File image.
The Russian military broke through Ukrainian defenses in Robotyne in the Zaporozhie direction and managed to capture half of the town on February 24, according to preliminary reports.
Kiev forces have reportedly abandoned their positions in the southern part of the town and withdrew to the cemetery and nearby areas in the north.
Click to see full-size map. By Military Summary Map (https://dev.militarysummary.com/)
Video footage posted to social media showed Russian armors storming Ukrainian defenses in the southern part of Robotyne under the cover of heavy air and artillery strikes. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense is yet to officially confirm the advance.
Robotyne was the only town that was wholly captured by Ukraine in the Zaporozhie direction during the 2023 spring counteroffensive.
In order to capture the small town, which is located along the first Russian line of defense in the Zaporozhie direction, Kiev forces sacrificed thousands of troops and hundreds of combat vehicles, including dozens of German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks and American-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.
The reported Russian advance in Robotyne came exactly a week after Kiev forces lost the strategic city of Avdeevka in the Donetsk direction.
While the situation in Robotyne remains fluid, the town could fall under complete Russian control within a few days if Kiev forces fail to organize an effective defense. This would be another major blow to the Kiev regime as capturing the town was very much the only achievement of its failed spring counteroffensive.
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