The situation in Kharkiv and Lugansk regions
Russian troops continued their offensive on the Kupyansk-Svatovo line, but on August 27 they did not achieve territorial gains. Kremlin-linked military bloggers claimed that Russian troops were focusing their efforts on pushing against the remaining Ukrainian positions in southern Sinkovka (8km northeast of Kupyansk).
The Russian news aggregator claimed that on August 26, Russian troops successfully advanced in the Kupyansk direction, but did not provide evidence or specify the location of the claimed advance. A Russian military blogger said that Russian troops have captured three Ukrainian positions in the Kupyansk direction and are advancing towards the Sinkovka area.
Russian forces continued to attack Ukrainian positions along the Svatovo-Kremennaya line, but made no progress on 27 August. Ilya Yevlash, spokesman for the Eastern Group of Forces, said that Russian forces were shifting their focus away from the Kupyansk direction to an offensive towards Novoegorovka (15km southeast of Svatovoe) and that Ukrainian forces repelled 10 Russian assaults near Novogorovka.
Russian sources claimed that Russian troops attacked near Novogorovka and Belogorovka (13 km south of Kremennaya). Yevlash noted that units of the Russian 4th Guards Tank Division (1st Guards Tank Army, Western Military District) were conducting offensive operations on the front line in the Luhansk region and that the division had one tank regiment. The 4th Guards Tank Division previously suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment during the Ukrainian counter-offensives in the Kharkiv region in the fall of 2022.
A Russian war correspondent claimed that units of the 80th Guards Tank Regiment (90th Guards Tank Division, Central Military District) were operating in the direction of Svatovo-Kremennaya. Russian military bloggers also stated that units of the Russian volunteer battalion Moskva are operating in the Serebryansky Forest area. It is reportedly made up of fans of the Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) and football, as well as athletes, and its commander previously served in the 45th Guards Special Forces Brigade (VDV).
Ukrainian forces continued their counterattack against Russian positions on the Kupyansk-Svatovo-Kremennaya line but made no progress on 27 August. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Russian forces repelled Ukrainian counterattacks near Sinkovka, Novoselovskoe (15km northwest of Svatovoe), Dibrova (5km southwest of Kremennaya). ), Torskoye ledge (13 km west of Kremennaya) and Serebryanskoye forestry south of Kremennaya.
Fighting in Donbas
Ukrainian troops continued offensive operations in the Bakhmut direction, but did not achieve confirmed successes on August 27. Representative of the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ilya Yevlash said that Ukrainian troops continued offensive operations in the Bakhmut direction, where 14 clashes took place over the past day.
Russian military bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces carried out an unsuccessful assault near Klishchievka (7km southwest of Bakhmut) and Kurdyumovka (13km southwest of Bakhmut) near Klishchievka.
On August 27, Russian troops extended counterattacks near Bakhmut, but did not advance. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian troops were conducting unsuccessful offensive operations near Orekhovo-Vasilovka (11 km northwest of Bakhmut) and Kleschievka. Russian military bloggers have claimed that Russian troops have recaptured up to half of their recently lost positions near Klishchievka, although ISW has not observed visual confirmation of recent Russian advances near the village.
A Russian military blogger claimed that Russian forces also launched unsuccessful counterattacks near Ivanovskoye (6km west of Bakhmut) and Dubovo-Vasilovka (7km northwest of Bakhmut). Yevlash said that Russian forces in the Bakhmut area usually carry out assaults with special assault squads, sometimes without artillery support, who are then escorted by regular Russian personnel.
A well-known Russian military blogger claimed that both Russian and Ukrainian troops were rotating around Bakhmut and deploying reinforcements in the area. On August 24, a Ukrainian commander operating in the Bakhmut area stated that Russian troops had deployed “fresh” units of unidentified newly created units and units from unidentified Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine to the Bakhmut direction.
The ISW has previously observed Russian military bloggers describing likely tactical rotations on the ground. He probably does not describe rotations during which Russian forces will replace a unit with a previously free unit or formation so that the original unit can rest and recover, as Russian forces likely lack the necessary operational reserves to do so.
ISW found no indication that additional Russian units or formations had recently arrived in the Bakhmut direction. Ukrainian forces have recently rotated to other sectors of the front and presumably have operational reserves for further rotations.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that units of the Russian Southern Group of Forces on August 27 repelled two Ukrainian attacks in the area of Pervomaisky (11 km southwest of Avdiivka) and Nevelskoe (14 km southwest of Avdiivka) on the Avdeevka-Donetsk front.
