhia region.
In the northeast, Russia has massed troops to recapture areas liberated by Ukraine east of Kharkiv.
In the south, Russia is said to have constructed an elaborate system of trenches and tunnels, defended by minefields, artillery emplacements and so-called “dragon’s teeth” concrete anti-tank barriers.
Kiev launched its counteroffensive after securing more advanced weapons and preparing assault battalions from its allies in the West.
But progress has been slow and Kiev continues to call on NATO countries to supply tanks, mine-clearing equipment and fighter jets – particularly US-made F-16 fighter jets.
On Thursday, Mr. Kuleba expressed anger at those who criticized the pace of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
“I would recommend to all critics to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to free up a square centimeter themselves,” he said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Spain.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian armed forces conquered the Crimean peninsula and large parts of the Ukrainian Donbass region in 2014.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has launched its own attacks on mainland Russia. Russian officials said three Ukrainian drones targeting the bridge between Crimea and mainland Russia were destroyed in the early hours of Saturday.
President Putin told students Friday at the start of the school year that Russia’s victory in World War II proved their nation was invincible.
“I understood why we won the Great Patriotic War,” he said in a lecture on strengthening patriotism in schools. “It is impossible to defeat this kind of nation with this attitude. We were absolutely invincible. And we are the same now.”
The Kremlin’s so-called “important conversations” were introduced in schools after the major Russian invasion began.
The Russian military also announced Friday that it had put a new strategic nuclear missile system called Sarmat “into combat use.”
The long-range missiles have multiple warheads. Their use has not been independently confirmed.