CONVULSIONS OF UKRAINIAN COUNTEROFFENSIVE SHAKE THE SOUTHERN FRONT

After heavy retaliation strikes on Ukrainian seaports in the Odessa and Nikolaev regions, the Russian military continued massive attacks on Ukrainian military facilities throughout the country. The central and eastern regions of Ukraine that are used for transfer of military supplies to the frontlines are hit by Russian drones and missiles on a daily basis. On the night of July 26, air alerts sounded in various regions, including Sumy, Kharkov and Odessa. In the morning, the Ukrainian authorities confirmed damage to some industrial facilities in Pervomaisky district in the Kharkiv region. Large fires broke out in the area after the strikes of Russian Geranium kamikaze UAVs. Meanwhile, the situation remains tense on the Ukrainian frontlines, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine are yet to achieve any strategic victories. Losing precious time, the Ukrainian military allows Russian forces to gain the military initiative in some regions. Russian forces are advancing on the northern Donbass frontlines in the Kupyansk and Svatovo regions, distracting the Ukrainian military from their counteroffensive on the southern and eastern fronts. Russian authorities in the Zaporozhie region assessed that there was some calm before the storm on the southern front. The Armed Forces of Ukraine were relocating their troops. In recent days, the Ukrainian military continued attempts to advance to the south of Gulyai Pole towards the village of Dorozhnyanka but failed to achieve any victories. Meanwhile, the frontlines were quite calm in the areas south of Orekhov and Velikaya Novoselka, where the Ukrainian Army only launched small attacks. On July 26, the situation changed. After the numerous failed attacks and huge losses in military equipment and manpower, the Ukrainian military regrouped forces, pulling reserves to the area of Novodanilovka. According to reports from the front, on the morning, Ukrainian forces launched a large-scaled attack on the Russian military positions in Rabotino. The attack was supported by several Ukrainian aircraft, which struck Russian positions from afar. At the same time, tanks and armored vehicles went into battle, attempting to break through the defense of the 291 regiment of the Russian Armed Forces and enter the village of Rabotino. After the first wave of attack, the Ukrainian military command threw more than a dozen US Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and tanks into the battle. In their turn, Russian servicemen welcomed enemy columns with heavy artillery fire and guided missiles. Russian tanks also entered the battle, opening fire on the approaching enemy. The Russian Aerospace Forces struck the Ukrainian military as well. As a result, preliminary reports from the front claimed that at least 7 pieces of Ukrainian heavy military equipment were destroyed by noon. The Ukrainians suffered heavy losses but the battle continued.