AFU’s counteroffensive. Ukrainian armored vehicles break through enemy's main line of defense south of Robotyne

Ukrainian armored vehicles have already broken through to the south of the last line of the main russian defense line in the Zaporizhzhia Region.

This is reported in the regular ISW report.

Geolocated footage released on September 21 shows that Ukrainian armored vehicles have advanced south of russian anti-tank ditches and the so-called "dragon's teeth" [pyramid-shaped structures designed to stop movement of tanks], which are part of a three-tiered defense and engaged in a limited engagement directly west of Verbove (18 km southeast from Orikhiv).

This is the first recorded case of the use of armored vehicles by Ukrainian forces outside the three-level defense line of the russian Federation. The presence of Ukrainian armored vehicles behind the last line of the current russian defense line indicates that the Ukrainians have secured a breach in the first two lines of this echelon sufficiently to allow vehicles through the breach.

Ukrainian forces likely suppressed russian artillery and other anti-tank systems in the area enough to advance their vehicles. The ability of the Armed Forces to deliver armored vehicles to the strongest russian defense line, as well as to use this equipment near prepared russian defensive positions, is an important sign of progress in the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Additional wiretap footage released on September 20 and 21 shows Ukrainian troops also advancing west and southwest of Verbove.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on September 21, the representative of the National Guard of Ukraine, Colonel Mykola Urshalovych, said that the units of the "Offensive Guard" achieved partial success on the Melitopol axis.

On September 21, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine named two directions in which the Ukrainian military managed to advance during the past day.

Last week, the Ukrainian military liberated the villages of Klishchiyivka and Andriyivka, which are located south of Bakhmut, Donetsk Region.

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