LYMAN (Ukraine), Sep 3: Concealed under pine branches in the forests of northeast Ukraine, the muzzle of a Soviet-era howitzer rises, aiming for a group of approaching Russian infantrymen many kilometres away.
A Ukrainian soldier signals to fire, then swiftly runs for cover. The thunderous crash of the unleashed projectile sends a pall of black smoke billowing above jabs of yellow flames. A pile of spent shells in the nearby foliage grows by the day.
Here, along a small section of the 1,200-kilometre front line, Moscow’s army is staging a ferocious push designed to pin down Ukrainian forces, distract them from their grinding counteroffensive and minimize the number of troops Kyiv is able to send to more important battles in the south.
The Kremlin tactic threatens to further slow the pace of the counteroffensive that was launched almost three months ago. Kyiv’s effort to reclaim Russian-occupied territory has produced minimal gains and heavy losses, and time is running short for Ukrainian troops, who must try to make the most of the last few weeks of the summer fighting season.
The Ukrainian military now considers the battles in the northeast, specifically near the town of Kupiansk, in the northern Kharkiv region, and in the forests near Lyman, to be Russia’s main offensive.
At the same time, Ukraine’s main offensive operations are focused in the south, where they are inching toward the shores of the Sea of Azov in an apparent bid to cut the land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014. Doing this would split in two the Russian-occupied land in southern Ukraine, undermining Moscow’s supply lines.
Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar urged observers to measure Ukrainian progress not in kilometres or metres but “by the very fact that we are successful in moving forward in such conditions.”
While aiming to keep Ukrainian troops busy along the mostly static northeast front, Russia has also had time to reinforce its defences in the south, including laying widespread mines, Ukrainian officials said. The deep fortifications have slowed Kyiv’s advances in that direction.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainians must deal with limitations in manpower, air power and artillery. And the looming fall rainy season adds even greater urgency to an already difficult battle. The muddy ground will hinder Kyiv’s infantry and heavy machinery.
In the south, Ukrainian forces have recently had more success breaking through Russian lines. Since the start of the counteroffensive, Ukraine has advanced 7 kilometres in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, overcoming dense Russian fortifications last week to retake the village of Robotyne — Ukraine’s first tactically significant victory in that part of the country.
It is a far cry from the sweeping territorial gains Western allies hoped for. But winning control of the village brings Ukrainian forces one step closer to the town of Tokmak, about 30 kilometres away, an important Russian-occupied rail hub that would be a major strategic gain. And if Ukrainians advance even 15 kilometres from Robotyne, it could bring them within shooting range of Russia’s east-west transport routes, potentially undermining Moscow’s combat capabilities, military observers say.
“We passed the first line of Russian defense, and we are approaching the second,” said a Ukrainian soldier with the call sign “Legion” who is positioned in Zaporizhzhia. He said the success was owed to NATO-supplied weapons, in particular US-made Bradley combat vehicles, as well as Ukrainian-made drones capable of striking 60 kilometres behind Russian lines.
In some places, including the Robotyne area, the second defensive line “is quite strong,” military spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun said. “Without proper preparation, it is hard to breach it.”
Kyiv has never explicitly stated its goals for the counteroffensive, apart from saying it seeks to restore Ukraine’s 1991 territorial borders.
In the northeast, Russia intensified its operation in mid-July, amassing 100,000 troops. Dark patches of scorched trees mark where Russian artillery assailed Ukrainian positions in the lush woodlands near Lyman. Soldiers joke that the area locals dubbed the “silver forest” is a black forest now.
On the outskirts of Kupiansk, Ukrainian forces must move across mostly open fields near the Synkivka settlement, where Russian forces have focused their advance. Villages nearby have been destroyed, giving Ukrainian forces few options for cover.
“The enemy is constantly trying to advance,” said brigade artillery commander Viktor Yurchuk. “Fighting has been nonstop.”
Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, said Russian troops were regrouping in both the Kupiansk and Lyman areas and deploying newly formed brigades and divisions as well as weaponry. Maliar said professional airborne units have also been deployed from around Avdiivka, further south in the Donetsk region where the two armies are also locked in battles.
Apart from preventing Ukrainian forces from redeploying in the south, a Russian advance in the northeast would also create a protective buffer for the Kremlin’s supply lines. Moscow hopes to halt Ukrainian advances in Bakhmut, where Kyiv’s forces recently took control of commanding heights within closer range of Russia’s supply routes.
For Yurchuk, that means the intensity of the battles will not let up anytime soon. After 18 months of war, he is tired.
“Everyone is fed up with the war, believe me,” he said.
Privately, some of Ukraine’s allies have expressed concern that the counteroffensive may come up short. Soldiers respond that every kilometre of advance is a herculean feat against a well-fortified enemy.
For now, there is no indication that Russia’s efforts in the northeast are having a significant impact on the Ukrainian offensive in the south. (AP)
