The UAF broke through a key Russian defensive line during a counteroffensive, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing an unnamed Ukrainian officer.
Where are the fights
Paratroopers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are fighting on the fortified positions of the Russians on the outskirts of the village of Verbove in the Zaporozhye region. Also, the fighters entered the main line of defense south of the previously liberated neighboring Rabotino.
Describing the advance, the newspaper's interlocutor held up three fingers, marking the lines of attack through the fortified Russian positions on the western flank of Verbovoye.
“The significance of this offensive lies in the fact that Ukraine for the first time broke through the main Russian defensive line - an extensive system of minefields, trenches and anti-tank barriers covered by artillery,” the material says.
Now the Defense Forces are trying to enlarge the cracks in this line in order to create a hole large enough through which armored vehicles can break through, the newspaper notes.
We need to trust the APU
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are gradually moving forward in their counteroffensive and the allies must trust the way Ukrainian troops conduct military operations.
“They push the Russians back, they manage to get through some of these heavily defended areas, not least through the minefields,” he told CNN .
That's why it's even more important to support Ukraine, he said, "because we all know it's a tough fight."
Stoltenberg said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are making progress, they are winning back positions.
He stressed that NATO allies provide Ukraine with unprecedented military support, but key decisions remain with the Ukrainians.
“In the end, it is the Ukrainians, their commanders on the battlefield, who must make these difficult and tough decisions. We see that Ukrainians exceed expectations again and again. We must trust them. We advise, we help, we support, but in the end, it is the Ukrainians who should make these decisions,” the Secretary General said.
Shut up those who do not trust
Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba advised critics of the Ukrainian counteroffensive to shut up.
According to him, criticism of the allegedly slow advance of the Defense Forces is a spit in the face of Ukrainian soldiers. He noted that the fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine daily risk their lives, move forward and liberate territories.
“I suggest that all critics shut up, come to Ukraine and try to free at least one square centimeter on their own,” Kuleba said.