A Russian drone attack on the port of Izmail in the Odessa region on Wednesday morning, the 6th of September, killed one person and damaged infrastructure, according to a Telegram post from the governor Oleh Kipper, reports Reuters.
Several agricultural and port facilities were damaged, and several fires were reported in the nearly three-hour drone attack, Governor Kipper said, he also reported that an employee of an agricultural company who
was seriously injured died in hospital.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian armed forces on Tuesday, the 5th of September, reported success and strong defences on the front lines of the 18-month war with Russia, while Moscow dismissed these successes as failures, as it felt only “tension” in the southern sector, according to Reuter.
In June, Ukraine launched a counter-offensive to regain territories captured by Russia but faced difficulties in penetrating Russia’s well-fortified defences. Criticism has grown in the Western media, pointing out that Ukrainian forces
may be concentrated in ineffective places.
Ukraine has made progress southwards towards the Sea of Azov, recapturing several villages. In addition, it has retaken territory near the town of Bakhmut, which Russia had occupied in May.
Ilya Yevlash, spokesman for the Ukrainian forces in the east, said that Ukrainian forces are advancing in the Bakhmut sector, including in the critical area of Klishivka. He noted that Ukraine had also successfully defended against Russian attacks near Lyman and
stopped the advance of Russian forces near Novoyehorivka.
The Ukrainian General staff has reported that its forces are advancing towards Melitopol in the south with the aim of breaking the land bridge established by Russian troops between Crimea and the occupied eastern territories.
However, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has called the Ukrainian counter-offensive a failure, claiming that Ukrainian forces have not achieved their objectives on any front, but Shoigu also admitted that parts of the Russian-controlled south-eastern
Zaporizhzhia region are not going as planned.
He pointed out that Ukraine had deployed brigades from its strategic reserve in the area, trained by Western instructors.
Ukraine’s strategy to capture villages is showing progress, but the success of the counter-offensive in the next two months before winter is crucial, as Ukraine is facing reinforced Russian defences in areas where fortifications and minefields have been established in the “dry period”, making it important to maintain pressure and control over logistic routes, Ukrainian analysts and military officials have said.
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