The Ukrainian army has launched a counteroffensive in the south of the country as it attempts to retake Russian-occupied Kherson, with Ukraine currently enjoying some military successes in Russian-occupied areas since Monday, according to a statement by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) on Tuesday.
According to the MOD, Ukraine has pushed back the front line, "exploiting relatively thinly held Russian defences."
However, the territorial gains are not yet of great significance, and Russia is expected to send reinforcements using mobile reserve units. Russia continues to mobilise more troops for Ukraine, including sending volunteer battalions that departed from Moscow on 24 August.
The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 30 August 2022. Credit: UK Ministry of Defence
There is "heavy fighting" in "almost the entire territory", Ukraine's presidency said Tuesday 30 August. Fighting raged after Ukrainian troops on Monday launched their counter-offensive to take back the southern region which Russia seized at the start of the war.
"The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched offensive actions in various directions," it said.
Ukrainian local officials stressed that the move was "the beginning of the de-occupation of the Kherson region". On Monday, the UK's Defence Ministry said on Monday that it was "not yet possible to confirm the extent of Ukrainian advances" although it noted the army increased artillery fire in the front line areas in southern Ukraine.
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The MOD added that Ukrainian forces used "long-range precision strikes to disrupt Russian resupply" lines. These appear to have had some success given that the MOD announced that Ukraine had pushed back the front lines.
Kherson was seized by Russian forces on 3 March and was the first large Ukrainian city to fall after Russia invaded the country on 24 February.
Counter-offensive plans unknown
The specific plans of Ukraine's counteroffensive are not known. "Anyone wants to know what our plans are? You won't hear specifics from any truly responsible person. Because this is war. And this is what it is during the war," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an address on 29 August.
Zelenskyy added that "Ukraine is returning on its own," stressing that "the occupiers should know: we will oust them to the border."
US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Ukraine's tactics had consequences for what the Russian army can do as the Ukrainian army has forced them to reposition its troops and deplete units in the east.
"Because the Russians have had to pull resources from the east simply because of reports that the Ukrainians might be going more on the offence in the south," said Kirky, according to CNN.