On August 27, Russian troops continued their offensive in the Avdeevka-Donetsk sector, but did not advance. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian troops were conducting unsuccessful offensive operations near Stepne (8 km northwest of Avdiivka) and Maryinka (27 km southwest of Avdiivka). The Russian military blogger also stated that the Russian assault operations in Marinka were unsuccessful.
“South Axis”
On August 27, a Russian military blogger claimed that Russian troops launched a counterattack on the outskirts of Ugledar (30 km southeast of Velikaya Novoselka), but did not specify the result.
On 27 August, Ukrainian forces launched offensives on the western border of Donetsk and eastern Zaporozhye regions and reportedly advanced. On August 27, the speaker of the Tauride group of troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Shtupun reported that Ukrainian troops advanced in the Urozhaynoye area (9 km south of Velyka Novoselka) and succeeded in the Staromayorsky area (9 km south of Velyka Novoselka) in the Berdyansk direction (western part of Donetsk) of the eastern Zaporozhye region)
A Kremlin-linked military blogger said Ukrainian forces have continued to attack border areas in the Donetsk-Zaporozhye region over the past week.
Ukrainian troops on 27 August conducted offensive operations at the Zaporozhye Oblast event and reportedly advanced. Shtupun reported that Ukrainian forces were advancing in the directions of Novoprokopovka (13km south of Orekhovo), Malaya Tokmachka (9km southeast of Orekhovo) and Ocheretuvate (25km southeast of Orekhovo).
Shtupun also stated that Ukrainian forces advanced in the Rabotino area (10 km south of Orekhov) and succeeded in the Melitopol direction (western Zaporozhye region). Russian sources claimed that on August 26 and 27, Ukrainian troops attacked near Kopany (12 km southwest of Orekhov) and advanced near Rabotino and towards Verbove (18 km southwest of Orekhov). The Russian MoD claimed that Russian troops repelled Ukrainian attacks near Rabotino and near Uspenovka Balka (11km southeast of Orekhov).
On August 27, Russian troops reportedly carried out offensive operations in the western Zaporizhia region, but did not achieve any confirmed or claimed success. Russian sources claimed that Russian troops launched a counterattack at Rabotino on 26 and 27 August.
A Russian military blogger claimed that Russian forces had pushed Ukrainian forces back towards the center of Robatiny, while Zaporizhia occupation official Volodymyr Rogov and other Russian sources have argued that Robotyno is debatable.
Shtupun said that Russian troops had increased the number of airstrikes in the Zaporozhye direction and said that this indicated that Russian troops could not stop the Ukrainian offensive with other forces and means. The footage released on August 26 allegedly shows units of the 70th Motorized Rifle Regiment (42nd Motorized Rifle Division, 58th Combined Arms Army, Southern Military District) operating in the Orekhovskoye direction.
Reports of the introduction of units of the 76th Airborne Division and reports of increased Russian air activity in the Melitopol direction indicate that the Russian forces already defending the area are not enough to stop the Ukrainian advance on their own. It is not clear whether reinforcements and intensified air attacks will be reported enough.
Russian military bloggers continue to claim that Ukrainian forces are operating on unknown islands in the Dnieper Delta in the Kherson region. On August 26 and 27, Russian military bloggers stated that the fighting continues and Ukrainian intelligence groups continue to strengthen their positions on the islands in the Dnieper Delta.
Russian and Ukrainian air and naval forces have reportedly recently clashed around oil and gas platforms in the Black Sea. The United Kingdom Department of Defense (MoD) reported on August 27 that last week a Russian aircraft fired on a Ukrainian vessel operating near a platform in the northwestern Black Sea. The UK Department of Defense also noted that Ukrainian forces have carried out strikes on several Russian-controlled platforms and that Russian and Ukrainian forces periodically deploy troops on them.
On August 25, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin announced that the Kerch Bridge should be fully open by November 1. In an interview with the Kremlin’s TASS newspaper, Khusnullin said that the Russian authorities would complete the first stage of the repair of the Kerch bridge on September 15 and then close the open section of the bridge for repairs. Khusnullin said that the Russian authorities plan to complete the final restoration by November 1.
Read urgent and important messages about Russia’s war against Ukraine on the channel RBC-Ukraine on Telegram.
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2023-08-28 01:15:00
