RIGHT SPEAK: Breaching 1st Line of RUssian Defenses Opens Opportunities for Maneuver; UKRaine's Forces Advance in West of Zaporizhzhia Oblast; UKR National Guard Continue to Push Back Enemy in South; 600 RU Invaders killed Over Past Day Alone; UKR Downs 22 Drones in Odesa Oblast, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

Breaching 1st line of Russian defenses opens opportunities for maneuver - spox

After the breakthrough of the first line of Russian defenses in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine’s Armed Forces received an opportunity to maneuver equipment and troops.

That’s according to Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesman for the Tavria Grouping of Troops, who spoke with Susliplne, Ukrinform reports.

"The enemy distributed resources along the three lines of defense at 60-20-20 percentage-wise. That is, the first line of defense was densely mined, with concrete fortifications, and a large number of anti-tank weapons. The second line also cannot be dismissed and ignored. There are also quite powerful fortifications, quite competently erected, but here we already have the opportunity to maneuver equipment and troops," he said.

However, according to the spokesman, these fortifications are not too strong in terms of engineering.

"There are also minefields, somewhat fewer than there were on the first line of defense, but one should not suggest that it will be easy to get through them," Shtupun said.

The military explained that the Ukrainian soldiers demined the first line of defense by hand "because the enemy targeted any equipment and tried to destroy it. That's why it had to be withdrawn."

According to him, demining of the second line of defense will be done comprehensively.

"We can already cover our infantry. On the first line of defense, we would penetrate through some narrow path, so our heavy equipment and infantry could not maneuver left or right because there were dense minefields. Here we entered the territory on which we can maneuver and the enemy also will have to act somehow different," said the spokesman. --->READ MORE HERE

Ukraine's forces advance in west of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russians set fire to minefields – ISW

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are continuing to counterattack on the Melitopol front in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, but the situation remains difficult due to additional Russian concrete fortifications and dense minefields.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Quote: "The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations in the Melitopol (western Zaporizhia Oblast) direction… Russian milbloggers who have recently maintained that Russian forces hold positions in the southern part of Robotyne claimed that Russian forces withdrew from the southern outskirts of the settlement to unspecified positions further south."

Details: Analysts note that Russian troops are scattering flammable substances in minefields and setting them on fire with drone grenades in an attempt to thwart mine clearance efforts.

At the same time, the commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Intelligence Centre, Colonel Margo Grosberg, said that Ukrainian artillery capabilities are "equal or even better" than those of the Russian forces, and they were able to push Russian artillery units from the front line, not giving them the opportunity to support Russian troops.

"This observation is not universally true across the frontline, as Ukrainian units regularly report coming under heavy Russian artillery fire corrected by Russian drones," the ISW report notes. --->READ MORE HERE